Martin Walker‘s classic scrolling shooter, Citadel, was released exclusively for the Commodore 64 by Electric Dreams in 1989. The premise of Citadel is quite interesting – as is the gameplay.

You are part of a team that has discovered an underground city on a planet that was thought to be uninhabited, and your task is to command a remote-controlled drone, called Monitor, through a series of puzzles and traps, looking for the exit to the next level. There are eight different levels to explore, each with two floors connected by a lift. The exit to the next level will usually involve visiting each floor back and forth as you try to deactivate beams that prevent your progress.

Monitor is not entirely defenceless, however, and can fire in eight different directions if the fire button is held down. Pressing the fire button twice, then holding it down, will activate a capture probe that can be used to pick up items, toggle switches, and take over hostile drones. Capturing enemy drones is a key part of the game as these can be used as shields against enemy fire.

Citadel takes a little bit of brain power and patience to get used to, but once you figure out what you’re supposed to do you’ll find a late era C64 classic with beautiful presentation and rewarding gameplay. Citadel is a bit like mixing chess with Paradroid, except it’s not entirely turn-based. It’s absorbing to explore and survive for as long as possible.

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