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Milon's Secret Castle
Developer(s)	Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)	Hudson Soft
Platform(s)	NES/Famicom, Game Boy, Hudson Channel, Virtual Console
Release date(s)	1986
Genre(s)	Action/Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single Player
Media	Cartridge
Input methods	Controller

Milon's Secret Castle, known in Japan as Meikyū Kumikyoku: Miron no Daibōken (迷宮組曲 ミロンの大冒険, lit. "The Maze Suite: Milon's Great Adventure"^?), is an action-adventure game released by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Famicom (Japan) on November 13, 1986, the Nintendo Entertainment System (North America) in September 1988.

[edit] Plot

The protagonist, Milon (ミロン, lit. "Miron"^?), from the Hudson brand, lives in the land of Hudson where people use music to communicate with each other. However, Milon does not have the ability to communicate. He always asked himself why he is the only one who lacks the ability to understand people and music. One day he decides to travel throughout the land of Hudson to search for other people like himself. Before leaving for his trip, Milon decides to visit Queen Eliza who lives in Castle Garland (known as "Hudson's Secret Castle" in Japan). When Milon arrives at Castle Garland, the people were being attacked by the Evil Warlord Maharito from the north region. Maharito robs the people of all their musical instruments and occupies the Castle Garland. Queen Eliza is held captive deep inside Castle Garland by Maharito and his demon-monsters. Milon volunteers to fight the Maharito and his demons and to rescue Queen Eliza and the musical instruments for the people of Hudson. This will not be an easy task. Castle Garland has many different rooms and each room is a maze filled with demons, secret passages and doors. However, the Castle's Magician tells Milon that Queen Eliza has hidden many tools, instruments and money to help him. The Magician also gives Milon a magic "Bubble" to assist him in finding the places where the helpful items are hidden and where they may be bought.

[edit] Gameplay

Player controls Milon by running, jumping and shooting bubbles. The player starts out at the bottom floor of a four-story castle, named Castle Garland. If the player stays too long outside of the castle, lightning bolts fall off from the sky. Each story can only be reached by defeating the first boss. Although seemingly basic, the only way the bosses can even be reached is by discovering a host of secrets, some of which require sheer luck or a helpful manual^{[citation needed]}. Throughout the entire game the player is only given one life. When one life is lost, the game is over and the player must start over. However, if the player holds left on the control pad while pressing the Start button at the title screen, he or she can start where they left off. This command doesn't work before collecting the first crystal, and was only featured in the instruction booklet of the Famicom version.

Screenshot of the NES/Famicom version of Milon's Secret Castle.

The game has generally been considered by several gamers{2} to be extremely difficult and frustrating. There are no save points, and once a player runs out of life, the game is over; however, it is possible to continue after obtaining the first crystal. Unlike in most platform games of the era, Milon doesn't "blink" to become briefly invincible when he is attacked by an enemy, which means his energy can be sapped very quickly if he doesn't move away. Each room of the castle contains secrets similar to those of the Super Mario Bros. series; the secrets are uncovered by shooting bubbles into invisible trigger objects.

A cumulative side-quest involves finding music boxes. By touching a music box, Milon is transported to a mini-game where he attempts to pick up many musical notes as possible, with extra points given for sharps and negative points given for accidentally picking up flats. The first time the player reaches the mini-game, only one elf with a drum appears to play the music. Each time the player collects a music box and is transported to the mini-game, a new elf with a new instrument appears, and the song gets more elaborate.

[edit] Ports, sequels and related releases

• While the Game Boy version kept the same title as the NES version's in the US, the game was released in Japan on March 26, 1993 under the name Miron no Meikyū Kumikyoku (ミロンの迷宮組曲, Milon's Maze Suite^?) and later in North America. The Game Boy version includes a password feature, but is otherwise mostly identical to the NES version. Besides that, there are other obvious differences between the Game Boy and NES versions. First, the room sizes are smaller, likely due in part to the smaller available screen size. As a result, many hidden items and platforms are not in the same absolute position, but can be found in roughly the same relative position. Second, every item costs a little less money than in the NES version. Additionally, there are slightly fewer money tiles to collect, which generally works in favor of the player. The store that gives you $10 in the NES version gives you $15 in this version. Third, the boss fights are substantially easier. You can attack the entire body of the boss, not just the head. Bosses send only one projectile out at a time, and the projectiles are much smaller. The projectiles are more focused on your current position, so they are easier to dodge. Finally, the ending has new illustrations added to it.

• The NES version was rereleased in 2005 as part of a compilation on the Game Boy Advance known as Hudson Best Collection Vol. 3. The same version of the the game was also released to mobile phones, the Japan-exclusive Hudson Channel for the PS2 and the Wii's Virtual Console service in Japan and North America.

• In 1996, a Super Famicom sequel to the game was released only in Japan, known as DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure. In 1997 three further sequels (BS Do-Re-Mi No.2, BS Do-Re-Mi Oku no Original Sound Witch - Blue Sound Witch, and BS Do-Re-Mi Oku no Original Sound Witch - Power Sound Witch) were broadcast via Satellaview to Japanese fans. In 2000, an English translation of the game was released as a ROM by a group of enthusiasts known as "Gaijin Productions of CTC", later completed by RPGONE. Recently, the cartridge version was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console download service for the Wii in North America on March 10, 2008. However, unlike other games in the "import" category, there is no English translation; all Japanese text is retained.

• There are some references to Milon's Secret Castle in a few Hudson Soft games. Milon made a cameo appearance in the Sega Saturn game Saturn Bomberman, and in Star Soldier there are hidden Milon tiles that can only be uncovered and destroyed for a 40,000 point bonus when certain score conditions are met.

• In episode #19 of GameCenter CX (known as "Retro Game Master" outside of Japan), Shinya Arino, the host of the show, played through the Famicom version of the game and successfully cleared it.^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Milon's Secret Castle guide at StrategyWiki
• Milon's Secret Castle fansite
• Information on the English ROM translation of Milon no DokiDoki Daibouken
• Milon's Secret Castle at MobyGames