Crystal Quest
| Industry | Video game publishing |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Greene, Inc. |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Michael Greene |
| Fate | Merged from Greene, Inc. |
| Headquarters | United States |
Crystal Quest is an action game created by Patrick Buckland for the Macintosh platform and released by Casady & Greene in 1987. In 1989, Rebecca Heineman adapted the game for the Apple IIGS, and it was subsequently made available on platforms including the Amiga, Game Boy, iOS, and Palm. Significantly, it was the pioneer title to offer color display support on the Macintosh II.
The game evolved from the shareware release Crystal Raider, which received backing from Michael Greene, the founder of Greene, Inc., a company that eventually merged to become Casady & Greene. A follow-up installment, Crystal Crazy, was released in 1993.
On February 7, 2006, Crystal Quest became accessible on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade, followed by a launch for iPhone and iPod touch devices in 2008.
In February 2015, Game Mechanics LLC acquired licensing rights to Crystal Quest and initiated a Kickstarter campaign aimed at financing a new edition. Although the crowdfunding effort did not succeed, the game was nonetheless made available on Steam starting November 23, 2016.
Development
The Macintosh edition of Crystal Quest runs more efficiently when using color mode because the increased RAM consumption slows down enemy movements. Compared to its predecessor Crystal Raider, it introduced enhancements such as a two-player option, color graphics support, superior audio quality, and a demo mode. Initial demo releases occasionally caused system crashes on certain Mac II models; users experiencing these issues were able to request replacement copies from Greene Inc.
Reception
Macworld commended Crystal Quest for delivering rapid and intuitive action gameplay combined with vibrant color visuals reminiscent of arcade experiences. The review also praised its inventive sound effects that resonated with younger players but mentioned some controversy surrounding one particular sound effect that was found offensive by some female users.