DESCRIPTION

Deep inside a long-lost diamond mine, there is the temple chamber of a long-lost civilization. Inside the chamber is a priceless Golden Crown, sought by explorers the world over. There are many dangers inside the mine, so only the brave and the skilled will seize the crown, escape to the mountaintop, and become the Mountain King.

A scrolling platform game, Mountain King finds you in the middle of the diamond mine. You can move on the platforms, climb and descend ladders, and jump from place to place. You also have at your disposal a flashlight, which is good for revealing hidden treasures.

In order to gain access to the temple where the crown is kept, you must first gain possession of the Flame Spirit, which will only reveal itself once you collect 1,000 points worth of diamonds. Fortunately, diamonds are plentiful in the diamond mine, either loosely scattered in bunches of 25 or hidden in chests in groups of 250. The chests are only visible with the flashlight.

Once you collect 1,000 diamonds, your score turns yellow, indicating you may now capture the Flame Spirit. Look carefully and listen intently for the Flame Spirit; it flickers for only brief amounts of time and is only fully visible when the flashlight is shined on it. The Flame Spirit is always accompanied by its theme music though, so listen carefully. In harder levels, you only have a limited amount of time in which to find the Flame Spirit.

Once you have gained the Flame Spirit, you may access the temple and seize the Golden Crown. After retrieving the Crown, you must exit the mines and climb the mountain to win the game.

Hindering your progress are several detractors, including cave bats that will steal your crown away from you and a giant spider that will first spin its web around you, then eat you if you do not escape in time. ~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide