The Maze of Galious is the sequel to Knightmare, but it plays nothing like its predecessor. The first game was basically forced-scrolling shooter while sequel is a side-scrolling adventure game with platforming elements. In some ways, the game feels like a natural bridge between The Goonies and The Goonies II. The game takes place in a number of massive castles that are filled with monsters, ladders, hidden treasures, and more ladders. The Maze of Galious was one of the earliest examples of a “Metroidvania” style game and gave players a huge world to explore instead of breaking up the action into linear stages. The game itself lets players control two knights, Popolon and Aphrodite, who were the respective protagonist and damsel in distress in Knightmare. The knights each have their own unique abilities. Popolon’s strength allows him to smash through boulders faster while Aphrodite can hold her breath longer and is ideal for underwater areas. Each knight also has their own power meter. Unfortunately, each character can only be revived on one occasion before they are gone for good. The ultimate goal in each castle is to topple the great demon that presides over it. In order to reach the demon in the first place, you must discover its name and type its name into the MSX’s keyboard in order to summon it. (There are also a number of secret “cheat” words that can be typed in to the keyboard at any time.) Another noteworthy aspect about the game was its creative use of the MSX’s second cartridge slot. If other Konami games like The Game Master, Q*bert, or Knightmare are inserted, players are rewarded with bonuses. Some of the puzzles in The Maze of Galious are unnecessarily obtuse (Simon’s Quest has nothing on this game), but it was rife with innovation and ahead of its time in many ways.