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Summary

Cratermaze arrived on the TurboGrafx‑16 as Hudson Soft’s faithful port of the original Booby Kids, keeping the quirky character designs that made the arcade version memorable. The game drops you into an overhead maze where you control one of the Booby Kids, able to instantly dig a trap beneath your feet and bury any hostile creature that wanders too close. Alongside the classic digging mechanic you can blast foes with a YOYO, freeze them with a beam, or pop them with a bubble gun, turning each encounter into a mini‑puzzle.

The stages span a surprisingly wide range of eras: you start in a prehistoric world collecting coconuts, then dash through feudal Japan for scrolls, survive a World War II battlefield hunting radios, loot modern streets for bags of money, and even explore a futuristic zone where computer monitors are the prize. Each time‑period adds its own visual flair and item goals, encouraging both quick reflexes and a bit of brain‑power.

While the original arcade run offered 21 main levels plus five bonus rooms, the TurboGrafx‑16 version expands the experience to a whopping 60 action‑filled stages, mixing maze navigation with light puzzle‑solving to keep the challenge fresh from start to finish.

Storyline

Cratermaze thrusts you into a frantic rescue mission. After a magic carpet sends you careening through time, the evil Kublai of Zenzombie Land kidnaps four of your friends. Determined to save them, you dash through a twisting labyrinth teeming with monsters. Every corridor is a race against the clock as you hunt down the captives. The game’s relentless pace keeps you on edge from start to finish.