Table Of Contents:
 


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Original game ROM owned by NAMCO©. Please keep the ROM for no more than 24 Hours, unless you yourself own a copy of the game. All images, in-game screenshots, and artwork are owned by, and property of NAMCO of Japan Co. Ltd. and their respective artist(s) unless stated otherwise.
  The Quest of Ki for the Nintendo Famicom marks the beginning of the saga of the Tower of Druaga and the start of what would be known as the Druaga War. Prince Gilgamesh has been wounded during an accident in slaving for the Sumerian Imperial Army that has invaded, and currently occupies the Kingdom of Babilym.
 


Ki's journey begins with her entering the Tower of Druaga for the first time ever. Signaling the start of the on-going saga.

   Ki, at the request of the Goddess Ishtar, takes it upon herself to set things right by storming the Tower of Druaga and obtaining the Blue Crystal Rod. The unearthly holy relic, source of the Sumerian Empire's ambition and desire, and the central focus of the entire Druaga series.

  This game was not the first Druaga game to be released, as The Tower of Druaga and The Return of Ishtar had both been respectively released in 1984, and 1986.

  The Quest of Ki would not be released until 1988. So, as you can already tell, this game is intended to serve as a prequel and lay the groundwork for the series.

  This game, while not the first time Ki has acted as the predominant character [although paired with Gilgamesh, she was the most important of the two in The Return of Ishtar], was the first time that Ki was featured as the only playable character.

  Without a doubt, The Quest of Ki is by far the most challenging of all Druaga games. Perhaps even one of NAMCO's most difficult games of all time. And while I know NAMCO and Nintendo's games share many, many commonalities, I would like to note that another similarity NAMCO's Tower of Druaga shares with Nintendo's Legend of Zelda is that while they both are known for being top-down view perspective in play-style, set in a "Dark Age" era, and essentially paved the way for the "RPG" genre, The Quest of Ki is a lot like The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in the sense that it's the only game out of the series that is a two-dimensional platformer, is known for being very, very, excruciatingly difficult, and is the least favorite entry of the series to fans of the games.

  Nevertheless, Ki is cemented in NAMCO's history as one of their most frequently-appearing video game heroines. Case in point, aside from Pac-Man, she has also appeared the most on the cover of NAMCO's discontinued gaming magazine NG Namco Community Magazine (see picture to the right).

  On the covers, she often appears with Gilgamesh as a photographic counterpart. However Gil is usually in the background, or not the main focus of the picture--that is, if he's even on the cover at all.

  In any case, The Quest of Ki is a difficult game for three big reasons:

  1. You cannot attack enemies at all. This was explained in one of the games at some point in the series. It is a sin for a Shrine Maiden of Ishtar to fight? ...Or something to that effect. But that seemed to fly right out the window when she grabbed the Blue Crystal Rod in The Return of Ishtar. Hmm... Perhaps she just wasn't allowed to fight bare-handed without the Rod? Or she just didn't have any weapons and so-- ...You know what? Forget it. My brain hurts. Moving right along!
  2. By the "Magic of the Tiara" given to you by Ishtar, Ki can't jump. That's right... She can't jump. Nay... Rather she performs an ascending float into the air! Of course, if she bumps her head on anything, she'll fall right back down! Additionally, if you let go of the "Jump" button (if you can even call it that) even once, you'll slowly descend back down. However, this can be averted if Ki snags a Feather item from a treasure chest. You even get to hear some nifty, "I'm floating dreamily on a cloud" type music, too! Hehe...
  3. The bane of my existence since games like Ghouls 'n' Ghosts, Gradius, and R-Type is back. Yep. The One-Hit Deaths. I don't even need to explain this one.


Issue No. 19 & 20 of NAMCO of Japan's long-since discontinued game magazine, NG Namco Community Magazine. The cover of this issue is artwork for Quest of Ki for the Nintendo Famicom, while the featured article of this particular publication was a manga comic about another NAMCO game; "BravoMan".
(Click Picture for Enlargement.)

  Needless to say, it's no wonder why this is the least favorite of the series. I suppose it has a few redeeming qualities, which are minor at best. The game itself is more than likely a collector's item by now. And the fact that the game is challenging is a plus for those who consider themselves to be truly "hardcore" gamers.


After picking up the "Warp" item from a treasure chest, Ki [the player] is treated to a small transitional dialogue cut-scene featuring Quox the Dragon instead of the Goddess Ishtar who normally gives Ki [the player] advice between levels.

   It also bridges the gap in the Druaga series and tells you how Ki wound up in Druaga's clutches in the first place. The game takes you through the 60 floors of the tower (albeit with a different approach this time around) and ends with Druaga sneaking up on poor little Ki just before she nabs the Blue Crystal Rod.

  There's also a few things that can be exploited about the game, however. Like Super Mario Bros. and many other early 2-D platformers of the day, there are Warps to exploit.

  Warps are found in treasure chests. Treasure chests typically are the hardest to reach, and may not always contain good items. Warps in the chests are found on specific floors (which are detailed below).

  And when you'll get warped, you'll normally be treated with a cut-scene with dialogue from the currently docile Quox the Dragon (as shown to the left).

  Quox was not originally evil. His demeanor changed after Ki failed to obtain the Blue Crystal Rod.
 

  In case you were wondering, the text reads:

  "やあ。。。君がカイちゃんだね。僕はクォっクス。この塔に住む　ドラゴン何だ。君の塔は女神イシターから聞いているよ。僕専用の秘密の通路を使わせてあげるからがんばってね！"

  English Translation: "Ahh... You're Miss Ki, aren't you? I'm Quox. The Dragon that lives here in the Tower. So you've heard from the Goddess Ishtar how to make use of my Secret Passageways? Well, do your best!"

  Seems like a pretty friendly guy, eh? According to the storyline, during this adventure, Ki befriends Quox and Quox helps her reach the top of the Tower (via his warping / secret passageway system).

  Speaking of Warping, if you play your cards right, and abuse it in just the right way, you can actually get yourself to the 58th floor of the tower in just under two minutes as illustrated in this YouTube video of a person doing a Speed Run of The Quest of Ki in a little over 20 minutes. That dude's got skills, huh?

  Even so, if you still insist on giving this game a whirl, here's the control setup. Followed by the Prologue, quick guide, and Ending.

   The Control Scheme for The Quest of Ki:

  • D-Pad : (Title Screen) Make a selection with up or down. (In game) Move Left or Right.
  • "A" Button : Ascend into the air, and continue to do so as long as the button is held. (If Ki is holding the "Feather" item) Ascend into the air, and gain the ability to re-ascend in mid air if the button is let go, then pressed once again.
  • "B" Button : While holding the button, (On the ground) Dash, (While Ascending / Descending in the Air) Increase movement speed.
  • START Button : (Title Screen) Begin the game from the title screen. (During the game) Pause.
  • SELECT Button : No function.

  And now, the prologue, and game introduction.

  I've provided both the original Japanese text and my English translation of it. Please enjoy.
 

今とは別の時間…
こことは別の世界のあはなしです。

In Another Time...
In Another World...


ははなるユーフレイト流れの辺に
マーダック王の治めるバビリムの町か ありました。
人々は神を敬いよくはたらき中よく暮らしていました。

The great Euphrates River. The city of Babilym resides
at its riverbanks, while the city itself is ruled by King Marduk.
The people were prosperous and lead healthy lives by regularly
paying their respects to God.


アヌの神はブルークリスタルロッドを人々に
授け町の空に掲げました。ロッドの青い輝きは
永遠の反映と豊かな美の里を約束するものでした。

The God, Anu, created the Blue Crystal Rod for the
people of Babilym and placed it in the skies of the City.
The brilliant blue shine that reflected from the Rod
blessed the city eternally with riches and beauty.


所がこれを聞いた『スーマール帝国』のバララント皇帝は
バビリムに攻め込み町の人を捉えてみんな奴隷『ドレイ』にして
しまったのです。

The Emperor Bahlarant eventually finds out about this, and
mobilizes the Sumerian Imperial Army to prepare for a large-
scale invasion of Babilym. Seeking to capture its citizens
and enslave them.


そしてバララントはロッドを手に入れるために
天まで届く、塔を作らせました。青い輝きは遮られ
地上は不安と暗闇に包まれました

It is then that Bahlarant decides that in order to obtain the Rod that rests in the heavens,
a Tower must be built. As the Tower grew, the brilliant blue shine of the Rod was
obscured in the Tower's shadow, wrapping it in an uneasy darkness.

神をもおそれ目、帝国の屋内にアヌは
稲妻をおとして、塔の破壊し、帝国の兵士の魂をロッド
封じ込めて仕舞いました。

A fearsome God watched from above as this act transpired. And so Anu decided to smite the
Empire, who sought the Rod, and their Tower by dropping a lightning bolt;
thus destroying the Tower and the souls of the Imperial Army Soldiers that were trapped inside.


しかし、闇に閉ざされた地上では女神
イシターとの戦いに敗れロッドの光に
魔力を封じられた、ドルアーガが
復活していたのです。

However, from the darkness of the ground stirs an enemy that had been long-since
defeated by the Goddess Ishtar, sealed away by the light of the Rod. The Evil
Druaga had been revived...


眠りから覚めたドルアーガは壊された
塔を魔力でなおし天からロッドを奪い塔の
最上階に隠して仕舞いました。

Druaga, who had awakened from a long slumber that had freshly been broken,
stormed the tower to escape the enchantment of the Rod's light. He stole the Rod from the Heavens
and hid himself away on the topmost floor of the tower.


これを見たイシターは王に仕える巫女のカイに
告げました。

”カイよ、世界を救うためには誰かがロッドを塔から
持ち帰らねばなりません。

The Goddess Ishtar beseeches Ki, the Shrine Maiden in the service of the King.

"Ki, in order to save the world, one must
recover the Rod back from the Tower...


あなたに　勇気を見軽さに帰る魔法のチィアラを
授けましょう。心正しき物にはきっと助けが
現れるは図です。

さあ　カイよ　行きなさい！”

You must use the courage in your heart and channel it into this Tiara I've given to you, then the Magic
of the Tiara will make you lighter than air. If you have righteousness in your heart, then this will
certainly help you!

And with that, Ki... Go now!"


こうしてカイは危険なドルアーガの塔に
向かいました。いよいよ始まります。

カイの冒険が…

Ki now stands to face the treacherous Tower of Druaga.
Pressing onward, more and more...

This is the Quest of Ki...
  This game spans the original 60 floors of the Tower of Druaga. The levels are pretty straight-forward, so an FAQ / Walkthrough in full depth truly isn't all that necessary.

  With the controls that have been previously explained above, bear in mind that the monsters within the tower can kill Ki in one hit.

  Another thing that should be noted is that Ki cannot duck on her own. However, you can force her to duck. While running, or floating, should Ki bump her head on the ceiling or against a wall, she will fall to the ground, and duck. holding her head in pain. You must use this to your advantage if you want to get to the 60th floor.

  I will assist by telling you the fastest route to the 60th floor of the Tower. Just follow this route step by step.

  • The 1st Floor: Run to the right and float your way up to the upper-rightmost corner of the room. Be sure to avoid the purple Sea Anemone-like creatures that are on the ceiling and floor. Snag the treasure chest and wait--you'll be transported to the next area.
  • The 6th Floor: Float up on over the platform to the right, and keep going. Watch out for the bat that hangs from the ceiling, and grab the treasure chest.
  • The 11th Floor: There's a Salamander [Purple, Fire-breathing Lizard] on this floor. Dash to the right and avoid the bat. Float up, moving to the left, watch out for the Salamander's fireballs and be careful not to bump your head on the ceiling. Just behind the Salamander is the treasure chest. Snag it, but it will take a few seconds for you to warp. Float straight up in the air and bump your head intentionally, because the Salamander's going to shoot another fireball at you just before you warp.
  • The 19th Floor: Perhaps the most frustrating floor out of this run. There's four monsters in this room. Two pink Pac-Ghost-like enemies and two Wasps that can spit fireballs to the left or right [depending on the direction they're facing]. Dash to the right and start to float up. Here's the tricky part. You're going to have to maneuver between the two wasps and get to the platforms above. If you die by the lower Wasp, it's fine. When you respawn from death, the Wasp should be gone. Just carefully make your way up and snag the treasure chest to move on with warping.
  • The 28th Floor: If you successfully reached the treasure chest on the 19th floor, congratulations! The door will start you off from a platform directly above a corridor beneath you. On the left end, which is where you're going to go, is a Salamander. Once the Salamander shoots a fireball, go down the corridor as fast as you can. When you get towards the end, slow down and ascend upward. The treasure chest is on a platform right above your head. But there is also a bed of spikes in front of you, which is why I said to slow down. Be sure to move carefully and reach the chest without bumping your head on the ceiling and touching the spikes below. A common mistake for beginners.
  • The 37th Floor: The treasure chest is directly below you, across a bed of spikes. Go down to the right, and while holding down the Dash button, gently tap the Jump button. The end result will be a quick leap to clear the gap of spikes, and will allow you to reach the treasure chest.
  • The 44th Floor: On this floor, float straight up. Be sure to avoid the two Wizards up on the platforms above you. They will shoot magical attacks at you. Just straight up and a little to the right, and the treasure chest will be your's.
  • The 51st Floor: This is another stage where you'll have to force Ki to duck again. The treasure chest is straight to the right. Dash to the right and levitate over the stone pillar. There'll be a weird, orange fire-spitting creature mounted in the wall. As you head to the right, levitate again and make Ki bump her head--causing her to duck under the fireball that will pass overhead if you do so. As soon as you get up, either move right and repeat this process, or dash to the right and snag the treasure chest. Once you get the chest, levitate and make Ki bump her head one more time to duck under the next fireball that will come while you're waiting for her to warp.
  • The 58th Floor: Only two floors remain! There are no warps from here on out. They'd be pointless. Run to the left, then up, then right, then up, then left. Snag the treasure chest that will contain a feather item [allowing you to ascend and descend at will in the air]. Work your way back down to the door. Be sure to watch out for the red slime. The red slime can fire magic straight up. With the feather, run back down past the door. This time heading to the right from the door. Once you've gone to the far right, float straight up, past the floating purple head monster and then weave your way up over the beds of spikes and past the monsters. Snag the key and head into the door.
  • The 59th Floor: There's a purple ghost floating right above your head. Float up with the utmost care and snag the treasure chest that the purple ghost is hovering over. It contains a candle. Candles, in the Druaga series, make ghosts that were formerly invisible, now visible. Now once you've got it, go back down to the door and float over the pillar to the left. Make a quick dashing leap to the left over the beds of spikes and float up the corridor. Snag the key along the way. On the way to the door, there's a bunch of ghosts floating erratically and shooting magic waves near the exit. There are two treasure chests before that though, which is where you should be at by now. Grab the treasure chest at the top of the room that's guarded by the fire-spitting Wasp. It contains a feather. Use that feather to carefully maneuver yourself over the bed of spikes below and grab the treasure chest that's sitting directly on top of the spikes. The item in that chest effectively "silences" the ghosts and red slimes in the room [In video game "RPG" talk, to be "silenced" means that you cannot cast any magic spells]. Take advantage of this and carefully maneuver yourself to the exit and move on to the 60th floor.
  • The 60th Floor: Float up, and land on the 2nd platform from the bottom.

  Once you do that, Ki will walk on her own over to the right, and you'll be treated to the ending...

At last, Ki finally reaches the 60th floor of the tower and prepares to claim the Blue Crystal Rod!

But then... The crystal of the rod begins to flicker an eerie light...

The rod suddenly divides itself into three separate rods! A Red Rod, a Green Rod, and the original
Blue Crystal Rod. All three rods then mysteriously vanish and dissipate into the tower within the
blink of an eye!

An evil presence looms over poor, defenseless Ki. A shadow with eight arms.

Ki suddenly faints and falls to the floor... And then, who should appear but none other than...

Druaga! The evil monster then turns Ki into a simple stone. He laughs, proudly proclaiming his
victory, and then goes back to hiding his presence in the tower...

...Leaving behind a stone with a familiar Tiara wrapped around it.
 

こうしてカイは塔の最上階にたどり着きましたがドルアーガの魔力に敗れ
残念ながら石に去れてしまいました。

Ki finally made her way to the top floor of the tower,
but only to be defeated by Druaga. Regrettably, she was
enchanted by him and turned into a stone.

ブルークリスタルロッドは、レッド、グリーンの３本に分けられロッドのパワーは失われ
封じ込められていた、帝国のナイト他市も 復活してしまったのです。

The Blue Crystal Rod divided into three; A Blue, Red, and Green Crystal Rod. By this, the Rod had
lost its power; letting Druaga take control. The Empire's Knights from the other city were
also resurrected.

ロッドの聖霊だったドラゴンのクォっクスもシルバードラゴン　ブラックドラゴンの３匹に
別れてしまい　正しき個々３は　ドルアーガに奪われてしまいました。

The Rod's Saintly Spirit, and physical manifestation, Quox the Dragon, was respectively divided into three
separate entities just as the Rod was; for they were linked. Quox the Dragon, the Silver Dragon, and the
Black Dragon. Because of this three-way division, Druaga was able to manipulate all three.

隠してストーリはカイの恋人ギルがドルアーガを倒し、カイを救う
”ドルアーガの塔”へと、続きますが。。。

Lying underneath the surface waits the story of Ki's dearly beloved Gil, and his simultaneous
triumph over Druaga, and rescue of Ki. Continuing on into "The Tower of Druaga", however...

この後も引き続きスペシャルステージで
お楽しみください。

どうもありがとうございました。

After these credits reach their end, please
enjoy the Special Stages we've prepared for you!

Thank you very much!
 
  After the ending credits, the game goes on for another 40 levels if you select "Continue" back at the title screen. Bringing the tower to a complete 100 floors. The floors are harder, and the monsters have been replaced with familiar characters such as "Nyamco", the villain from Mappy. Pooka and Fygar from Dig-Dug, a Pac-Ghost from Pac-Man, and a Galaxian ship. There are no warps. But continue if you'd like a challenge.

 The continuing story of the Druaga series goes on into the legendary game that started it all...

   The Tower of Druaga.

  Continue to the next article.
 

 Article last modified by DeviFoxx on 06/28/2007 09:21:28 PM

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