How To Get Stars In Castle Of Illusion

There's a lot to love for Castle of Illusion. This action-adventure game from Disney is a mix of old-school adventure games but with the expansion of new school RPG elements. The platformer game creates a nostalgic experience for older players while bringing awe and inspiration to new players with its detailed graphics and challenging levels.

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From the enchanted forests down to the dark hallways of a castle, Castle of Illusion takes the famous Disney mouse on an adventure to save Minnie Mouse from the clutches of Mizrabel. 

With challenging levels and difficult obstacles to overcome, there's a lot to do within the game. Here's how you can beat Mizrabel, learn what Stars are, how to get them, and more with my guide below.

  • Pounce Or Bounce, You Choose
  • Get To Know Your Enemies
  • Moving Around Each Level
  • Replay A Level And Get More Diamonds
  • Finding Stars In The Castle
How To Get Stars In Castle Of Illusion
Image Source: TouchGameplay / YouTube

Pounce Or Bounce, You Choose

In Castle of Illusion, Mickey has two main forms of attack, which are very familiar for those who play many platformer adventure games. These are throwing different items towards the enemy, which often clears them out of the way, and the classic pounce mechanic.

While it is always easy to throw projectiles at enemies, I would rather suggest that you try to bounce on top of enemies instead. This classic move is always effective in these types of games. In this game, the jump attack sometimes allows me to jump even higher. 

This allows me to reach certain areas in the game to find hidden treasures and goodies. The move also allows me to save my projectiles from being thrown at easy enemies, which can be used later on in more for difficult enemies.

Find Hidden Treasures

Speaking of hidden treasures and goodies, there are a lot of them within each level. Always make sure to jump high enough to reveal certain ledges or platforms that contain these rewards. More often, I'd either get some golden Mickey ears or Stars, which gives extra life. 

You'll also find hidden Diamonds in these areas, which are used to unlock different levels in this game. You must get as many Diamonds as possible, even if you already have enough. 

Practice using enemies to boost yourself up higher in the air, and you'll be able to perfect this skill in no time. This skill is highly useful, especially in more difficult levels where I need more Stars.

Get To Know Your Enemies

There are a lot of enemies that I've encountered in the Castle of Illusions. Apart from the bumbling minions that are easily defeated by jumping onto them, I've also encountered some unique enemies like the ghosts.

How To Get Stars In Castle Of Illusion
Image Source: PCGame Benchmark

Some ghosts like the blue ones can lift me off, while the green ones can propel me further when I try to jump on them. Other enemies like the suit of armor have some delay with their attacks, so I usually have to wait a while before I try to cross over or jump over them. 

Some of them even throw things, so it's good to stay safe by taking cover or try to dodge them by jumping.

Use Your Surroundings When Dealing With Bosses

After reaching the end of each level, I encounter a boss. Each boss will have its unique attack pattern, and they behave differently. Sometimes, I can easily predict their pattern and defeat them almost immediately. 

However, there are also times when it's hard to determine how they move around.  I usually throw objects at them first before jumping on their heads. Throwing objects would make them dizzy. 

This would also make them vulnerable to jump attacks. I would lose health if I immediately do a jump attack without making them dizzy first. Use your surroundings and pick up objects that you can throw at the enemy boss and take advantage of the time when they are dizzy.

Moving Around Each Level

Early on, moving around each level was relatively easy. There's not much challenge in the early levels since the game allows us to get comfortable with the controls first. By the time I got to the Enchanted Forest, things were a bit difficult. 

How To Get Stars In Castle Of Illusion
Image Source: Amazon

Ghosts are introduced in this level, and they are a nuisance. At this level, there are different routes to choose and some can to a dead end. The best way to handle these situations is to follow the signpost points. 

There are instances where it leads to a dead-end, but this only means that there are some other areas left that need to be explored. It does take a while to get through these levels in the Enchanted Forest, and it can be time-consuming

Nevertheless, patience is key to getting through this level. You'll need lots of patience for the rest of the game as well.

Watch Where You Land

As a platformer game, Castle of Illusion can be very challenging for new players of the genre. There is no indicator if I could jump and land safely on the next platform. 

However, not many players notice this at the start of the game, but the secret here is to watch your shadow. You'll know that you can land safely when your shadow appears on the platform you're about to land on. 

If not, then you might need to exert a bit more effort in practicing how to jump in this game. Watching your shadow is an excellent way to gauge if you can land on that platform safely. Practice doing this early in the game, and I assure you, you will have no problems later on.

Replay A Level And Get More Diamonds

Diamonds are collected throughout the game, and there's a reason why you should be collecting all of them. They are meant to unlock the next world so you can progress in the game. However, there were times when I played that I could not unlock the next level due to a lack of Diamonds.

How To Get Stars In Castle Of Illusion
Image Source: MS Poweruser

I replay the level and collect as many Diamonds as possible until I can unlock the next level. If you find yourself having to finish a challenging level, I would suggest that you pick an easier level to complete instead so you can progress through the next one. 

I recommend replaying the Enchanted Forest act so you'll have an easier time collecting Diamonds. You need to collect at least 300 for the entire game, and there are about 800 Diamonds hidden across all the stages of the game.

Earn Achievements

There are a lot of achievements that can be earned in the Castle of Illusion. Certain achievements can be unlocked by collecting an in-game item

One of the easiest achievements to unlock is by collecting Magic Playing Cards that can be easily found in the first five levels of the game. This is where I unlocked the achievement - World of Illusion. 

There are many more achievements waiting to be unlocked. You'll have to explore different hidden areas at each level to find these hidden treasures.

Finding Stars In The Castle

Stars are always crucial in Castle of Illusion. It extends your health to five if you can collect some of them. Whenever I find one in the game, I always make a point to get them since it increases my chances of staying alive.

How To Get Stars In Castle Of Illusion
Image Source: Windows Central

The best way to find and collect Stars is at the Castle. Go upstairs, where you'll find a writing desk. There should be a Star hidden somewhere in the area. Once you collect it, go back to the Castle and go back again to collect a second Star. 

You may have to wait a few more minutes for it to appear, so don't lose your patience. It will be all worth it.

Defeating Mizrabel

I know I shouldn't be spoiling how to defeat the ultimate boss in the game; however, if you truly want to get to the end and find out what's in store for you, here's how you can do it. Remember when I told you to get as many Stars as possible? 

Never enter a battle with Mizrabel with only three Stars, or you'll end up getting defeated immediately. Once you enter the chamber, Mizrabel will gather spirits around her, which makes her invulnerable for some time. Please take this opportunity to get out of the way as she will release the spirits around her to damage you. 

Once she releases the spirits, jump on her immediately as this is the only time she is affected by attacks. She'll then cast illusions of herself across the chamber, so you'll have to wait until she reveals herself by gathering spirits once again. Do this step over and over until you defeat her.

Conclusion

Castle of Illusion is a fun and modern platform adventure game that take you back to the old days. It is a kid-friendly game that can also be enjoyed by adults who want to tap into their inner child. Whenever I want to play a platformer game, I always launch Castle of Illusion for a fun nostalgic experience.

I hope the tips above were able to help you with playing the game. Castle of Illusion is available for download on Steam for PC and at the Google Play Store for Android devices and the App Store for iOS.

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