You do however have some defence against the creatures - there are several different types of weapon scattered around the maze. These will kill most creatures. However, there are three guardians covering the three exits from the castle which can only be killed with specific weapons. If Sabreman is to have any chance of escape, he must find at least one of these weapons and kill a guardian with it so that he can pass.
There are many very, very long drops, particularly in the lower regions of the castle. Sabreman can climb down these by jumping onto the rope that often swings from the ceiling of these very long drops; by pressing the down key he can lower himself down to the floor several screens below. However, one collision with a creature is enough to knock him off the rope, in which case he will almost certainly plummet to his death far below. To get back up the very long shafts, Sabreman can use the volcanic bubbles which emerge from craters at the bottom of the shafts - the bubbles are strong enough to take his weight and carry him back up. Again, though, a collision with a creature is enough to make him fall to his death or burst the bubble.
As usual, there are various bonuses to be collected. The most useful are, of course, extra lives but there are other things - for example, a temporary immunity to long drops can be gained from magic gems. With one of these, Sabreman can fall any distance without dying. The only problem with these is that their effect can expire in mid-fall...
Up - R Down - E Left - Q Right - W Jump - T Drop from rope - CAPS SHIFT, Z, X, C, V Pick up/drop - B, N, M, SYM SHIFT, SPACE Pause - ENTER