“Crystal Kingdom Dizzy” is the seventh adventure game in the series.

Developed by Visual Impact and Reflective Designs, programmed by Synergy and published by Codemasters for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC 464, Commodore 64, Amiga and Atari ST in December 1992.

This game was also released on “The Big 6” compilation for the Amiga CD32.

In 2009, a Spectrum version of the game that had enhanced graphics surfaced online.

In April 2017, a team of Dizzy fans and Spectrum programmers released a remake of this game for the Spectrum 128k, heavily based on the 16-bit versions.
This is the same group who later teamed up with the Oliver Twins to develop “Wonderful Dizzy” for the Spectrum.
— More on the 2017 Spectrum remake

The Dizzy series had by this stage grown to being one of Codemasters’ most profitable franchises.
Codemasters recognised that Christmas was the best time to release a new game for the series.
So began work with a five-man team in January 1992, and worked solidly for 9 months making this the most tested title in the Dizzy series.
This was also the first full price Dizzy game released for the home computer formats, the previous games had been available at budget prices.

On some of the past Dizzy adventure games, the Spectrum had served as the base version with its graphics ported to the Amstrad and Commodore 64.
With this game however, the Amstrad and Commodore 64 both had versions programmed specifically for them, taking advantage of their enhanced graphical abilities.

The game’s working title was known as “Dizzy and the Lost Treasure of the Yolkfolk”.

Crystal Kingdom played slightly differently compared to previous Dizzy adventures.
The more noticeable change was the way Dizzy jumped.
Dizzy no longer rolled forward when falling in a certain way, he could even be directionally controlled during a fall rather than left to tumble mid-air to an inevitable position.
These alterations to the main character’s behaviour made this game differ greatly from its predecessors.

You start the game with 3 lives, 3 chances/hit points (8-bit versions only) and can carry up to 3 items.

The game is also split into 4 levels, with passwords shown after each level.
This feature is most likely because the other Dizzy games do not have the ability to save your progress.

Early concept art showed that Crystal Kingdom was apparently going to be a completely different game.
There were many unused objectives and maps that showed the Prince’s castle, the Ice mountain and a graveyard to name a few.

The game’s box art originally showed Dizzy having a tattoo of a tiger head on his arm.
Philip Oliver was unhappy about the tattoo, as he felt that it wasn’t suitable for Dizzy’s image and the game’s target audience.
It was eventually removed for the official release.
However, magazine adverts for the game still showed the tattoo on Dizzy’s arm.

The 16-bit versions featured a plug of one of Codemasters’ games, “Micro Machines”.
It appears when Dizzy talks to Daisy who is playing video games in her hut.

The fourth level pays tribute to a 90’s UK TV game show called “The Crystal Maze”.
You meet a character that resembles Richard O’Brien, who tells Dizzy to collect a crystal that lies at the end of an obstacle course.