In this Cauldron II review we are trying out the re-release on the silverbird label. How do we do it?
Firstly to get the real sensation of waiting and appreciating the game we load it and wait. Yes, you may call me stupid but I waited for all those ticking minutes before entering the game play.
The game itself is one of those multi-level games that consist of walking through room to room and collecting items. The graphics are cool and the animation of the spooky skeletons are on top level. You are a little pumpkin that needs to jump around and avoid obstacles and creepy creatures. You need to get through all the rooms and collect all the items, something that is more or less impossible, yes I gave up. Why? Because the gameplay is really to hard to be able to enjoy the game. And given that this game requires so much time to complete it is Game Over.
When I write to hard I often mean that the control of the main character becomes to hard and is more or less impossible to get precise to what you expect. This ofcourse resulting in nearly death every time you get close to one of those spooky companions you die. Well thought of game but to hard to achieve, I guess it is these kind of games that really need cheat modes to spende the full time on completing it.
To modest, I know that my age might have an influence in the outcome of the play. Try It out and let me know. This game was released on several platforms even though I picked the C64 version to play.
%
Our Rating
In the Magazines
What sadists Palace Software are. After destroying half my braincells with the original Cauldron (probably the toughest game of ’85), they’re back to finish the job with Cauldron II — The Pumpkin Strikes Back. Cauldron achieved critical acclaim because it had an excellent mix of Defender-style shoot ’em up and Willy-style platforms — quite an achievement in those dark days. Both the exquisite graphics and the wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack have been matched, as have the wicked puzzles and the mind-numbing difficulty.
The original prize was the Golden Broomstick — the most powerful in the whole world. But instead of using its powers for the good, the witch used it to destroy all pumpkins (you know how witches are). In true hero fashion, one pumpkin survived and now it’s up to him to restore true pumpkin-kind and rid the land of the tyrannous hag. Not so easy, though, because the witch has built a massive castle and filled it with nasties that are all out to get you — naturally. The castle has 28 locations all oozing with Dirty Dens craving for your pumpkin juice. The object is to find the witch’s bedroom, snip a lock of her hair and take it down to the bowels of the castle to concoct the spell. You’ll need six objects to help you and these can be found in the hazardous bastions around the castle. Also lying around the castle are sparkly things which replenish your energy and enable you to fire fireballs of magic which destroy most adversaries.
Sadly, I felt a little disappointed after playing the game for only a short period. The first Cauldron broke new ground and was original and challenging. Cauldron II is just a copy of Jet Set Willy. Judging by Palace’s previous releases there’s obviously talent there, and it would have been good to see a more original game from them. Also, I fail to understand why Palace have made the pumpkin bounce. It makes the game very unplayable and unpredictable. In a game of this difficulty, the ability to move accurately is required and that cannot be achieved with bouncing. I reckon even the most experienced players will find this hard to master. Despite all that, Cauldron comes across as an extremely well polished and presented game. The title music is very spooky and the graphics are wonderfully detailed throughout the game. Animation is also good, especially the gargoyles and simply brilliant ghosts.
Nevertheless, I was less than keen to complete the game, probably because it’s beyond the bounds of human capability. Those of you who are short of readies and want a game that lasts, this is the one. Otherwise, you’ll need to be a total masochist. This game is bound to cause a stir in the industry but it won’t rock the boat half as much as Cauldron I did. Neither will it be remembered with as much affection.
From Commodore User Magazine Issue 33 by Colm Clarke
On the Covers
We don’t have the orginal cover from Palace Software in our collection so we offer you the re-release cover from Firebird under the Silverbird label.
The Silverbird format of the cover really gives the game justice into it’s entry. It prepares your senses on what will come.
CAULDRON TWO (C)
Palace Software
THE GAME
Where once the tiny cottage stood, a mighty palace dwarfs the wood, And there within the highest tower, the witch queen wields her mighty power. A rule of evil across the land, with ghosts and gargoyles close at hand, Her enemies destroyed this night, yet one remains to set things right, A pumpkin warrior, brave and good, the last survivor from the wood, So now go swiftly, climb the stair, and cut a lock of the witches hair, Seek out then, the cauldron black, and brew a spell to change things back. Then the hag will know defeat, and thy revenge will be complete.
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