Pandemonium!

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NTSC-U/PAL NTSC-J
Pandemonium!
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics (US, Europe), Bandai (Japan)
Developer: Jumpin' Jack Software, Gonzo (JP)
Distributor: Zegetron (GR)
Licensor: Crystal Dynamics (JP)
Developer(s) of original games: Toys for Bob
Sound driver: SCSP (1 track)
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1997-04-25 ¥6,800 (7,140)6,800e T-13316G US 1997-04-24 T-15914H EU 1997-06-12 MK81090-50 DE 1997-06-12 MK81090-50 UK 1997-06-12 £39.9939.99 MK81090-50 GR 199x PL 1997 AU 199x FPAN04SSC
Non-Sega versions N-Gage PlayStation Windows PC

Pandemonium!, known as Magical Hoppers (マジカルホッパーズ) in Japan, is a 2.5D platformer released for the Sega Saturn. It was originally developed by Toys for Bob and released for the PlayStation in 1996, but it was ported to the Saturn by Jumpin' Jack Software and released in 1997.

Story

Fargus and Nikki

In the land of Lyr, an unpopular carnival jester called Fargus and his stick-puppet Sid, are seeking a new career. Meanwhile, a talented acrobat named Nikki, bored of carnival life, runs away to pursue her dream of being a wizard. Fargus, Sid, and Nikki meet at a "Wizards in Training" seminar at Lancelot Castle. Bored by the seminar, Nikki and Fargus steal the speaker's spellbook during a break and take it to the high balcony overlooking the village.

When Nikki begins practicing with the magical book, Fargus and Sid urge her to perform a "tenth-level spell." With a few magical words, a green monster called Yungo appears and consumes the entire village. They search the book for how to get rid of the monster. The book reveals that they will have to obtain a wish from the Wishing Engine. With a map from the book to help them, they set off on their journey.

Gameplay

Level select

The game is a "2.5D" platformer; gameplay is two-dimensional but the graphics are rendered in 3D with polygons. Players play as Fargus or Nikki, who are trying to reach the Wishing Engine so they can wish the town back to normal. The goal of each level is to make it to the end, collecting coins and defeating enemies along the way. There is a boss fight after every six levels.

Players choose a character before each level; both play similarly. Characters move with and and crouch with . Characters jump with . Enemies are generally defeated by jumping on their heads; some take multiple hits to defeat. Nikki can perform a double jump by pressing again in midair before the apex of the jump. Fargus can tumble with , which can be used to attack enemies or can be done in midair to increase the length of his jump. Characters can obtain power-ups that give them projectile attacks, which are fired with . The power-up effect is lost if the character takes damage.

Characters have hearts that indicate their health. They lose a heart whenever they take damage from enemies and lose a chance if they run out of hearts. Losing a chance starts the character over at the beginning of the level or the last checkpoint. The game ends if the player runs out of chances. There are items that replenish lost hearts or permanently give the characters more hearts. The player can obtain extra chances by collecting coins in the levels. The game uses a password system for continuing.

Weapons

	Fireball
	A projectile attack that harms enemies.
	Shrink Ray
	Shrinks enemies so they can be defeated by stepping on them.
	Freeze Ray
	Freezes enemies in place. They can be jumped on and destroyed in a single hit if frozen, but they unfreeze if left alone for too long.

Animals

Shapechanging

Some levels contain special gates that, once passed through, transform the character into an animal.

	Frog
	The frog can jump especially high.
	Rhino
	The rhino can ram through enemies and obstacles while it is running.
	Turtle
	The turtle can become invulnerable by hiding in its shell with (which can be done in midair).
	Dragon
	The dragon can fly. It ascends with and descends with . It can breathe fire with .

Items

	Heart
	Restores one heart of the character's health.
	Gold-Rimmed Heart
	Adds one more heart to the character's health, up to a maximum of 7.
	Ankh
	Gives the player an extra chance.
	Coin
	Collect 200 coins to earn an extra chance. Collecting 80% or more of the coins in a level enters the character into a bonus level after the current level is completed. Green coins are worth 1 coin, red coins are worth 5 coins, and purple coins are worth 25 coins.
	Double Treasure Timer
	Doubles the value of any coins collected over the next ten seconds.
	Fireball
	Equips the character with a fireball attack.
	Phoenix Fireball
	Equips the character with a fireball attack. This item regenerates after it is collected, so the character can return to collect it again after taking damage and losing the effect.
	Shrink Ray
	Equips the character with a shrink ray attack.
	Freeze Ray
	Equips the character with a freeze ray attack.
	Key
	Opens a locked or hidden area.
	Shield
	Renders the character impervious to damage for ten seconds.

Levels

Levels are selected from a map screen and can be replayed after they have been completed.

	Skull Fortress
	Hollow Stairway
	Dungeon Tower
	Lost Caves
	Fungus Grotto
	Acid Pools
	Shroom Lord
	Burning Desert
	Branky Wastes
	Spider Forest
	Canopy Village
	Soldier Barracks
	Honcho's Logmill
	Goon Honcho
	Honcho's Airship
	Dragoon Skyfort
	Cloud Citadel
	Efreet Palace
	Frozen Cavern
	Storm Temple
	Wishing Engine

Bonus levels

	Speed Greed
	The character runs through the course and collects treasure while simultaneously keeping ahead of a pursuing vortex. The character must jump over or slide under hurdles. The player has three chances to complete the level without being swept up by the vortex. This bonus level is played if the player collects between 80% and 94% of the coins in a level.
	Full Tilt
	The character gathers treasure in a giant pinball machine. The player has three chances to complete the level without falling into the flames at the bottom. The player can earn as many as three extra chances at the end of the bonus level. This bonus level is played if the player collects at least 95% of the coins in a level.

History

Legacy

The game received a sequel, Pandemonium 2 (called Magical Jumpers in Japan), released in 1997 for the PlayStation and PC, but it was not ported to the Saturn.

Versions

The Saturn and PlayStation versions are broadly the same, with the PlayStation offering softer lighting (because it uses a dithering framebuffer) and the Saturn lacking some alpha transparency effects, though the Saturn version has the majority of the transparency effects. The Saturn version also has longer load times. Full-motion video clips on the Saturn are rendered at a lower resolution, with borders filling out the space.

The Japanese version of the game, Magical Hoppers, replaces the main characters Fargus with Clam (クラム) and Nikki with Guppy (グッピー).

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English	Pandemonium!	Pandemonium!
English (US)	Pandemonium!	Pandemonium!
Japanese	マジカルホッパーズ	Magical Hoppers

Production credits

• Lead Designer: Paul Reiche III
• Lead Programmers: Fred Ford, Ken Ford
• Lead Artist: Steve Kongsle
• Producer: Mark Wallace
• Assistant Producer: Caroline Esmurdoc
• Designer: Zak Krefting
• Level Designers: Richard D'Aliosio, Chris Sholtz, Reuben Simonson, Tom Treuscher, Gerald Vera
• Artists: Arnold Ayala, Leon Cannon, Maj Cole, Suzanne Dougherty, Gary Ellington, Sean Murphy, Fred Ruff, Scott Werner
• Additional Artists: Terry Falls, Laura Grieve, Simon Knights, Andy Mitchell, Mira Ross, Tenaya Sims, Steve Suhy
• Music: Burke Trieschmann
• Marketing: Chip Blundell, Katie Bolich, Scott Steinberg
• Starring as Fargus & Sid: Greg Proops
• Starring as Nikki: Helen Keaney
• Wishing Engine & Yungo: Martin Ganapoler
• Writing: Ed Crasnick, Ken Daly, Paul Jenkins, Paul Reiche III
• Storyline Animation: Animation Sequence - Windlight Studios, 3D Character Models - WakiMudi
• Sound Effects: Poolside Studios
• Voice Recording Technician: Greg Chapman
• Voice-Overs Directed by: Gordon Hunt
• Audio/Visual: Steve Papoutsis, Jeff Wilkinson, Crystal Dynamics
• Test Manager: Alex Ness
• Lead Tester: Jeff Wilkinson
• Assistant Lead Tester: Matt Young
• Test: Christopher "The Hippie" Bruno, Rolef Conlan, Casey James Craig, David Dao, Karl Hagemann, Rich Krinock, Doug Leslie, Samson R. Maciel, Dan Miley, Beely Mitchell, Matt Prescott, Sheatiel Sarao
• Manual: Carol Ann Hanshaw
• Special Thanks: Madeline Canepa, Ben Szymkowiak

Source:

US manual

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Game Production

• Saturn Programming: Robert Leyland
• Jumpin' Jack: Larry Berkin, Eric Wilder, Brad Van Tighem, Robert Leyland
• Test: Casey Craig, Chris Bruno, Dan Miley, Doug Leslie, Billy King, Richard Krinock, Samson R. Maciel, Matt Prescott, Dave Dao, Beely Mitchell, Rolef Conlan, Karl Hagemann, Sheatiel Sarao
• Saturn A/V: Steve Papoutis
• Saturn SFX: Brad Van Thighem
• Special Thanks: Madeline Canepa, Jeff Hall, Rich Lemarchand, Ben Szymkowiak, Andy Mitchell

Source:

In-game credits

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Cast

• クラム: 辻谷 耕一
• グッピー: かない みか
• シッド: 緒方 賢一
• 女王: 井上喜久子

Animation Staff

• 監督: もりたけし
• Prologue&Ending絵コンテ・キャラクターデザイン・作画監督: SUEZEN
• Opening絵コンテ: 前田真宏
• 美術監督: 菊地正典
• 演出: 杉山慶一
• 音楽制作: 藤田鎮大 （TOP）
• 音楽: 渡部伸隆
• エンジニア: 石神崇敬・松田正博
• アニメーションプロデューサー: 村濱章司
• アニメーション制作: GONZO

Source:

JP manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Pandemonium!/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

US print advert

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #89: "December 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-11: "1997-11 (1997-04-11)" (1997-03-28)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source GamesMaster (UK) 82

	82
Based on 1 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Consoles + (FR) PAL 95 Computer & Video Games (UK) 50 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 83 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 68 Fun Generation (DE) PAL 80 GameFan (US) 85 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 78 Hyper (AU) PAL 78 Level (TR) 100 MAN!AC (DE) PAL 83 Mega Console (IT) NTSC-U 87 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 82 Neo (PL) 80 Player One (FR) 93 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 64 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 68 Saturn Power (UK) 88 Sega Magazin (DE) PAL 83 Sega Power (GR) 88 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL 90 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 77 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 70

	80
Based on 22 reviews

Pandemonium!

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc Manual

Saturn, US
Cover
Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, FR (Blister pack)
Cover

Saturn, GR
Cover
Disc

Saturn, AU
Disc

Technical information

Main article: Pandemonium!/Technical information.