Pandemonium!

From Sega Retro

n/a

  • NTSC-U/PAL
  • NTSC-J

Pandemonium title.png

MagicalHoppers Saturn JP Title.png

Pandemonium!
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics (US, Europe), Bandai (Japan)
Developer:
Developer(s) of original games: Toys for Bob
Sound driver: SCSP (1 track)
Genre: Action[1][2]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥6,800 (7,140)6,800e[3] T-13316G
Sega Rating: All Ages
Sega Saturn
US
T-15914H
ESRB: Kids to Adults
Sega Saturn
EU
MK81090-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Saturn
DE
MK81090-50
USK: 6
Sega Saturn
UK
£39.9939.99[5] MK81090-50
ELSPA: 3+ OK
Sega Saturn
GR
Sega Saturn
PL
Sega Saturn
AU
FPAN04SSC
Non-Sega versions

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

Pandemonium!, Introduction.png

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

Pandemonium!, Stage Select.png

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 Left and Right and crouch with Down. Characters jump with C. Enemies are generally defeated by jumping on their heads; some take multiple hits to defeat. Nikki can perform a double jump by pressing C again in midair before the apex of the jump. Fargus can tumble with B, 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 A. 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

Pandemonium!, Weapons, Fireball.png

Fireball
A projectile attack that harms enemies.

Pandemonium!, Weapons, Shrink Ray.png

Shrink Ray
Shrinks enemies so they can be defeated by stepping on them.

Pandemonium!, Weapons, Freeze Ray.png

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

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Shapechanging

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

Pandemonium!, Animals, Frog.png

Frog
The frog can jump especially high.

Pandemonium!, Animals, Rhino.png

Rhino
The rhino can ram through enemies and obstacles while it is running.

Pandemonium!, Animals, Turtle.png

Turtle
The turtle can become invulnerable by hiding in its shell with Down (which can be done in midair).

Pandemonium!, Animals, Dragon.png

Dragon
The dragon can fly. It ascends with Up and descends with Down. It can breathe fire with A.

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.

Pandemonium!, Stage 1-1.png

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Pandemonium!, Stage 1-3.png

  • Pandemonium!, Stage 1-1.png

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Skull Fortress

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Hollow Stairway

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Dungeon Tower

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Lost Caves

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Fungus Grotto

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Acid Pools

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Shroom Lord

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Burning Desert

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Branky Wastes

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Pandemonium!, Stage 10-2.png

Pandemonium!, Stage 10-3.png

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Spider Forest

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Canopy Village

Pandemonium!, Stage 12-1.png

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Soldier Barracks

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Honcho's Logmill

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Goon Honcho

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Honcho's Airship

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Pandemonium!, Stage 16-3.png

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Dragoon Skyfort

Pandemonium!, Stage 17-1.png

Pandemonium!, Stage 17-2.png

Pandemonium!, Stage 17-3.png

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Cloud Citadel

Pandemonium!, Stage 18-1.png

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  • Pandemonium!, Stage 18-1.png

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Efreet Palace

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Pandemonium!, Stage 19-3.png

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Frozen Cavern

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Storm Temple

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Wishing Engine

Bonus levels

Pandemonium!, Bonus Stage, Speed Greed.png

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.

Pandemonium!, Bonus Stage, Full Tilt.png

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
Error creating thumbnail: /bin/bash: line 1: /usr/bin/gs: Permission denied convert: no decode delegate for this image format `' @ error/constitute.c/ReadImage/587. convert: no images defined `/home/sonicret/domains/segaretro.org/public_html/images/temp/transform_198dd0350624.jpg' @ error/convert.c/ConvertImageCommand/3229.
[9]


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

Magazine articles

Main article: Pandemonium!/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Pandemonium Saturn US PrintAdvert.jpg
US print advert
Pandemonium Saturn US PrintAdvert.jpg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in (US) #89: "December 1996" (1996-xx-xx)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in (JP) #1997-11: "1997-11 (1997-04-11)" (1997-03-28)
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
82 [10]
Sega Saturn
82
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
(FR) PAL
95
[11]
(UK)
50
[12]
(US) NTSC-U
83
[13]
(JP) NTSC-J
68
[14]
(DE) PAL
80
[15]
(US)
85
[16]
(US) NTSC-U
78
[17]
(AU) PAL
78
[18]
Level (TR)
100
[19]
(DE) PAL
83
[20]
(IT) NTSC-U
87
[21]
(DE) PAL
82
[22]
(PL)
80
[23]
(FR)
93
[24]
(JP) NTSC-J
64
[25]
(JP) NTSC-J
68
[26]
(UK)
88
[27]
(DE) PAL
83
[28]
(GR)
88
[29]
(UK) PAL
90
[30]
(JP) NTSC-J
77
[31]
(JP) NTSC-J
70
[32]
Sega Saturn
80
Based on
22 reviews

Pandemonium!

Saturn, JP
MagicalHoppers Saturn JP Box Back.jpgMagicalHoppers Saturn JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Pandemonium Saturn JP Spinecard.jpg
Spinecard
Pandemonium Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc
MagicalHoppersSaturnJPManual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, US
Pandemonium Saturn US Box Back.jpgPandemonium Saturn US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Pandemonium sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU
Pandemonium Saturn EU Box.jpg
Cover
Pandemonium Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, FR (Blister pack)
Pandemonium Saturn FR blisterpackback.jpgPandemonium Saturn FR blisterpack.jpg
Cover
Saturn, GR
Pandemonium Saturn GR Box.jpg
Cover
Pandemonium Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, AU

Pandemonium Saturn EU Disc.jpg
Disc

Technical information

Main article: Pandemonium!/Technical information.

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Saturn
 ?
CRC32
MD5
SHA-1
91,916,160 1997-02-26 CD-ROM (US) T-15914H V1.001
Sega Saturn
CRC32
MD5
SHA-1
92,092,560 1997-04-29 CD-ROM (EU) MK81090-50 V1.300
Sega Saturn
CRC32
MD5
SHA-1
134,235,696 1997-02-25 CD-ROM (JP) T-13316G V1.056

Extra content

This game has extra content which can be viewed when accessing the disc on a PC.

Saturn (JP) Extra files
Folder / File Type Size description
ABS.TXT TXT (Abstract) 229 About this game.
BIB.TXT TXT (Bibliographiced) 63 About this game
CPY.TXT TXT (Copyright) 134 Copyright


References

  1. File:MagicalHoppers Saturn JP Box Back.jpg
  2. 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee3.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-20 23:05)
  3. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-11 (1997-04-11)" (JP; 1997-03-28), page 31
  4. http://riehlspot.simplenet.com/vgame/new/saturn.html (Wayback Machine: 1999-02-21 17:22)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Press release: 1997-05-15: Scorching New Saturn Games From Super-Cool Sega
  6. http://www.sega-europe.com/saturn/satinfo.html (Wayback Machine: 1998-12-02 14:09)
  7. Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1997-06-02), page 25
  8. Digitiser (UK) (1997-06-07)
  9. File:Pandemonium sat us manual.pdf, page 18
  10. GamesMaster, "June 1997" (UK; 1997-05-14), page 60
  11. Consoles +, "Juin 1997" (FR; 1997-0x-xx), page 108
  12. Computer & Video Games, "July 1997" (UK; 1997-06-11), page 66
  13. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "July 1997" (US; 1997-0x-xx), page 51
  14. Famitsu, "1997-05-02" (JP; 1997-04-18), page 1
  15. Fun Generation, "07/97" (DE; 1997-06-12), page 98
  16. GameFan, "Volume 5, Issue 6: June 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 21
  17. GamePro, "August 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 76
  18. Hyper, "September 1997" (AU; 1997-xx-xx), page 80
  19. Level, "10/97" (TR; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
  20. MAN!AC, "06/97" (DE; 1997-05-14), page 75
  21. Mega Console, "Giugno 1997" (IT; 1997-xx-xx), page 62
  22. Mega Fun, "07/97" (DE; 1997-06-04), page 72
  23. Neo, "Listopad 1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 28
  24. Player One, "Juin 1997" (FR; 1997-xx-xx), page 92
  25. Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 8" (JP; 1997-04-11), page 150
  26. Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 12" (JP; 1997-06-xx), page 90
  27. Saturn Power, "June 1997" (UK; 1997-xx-xx), page 60
  28. Sega Magazin, "Juli 1997" (DE; 1997-06-11), page 28
  29. Sega Power, "Ávgoustos-Septémvrios 1997" (GR; 1997-xx-xx), page 36
  30. Sega Saturn Magazine, "June 1997" (UK; 1997-05-14), page 64
  31. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-14 (1997-05-02)" (JP; 1997-04-18), page 140
  32. Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 15


Pandemonium!

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