Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus sends into action an apprentice of a sorcerers' order who must pass a series of trials to be accepted among true masters. The player thus goes through four episodes full of castles, caves, temples, and fantasy landscapes, dispatching skeletons, giant spiders, and other vermin with magic bolts. The core of the gameplay rests on searching: each level requires collecting a certain number of items or finding all the crystals and keys that unlock the exit. Potions, teleport pads, invisibility, and temporary weapon upgrades help along the way, turning the ordinary progression into a pleasant change of pace and rewarding players who search every corner of the map.

Graphically, this is one of the most colorful DOS platformers of its time. The game uses the VGA palette to the full, the backgrounds are detailed and built from several layers, the sprites are cleanly animated, and the whole visual side feels more mature than most cartoonish platformers. The music rests on module tracks with striking fantasy themes that fit the theme of masters and sorcerous trials well and noticeably help the atmosphere. The controls are simple; the hero isn't a particularly acrobatic character, so the game relies more on thoughtfulness and orientation within a level than on demanding jumps over chasms.

The title was released under the Apogee label at a time when the PC platformer market was already saturated and attention was shifting to other genres, yet it found a decent following and is still mentioned among the finer shareware games today. At the time, the graphics and music were praised most, while criticism pointed to the level structure repeating itself over time. Today it's a pleasantly extensive game that lasts several evenings and has a surprisingly good rhythm if you enjoy hunting for collectibles. Anyone who likes fantasy settings and a calmer platformer pace gets exactly what they wish for. Collecting every item and searching for hidden rooms also gives good reason to revisit earlier levels.