Pandemonium!

Pandemonium! is a colorful 2.5D platformer that combines classic platform jumping with stylized 3D graphics and a fixed, linear level path. At the start, the player chooses between two characters — the acrobatic Nikki and the clownish Fargus — and moves through a fantasy world full of traps, enemies, and bonus collectibles, with both characters offering slightly different controls and movement styles, giving replay value at least some degree of variety. Although the environments play out in three-dimensional space, character movement is restricted to a single forward path, which gives the game clarity and the fast, fluid pace typical of platformers from the previous generation.

The visual style was highly praised at release, with level designers playing with perspective and colorful, dreamlike environments that flowed seamlessly from forests through volcanic fields to ice caves and ancient temples. The camera occasionally shifted its viewing angle mid-level, creating the impression of a fully three-dimensional world without the game losing the directness of its controls. The music rounded out the fairy-tale atmosphere, and together with the humorous tone of the narration made Pandemonium! a lighthearted experience suitable even for less experienced players. The controls were simple, with the game relying on precise jumping and well-timed reactions rather than complex mechanics, which keeps it easily accessible to newcomers even today.

Critics praised above all the visual side and imaginative level design, though some reviewers pointed out that the linear structure limits replay value and depth compared to more open platformers. Pandemonium! became one of the player-acclaimed titles of the early PlayStation and received a sequel. It's considered one of the examples of how the platformer genre in the mid-nineties sought its way toward the third dimension without abandoning the clarity and pace of its two-dimensional predecessors.

Why play it: For its imaginative level design and visuals, even though the linear structure limits replay value compared to more open platformers of the era.