Cauldron 2

STORY / GAMEPLAY
Cauldron II is the sequel to 1985's Cauldron. The game continues from the same story as Cauldron, but this time the roles are reversed: the player takes the role of a pumpkin and must defeat the evil witch. Oh yes, the evil witch wiped out all but one of the innocent pumpkins and brought darkness to the enchanted forest. The game takes place inside the witch's castle, where the pumpkin must find and collect eight magical items to vanish its nemesis. The magical items you must find and gather is an axe, a shield, a cup, a pair of scissors, a crown, a book, and the hair-lock of the sleeping witch. Although the scenario sounds good the game is extremely tough to play! Controlling the pumpkin is tricky at first as it acts like a loose basketball with very high bouncing, the exact level of which can be toggled using the fire button of your joystick (or keys). The direction can only be changed when the ball is on the ground. Be careful not to hit any of the upcoming minions that will cost energy! More on that, the enemies re-spawn quickly so all you'll be doing is to pass through them. Other enemies cannot be shot and must be passed by having the right object! Fortunately you may gain some weaponry by landing into magic pools. If you enjoyed Cauldron the first time around, you'll certainly like Cauldron 2. It's a cool game that puts emphasis on fun as long as you master the controls!

GRAPHICS / SOUND
The ZX Spectrum version offers some nice and colorful visuals though the backgrounds may look empty (as in all three 8bit versions). But there are several details here and there. There are also a few nice animated details on the background like candle lights etc. The Pumpkin (and all the other sprites) moves fast and pretty smooth (moving a bit smoother on the C64 version). The game's sound features a nice intro theme while the in-game sound effects are basic and minimal but doing the job well!