Hocus Pocus

Fun game, creative level design, good music and not too challenging

It’s 1994. Your parents banned Duke Nukem and Leisure Suit Larry for violence and crude content, handing you a floppy disk with a cartoon wizard instead. Apogee’s Hocus Pocus was the ultimate parent-approved consolation prize, and it turned out to be an absolute blast. The moment that Apogee logo faded from your CRT monitor, your Sound Blaster card kicked into overdrive. Bobby Prince’s main menu theme is a core memory—a bright, bouncing FM-synthesis masterpiece with driving bass. It was so catchy you’d sit on the menu just to hear it loop. Parents were beautifully tricked. It looked like an innocent fairytale, but played like a frantic action shooter. Hocus didn't hop on heads; he blasted imps and ghosts with rapid-fire energy bolts. Potion power-ups turned your attacks into laser blasts, delivering a Duke-style adrenaline rush in a G-rated fantasy skin. You couldn't just run right to win. You had to explore massive mazes to find hidden crystals and unlock the exit gate. You shot fake walls to find treasure and used super-jump potions. When things got too tough, typing FEELGOOD instantly refilled your health and granted a lightning spell. Hocus Pocus is pure, arcade-style DOS f…

This is a game I played a few times as a kid. I randomly thought of it one day and checked to see if it was on Steam; I bought it and it gave me a nice bit of nostalgia for the weekend. This isn't a game that will be at the top of most people's list. Even for me, it is not the most amazing game I have played. It's a short game you can play that won't require a large time commitment and provides a good amount of fun for a dollar amount that is less than most things nowadays.

wizard go shooty shooty

ARGUABLY ONE OF THE BEST GAMES EVER MADE! WE WAZ THERE GANDALF, 3000 YEARS AGO (in the 1990s) WE PLAYED IT FROM THE SHAREWARE CD! IT WAS GLORIOUS! It is still. Glorious.

This is such a nostalgic trip for me, I remember playing this as a 6 year old on my dad's work laptop and always being bitter I didn't get to finish it. Now I can! It plays pretty well, I was surprised it doesn't feel "off" like some of these ports feel. The difficulty is decent and the gameplay is fun.