"A little NiGHTS here, a little Crash Bandicoot there..."

Overview:

At its core, Pandemonium! is a platformer we have played before. However, it's one we've not quite seen before. Simply put, Pandemonium! is a visual tour-de-force. And that's what sets it apart from the crowd of ''me-too'' platformers. It has remarkable camera angles that changes on its own -- breathtaking views that are both cinematic and practical. Being an impressive 2.5-D game (think sort of a hybrid between Crash and NiGHTS) Pandemonium! has a polygonal pizzazz to it, along with solid play mechanics, that helps makes it a cut above.

Categorical breakdowns:

Graphics: 9
OK, so there's some 'rough' spots here and there, but that's because the game's visuals reach for a very high and ambitious level. And in my opinion, for the most part, delivers. The Playstation version is said to be happy and bright with the usage of colors. Here in the Saturn version, things are a bit darker and more foreboding. You'll be treated to well mapped-out various locations, from a forest to a desert to a storm temple to a castle, etc. Some levels, due to their incredible background detail and whatnot, look like they go on for miles and miles... very impressive.

Music/Sound effects: 8.5
Very good. The music reflects the stage it represents. I enjoyed it. The music's loud and in certain levels, enhanced the feeling of ''being there.''

Gameplay: 8.5
Gameplay is strictly 2D but the characters are polygons and the backgrounds are in 3D. You control Nikki or Fargus. Fargus can do a cartwheel attack while Nikki can double jump. I personally found Nikki more useful. Fargus makes for a more challenging game experience. You kill enemies by jumping on their head or shooting a blast at them. This blast attack is an icon you can grab. You can either shrink and crush enemies, freeze and break enemies, or the good ole blast them to death attack. Also, during certain points in some levels, you'll transform into a turtle, frog, flying dragon or a rhino. This adds some variety and makes for interesting sections.
While yes, the gameplay's quite basic and not innovative, it's well done. Having played a fair share of platformers, many repeat the similar concepts and fail to feel refreshing. Crystal Dynamics however found a way to make the old seem almost new. Or rather, made the old seem attractive again. I can't really explain it. You'll have to find out yourself...

Control: 8
For the most part it's rock solid. Sometimes though it's annoying. Jumping is pretty decent but you better be focus on landing it right, otherwise you could easily end up falling to your death or losing a healthpoint when a misjudged jump leads to a nasty spider overbite. Nikki's double jump is frustrating at times. You must press jump at the peak of her first leap, and sometimes you think you got it when really you failed, and end up falling somewhere you didn't want to. That's not fun. Other than that, I found no glaring control issues. After descending from a jump it can get a little ''slippery-happy'' at times, but not too bad once you adjust to it.

Fun Factor: 9
It's a great time out. Like I said, gameplay is nothing new but I found myself surprisingly immersed into Pandemonium!'s semi-psychedelic worlds... there are some frustrating parts to the game, but almost every good game has certain super-hard sections... the kind that separates the boys from the men.... the kind that separates the weekend warrior from the everyday gladiator... you get my point. I must say, however, that the game's first 13 levels hooked me big time. 14-end really let up though. It wasn't quite as fun and imaginative as the first 13 were. Could just be me, though.

Replay Value: 6.5
In my book, platformers just don't have a great long-term life. You play them, conquer them, and move on. The really great ones though, you do end up playing every now and then, but to me platformers are no ''Street Fighter II,'' where I could play again and again every month of the year. Pandemonium! has one thing going for it, the ability to use either Nikki or Fargus. True fans will want to at least play the game thru twice using each protagonist. But after that... it becomes a ''Maybe I'll break it out again in nine months'' case. I should also point out that the game's 22 levels took me 8-10 hours to beat. So there's some good value there. Plus after each level is complete they tell you how much % of treasure you found. There are incentives to score high on this... and the diehard fan will try to master each level. Throw in the other character and that adds another 5-8 hours in... but it will take a very appreciative gamer to do all this. Most likely you'll beat it once, shelf it afterwards and move on to the next game.
But... it's sure darn fun while it lasts.

MISC:

-22 levels, each with an interesting name such as Lost Caves, Hollow Stairway, etc.

-Lots of different little enemies, but I wish there was more ''oomph'' to them. They range from evil plants to giant spiders to spiky snails

-3 bosses total. Each battle takes place on a circular playing field. The last boss is REALLY difficult. You better find all heart icons... (you start out with two hearts, and can find up to five more open heart slots, but finding them is real tough... you'll have to search the giant levels, and not just flee directly to the exit)

-Mark my words: Level 14 and 18 will test your sanity and skills. It took me about 40 tries to beat level 18, and 20 tries to beat level 14. They're very frustrating but hang in there... you're almost at the end...

-Fargus is voice-acted by Greg Proops, the guy from ''Whose Line is it Anyway?''

-The ending is pretty funny, and the game intro is well done

-Manual is very well done and easy-to-read. I liked how they gave a small summary of each level... they treat each level as a separate world, which is something I appreciate and gets me pumped up to play and explore the giant levels

-Loading times are a wee bit long, but fair in the sense that the game doesn't load often

-No save feature, sorry... it's old-school paper-and-pen(cil) passwords!

-When you beat the game, make sure you wait all the way until the end... you'll be treated to a very special treat... it's quite a trip -- you'll see!

Bottom Line:

Pandemonium! is a rock-solid game that is easily, in my book, a top five domestic Saturn platformer. It's an underrated game that deserves more praise. The back of the box says ''Pandemonium! may single-handedly revolutionize the platform genre.'' It didn't do THAT much, but it's safe to say you probably won't regret adding it to your collection. Especially considering its low going rate these days. A job well done, Crystal Dynamics. That makes two very good, very underrated Saturn games for you guys; Pandemonium! and Slam N Jam '96. Gex and Solar Eclipse are not half-bad as well.

Check out Pandemonium! today! I think it's the Saturn's top platform game.

9.0

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/28/03, Updated 02/09/05