Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

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Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Developer(s)	The Ramjam Corporation
Publisher(s)	Palace Software
Release date(s)	1986
Genre(s)	Arcade adventure, platform game
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	N/A
Platform(s)	ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC
Media	Cassette
Input	Keyboard, Joystick

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back is a computer game published by Palace Software in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC. It 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 the pumpkin and has to defeat the witch. The game takes place in the witch's castle, where the pumpkin has to collect eight magical items to be able to defeat its nemesis.

Cauldron II is generally regarded as a very difficult game. One of the main reasons for this is the unusual control system, which can make it hard to get the pumpkin to go where the player wants. The pumpkin doesn't walk or fly around the castle - it bounces, and the player can only alter its bouncing speed or direction when it touches the ground. This is similar to the control system used in the later game Wizball, although in Wizball it is possible to collect power-ups to make control easier.

Various enemies inhabit the halls of the castle. These mainly come in the form of various scary ghosts and monsters, and also include tools and even cutlery that has come to life. The pumpkin can either avoid the enemies or shoot them with magical bullets, but this drains 1% of his magical energy. Contact with an enemy destroys the enemy and drains over 10% of the pumpkin's magical energy. When the energy reaches 0%, the pumpkin dies. Larger enemies, including living skeletons and giant spiders, kill the pumpkin immediately on contact.

Cauldron II was Palace Software's last game in the Cauldron series. There later was a homage game called Super Cauldron for the Amiga, but its setting or gameplay had little in common with the previous games.