Hocus Pocus

About

In "Hocus Pocus," players control Hocus, a wizard-in-training, as he navigates 16 realms filled with unique enemies and hazards. With a variety of potions granting special abilities, Hocus must survive to become a full-fledged wizard. Each pair of levels features refreshing changes in graphics, backgrounds, and enemies, ensuring a diverse and engaging experience. Smooth 360-degree scrolling and parallax backgrounds enhance the game's visual appeal.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 76 reviews

music11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game is a nostalgic trip for many players, bringing back fond childhood memories and providing a fun experience reminiscent of the 90s.
The graphics and music are well-regarded, with many players appreciating the colorful visuals and enjoyable soundtrack.
The level design offers a good mix of exploration and challenge, with secrets to discover and a variety of environments to navigate.

The game suffers from technical issues, such as stretched graphics and unresponsive controls, which can detract from the overall experience.
Many players find the gameplay repetitive, with a lack of enemy variety and tedious level design that can lead to boredom.
The controls can feel stiff and jerky, making it difficult to navigate and enjoy the platforming elements as intended.

music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
30%
15%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many reviewers praising its quality and nostalgic appeal, particularly the retro PC soundtrack. However, some players noted that the music can become repetitive over time, and there are suggestions to enable better sound options for an enhanced experience. Overall, while the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, it may not hold up for extended play sessions.
- “The level design, the high-quality background artwork, the excellent sound and music development.”
- “It's a fun action-platformer with nice balanced difficulty and a great soundtrack.”
- “Incredible soundtrack and unforgettable visuals.”
- “The enemy sprites vary, as do the backgrounds and music, but gameplay is very repetitious and gets stagnant quickly.”
- “The graphics are expectably dated, the plot is ten pages of text and mostly nonsensical humor, and the music drones after about the second level.”
- “Exe, and switch the music to 'sound blaster' for a more tolerable musical experience.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The graphics of the game were highly praised at the time of its release, showcasing impressive pixel art and vibrant backgrounds that have aged well. While some reviews noted that the visuals are now dated, they still maintain a solid quality, complemented by a memorable soundtrack. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, particularly for fans of classic 2D platformers from the DOS era.
- “At the time, it had the best graphics around, and it was a fantastic side scroller with great gameplay.”
- “The level design, the high-quality background artwork (6 MB of graphics!), the excellent sound and music development.”
- “Incredible soundtrack and unforgettable visuals.”
- “Pretty basic graphics and content.”
- “The graphics are expectably dated, the plot is ten pages of text and mostly nonsensical humor, and the music drones after about the second level.”
- “While this is one of the better DOS Apogee games as far as handling, graphics, etc., the level design leaves a lot to be desired.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The gameplay is characterized by solid mechanics and engaging environments, offering a nostalgic experience for players. However, it suffers from repetitiveness, with simple mechanics that can become tiresome over extended play sessions, making it feel stagnant compared to modern standards. Overall, while it provides enjoyable moments, the gameplay may not hold up as well in today's gaming landscape.
- “At the time, it had the best graphics around, and it was a fantastic side scroller with great gameplay.”
- “Solid mechanics and a very good soundtrack.”
- “It's a fairly standard 2D platformer, which is full of childish fun, and ramping up the difficulty provides traditionally challenging gameplay from that time.”
- “The enemy sprites vary, as do the backgrounds and music, but the gameplay is very repetitious and gets stagnant quickly.”
- “The gameplay becomes tiresome if taken in large doses - it can become repetitive!”
- “The game's repetitive nature betrays it more in the modern day than it had previously.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The story is described as amazing and fun, though some find it nonsensical and overly text-heavy. While the graphics are considered dated, they still hold up reasonably well for their time, and the soundtrack is decent but can become repetitive. Overall, the narrative experience varies, with some players appreciating its charm despite its flaws.
- “It took a while for me to finish, but it is an amazing story, I promise.”
- “It has a fun little story, decent soundtrack, and I think pretty nice graphics (for its time anyways but still looks pretty good in my opinion).”
- “The graphics are expectably dated, the plot is ten pages of text and mostly nonsensical humor, and the music drones after about the second level.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks any real depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character development is minimal, and the dialogue often feels forced and unoriginal.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a lighthearted, classic 90s vibe with a blend of dad humor and nonsensical writing that adds to its charm. While the graphics and music may feel dated, the humor is a standout aspect, providing a fun and entertaining experience that doesn't take itself too seriously.
- “Very fun classic 90s game, with dad humor and a MIDI file soundtrack :)”
- “This game doesn't take itself too seriously and has some hilarious writing.”
- “The plot is mostly nonsensical humor, making for a uniquely entertaining experience.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often involving repetitive backtracking and frustrating moments where they become stuck in poorly designed areas, necessitating restarts.
- “A lot of tedious back and forth running.”
- “You get stuck in parts of the maps you can't get out of and have to restart, which is annoying and tedious due to poor level design.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to nostalgic games, often feeling heartwarming sentiments as they revisit childhood favorites that have stood the test of time, sometimes leading to tears of joy.
- “You know, it's always heartwarming when you see your childhood favorites hold up and stand the test of time.”
- “Legendary game of my childhood, shed a tear :' )”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have noted that the game exhibits stability issues, with some acknowledging warnings about unresolved glitches prior to installation. While some players hoped for minor issues, the overall sentiment suggests that stability remains a concern.
- “Now, in fairness, when I installed it on the deck, it did warn me that they hadn't worked out the kinks in this one, but I was hoping it was just minor glitches I could live with.”