Pandemonium!

Pandemonium! for PlayStation is a 1996 fantasy platform game developed by Toys for Bob and published by Crystal Dynamics. It arrived during the early years of Sony's console with a deliberately unusual presentation: its worlds are drawn in polygons and viewed through a moving camera, but the action follows a guided side-scrolling course. The result is a PlayStation platformer that uses a three-dimensional setting to give a classic run-and-jump adventure changing perspectives, depth, and scale.

The journey begins in the land of Lyr, where carnival performer Fargus, his stick-puppet companion Sid, and aspiring wizard Nikki attend a training seminar at Lancelot Castle. A reckless attempt at a high-level spell unleashes Yungo, a green creature that swallows their village. The group sets out with one clear purpose: reach the Wishing Engine and use its power to undo the disaster. Nikki and Fargus are the playable leads, while Sid remains part of the story and their comic dynamic.

Each stage asks the player to run, jump, and avoid hazards while moving along a path that curls through the scenery. Although the camera can swing around corners and look across wide environments, the playable route is essentially two-dimensional; it may bend away from the screen, pass above or below another section, or split into alternate paths. That structure makes reading the next platform, obstacle, and enemy as important as reacting quickly to it.

The two selectable characters bring different strengths to the route. Nikki can double-jump, giving her extra reach when crossing gaps, while Fargus has a spinning attack. Enemies can also be dispatched by jumping on them, and the levels add power-ups with effects such as freezing or shrinking foes. Collectibles, hazards, and changing terrain keep the goal from being only a race to the exit: careful movement and exploration can reveal safer routes or hidden rewards as the adventure moves toward the Wishing Engine.

Pandemonium! on PS1 contains 18 levels and saves progress with passwords. Its 1996 PlayStation release was followed by versions for Windows and Sega Saturn, while the Japanese PlayStation edition was released as Magical Hoppers and substantially reworked its story, characters, and cutscenes. The original game later led to Pandemonium 2, but this first adventure remains the series' introduction: a single-player platform quest that combines carnival-fantasy characters with a distinctive early 3D camera treatment of side-scrolling gameplay.