Pandemonium
↘ 21%
🙂 7.4/10
(Sega Saturn - PAL, Action & Adventure)
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Complete
$47.38
Loose $25.03
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Developed_By:
Activision
Published_By:
Square Enix
Released On:
01 Jan 1997
Also available on:
The young sorceress Nikki, the court jester Fargus, and his side-kick Sid the puppet are the three main protagonists of this 3D platform game. While attending a "Wizards in Training" seminar, Nikki accidentally casts a powerful magic spell, which results in a giant monster swallowing the whole village. The three friends must now travel to a place called "Wishing Engine", and be granted a wish to revert the world back to normal.
The gameplay is centered around clearing various levels, avoiding spikes and enemies, and collecting coins for extra lives. Each character has a unique way of killing enemies using their special movements.
Pandemonium offers a unique blend of 2D movement within a 3D environment, as opposed to traditional 3D platformers that provide complete freedom of movement. This design choice allows for a more focused and streamlined gameplay experience.
EAN-13:
4974365810900 (Austria)
Sega Region Code:
670-10866-50 (Austria)
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Number of Players Supported:
1 Player
Prices as of 19 Sep 2026
Typical $51.31–$52.11 (last 90 days)
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
In this chaotic comedy adventure, a bumbling jester, his stick-puppet sidekick, and a runaway acrobat stumble upon a forbidden spellbook at a disastrous wizard seminar. As they attempt to master their newfound magical powers, the trio must navigate treacherous castles, underground caves, and absurd traps filled with peril and pandemonium.
Story
HOW IT ALL BEGAN...
Fargus the off-center jester and his demented stick-puppet partner Sid spent their lives hand in glove, though not always of one mind. They had grown up together in a large family of jesters and were living proof that cousins shouldn't marry.
Mostly, Fargus and Sid traveled from faire to carnival, embarrassing people here, there and everywhere. Their act was getting as stale as the fruit bowl and eggs that bombarded them during every performance. Their show was not so much an act as a bombing pattern.
Now on their second swing through Lyr, they were starting to get a little leery of the well-armed crowds itching for target practice. Fargus and Sid needed a boost.
Just then, from down the alley, a town crier came by:
"Come one, come all to W.I.T.S.: the Wizards In Training Seminar! Tonight only at the Lancelot Castle and Bingo Pavilion. Taught by the one and only Tony Vu, The Worldly One, the man who had nothing and now has everything. He'll show you how to become a Tenth Level Wizard with absolutely NO MONEY DOWN."
He'll teach the wonders of Disappearing, Turning Into Things, Spellcasting 101, Fun With Fire and Pyrotechnics. Free wizard's cap with every admission!
Fargus and Sid looked at each other, both staring deep into space. A new career, the chance to play with fire, and they could finally ditch their goofy hats! As one, they cut a beeline for Lancelot Castle.
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE VILLAGE...
Nikki, the youngest member of the Flying Fleugel Family, was daydreaming on the highwire. For her, carnival life was dull, dull, dull. Besides, her best friends were Brenda the Alligator Lady and Fritz the World's Smallest Cow!
Nikki was nobody's fool. A talented acrobat with hair-trigger reflexes, she felt there had to be more to life than gripping a balance beam. More than anything else, Nikki dreamed of being a wizard.
It was this daydreaming that finally got Nikki into trouble. She forgot to feed the lions and almost cost The Great Zeigfreed an arm. "I gotta get out of here," she thought. "I'm tired of performing with geeks and freaks. I'm running away to become a wizard!"
DOWN AT LANCELOT CASTLE & BINGO PAVILION . . .
Nikki, Fargus and Sid woveed their way to the very back of the overflow crowd awaiting The Worldly One himself. Bumping annoyingly into each other, the three decided they might as well exchange greetings.
•
“Hi, I'm Fargus. What's your sign?” Fargus grinned at Nikki.
•
Sid coughed out, “Hubba hubba.”
•
Nikki returned the compliment: “Nice hats, fellas!”
Suddenly The Worldly One made a splashy entrance, appearing through a flume of smoke as a snake, a buffalo and a llama. He let off his opening joke in a thick accent: “Excuse me, I've been going through a lot of changes lately.”
From there it went downhill fast. Vu droned on and on with a dis-connected monologue. Fargus dropped off with a snore, Sid made spitballs and Nikki practiced backflips, accidentally kicking several patrons in the back of the head.
Finally, Vu waved a mossy-looking volume at the crowd and hollered: “When we reconvene, I'm going to tell you about the most important and powerful book in the universe. But first, let's break for donuts and mead in the lobby.” Then he cut out for the john.
“C'mon, guys, let's follow him,” Nikki hissed, eyes alight with mischief. The three hustled down the hallway after Vu. As they drew closer, they noticed that their host had evidently been hitting the mead himself. As The Worldly One tripped over a carpet wrinkle, the ancient book slipped out of his wizard's backpack.
Nikki quickly leaped and grabbed the thick tome before it hit the ground. The book was titled Ancient Wizards Spellbook and underneath: Must be fully trained and licensed to use. And in very small print at the bottom: May result in danger and death.
Just what they hoped for! The three hung a sharp left, rushed up a staircase and stood on a high balcony with power in hand . . . and PANDEMONIUM awaiting!
LEVEL NAME
•
1 Skull Fortress: Bounce on melons, navigate a waterfall, and edge across a canyon on a slim rope bridge to reach the castle. Inside, amid treasures and razor-edged dangers, is the way to the central tower.
•
2 Hollow Stairway: Scale the outside of the tower to nab the key, retrace your steps to get inside, and ascend to the roof to find your way to the dungeon below.
•
3 Dungeon Tower: Most of the fabulous treasure once hidden deep under Skull Fortress is now gone, but the traps and lurking beasties that protected it ARE STILL THERE. Be wary of traps and secret areas.
•
4 Lost Caves: Balance on spiderwebs and slide on slime as you descend deeper and deeper into the Earth. While dodging falling rocks and Stalagmgmen, think about this: most of the gems were mined from these very caves . . . so there must be more somewhere.
•
5 Fungus Grotto: Deep where the sun has never
How to Play
SETTING UP
1. Set up the Sega Saturn system following the instructions in its hardware manual.
2. Plug in the game controller.
3. Make sure the power is OFF before inserting or removing a CD.
4. Insert the PANDEMONIUM disc, label side up, into the CD tray. Close the disc cover.
5. Turn the system ON by pressing the console's Power button.
6. In a few moments, following a series of logos, PANDEMONIUM begins.
Note: If nothing appears on screen, turn the Sega Saturn OFF. Make sure the system is set up correctly, then turn the unit ON.
7. At the title screen or during the game demo, press Start on the controller to display the Main Menu.
MAIN MENU
At the Main Menu, highlight your option selection and press Start.
•
NEW GAME: Start a new game from the first Mystic Map level.
•
PASSWORD: Use a password earned in a previous game to resume the game at a later level.
On the Password screen, use the D-Pad to enter the password (UP/DOWN to change a symbol; LEFT/RIGHT to move the entry point). Confirm by pressing Button C. If the password you entered is invalid, try again or quit to the Main Menu by pressing Button Z.
Note: To see your current password on the Mystic Map, press Button X. Write down the password (or memorize it if you're a wizard) and use it to play your game later.
•
OPTIONS: Display the Options menu to adjust game preferences. Press UP/DOWN to highlight the option you want.
•
SOUND FX/MUSIC: Adjust by pressing the D-Pad LEFT/RIGHT.
•
CONTROLS: Remap the Jump, Fire and Special controls by pressing the D-Pad LEFT/RIGHT.
STARTING THE GAME
You can choose a character at the beginning of a game and before each level. If you're having trouble clearing a level with one character, try the other one.
Fargus
The jukin' jester's whirling tumble mows down goons and bad guys without taking damage.
Nikki
An acrobat extreme, Nikki's aerial double-jumps glide over trouble and soar to mile-high platforms and power-ups.
MYSTIC MAP
You start games from the Mystic Map.
1. Press Button Z to choose Fargus or Nikki as your guide. (You can also switch characters before each level.)
2. Move your character to the red spot on any available island. In new games, only the first island is available.
3. Press Button C to begin.
4. When the level ends, you return to the Mystic Map. If you finished the latest level, the next level becomes available. If you didn't complete the latest level, you can try it again or replay an earlier level.
PAUSING AND QUITTING
Pausing the Game
1. Press Start to pause a game in progress.
2. Press Start again to resume play.
Quitting the Game
1. When you're on the Mystic Map, press Start to pause.
2. Press Button X to display a menu.
3. Highlight QUIT and press Button C to quit the game, or highlight CONTINUE and press Button C to return to the game.
LEVEL LIST
10 Canopy Village
This once-prosperous logging camp has fallen into ruin since Honcho and his Goons took over. Run up the paddle wheels and vault over huge spider traps to reach the back door of the Goon Soldier barracks.
11 Soldier Barracks
The barracks were built to protect Honcho's new stolen logmill from the dispossessed owner, who might try to get it back. Slide down the flumes and battle the Goon Soldiers to reach the doors between you and Honcho's mill.
12 Honcho's Logmill
Honcho may be tough, but he's not bright. He has inconsiderately scattered whirling blades, dangerous machines and clattering tools everywhere. If you can avoid them, you can eventually hitch a ride on Honcho's airship.
Boss: Goon Honcho
Honcho is very protective of his favorite toy, the airship. To catch a ride, you'll have to defeat him without getting mashed into anchovy paste.
13 Honcho's Airship
Honcho left piles of treasure on his ship, and even in the balloon itself. Once you reach the docking station, you'll have to navigate the aerial maze. If only you could fly!
14 Dragoon Skyfort
Climb higher and higher, dodging rockets and floating bombs. Bounce off clouds to ascend to nose-bleed altitude. Watch your step, because it's a long way to the bottom.
15 Cloud Citadel
Built by giants, this citadel was once a great treasure house. The giants have vanished, but the treasure may still be hidden there. Ride the winds, blast out of cannons, and use teleporters to reach the heights.
16 Efree Palace
Lords of fire and wind, the Efree pass their days tending the immense wind engines in their lattice-work palace. Discover how to walk on air as you enter the vortices, each step sending you up, up, up!
17
Controls
Start
Display Main Menu and submenus, Confirm menu selections, Pause/resume game
D-Pad
Select menu items in direction pressed
Button Z
Exit from submenus back to menus, Select Fargus or Nikki on the Mystic Map
Button C
Start game from Mystic Map
D-Pad LEFT/RIGHT
Run to the LEFT/RIGHT
D-Pad UP
Fly as the Dragon
D-Pad DOWN
Duck, Dive as the Dragon, Retreat into shell as the Turtle to avoid damage
Button A
Fire
Button B
Special actions, Tumble as Fargus
Tips & Maps
BOUNCE
When jumping, use the D-Pad to aim your character's landing. Make direct hit(s) on enemies to dispose of them. Hint - Hold down Button C (jump) while bouncing on enemies and trampolines to “grab some air” and reach higher areas.
THE FARGUS TUMBLE
As Fargus, press Button B (special) to tumble, mowing down enemies without taking damage. Use the D-Pad to tumble LEFT or RIGHT.
NIKKI'S DOUBLE JUMP
As Nikki, tap Button C (jump) once to jump. Tap again while jumping to perform an acrobatic double-jump/somersault combo, great for grabbing way-up items and soaring past danger.
SHAPECHANGING
Run through special gates to find yourself magically changed!
DRAGON!
You're the “air apparent.” Press the D-Pad UP to fly and DOWN to dive. Note - Dragon is an expert at fire-breathing.
RHINO!
Charge through enemies and obstacles, wreaking wreckage without taking hits. (Rhino must be running to avoid damage.)
FROG!
Jump super-high as an agile amphibian.
TURTLE!
Press the D-Pad DOWN and it's “no trespassing” while you're holed up in your shell, invulnerable to all damages.
SID'S ADVICE
Watch for directional arrows, destroy crates to reveal treasures, explore levels thoroughly, push on objects to reveal secrets, bounce off enemies to reach remote places, jump off airborne enemies to reach treasure, some enemies hold keys, try changing characters if a level is difficult, the Shield protects from everything except bottomless pits, do not collect redundant power-ups, use boulders and logs to roll over hazards, use Dizzies to launch high, run from Brankies, and bosses are immune to normal weapons.
Items & Weapons
Fireball
The fireball packs a pyrotechnic wallop. The weapon icon disappears once you pick it up.
Phoenix Fireball
The phoenix fireball regenerates itself. Its effect is the same as the fireball's, but if you lose the power, you can return and collect the weapon icon again an unlimited number of times.
Shrink Ray
The shrink ray temporarily reduces monsters to pipsqueaks so you can squash 'em. Better be fast - they grow back!
Freeze Ray
The freeze ray paralyzes enemies, turning them into easy targets. When they thaw out, watch out!
Keys
Keys open the way to locked or closed-off areas. Sometimes you'll see the effect immediately; other times you'll have to find it.
Shield
The shield protects you from damage. Your character becomes anodized and impervious to hits while the power lasts (10 seconds).
Trampoline
A devious device that can help you out or make your quest impossible until you figure out how to use it.
Cannon
A devious device that can help you out or make your quest impossible until you figure out how to use it.
Teleport Hut
A devious device that can help you out or make your quest impossible until you figure out how to use it.
Light Switch
A devious device that can help you out or make your quest impossible until you figure out how to use it.
Rolling Boulder
A devious device that can help you out or make your quest impossible until you figure out how to use it.
Slide
A devious device that can help you out or make your quest impossible until you figure out how to use it.
Enemies & Characters
Goons
Goons are just a bunch of fat, web-footed cretins.
Armored Goon
Have dagger, will travel.
Kanga Goon
"Up" kind of guy.
Spit Plant
FEEEED MEEEE!
Walkapede
Nothing but feet & teeth!
Buzz
Big mosquito bugs you to death.
Spiky Snail
Not your normal garden variety.
Spider
Its "overbite" is deadly.
Fungus Guy
Sprouts brain mushrooms.
Ratbat
Rodent on the wing.
Fire Blossom
Vicious veggie!
Branky
Huge appetite. Short attention span.
Dizzy
Spin-crazy hedgehog, equilibriurnly challenged, Dizzy's in a class by himself. You can use him to gain altitude, and he doesn't hurt!
Stalg Dude
Annoying little pointy-headed stalagmite.
Shrooooms!
Jumpy fungi.
Blow Goon
Dart-blowin' yellow bellies.
Boxing Goon
Fists a-flailing!
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