Pandemonium is an old title, with its roots back in the original Sony Playstation days. But it's a new title for the Next Generation N-Gage platform. Or is it? Because those who know their mobile gaming will remember this as one of the original N-Gage games on the Series 60 platform of the 'Taco' and QD.
The core gameplay has not changed since then, with the same levels and control mechanics in place. While taking place in a 3D realised world, with shadows, corners and incredible architecture, the world is in fact a 2D platformer that just wraps around the landscape. That makes the controls really easy to understand and use while on the move... you can run to the left, run to the right, and jump. If you've picked up a weapon, you can fire that as well.
Of course you're going to open it up!
Compared to some of the more ambitious third person viewpoint shooters (such as Resident Evil Degeneration), Pandemonium has a restricted control set, and is all the better for it. While still not up to the physical delight of the D-pad on the first generation N-Gage's, Pandemonium's controls are a delight to use on the latest converged Nseries devices.
The plot is your typical family fun fantasy affair, with you and your best friend having been left home alone while your parents go off on holiday, leaving you behind with a box engraved 'J. Pesci' and instructions to not open it (as if!) or the ills of the MacGuffin will escape into the world and it would take you forever and a day to collect them up as they get scattered through the land (or something like that).
The level design has held up well since it was laid out in the mid 90s – it's interesting that Ideaworks-3D have not altered anything in the maps that I can see. What has been added to the title are the cut-scene graphics between the worlds, which are in turn split into a handful of smaller maps. Perhaps it's more accurate to say they have been restored now that the capabilities and storage of the N-Gage platform has improved, because these were present in the original PSX versions.
Putting the two versions side by side, there is very little difference. For sure, the screen resolution has been increased, and the resulting increasing of pitch (pixels per inch) makes the QVGA graphics look just a little bit sharper and more detailed, but the underlying game is still there, still responsive and still addictive.
And there's the lesson. For all the swish graphics, pretty spinning viewpoints, Pandemonium is a simple platformer that has been well designed. While it was a good console game, the short levels and ability to return to the game at the starting point of the next uncompleted level make it a great game for the casual gaming market.
Titles like Pandemonium are the foot soldiers of any gaming platform. In its first N-Gage iteration, it was the loyal batman to Tony Hawk and Lara Croft. Now, as the Next Generation has created its beach-head and is looking to break out of a gaming Normandy, Pandemonium is steaming up the road towards Caen. [Enough with the analogies, already! - Ed]
It won't gather the acres of critical praise as did Reset Generation, the name recognition of FIFA 20xx, or the anticipation of Worms World Party, but it represents the titles that make up the majority of a gamer's diet on a platform. Everything it represents is exactly what Nokia's gaming platform needs.
It's not ground breaking in gameplay (how could it be, it's a ten year old design!) but it just works. Within minutes of picking it up and choosing one of the two lead characters to travel with through that map, you'll be not only jumping and running around to get to the end of the levels, but have your curiosity piqued just enough to replay the level to find the secret areas to get that elusive “100% of items collected” message at the end.
To welcome back Pandemonium was a delight for me – I had completely forgotten it was on the list of upcoming Next Gen titles. When I asked the rest of the team if I could review it, they all pointed out I had 'reserved' it ages ago. I'm pretty sure anyone downloading the title (with its incredibly generous demo, yaay) will have just as pleasant a reaction.
AAN Score: 75%
-- Ewan Spence, May 2009.