[AMSTRAD CPC] 🎃 Cauldron - Longplay & Review 🧙‍♀️ (+ C64 & ZX Spectrum Version Comparison!)

#amstrad #amstradcpc #amstradcpc464 #cauldron #halloween
Longplay and review for "Cauldron" on the Amstrad CPC! (aka "Hexenküche")
Happy Halloween! What better way to celebrate than to bring you the classic CAULDRON from Palace Software! There's no denying this was quite a special release at the time, compared to other games back in 1985 this really stood out thanks to it's visuals, style, atmosphere and two different styles of gameplay. But it was also overly difficult, in fact one of the HARDEST games I've ever come across on the Amstrad!!!! And I've put off doing a longplay of this game for many years deeming its level design frustratingly broken and stupid. Along with it's sequel, it became one of my most detested games on the Amstrad and a bit of a meme to taunt me with within the community! However, like a true Halloween horror movie it's time I uncovered its dark past, confronted my demons and defeated them..... 🎃
(c) Palace Software 1985
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauldro...)
www.cpc-power.com/index.php?p...
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Background music featured - "Actraiser (Remix)" by "24:7" - 247retro.bandcamp.com/

[@paulwalker4195]

Those opening few minutes recalling the Amstream play is possibly the most entertaining KZbin I have witnessed in a long time! You posses super-human levels of restraint to remain family-friendly with your language under the circumstances. I have to confess, I loved Cauldron as a kid as it seemed to be so huge and open: with older eyes though, returning for the first time in about 35 years, it drives you bloody bonkers in seconds!

[@Xyphoe]

Haha thank you mate!! And yes I think that was my point in my later summation of my review - I think most of us as kids just liked to dick around in the game, just flying about shooting things as the witch and occasionally picking up a key and having an explore of a dungeon, dying fairly quickly and then just giving up before moving on. I don't remember ever trying to play the game 'properly' or seriously. So I'm not left with bad memories of it, my dislike or dare I say 'hatred' of the game only came in recent years where I tried to play it 'properly' as per the clip from the stream! 😬😆

[@Markus-zw8tr]

I can clearly remember when I 've played cauldron first time on my cpc 464... difficult to play... I have not completed the game at this time... but now this longplay review gaves me all details which I 've missed almost 30 years ago... thanks !! 👍

[@Mattyjayw]

Will apologise for the long comment now, Thank you so much for this, this game brings back such fond memories. One Christmas my cousin, who would have been around 10 at the time received an Amstrad from Santa, I would have been 6ish and I got to stay over one night that Christmas. I was going to sleep as he was playing Cauldron it in the corner. As I drifted off whilst watching it, the graphics and music seemed mystical and I was just mesmerised by it. Even now whenever I see clouds hazing over the moon, it still reminds me of this game. Eventually my cousin bought an Atari st and put his cpc up for sale. I asked my mum if it was possible to get for Christmas, she speak with to my cousin and see what he wants for it. I got the cost of of what he wanted for it but my Mum said it was way to much and we couldn't afford. On Christmas eve we went over to visit, we watched a bit of telly for a bit and then I said can we play on the cpc. He agreed he then said what do you want to play? its your choice. I said how come, his reply was 'Because it's yours'. Turns out my mum had bought it and it was to be my Christmas present. My best Christmas ever as a nipper.

[@SmoothEmJay]

Should have read the poem with Michael's THRILLER in the background. C64 forever.

[@Xyphoe]

I would have LOVED to do that, it was in the back of my head reading that 100%

[@Notir072]

I never had Cauldron, but saw it at a friend's Amstrad, and it just made me want to have that game. Finally i got Cauldron II as my second game for my C64 (affter "Commando"), and i was a bit disapointed, because it was absolutly not like the Cauldron i saw on the Amstrad. Cauldron 2 was really a hard game, but because i only had 2 games, i still played it a very high amount of hours. I never totally finished it, but i was rather close, missing always only 1 or 2 ingredients i needed to finish the game. I ended to stop playing it when i got other games, especially when i got my 3rd game , which was in fact a compilation of 4 great games ("They sold a million").

[@Xyphoe]

Well done in persevering in Cauldron II - I did a live stream on this channel on Friday just gone (kzbin.info/www/bejne/a33Ed5lqgbGNibs) where I played through the entirety of Cauldron II with no real experience or practice of it. We got to the end - eventually!! - but I can see, with a LOT of practice, you can start to master that game at least when you learn to control the bounce of the pumpkin and your positioning. It seems a lot more fairer than Cauldron I - where unless you spend countless hours mapping out every single screen of the platforming sections and marking out which part of the platforms to jump from - you have no chance. And who had the time and patience to do that in 1985?

[@mattcorbin2112]

you put yourself through this you mad man!!

[@Xyphoe]

I've put it off for nearly 14 years of being on KZbin... the requests for 'Play Cauldron!!' have built up to such levels thanks to Manshovel etc I can't ignore it anymore!! 😭

[@annapocalypsezero4719]

You mad lad, you went and done it!

[@Joliie]

This is one is just long, Cauldron 2 is pure evil :)

[@Xyphoe]

I did Anna, it's finally over and done with. And Jollie, I think this one (Cauldron I) is more evil overall.

[@Joliie]

@@Xyphoe

[@tacticalpirate372]

Great video Xy and I can't believe you put yourself through this. Lol

[@Xyphoe]

LOL thanks mate... I just blasted through it in a few days in one big go really, it was the only way....!

[@Robahue]

Great gameplay! I think, this game, with a "small" rom hack, fixing the unfair platform screens, it could raise the game as a 9/10 easily.

[@batman-77]

Fantastic achievement, well done. Time to learn to play 'Sorcery Plus' next!! Trust me, it's worth it.

[@Xyphoe]

It is on my list to do.... I've looked at it a few times over the years and it hurts my head!! 🤣 I might do an Amstream based around it first asking experts to help me figure it out before diving into it...

[@batman-77]

@@Xyphoe Nice one! I've completed it several times, so happy to help. It was the first game I got on my 6128. The disk version saves your high score (the first Amstrad game to do so?) and if you input a swear word you get a nice surprise...

[@terriblecoughing4767]

Wokked it like a hurricane

[@Xyphoe]

I think I prefer the original song.... 🤘🤘🤘

[@TheVanillatech]

Remember hearing about this legendary game one sleepover, my friend had a Speccy and he said he'd been playing "Cauldron" for weeks. Best game ever, he said. Better than Jet Set Willy, he said! So first chance I got, I dragged my Dad to Toys R Us and bought it for the CPC. Great game! Played the crap out of it, with my brother. Had no fucking idea what we were doing, or why. But that was pretty normal back then. Manuals? Who has time for MANUALS???????

[@Xyphoe]

Ha! The funny thing was, there was no real manual for the game at all! The poem/rhyme I read out at the start of the video is literally all you got for the game! Same thing in the sequel too, so no hand holding on how you control that f***ing bouncing pumpkin either!!!

[@TheVanillatech]

@@Xyphoe No fucking chance, was there? As an 8 year old kid, dying literally a handful of screens into the game every time, no clue where to go or what to do! Fucking pumpkins everywhere. Lots of games were like that. Ghost Hunters (no idea what that was about), Deathstalker (fall down a hole and basically have to load the entire game again). Brutal games from a brutal era of gaming! XD

[@AndyHewco]

Amazing to get that game completed. Too frustrating for me but it looks lovely.

[@Xyphoe]

Thank you Andy! Oh yes, really lovely and superb for 1985, no denying that at all!

[@lewiswaddo5045]

Haha! Brilliant

[@Xyphoe]

Thank you Lewis!!

[@clauderains1534]

Not more terrifying than an enraged amswok

[@Xyphoe]

Scarier than the Witch Queen and the Pumpkin King?

[@clauderains1534]

@@Xyphoe 🤔 depending on if said Amswok is wearing the amsthong

[@n057828]

Crazy retro from down under man ❤️🙏🇦🇺

[@Xyphoe]

G'day mate and thank you!!

[@Thomas-ob6fk]

HEXENKÜCHE - there was a great localized German Version ! Great Graphics and Memories !

[@Xyphoe]

Yes!!! Thank you for reminding me about that, I've added that name into the description and tag so German fans can find the video too! Cheers! Danke!!

[@manshovel]

🎃🎃🎃🎃

[@Xyphoe]

These vids (Cauldron II stream, and this one) were for you buddy! (Velo included) Enjoy!!

[@sith7v97]

😀😀😀😀😀😍😍😍😍😘😘😘😘😘

[@Xyphoe]

Ha, thank you!