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Cauldron is one of those games where you can just pick up the joystick and play. No training modes, no 100 pages novelettes to set the scene.

But don't let me give you the impression that this game is a pushover. It's the most cunningly planned arcade game I have come across for some time.

You play the part of a witch seeking the golden broomstick. This will enable you to become Witch-Queen on Halloween night and rid the land of the Pumpkins.

But before you can get into the Pumpkin room to claim the broomstick, you must first mix a spell requiring ingredients from different places.

The game has two main play areas - a horizontally scrolling world with the witch's cottage, forests, shark-infested seas, and rocky ridges. Also on this level are four doors down to networks of rooms. This is where you will find the ingredients to mix your spell. There are a couple of added complications. You can only carry two items at a time - and you also have a limited amount of energy.

It's impossible to fault Cauldron. They've got everything right. Splendid graphics, interesting plot, and above all challenging and entertaining gameplay.