Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back
The cover art depicts the witch antagonist holding the pumpkin protagonist. Artwork by Steve Brown.
Developer(s)	Palace Software
Publisher(s)	Palace Software
Designer(s)	Steve Brown
Programmer(s)	Richard Leinfellner and Stan Schembri
Composer(s)	Richard Joseph
Platform(s)	Amstrad CPC, C64, ZX Spectrum
Release date(s)	June 1986
Genre(s)	Action-adventure game, platform game
Mode(s)	Single player

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back is a computer game developed and published by British developer Palace Software (Palace) as a sequel to their 1985 title Cauldron. The two-dimensional (2D) platform game was released in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC home computers. Players control a bouncing pumpkin that is on a quest of vengeance against the "Witch Queen". The roles of the two were reversed from the first game, in which the witch defeated a monster pumpkin.

Following the success of Cauldron, Palace employee Steve Brown began work on a sequel. To provide fans of the original title with a new experience, a very different gameplay was implemented for the sequel, although several minor features retained connections to the first. Inspired by the bouncing pumpkin character in Cauldron, Brown designed the game around the character's movement. The bouncing mechanic proved problematic for the programmers who were unable to perfect its implementation. Technical limitations also prevented them from implementing certain animations, such as turning pages of a book.

Cauldron II was first released on the Commodore 64. It was released in the following years on other systems and as re-releases. The game received praise, mainly for its audio-visuals, in video game magazines. Difficulty in handling the bouncing pumpkin's movement was a common complaint, although reviewers felt the overall package was of good value.

In Cauldron, the protagonist was a witch who became the "Witch Queen" by defeating an enemy called the "Pumpking". In its sequel, players control a pumpkin that has survived the witch's ascent to power and seeks to defeat her. Cauldron II takes place in the witch's castle, and players control the pumpkin, moving it through the 2D game world that is shown as side views. Six magical items—a Goblet, Axe, Shield, Crown, Scissors, and Book of Spells—are scattered throughout the castle and when collected by the player character, augments the pumpkin's abilities, providing it with offensive and defensive capabilities. Collecting the items also allows the pumpkin to access the witch's chambers and cut a lock of her hair, which is required to defeat the witch and complete the game.