Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus
Developers: Moonlite Software, Cygnus Software Publisher: Apogee Software Platform: DOS Released in US: June 1, 1994 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused items. This game has unused text. This game has a prototype article

A young wizard named Hocus is on a quest to collect crystals and gain his future father-in-law's blessing.

To do: Look for unused things in Episodes 2-4.

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Prototype Info

Unused Hint Messages

Episode 1, Level 1

Unless you have 4 crystals,
Go no further!

The positioning of this message (0x79, 0x2A) just after the gold key passage indicates that at one point, it was impossible to return from the dropoff at the end of the stairway, likely due to the floating platform not existing.

Episode 1, Level 2

Whenever you see a SAVE sign,
Pick it up and you can restart
from that point if you die.

This message is positioned at (0x9D, 0x2D), putting it under the platform with two rubies just before the path to the secret treasure room. Graphics for the SAVE sign and code for an item also exist in the game and are similarly unused.

Episode 1, Level 5

Turn back if you have not
yet gathered 4 crystals and
the silver key!

This message is positioned at (0x3C, 0x1E), indicating that the switch on the left allowing you to come back from a later part of the level did not exist at one point.

Unused Items

Within the HOCUS.EXE file there is a list of items (0x20A36 in Shareware v1.1) including ASCII names for some unused items.

Invisibility Potion

Item 8, 'Invisible (black)'. Collecting this item causes a "HIDE" graphic to appear, and makes Hocus disappear for about 15 seconds, rendering him immune to all hazards.

Smart Bomb

Item 11, 'Smart bomb'. Does nothing.

Save Sign

Item 17, 'FISCHER PRICE'. Collecting this item replaces it and the tile next to it with empty tiles, and saves your current position to variables which are never read from.

Unused

Items 18-22, 'Unused'. They all do nothing. Likely reserved for future expansion.

Unused Graphics

These tiles would appear to be for items, but they don't fit very well with the existing graphics.

These graphics belong to the unused item mentioned above. It uses the same non-matching background as the other unused graphics.

An unused image, likely part of an earlier ending. Hocus appears as he does in the prototype.