Castleween

Last updated
Castleween
Castleween Coverart.png
European PS2 cover art
Developer Wanadoo Edition [a]
Publishers
Platforms PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • EU: November 27, 2002 [1]
  • JP: June 19, 2003
GameCube
  • EU: May 30, 2003
  • JP: June 19, 2003
  • NA: September 29, 2003 [2]
Game Boy Advance
  • JP: April 24, 2003
  • EU: May 30, 2003
  • NA: October 31, 2003 [3]
Genre Platform
Modes Single-player, multiplayer

Castleween (Spirits & Spells in North America) is a 3D platform video game developed and published by Wanadoo Edition for the PlayStation 2, before being ported to the GameCube. A separate version developed by Magic Pockets was released for the Game Boy Advance.

Contents

Gameplay

Plot

Alicia and Greg set off with their friends one Halloween night to look for a house in the forest where they could stock up on goodies. Upon reaching the house, Greg and Alicia's friends are turned into stone by a bogeyman. To save their friends, the two heroes must enter the world of the dead. In order to find their friends and set them free, they need to make it through cemeteries, haunted houses and sinister laboratories. Only one person at a time is allowed to enter the world of the dead, so Alicia and Greg must take turns to make their way through the danger that awaits them. Friends like the Goblin and Jack O'Lantern will teach them magic tricks that will help them to overcome obstacles along the way. They must find the Mad Scientist's laboratory to get their friends home safe and sound.

Characters

Development

Wanadoo Edition announced the game in December 2001 under the name of Halloween, with Kalisto Entertainment handling development of the project. [4] The PlayStation 2 version was planned for a December 2002 release, while the GameCube and Game Boy Advance versions would be released in 2003. [5] Kalisto previously entered into a publishing deal with Wanadoo earlier in the year. [6]

During the game's development, Kalisto Entertainment filed for bankruptcy. [7] This led to the project being put on limbo [8] , which would lead to Wanadoo Edition hiring most of the development team to continue the project in-house, and as such, Kalisto is not credited in the final product. [9]

On 10 June 2002, DreamCatcher Interactive announced that they had entered into a publishing deal that would allow them to publish six of Wanadoo's titles in North America, including Castleween, which would be renamed to Spirits & Spells. The game was planned for a Winter 2003 release, and it would be a GameCube console exclusive over there. [10] [11] It was DreamCatcher's first title for the system. [12]

Reception

The Game Boy Advance and GameCube versions received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [13] [14] In Japan, where the GBA version was ported and published by MTO on April 24, 2003, as Mahō no Pumpkin: Anne to Greg no Daibōken (魔法のパンプキン 〜アンとグレッグの大冒険〜, Mahō no Pankin 〜An to Gureggu no Daibōken〜; lit. "The Magic Pumpkin: Anne and Greg's Great Adventure"), [25] followed by the GameCube and PlayStation 2 ports on June 19, 2003, Famitsu gave the latter two console versions a score of 20 out of 40 each. [15] [16] Nintendo Power gave the GBA version an average review, over two months before it was released Stateside. [23]

References

  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20030611121126/http://www.wanadoo-edition.com/uk/presse/presse/DPCastleweenUK.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  2. ↑ "Spirits and Spells Ships". 2007-08-03. Archived from the original on 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  3. ↑ "Spirits and Spells Ships". 2006-11-25. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  4. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/article-31494
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20021221203619/http://www.wanadoo-edition.com/uk/jeux/premiere/hallow.htm
  6. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/article-30322
  7. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/article-45505
  8. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/article-45505
  9. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20030611121126/http://www.wanadoo-edition.com/uk/presse/presse/DPCastleweenUK.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  10. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/06/10/spirits-and-spells-to-gamecube
  11. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/03/19/spirits-spells-6
  12. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/spirits-and-spells-impressions/1100-6030192/
  13. 1 2 "Spirits & Spells for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Spirits & Spells for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  15. 1 2 "魔法のパンプキン 〜アンとグレッグの大冒険〜 [ゲームキューブ]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  16. 1 2 "魔法のパンプキン 〜アンとグレッグの大冒険〜 [PS2]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  17. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (December 2003). "Spirits & Spells (GC)". Game Informer . No. 128. GameStop. p. 159. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  18. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (October 6, 2003). "Spirits and Spells [sic] - GC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  19. ↑ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 14, 2003). "Spirits & Spells (GCN)". IGN . Ziff Davis. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  20. ↑ Jihem (April 8, 2003). "Test: Castleween (GBA)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  21. ↑ Jihem (June 17, 2003). "Test: Castleween (NGC)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  22. ↑ Jihem (November 26, 2002). "Test: Castleween (PS2)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  23. 1 2 "Spirits & Spells (GBA)". Nintendo Power . Vol. 171. Nintendo of America. September 2003. p. 140.
  24. ↑ "Spirits & Spells (GC)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 173. Nintendo of America. November 2003. p. 152.
  25. ↑ "魔法のパンプキン 〜アンとグレッグの大冒険〜 [GBA]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  1. ↑ The Game Boy Advance version was developed by Magic Pockets
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