Castleween (Spirits & Spells in North America) is the name of two 2002/2003 platform video games, one developed by Kalisto Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and ported to the GameCube by Wanadoo Edition, and the other developed by Magic Pockets for the Game Boy Advance.

Castleween
European PS2 cover art
Developer(s)Kalisto Entertainment (PS2)
Magic Pockets (GBA)
Wanadoo Edition (GC)
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • EU: December 13, 2002
  • JP: June 19, 2003
GameCube
  • EU: May 30, 2003
  • JP: June 19, 2003
  • NA: September 29, 2003[1]
Game Boy Advance
  • JP: April 24, 2003
  • EU: May 30, 2003
  • NA: October 31, 2003[2]
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay edit

Plot edit

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 in order 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 edit

  • Alicia - a redheaded, blue-eyed little girl, dressed up as a witch for Halloween. She might seem quiet and polite at first, but she can be very mischievous and dynamic. She has got quite a personality.
  • Greg - a rather hard-headed boy. He is dressed as a devil for Halloween. He hates school, authority and anything that is not playing with his friends. He is quite wild and rowdy and he tends to break everything in his path - this kid is a little monster.

Reception edit

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"),[15] 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.[3][4] Nintendo Power gave the GBA version an average review, over two months before it was released Stateside.[11]

References edit

  1. ^ "Spirits and Spells Ships". 2007-08-03. Archived from the original on 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  2. ^ "Spirits and Spells Ships". 2006-11-25. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  3. ^ a b "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. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Lafferty, Michael (October 6, 2003). "Spirits and Spells [sic] - GC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  7. ^ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 14, 2003). "Spirits & Spells (GCN)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Jihem (April 8, 2003). "Test: Castleween (GBA)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  9. ^ Jihem (June 17, 2003). "Test: Castleween (NGC)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  10. ^ Jihem (November 26, 2002). "Test: Castleween (PS2)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Spirits & Spells (GBA)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 171. Nintendo of America. September 2003. p. 140.
  12. ^ "Spirits & Spells (GC)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 173. Nintendo of America. November 2003. p. 152.
  13. ^ a b "Spirits & Spells for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Spirits & Spells for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "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.

External links edit