Alchemist Wizard

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. In this lighthearted platformer, you play a spell-brewing mage running and leaping your way through a moonlit, medieval world. The object of Alchemist Wizard is to collect a complete set of magical runes, while fighting or avoiding the nasty undead creatures you'll meet along the way. At the end of each level, you'll have to defeat a boss monster. But as a wizard, you have some tricks up your sleeve. To make magic, you gather frogs, snakes, and insects along the way and cook them up wherever there's a convenient cauldron. Different ingredients create different spells, adding a modest element of strategy to an otherwise straightforward jump-and-shoot game. The graphics have some charming touches, but lack detail and texture. The upbeat soundtrack, though repetitive, is never irritating. Overall, the game is surprisingly addictive. The one-level, one-hour trial provides lots of enjoyable play that might well bewitch arcade fans.