Double, double, toil and trouble,
CPCs stick out amongst the rubble,
That's right - the home of this wonderful mag
Was razed to dust by some grisly hag.
After a long and tortured battle,
She flew away with a drawn out cackle,
Having raised the darkest demons of hell,
By loudly reciting the following spell:

You may remember, not long back,
Zap 'T' Balls being slightly cack.
Though studded with many a nice effect,
They interfered, so the game was wrecked.
But Elmar's back, effects abound,
Let's hope it gels this time around.
Cauldron 3, yes, more of the same,
So let's get on and review the game.

Now first of all, sorry tape owners,
This game's on disc, but that's a bonus;
'Cos to load the intro and take a peep
Would take forever - you'd fall asleep.
Because foxes talk, and pumpkins fly,
It's very pleasing to the eye,
And unlike Elmar's earlier one,
When you play the game, the effects are gone.

This little witch that moves like Pob,
Comes out of a giant beasty's gob,
A little witch with the cutest run,
Who can slide down hillsides on her bum.
She can run, and jump, and slide, and crawl,
So if you want a gymnast she's got it all.
Okay, with cartwheels she may be licked,
But give her a chance, I mean - who's perfect?

So the little witch runs up this hill,
Reaches the brow - there's an icy chill
And a pumpkin bouncing up and down,
With a lovely noise when it hits the ground.
The cute little witch tries to kill it,
By throwing rocks and stones and grit.
But it just won't die, it's all for nowt;
Instead this smoke comes pouring out!

So dodge the pumpkin, if you can,
And later on there's a crooked man.
He's spitting fire! Ouch! Stop it!
Kill him quick before you cop it.

Owls and vultures, all must die,
When you find a broom and learn to fly,
With death-defyingly high dog fights
But with rocks, not bullets, in your sights.
But as well as up, our witch goes down,
To a maze of caverns underground,
To tackle a whole new world of danger,
But when it comes to skill, she's no stranger
To some crafty moves, and a careful shot,
She really uses what she's got
To jump fires, furry slugs and trees
With a grace that makes it look a breeze.

We're climbing chains, dodging folk,
Throwing rocks to kill the bloke,
Jumping over Venus Fly Traps,
Carefully, with no mishaps,
'Cos they're following you, open jawed,
Step too close, you're gonna get floored.
Dodging spikes, platforms lift,
Witchy jumps across the rift.

Another level when you fly,
On through the portal in the sky,
And up to fight amongst the clouds,
Where an icy veil of mist enshrouds
The ice balls flying round as well -
Witchy found another spell.
Fire carefully so as not to waste it,
As a few more gruesome thingies taste it.

But the gameplay takes another turn,
With some incantations to slash and burn,
And knock some bad guys to the ground
With a lovely screechy zapping sound.
Lots of charms to collect,
Lots of baddies to leave, wrecked.
The magical side has just begun,
And it all helps to add to the fun.

Of course, like all, it's got its faults,
(It's here that all the raving halts)
'Cos if you prefer a shoot-'em-up,
Or a puzzle game, this ain't your cup.
But though some bits are a little dull,
Bringing the action to a lull.
You'll appreciate the little break -
Rest your arms for the witch's sake.

Cute is slightly overplayed, hence
The atmosphere isn't all that tense,
Thunder and lightning was a nice little touch,
But it really doesn't add that much.
Though don't let this hassle stop you trying,
You'll never feel the thrill of flying,
So get your wallet and stop that crying,
There was never a game more worth buying.

Graphically ifs really hot,
There's no effect it hasn't got.
The scrolling - smooth, the movement - fluid,
On our little female druid.
And everything looks kinda cute,
A little too cuddly for you to shoot.
Far be it from me to point the gun,
But fill 'em in - it's really fun.

The music's also really cool,
With a quality that makes you drool
A catchy beat, a healthy swing,
That really complements the thing.
In-game effects are brilliant too,
Stereo sounds hitting you
(If you own a Plus, that is,
But even if not, they're still the biz).

And then there's the bit that won't go away;
That eternal problem of good gameplay.
'Cos when all the flashy bits are done,
It's just no good if it's just not fun.
This game is big, I'm telling you.
Each time you play, there's something new.
And you're coming back more and more,
To a game that you will just adore.

You see, Cauldron One wasn't all that good,
And Cauldron Two a little dud,
And with commercial things the way they are,
Number three could be worse by far
But boys and girls, have no fear,
The wonderful Super Cauldron's here,
With games like this we should be proud
To own a CPC - sing aloud!

You know, I'm really good to you,
To poetically write a game review,
That's fun to read and rhyming too,
Gotta go now - Toodle-oo.

Witches, cauldrons, and Hallowe'en. Humbug - that's what I say. Honestly, who taught the youth of today to run around terrorizing the neighbourhood and disturbing distracting people from counting their money, threatening them just for the sake of their sugar fix? Gah! Jean-Pierre Fillet-Mignon

Graphics 95%
Some of the best graphics I've ever seen on a CPC. The overscan has been put to good use. Everything is smooth, well timed, and fluid.

Sonics 90%
Not as over-bowling as the graphics, but still absolutely incredible. Nothing's overbearing, and it's all used tastefully, and to good effect.

Grab Factor 94%
Feel those little witch hands closing round your throat...

Staying Power 96%
...and dragging you ever closer to the monitor. Each time you play, you'll find something new.

Overall 96%
I think I'm looking at one of the best games I've ever seen on the CPC. If ever there was a piece of software you should buy, this is it.