Hugo (video game)
There are several Hugo video games based on early episodes of ITE's television show Hugo and are a part of the international Hugo franchise. From 1992 to 2000, ITE developed and released versions for Amiga, Commodore 64 and PC, as well as for PlayStation consoles, exclusively for European markets. Since 2011, Krea Media / Hugo Games has published a series of mobile game remakes for Android. Online slot machine adaptations were also released in 2016 and 2018.
The games closely resemble the early editions of the TV show they have been adapted from; in almost all of them, the player guides the titular protagonist to save his wife and children from the evil witch Scylla. To rescue his family, Hugo must navigate safely through dangerous environments in various minigame scenarios.
History
Computer games
Two Amiga games, Hugo and its sequel, Hugo 2 were released in 1991 and 1992, ported to the PC in 1992–1993. They were re-released as a 1994 compilation, Hugo, and ported to the PC as Hugo in 1995–1996. Both games were similar to the television show of the same title where the contestant would try to completes arcade sequences to collect points and avoid obstacles using a phone, and the ending minigames are identical to the ones seen on TV.Later PC releases included Hugo 3 to Hugo 6, Hugo: Wild River, and their upgraded compilations Hugo Gold, Hugo Platin and Hugo XL. Furthermore, several of the releases were partially incorporated into 2000's Hugo - Die Geburtstagsparty and Hugo Safari and the Hugo Classic Collection. The latter consisted of seven or eight releases, including Hugo Classic 1-4 based on the original series.
Console games
The two PlayStation games, which reused the titles Hugo and Hugo 2, are compilation remakes of the computer games. They feature improved graphics and sound, and also a rendered opening animation in the second game. Hugo 2 for the PlayStation was also ported by Laguna and Infogrames to the Game Boy in 1997. This version features simplified graphics and gameplay and was later ported to the Game Boy Color by Bit Managers and Infogrames in 1999 under the title Hugo 2½.Gameplay
In the games' story, an evil witch named Scylla arrives at the home of Hugo the troll and kidnaps his wife Hugoline and their three young children because she needs them for a magical beauty treatment. Hugo must reach and rescue Hugolina and the children, and defeat the witch to bring peace to the woods.The player must complete a number of minigames and guessing games; most have 2.5D graphics and have Hugo controlled with button presses as he uses various means of transportation. Meanwhile, Scylla watches Hugo's progress through a crystal ball and casts spells to stop him, having previously placed all sorts of traps in the various paths leading to her lair in the Skull Cave at a mountain peak. Hugo will typically start each scenario with three lives, triggering a cutscene when any is lost. During the games Hugo and Scylla communicate with the player with digitized speech, and can also knock on the screen from the inside, breaking the fourth wall.
Minigames
In order of release:- "Labyrinth": Hugo must find his way through a labyrinth, avoiding dynamite and mined wagons before a box of TNT destroys the maze, and cross a bridge before facing three doors. It has first appeared in Skærmtrolden Hugo, the original Hugo game released for the Commodore 64, and was used in Hugo Gold, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty, and in a revised form in Hugo Retro Mania.
- "Mountaineering": Hugo runs up a mountain, dodging huge rolling stones while trying to collect bags of gold. It appeared in Hugo - På Nye Eventyr, Hugo I/II, Hugo Gold, Hugo XL, Hugo Safari, Hugo Classic 1, and Hugo.
- "Handcar": Hugo finds an old track leading to Scylla's lair. The player helps the troll and his handcar reach their destination by changing tracks, dodging oncoming steam locomotives sent by Scylla, either on freight or passenger workings, and collecting bags of gold. It appeared in Hugo - På Nye Eventyr and Hugo I/II, Hugo Gold, Hugo XL, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty, Hugo Classic 1, Hugo, and in a revised form in Hugo Troll Race.
- "Plane": The troll flies a biplane through a thunderstorm caused by Scylla, avoiding lightning clouds and TNT-balloons while collecting gold. It appeared in Hugo - På Nye Eventyr Del 2 and Hugo I/II, and remade for Hugo Gold, Hugo XL, Hugo Safari, Hugo Classic 1 and Hugo.
- "Forest": Hugo wanders through a forest, avoiding traps set up by Scylla, who also sends a storm cloud over the forest once she finds out that he is on his way. It appeared in Hugo - På Nye Eventyr Del 2 and Hugo I/II, Hugo Gold, Hugo XL, Hugo Classic 1 and Hugo for.
- "Ice Cavern": Hugo finds a secret back entrance to the witch's lair, and must keep moving across mobile ice pillars while collecting three jars and memorizing their order. It appeared in Hugo 3, Hugo Gold, Hugo 2, Hugo Platin and Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty.
- "Lumberjack": Hugo floats downstream on floating logs, hopping between logs to avoid branches and collect sacks of gold; if he stays on a log too long, he will lose balance. It appeared in Hugo 3, Hugo Gold, Hugo XL and Hugo.
- "Scuba": Hugo dives in a river, avoiding water creatures and collecting treasure chests; he must surface to replenish his air, and turn to avoid waterfalls. It appeared in Hugo 3, Hugo Gold, Hugo XL and Hugo.
- "Skateboard": Hugo skates down a wooden half-pipe, avoiding broken sections and collecting bags of gold. It appeared in Hugo 3, Hugo Gold, Hugo XL, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty and Hugo. Completely remade for Hugo Troll Race 2.
- "Ballooning": Hugo steers a hot-air balloon to avoid canyons, spikes and collapsing cliffs. When his balloon punctures, the player must control it through a tunnel without hitting its walls. It appeared in Hugo 4, Hugo Platin and Hugo Classic 2.
- "Dolmen Cave": A revised "Labyrinth" scenario where Hugo navigates an underground maze to reach a mountaintop. The player must find the right path quickly, avoiding traps, to reach the lift before Scylla floods the maze. It appeared in Hugo 4, Hugo Platin, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty and Hugo Classic 2.
- "Nimbus": Riding a Nimbus motorcycle, Hugo navigates an old mountain road, dodging thievish goats, potholes, rocks and other obstacles. The player must collect gasoline while keeping an eye on the map and directing Hugo. It appeared in Hugo 4, Hugo Platin, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty and Hugo Classic 2.
- "Snowboarding": Hugo snowboards down the mountain, following tracks towards Scylla's lair. Unfortunately, the witch knows Hugo's plans and has blew up a bomb that started an avalanche, adding a ticking clock to the game. The track down the hill often splits, leaving some dead ends and passing through fast and slow slopes. Hugo swings on his snowboard, avoiding rolling snowballs and steep chasms while collecting gold. This was released in Hugo 4, then remade twice, first for both Hugo Platin and Hugo Classic 2, and then for Hugo 2.
- "Parachute": Hugo parachutes to the witch's hideout in the forest, avoiding birds and storm clouds while collecting bags of gold. It appeared in Hugo 5, Hugo Platin and Hugo Classic 3 for PC.
- "Cliffhanger": Hugo climbs a mountain, avoiding gargoyles, asteroids and dynamite and collecting bags of gold. It appeared in Hugo 5, Hugo Platin, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty, Hugo Classic 3, and Hugo 2.
- "Wood Jumping": Hugo crosses a gorge by hopping across flat-topped tree trunks and an oddly-placed bridge, avoiding dynamite, beavers and steel traps. On the edge of the track are owls and frogs, which the player must remember. It appeared in Hugo 5, Hugo Platin and Hugo Classic 3.
- "Sledge": Hugo sleds down a hill, avoiding birds and snowmen while collecting bags of gold. It appeared in Hugo 5, Hugo Platin, Hugo Classic 3, and Hugo 2.
- "Mine Track": Hugo barrels down a mine shaft in search of an exit, avoiding obstacles in the ceiling and corridors and collecting gold. It appeared in Hugo 6, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty, Hugo Classic 4 and Hugo 2.
- "Moor": Hugo must cross a moor to reach Scylla's lair, avoiding mud holes and colonies of bats, before solving a test. It appeared in Hugo 6, Hugo Classic 4, and Hugo 2.
- "Boulders": Hugo flees from enormous boulders, avoiding obstacles such as dead ends, tree roots and lava pits. If Hugo runs out of time, a powder barrel blows up and destroys the rope bridge that leads to Scylla's lair, but he also has to find a clue on how to open the gate to it. It appeared in Hugo 6 and Hugo Classic 4. Almost completely remade for the boss battles in Hugo Troll Race 2.
- "Wild River": Hugo rides a barrel downstream, avoiding whirlpools and boulders. There are periodic waterfalls, for which Hugo must shut the lid of his barrel and direct himself left or right, using a map to find his way. It appeared in Hugo 6, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty and Hugo Classic 4.
Endgames
- "Ropes": Hugo, standing in front of the witch Scylla holding his family captive in a cage, must guess-select one of three ropes. Two of the ropes will free his family from the cage, and then Scylla will be either tied-up and ejected out of window head-first via springboard, doubling or tripling the score points in the best outcome, or she will transform into a bird and escape, leaving the score the same or doubled. If Hugo chooses incorrectly, however, it is him who will be bound and catapulted from the lair the same way. It appeared in Hugo - På Nye Eventyr, Hugo I/II, Hugo 3, Hugo 4, Hugo 5, Hugo 6, Hugo Gold, Hugo Platin, Hugo XL, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty, Hugo Safari, Hugo, and Hugo Classic 1-4, and in revised form in Hugo Retro Mania, also making an appearance in the Hugo online slot game.
- "Lightning Bolts" : Hugo must hop through a large chessboard to collect a key and open a door, avoiding lightning bolts hurled by Scylla from a balcony above. Some versions include time limit in form of a fuse bomb, others have god bags to be optionally collected. It appeared in Hugo 3, Hugo 4, Hugo 5, Hugo 6, Hugo Gold, Hugo Platin, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty, Hugo Safari, Hugo 2, and Hugo Classic 1-4.
- "Key": Hugo must select the correct key to open Scylla's treasure chest; if he guesses incorrectly or takes too long to choose, metal spears will surround him. It appeared in Hugo 3, Hugo 4, Hugo 5, Hugo 6, Hugo Gold, Hugo Platin, Hugo Die Geburtstagsparty, Hugo Safari and Hugo Classic 1-4.
- "Apple Harvest": Two of Hugo's children throw apples from a tree; Hugo tries to catch enough in a basket to make juice. It appeared in Hugo Platin.
- "Magic Hands": A shell game in which the player watches one of Hugo's children, Rut, place a bead under a shell and shuffle several shells and must select the shell with the bead under it. It appeared in Hugo Platin and Hugo XL and was hidden in Hugo for the PlayStation.
Reception
PlayStation reviews were often much harsher. Mike Goldsmith from Arcade wrote about the PlayStation releases: "Advertised as being 'designed for children aged 6+', Hugo will come off as simplistic at best, patronising at worst - a real shame given the quality of edutainment titles that could be ported from PC and Mac". In 2003, PlanetStation, having previously given both Hugo and Hugo 2 the lowest possible score of 1 star, included Hugo among the five worst games from the 50 issues of the magazines. Retrospectively, PlayStation Official Magazine listed Hugo, described as "bloody rubbish", atop its list of worst PlayStation characters. In 2012, Game Informer made a Replay-section retro video poking fun at the PlayStation Hugo and Bubsy 3D.
Nevertheless, the series was a massive commercial success. The first PC game has remained Germany's #1 best-selling PC floppy disk game for a long time in 1995, including in March, June, July, October, and 1995, as well as the #1 best-selling Amiga 500 game of September 1996, while Hugo 3 landed #2 upon its premiere in 1996. Previously, Hugo has been one of the best-selling computer games in Spain in 1992. In August 1998, Hugo 2 for the Game Boy received a "Gold" sales award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland, indicating sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was the #2 best-selling GB game in Germany in September 1999.