The Pink Panther: Hokus Pokus Pink
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | The Pink Panther: Hokus Pokus Pink |
The Pink Panther: Hokus Pokus Pink is a PC-based musical adventure title launched on October 18, 1997, by Wanderlust Interactive. Drawing inspiration from the 1993-95 The Pink Panther television series—where the usually mute protagonist is given a voice (portrayed by Michael Sinterniklaas)—this installment serves as a follow-up to The Pink Panther: Passport to Peril. The storyline educates players about six distinct regions: Siberia in Russia, the Dead Sea in Israel, Indonesia, Borneo, Kenya, and Ancient Greece. Throughout the journey, Pink Panther endeavors to undo the enchantments cast by a young, ambitious sorcerer. Unlike its predecessor, this game excludes recurring characters from the TV show except for brief appearances by henchmen Pugg and Louie during a musical sequence centered on Pegasus.
Gameplay
Players navigate Pink Panther through diverse environments using point-and-click mechanics, interacting with various characters and objects to solve puzzles and advance the narrative. Collected items are stored in Pink’s fur pouch, accessible by clicking on him. The Book of Knowledge serves as an educational resource, offering insights into regional cultures, languages, art, history, and natural elements. Movement between locations is facilitated by Spot, a sentient talking black hole that was stolen from the warlock Strangeblood’s enchanted forest laboratory. The game features five original songs themed around animals native to the visited areas.
Plot
Following the conclusion of The Pink Panther: Passport to Peril, Pink Panther abandons his secret agent duties to become a traveling salesman. His peaceful existence is interrupted when Nathan Periowinkle Jr., son of an affluent dentist and collector of antique teeth, steals magical utensils from the warlock Strangeblood near their estate. Nathan inadvertently transforms Violet, a guest’s daughter, into a large anthropomorphic wombat with bat-like traits. When Pink arrives to offer the Periowinkles his Book of Knowledge, Nathan scatters its pages across the globe with assistance from Strangeblood. Pink agrees to retrieve the spellbook before Nathan’s parents become aware of the turmoil.
Although Pink’s goal is to reverse Violet’s transformation, she expresses a desire to become an "immortal, magical ninja princess mermaid" instead. After stealing the magic book and escaping via Strangeblood’s pet black hole, Pink gathers potion ingredients including a mammoth’s laugh, Dead Sea fungus, and an improvised black belt. Strangeblood helps by draining the Dead Sea so that an ostrich can reunite with its flock. Violet consumes the potion but falls into a deep sleep after eating a poisoned apple. To revive her, Pink seeks out a rhinoceros hornbill feather and learns a chant from a Maasai tribal leader. During this mission, Strangeblood reattaches shark fins to Pink. When this second potion fails, Pink improvises using a Greek salad; however, Violet becomes possessed by Echidna from Greek mythology and demands an audience with Zeus.
In Ancient Greece, Pink rescues Athena who is trapped inside Zeus’s head, turns two gorgons into stone statues, and answers mythological riddles to persuade Poseidon—Echidna's grandfather—to accompany him back. At the concluding party, Strangeblood exorcises Echidna from Violet, restoring her true form. The event concludes with only Dr. Hemakeyounew and his Frankenstein-like wife securing celebrity teeth from the auctioned "Stars Byte" collection. Dr. Periowinkle scolds Nathan and threatens to send him to dental school; however, Strangeblood reveals that he orchestrated these events as a test of Nathan’s magical abilities and recruits him as an apprentice. Under Strangeblood’s influence, Nathan’s parents consent as he joins the warlock’s forest laboratory. Pink reflects that no matter where he ventures, adventure is always near at hand.