Hugo is an action-adventure game for PlayStation released in 1998 by ITE Media, the company responsible for bringing the adventures of the popular European troll—originally from an interactive TV show—into the world of video games. The title revisits the formula of the early PC installments and adapts it for Sony's console with enhanced graphics, sound, and presentation. It later received a PC version known as Hugo XL.
The story revolves around rescuing Hugo's family. The evil witch Scylla has captured Hugolina and the troll children, holding them prisoner in her lair. To free them, the protagonist must navigate a path filled with traps, dangers, and challenges, progressing through various environments until reaching the mountain and the witch's cave. Although the plot is simple and aimed at a younger audience, it serves to link together a wide variety of challenges.
The gameplay combines arcade action, platforming, and mini-games. Instead...
Hugo is an action-adventure game for PlayStation released in 1998 by ITE Media, the company responsible for bringing the adventures of the popular European troll—originally from an interactive TV show—into the world of video games. The title revisits the formula of the early PC installments and adapts it for Sony's console with enhanced graphics, sound, and presentation. It later received a PC version known as Hugo XL.
The story revolves around rescuing Hugo's family. The evil witch Scylla has captured Hugolina and the troll children, holding them prisoner in her lair. To free them, the protagonist must navigate a path filled with traps, dangers, and challenges, progressing through various environments until reaching the mountain and the witch's cave. Although the plot is simple and aimed at a younger audience, it serves to link together a wide variety of challenges.
The gameplay combines arcade action, platforming, and mini-games. Instead of offering a conventional 3D adventure, Hugo presents a series of distinct stages requiring quick reactions, obstacle dodging, item collection, and pathfinding. Gameplay scenarios include flying a plane, skateboarding, traversing forests and mountainous areas, as well as challenges requiring the character to jump, change direction, or avoid traps set by Scylla.
Its design retains some of the spirit of the original TV show. Many actions rely on pressing the right button at the precise moment—a mechanic reminiscent of the simplified telephone-based controls that characterized the broadcast. The adventure employs either a side-view or behind-the-character perspective depending on the stage, featuring brief sequences, limited lives, and a straightforward structure designed for quick play sessions.
The game includes a TV version—closer to the classic experience and supporting one- or two-player sessions—and an arcade version featuring more demanding challenges and less restrictive controls. The latter allows players to progress through levels and save their progress—something particularly useful for completing the journey to Scylla's lair. With its blend of simple challenges, fantasy setting, and colorful aesthetic, Hugo is aimed primarily at a family audience, though it is also interesting as a testament to an era when television shows and video games were beginning to merge in unique ways.
