Hugo: The Secrets of the Forest or The Secrets of the Forest (international titles) or The Magic Potion is a 2000 PC-only video game in the "Play and Learn" series, developed and published by ITE Media. It was also titled as Hugo: Den Magiske Trylledrik / Hugo: Leg Og Lær 4 in Denmark, Der magische Zaubertrank in Germany, Hugo Taikajuoma in Finland, Hugo: Magiczny napój in Poland, and Волшебный Эликсир in Russia.
Originally released on 25 July 2000, the game was re-released on 21 April 2005 as Hugo Gold II. It was also re-released as part of the Best of Hugo series, along with Hugo Classic #4 (Wild River).
A class of rabbits and their teacher accidentally wander into the domain of the evil witch Scylla in the Troll Forest on their biology field trip, and enrage her by accidentally picking a rare mushroom that she needed as intact ingredient for the annual Witches' Congress, and so she punishes them by casting a spell and turning them into stone statues. Hugo's daughter Rut witnessed it and luckily found Scylla's dropped scroll for this very spell! Now she needs to collect ingredients for a magic potion to lift the curse and bring the rabbits back to life.
Gameplay[]
There are eight minigames dedicated to the subject of biology:
Ant Hill: Rut, helps the ants build their ant hill, gather food, and fend off battle ants from opposing tribes. (This scenario also appears in Hugo Titan.)
Insect Hunt: Rut wants to help a swallow catch and eat enough insects because she can not see so well and has not eaten for a few days. (This scenario also appears in Hugo Krypton.)
Virus Karate: Fighting against dangerous flu viruses, so that Elvis the hare does not get sick and can still give a concert that same evening. (This scenario also appears in Hugo Krypton.)
Tadpole: Helping a toad and her tadpole with eating, so that it quickly grows big and strong.
Sea Animal Search: Finding the hiding places of four marine animals.
Nature Food Chain: Arranging food chains from the animals being shown. (This scenario also appears in Hugo Saphir.)
Restaurant: Bringing the right plate to the right hungry animal in the restaurant. Serve quickly and bring the right, otherwise the guests are angry! (This scenario also appears in Hugo Saphire.)
Skeleton: Putting a skeleton back together and then guessing what was this animal.
Credits[]
Producer: René Bidstrup
Creative director: Pele Madsen
Project coordinator: Pernille Byriel
Script: Pele Madsen, Pernille Byriel, Lars Ostenfeldt
3D graphics and animation: Jan Krogh Larsen
2D animation: Rasmus Andreasen
2D graphics: Bill Bach, Pele Madsen
2D colouring: Janni Johansen
Programming: Peter Olsen, Mogens Hvidtfeldt
Core programming: Lasse Tassing, Bo Krohn
Sound design: Christian Steen Jensen, Klaus Mulvad Nelsen, Joachim Michealis, David Fliskov
Game releases[]
Country
Front cover
Name
Packaging
Product code
EAN / Barcode
Year
Notes
Belgium
(image missing)
De geheimen van het bos / Les secrets de la forêt
DVD Case
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Misspelled French title in the game, originally written "Le secrets de la forêt"
Czech Republic
Čarovná Medicína
Big Box
145
8713399000453
2001
Denmark
Den Magiske Trylledrik
DVD Case
145-1 DEN
5703782290410
2000
Den Magiske Trylledrik
Jewel Case
167-1 DEN
None
2000
Special edition by "Den Faktyrlige Bogklub"
Hugo Den Magiske Trylledrik
DVD Case
145-DEN
5704652000306
2007
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
196-1 DEN/C
5703782600172
2003
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
196-2 DEN/C
5703782202710
2004
(image missing)
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
196-3 DEN/C
5703782202710
2006
Hugo Leg & Lær 4
DVD Case
145-2 DEN
5703782114525
2006
Best of Hugo 4
DVD Case
2143-1 DEN
5703782214317
2007
Finland
Taikajuoma
Big Box
145-1 FIN
5703782290410
2000
Hugo Taikajuoma
Jewel Case
145-2 FIN/B
5703782014528
2004
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
196-1 FIN/C
5703782600172
2003
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
196-2 FIN/C
5703782190217
2004
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
196-3 FIN/C
5703782190217
2006
Hugo Leiki & Opi 4
DVD Case
145-2 FIN
5703782145476
2006
Hugo ja Rut-Neidin Jännittävät Seikkailut
DVD Case
112-4DEN/C (erroneously printed on the cover)
5703782111234
2006
Compilation containing "Taikamatka", "Hugo Taikajuoma" and "Hugo The Evil Mirror"
Germany
Der magische Zaubertrank
Big Box
145-1 GER
5703782290410
2000
Der magische Zaubertrank
Jewel Case
145-1 GER
5703782300089
2001
Hugo Der magische Zaubertrank
DVD Case
none
9783833105692
2007
Hugo Gold II
DVD Case
2031 PCG-1 GER
5703782203113
2005
Italy
La Pozione Magica
Big Box
145-1 ITA
Unknown
2002
The Netherlands
Hugo De geheimen van het bos
DVD Case
145-1 NL/C
5703782290410
2002
Misspelled French title in the game, originally written "Le secrets de la forêt"
Norway
Trylledrikken
Big Box
145-1 NOR
5703782290410
2000
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
Unknown
5703782600172
2003
Hugo Classic #7
DVD Case
196-1 NOR/C
5703782019615
2006
Hugo Lek & Lær 4
DVD Case
145-2 NOR
Unknown
2006
Poland
Magiczny Napój
Big Box
145-1 POL
Unknown
2002
Hugo Magiczny Napój
Big Box
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Hugo Magiczny Napój
DVD Case
145-1 POL/G
5903033004234
2004
Hugo Magiczny Napój
DVD Case
145 POL
5907610712437
2006
Hugo Magiczny Napój
DVD Case
None
5907610720654
2006
Portugal
Hugo A Poção Mágica
DVD Case
145-1 POR
5703782290410
2003
Russia
Волшебный эликсир
Jewel Case
None
4607043580276
2001
Волшебный эликсир
Jewel Case
None
4607043580276
2001
Волшебный эликсир
Jewel Case
None
Unknown
Unknown
Sweden
Den Magiska Trolldrycken
Big Box
145-1 SWE
5703782290410
2000
Hugo Den Magiska Trolldrycken
DVD Case
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Hugo Lek & Lär 4
DVD Case
145-2 SWE
None
2007
Turkey
The Secrets of the Forest (Ormanın Büyüsü)
Transparent plastic wrap
145-2 US/D
None
2006
Released with the daily news paper Hürriyet. The game is in English