When was The Pink Panther: Hocus Pocus Pink released?

[mr.editor]

I'm trying to find as accurate rel date of The Pink Panther: Hocus Pocus Pink as possible.
AL and http://www.adventure-archiv.com/ lists it to be 1997.
Moby earliest is 1998, and in Germany!? (maybe earlier english release is just missing there)
http://www.mrbillsadventureland.com/ 1998.
Amazon 15 Feb 1999.
Giant Bomb, http://thevideogamedatabase.wikia.com/, March 1999
Gamepressure 15 April 2000 Worldwide, but guess it has to be Polish version... or maybe game got re-released to be compatilble with modern OSes?

Sequel The Pink Panther: Passport to Peril came out in 1996, right?

[hfric]

1999 by Wanderlust Interactive

[Scaryfun]

The nfo from Egon's ISO says 1996 and so does https://web.archive.org/web/20070810165 ... sql=1:6513

[hfric]

1996 in what language ??? ONly German ??? ... lets do the CD cover check ... http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/pin ... /cover-art and http://www.mobygames.com/game/pink-pant ... /cover-art ...see those scanned CDs date is random from 1996 to 1997 to 2001 to 1999 even 2005

[Molitor]

My guess: finished product is from late 1996, first American version is from late 1997 and Egon's print is from mid 1998. I've got absolutely no proof.

[mr.editor]

If anyone has image on hdd, maybe one can look the date from readme or other support file? Those do not say release date but at least hint when the game was almost complete.
While it's not impossible, I somehow doubt that German release was 1st, as the Wanderlust Interactive was based in Big Apple.

[Molitor]

The readme date is 1997-08-29:


And the content of the INSTALL dir:


However the 1996 files are generic files that could be packaged from any other game, hence I'm not sure in the end about the 96 date.

[hfric]

and that HPP.orb is the main data file that's dated 1998... art is from 1996 , install DLL are from 1997 , main packed game is from 1998 ...and there even is a windows help file from 1995 winhlp32.exe

[mr.editor]

Oh man!
Well, most probably Wanderlust reused some Passport to Peril assets, which would explain older files and how the sequel got released so fast (if rel was 96-97).
Thanks for those screenshots, Molitor. Do you happen to know source of your image (or disc)?
Also, maybe there are date inside readme.txt (on top or bottom)? Or in hints.htm?

At the end of the day any of those dates could have been easily changed by Win or some app, but let's amuse ourselves by trusting those dates a bit.

[mr.editor]

Found an answer for my question. Someone has made some digging and posted following link to wikipedia:

Code: Select all

http://globaldocuments.morningstar.com/documentlibrary/document/6f403374ff1c85e2.msdoc/original

The Company completed a CD-ROM entitled "Passport to Peril,"
which it released in October 1996, and an Internet game entitled
"Postcards to Peril" which it released on the Company's web site
in November 1996, and a second interactive CD-ROM involving the
Pink Panther entitled "Hokus Pokus Pink," released in October
1997.