Back in the 90s, Flemish edugame distributor Transposia was probably mostly known for localizing Humongous Entertainment games. But another prominent series was Skipper & Skeeto. Magnus og Myggen, as it was known in its native Denmark, was a series of point-and-click adventure games by Ivanoff Interactive, starring a mole and a mosquito.
For many players across Europe—myself included—the series became a staple of childhood gaming. Here’s a look back at the entries I most vividly remember.
Tales from Paradise Park (1996) 🔗
This first title feels like the odd one out stylistically. It's set in a park where various animals live, but the overarching goal is to get back a good fairy's magic wand which was stolen by a witch
This game uses the Director engine, though because of its extra dependencies it's not playable in ScummVM for the moment.
The Great Treasure Hunt (1996) 🔗
The follow-up is set entirely within the haunted castle of the owners of Paradise Park. They have to cough up a lot of dough before midnight, or Mr. Shade will turn the park into a garbage belt. It's up to Skipper & Skeeto to race against time and find the hidden treasure.
This was definitely my favorite one. I really enjoyed exploring the castle.
The Revenge of Mr. Shade (1998) 🔗
The stakes are even higher this time! Skipper's been kidnapped, and together with their new mole-friend Suzy, they have to escape Shade's skyscraper.
Further adventures
A fourth game was localized, which I have not encountered yet. In its original Denmark, many more games and even an animated series were released.