Call it Puzz Loop or Zuma, and you'll probably already know exactly just
what Magnetica for the DS is. Add the handheld's unique stylus and touch
screen control system, and you'll probably appreciate that it's no doubt the
puzzler's ideal home.
For the uninitiated, Magnetica is the latest in a consistent line of fair
quality puzzle games for Nintendo's flagship portable. Using the stylus to
flick a ball towards an ever increasing path of often similarly coloured
balls in hope of creating a chain of more than three like-colours. Creating
chains removes the balls from the path causes it to slink backwards away
from it's final destination - which if ever reached, spells game over.
Like-coloured balls are magnetic, so if for example you remove yellow balls
that were separating a potential chain of reds, the reds will attract each
other and cause a combo removal.
It sure seems simple at first when initially faced with oncoming pairs of
colours, as just one addition to the pair will remove them from the line.
But as the action heats up and the line becomes longer, colours usually
appear individually, meaning you quickly have to develop a strategy of
building up pairs throughout the line to cause a chain reaction of combos
for effective removal. Otherwise the pace of the oncoming balls will be too
much to keep up with.
And whilst yes, the premise of Magnetica is indeed incredibly simple, the
point in which a serious strategy and skill has to be honed arrives
incredibly quick, resulting in a shortlived game for those unable to really
get their heads around just how best to tackle it.
There are alternative modes to vary the gameplay; timebased scenarios and a
challenge to scale 99 level in a single sitting, but it is the quest mode
outlined above that will hold the most interest, but inevitably cause the
most frustration.
It's very reminiscent of the problems that plagued Polarium; that other DS
puzzler developer Mitchell released some time ago. Initial levels were
completed with ease, but all too soon the learning curve becomes incredibly
steep making progress for the casual gamer incredibly difficult. What's more
annoying is that whilst you cannot progress until each individual level is
completed, the difficulty of each level varies slightly, meaning you might
take many attempts on one level, only to find the next five are scalable on
their first attempt.
The presentation is also very much like Polarium, which those familiar would
agreee is a good thing, the controls are perfectly responsive and the
soundtrack contains the same kind of ambient warblings puzzler's like this
are often littered with.
But the biggest problem with a game like Magnetica is that whilst a puzzle
game is supposed to be the kind of thing a casual gamer can just pick up and
bash through, because of Magnetica's often seemingly impossible levels, the
frustration of the lack of progress hinders its long term appeal. It seems
to take forever to develop the kind of strategy required to shine here, but
many but the most hardcore puzzlers might have long since given up trying.
WHAM! Rating: |
6 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
E (Everyone) |
Official Web Site: |
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