Thursday, August 18, 2016

Magic Boy



Prepare to be amazed!

Magic Boy was released in 1993 by Empire and is one of the cutest platformers I've ever seen. Personally, it reminds me of Rainbow Islands in both its quality and ravishingly charming styles. We are Hewlett, a young boy with a magic wand who accidentally turned all the animals into freakishly cute monsters. Seems plausible to me...

How do these things keep happening? Not to worry, it's our task to restore everything back to normal, so that means venturing forth through many beautiful worlds to tag & bag the nasties. Sounds a little odd, you might think? Well, perhaps you should brace yourself for a shock because it's often the silliest idea that works.

Firstly, check out this screenshot I've taken. Wear sunglasses and take a deep breath...



Magic Boy must be one of the most colourful games on the Atari ST.


Shoot, jump, bag & grab!

Looks great, doesn't it? Well, there are four massive worlds to explore (Sand Land, Wet World, Plastic Place, Future Zone) and each offer eight levels. Things begin relatively easily before lots of cunning tricks and traps are introduced. This is staggered nicely and certainly keeps things interesting - and the player on their toes.

This mild learning curve is nothing much for the easier levels. It's very easy to pick up and play, so you're instantly leaping your way through in no time. Make sure you collect all the power-ups which will aid your progress. Just watch out for anything that looks oddly cute - it's not really. It's very nasty so shoot it and then bag it. Great stuff!!

However, the later levels are tough and I mean really tough!! Those cute critters are actually deceivingly mean and seem to know just when to strike with a perfectly well-timed shot. Also, the level layout increases with the usual moving tiles and others might dissolve or randomly disappear. Infuriatingly difficult which can be a shame sometimes as these later levels are impossible for a guy like me to complete.... without a cheat!



Things are now starting to get serious with cunning-level designs for a tough challenge!


Aesthetics

This is literally one of the most stunning 16-Bit games I have ever played which is thanks to John Dale and Leigh Christian. They have created a game with bright, radiant visuals and so many comical characters. Nothing has been sacrificed and you will see your Atari ST looking this good AND that includes ultra-smooth scrolling.

Sound effects are brilliant and best experienced using an Atari STe. Yes, I said STe but that doesn't mean the ST is lacking. Not one bit. Accompanying music is perfect with a fun-themed high-quality tune, that remains in your head all day. Yes, Magic Boy is most definitely one of the sexiest Atari ST games I have ever played.



Future Zone has some incredible levels to hop through as does the quirky Plastic Place.


The CryptO'pinion?

You won't be shocked to hear that this is one seriously addictive platformer and I loved it. Yup, it's almost perfect and a genuine pleasure to play because it's so much fun and I really cannot think of something negative to say. Okay, okay, that difficulty in later levels is really tough but something weirdly reminiscent of games from the era.

The controls, game mechanics, visuals, sounds ... I love this game so much because it's fun and a thrill to play. Doesn't this just go to prove what the Atari ST/e is capable of when in the hands of talented people? So stop what you're doing and load it up right now because it's one of the best 16-bit platformers ever released.

Grab yourself either the floppy disk or a version to install onto a hard drive/Ultrasatan thanks to Peter over on 8BitChip. For those who wanna flick through directly to the later levels then you will enjoy these codes. On the menu screen, press and hold down the desired keys before pressing fire to begin:

     -> Sand Land......(part 1)  =  S + 1

     -> Sand Land......(part 2)  =  S + 2
     -> Future Zone....(part 1)  =  F + 1
     -> Future Zone....(part 2)  =  F + 2
     -> Plastic Place..(part 1)  =  P + 1
     -> Plastic Place..(part 2)  =  P + 2
     -> Wet World......(part 1)  =  W + 1
     -> Wet World......(part 2)  =  W + 2





3 comments:

  1. I completed magic boy in a single run. I could maybe try a longplay of it at sometime.

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    1. Honestly, you must be a gaming God! Or you cheated? :D I'd need to cheat!

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