Magic Pockets

Fancy a game of pocket pool?

I finally rebought Magic Pockets by the awesome Bitmap Bros! Those guys sure knew how to program - never once settled for a lame Amiga port. So I'm proud to own what is nothing less than a belting piece of hiSTory by the Bitmaps!!

So the story? Ah, yes... Okay, the Bitmap Kid (BK to his burger friends) has been given a brand new pair of magical trousers from an old man he met in the park one evening. No, not really lol!! Anyhow, he loves these trousers but, finds out that his toys have somehow disappeared into a fantasy world: PocketLand. Of course, this cool Kid is determined to get his toys back. So, he enters via a black hole he conjured!! Boy, if there was ever a whackier storyline than this!

Anyhow, let's take a gander at a lovely bluey screenshot of the kid in his weird new world...

There are many crazy monsters to kill but... hang on... what's that TV doing there?

Short arms, deep pockets

PocketLand is split over four enormous levels - and they are HUGE. BK is armed with different powers depending on the world he's currently in. There are strange enemies and bonuses - heck, he even has extra abilities like the whirlwind to jump higher. Sometimes the route through can feel like a wild goose chase, but often you're led onto secret areas - that contain lots of goodies. I admire the design because most levels don't feel linear, even though they are.

Joystick controls are spritely with responsive action and movement. I have always liked the mechanics because - it feels less like a computer platformer and more like something a console would knock out. Of course, neither is better than the other. It's just how Magic Pockets feels (to me). So I like this game today as much as I did back in the 1990s.

Well, it's time for yet another screenshot. Wow, gripping stuff...

The first level nicely introduces various aspects of the game with its trippy mechanics.

Aesthetics

Visually, this has a Godly appearance that the Bitmaps sure enjoyed using. Lovely colours are splashed throughout every level and the scrolling is fast and fluent - so always manages to keep up the pace. However, it's the sprites that are something else; so many incredibly cute critters all of which are nicely animated too. Why can't all games look this beautiful?

The sound effects are fantastic but I would have preferred an option for a background tune. Famously, the title music is by Betty Boo but, I'm kinda meh about that. I guess it's nice to have and the quality is pretty good.

Get on your bike and get ready for another screenshot of crazy gameplay...

Hey, I've found a bike? Weeee, come on, there aren't many games like this!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Well, I'm new (again) to Magic Pockets so haven't gotten very far, if I'm honest. But, what a gem this platformer is and it's wonderful to play it again after all these years. I feel it hasn't aged badly whatsoever. In fact, it's still just as much fun and as entertaining as it ever was. You could say that I'm feeling like a big kid on Christmas Day here!!

Magic Pockets is an outstanding platformer and very easy to get into. This article might be a preview but, anything from the Bitmap Brothers is top-notch. So I know I'll be enjoying this for many moons to come. Highly recommended.

Downloaded for floppy and hard disk.