
	Platform SNES Genre Platformer Developer Empire Interactive / Blue Turtle Publisher JVC Year released 1993
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Magic Boy

magic boy,snes

Magic Boy is one of those games that few people ever played, let alone remember. Heck, the only reason I’m writing about it now is that I recently saw it a flea market. The seller was a middle-aged guy of average build and had tons of junk strewn across his table. One other item caught my attention – a mint, in-box, Optimus Prime. At least that’s what Tony said it was, all the print was in Japanese so I couldn’t read it. We haggled over the price and got as low as $10, but since I only had $7 in my pocket, and he wouldn’t budge, I walked away saying, "Who wants to buy a knock-off anyway?" What was I saying? Oh right, Magic Boy.

As a game, Magic Boy is so mediocre that it’s amazing it ever got released. It’s a platform jumper that adds absolutely nothing new to the genre. You control Magic Boy on his quest to eliminate various bad guys. It’s greatest highlight is the unforgiving game play. Come close to an enemy and you’re dead. Attempt to walk in water not even waist deep and you’re dead. No health bars or hit points here! Obviously the style and simple jump-shoot methods are aimed at the younger crowd, but since it’s so difficult I find it hard to believe anyone played this passed level 3.

There is one positive thing to be said though, if you get stumped on one stage you can choose another stage and try that one.

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Just the name "Magic Boy," conjures up images of a powerful young sorcerer who can raise the dead and rain hellfire down on his enemies. None of that here – you’re stuck with a lame peashooter with an extremely limited range. There are power-ups to grab but they’re pretty useless too. Once a baddie is stunned, you must stuff them in a bag, then drop them to your containment system. Why do you do this? I’ve no idea, but you’ve got to bag them all to get to the next level.

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Level design takes a Kid Icarus approach and concentrates on vertical progress rather than horizontal. None of the levels are fun. In fact, some of the levels are downright aggravating – requiring such precision jumping – especially around springboards – you’ll start to wonder why you ever bothered putting this cart in your SNES!

Graphics and sound are barely average. Characters are cartoony, and there are many of them, but they’re fairly easy to defeat.

Completely forgettable. Don’t bother.

- Omni