The internet gaming community isn’t exactly keeping pace cell phone games. Often caveated as shallow timewasters, software for mobile phones is largely absent on NeoGAF forums, fails to make an appearance at GameFAQs or Metacritic, and, save a few of the larger websites, often goes ignored in the enthusiast press. Scaled down entries of big name franchises, like Assassin’s Creed or Mass Effect, get some digital ink on occasion, but inspired or original IP worthy of coverage is largely absent on the platform. The iPhone and iPod Touch house a wealth of the same puzzle games that have traditionally laced mobile platforms for the last decade, but, with Gameloft’s Castle of Magic (among others), Apple’s blossoming handsets are starting to stake their claim as a legitimate gaming platform. Or, if nothing else, it certainly looked like it was going to start making waves.
I put on my Robe and Wizard Hat
Typically I save graphics for the later portions of a review, but Castle of Magic’s aesthetics are at the forefront of its appeal. From the moment I saw a couple screens I wondered if they were fabled “bullshots,” or, if the screen grabs were real, whether or not the game would look just as smooth when in motion. Of course, after I turned it on, it didn’t take long for my jaw to drop. I’ve only owned an iPhone for a few weeks, so perhaps I’m not accustomed it’s visual splendor, but the game looked somewhere in between a PS1 and PS2 game. Fully polygonal and multilayered, Castle of Magic looked not unlike the 2D levels of the original Crash Bandicoot or Pandemonium. Never remaining static, the main character shifts and emotes with wealth of charming animation, and the opposition is typically ripe with personality. Before I ever really played the game, it was clear that Castle of Magic was built with the upmost care and attention to detail. The game looked alive, which is more than I can say for countless modern handheld games.
Though it has a few of its own tricks, Castle of Magic relies heavily on the path blazed by 2D iterations of Mario, Sonic, Klonoa and Donkey Kong (Country). Your character can bop enemies on the head, or use his magic wand to turn them into blocks. Health is collected through purple gems, which, like Sonic’s rings, are lost upon contact, but can be regained if immediate action is taken. The goal, as always, is to get to the end of the level and collect as much loot at as you can along the way. Purple gems can be accumulated and turned into lives, powerups can be collected, and three stars are hidden in every level to encourage replays.
Levels are structured in a hub world that gives way to a five (well, six) thematically linked zones, all but one containing three traditional worlds and a boss. Again, the art direction comes into play and transforms fairly standard mechanics into a pleasurable experience. Standard platforming level themes like ice, forests, and outer space are present, but they’re joined by inspired entries featuring pirates and cake(!). Each level also has its own special “power” which typically grants level-specific powers. For example, the Inuit suit come with ice picks that allow wall climbing on the frozen level, a swordfish helps you press through the water, and a cake turns you into an invincible fat guy (doesn’t it always?). The most charming of all, and this really compliments the games feel, is the charming Hunter powerup, which makes the character gleefully shout “Robin Hoooood!” Yeah, that probably won’t have much of an effect on people there just for the 2D gameplay, but it adds charm to a visual style that is no doubt catered toward a younger generation.
Actual level design doesn’t stray too far outside the norm. A majority allow you to get to the end at your own pace, but a couple feature the classic “moving screen” that hurries you through the level. Underwater segments, bonus rooms, gravity tricks, and reasonably challenging bosses (save the bee you can kill in four seconds) compliment the linear paths, but rarely stray into unfamiliar territory. My only real complaint in the design department falls with the enemies. Killing them is usually easy and they rarely cheat you by hiding in unseen areas, but they’re all damned with Mega Man Disease, which is to say that, if you kill one, leave the screen, but then decide to backtrack, you’ll find that your fallen foe has reappeared. With paths that double over themselves and frequent exploration, it’s a bit of an annoyance.
The Bad Touch
While you’ll rarely spend more than five minutes on any given level, don’t assume that they’re all content-light or challenge-free. We’re not talking Ghosts ‘n Goblins difficulty or anything, but the difficulty rarely comes from navigating the levels. Where to go and what to do is rarely as much of a question as, “are the controls going to let me do this?” The answer, as I often found, boarders between “sometimes,” and “not really.”
A d-pad is mapped on the bottom left hand corner, while the attack and jump are over on the right corner. I have no qualms with jump or attack, but the d-pad was more prone to error than the Millennium Falcon. In theory it looked simple enough, but, because it’s seemingly arranged as an eight directions instead of four, I was accidently hitting down or holding left or right far too often. The typical result was a botched leap that had me alternating left and right in mid air in a desperate attempt to line up with the platform. The double jump is quite generous in terms of distance and time for additional manipulation, but it’s no excuse for the lack of precision. Being able to nail your jump is the backbone of any competent 2D platformer, and the controls in Castle of Magic don’t hold up with any form of consistency. Sure, I improved over time, but, even in the final levels, I was chalking up countless deaths to my inability to control my character.
Then again, you have to consider the constant iPhone proviso; WiYS, or, What if You’re Shaq? Though not as monstrous as Shaq, I have relatively huge hands that might not exactly be “adept” at manipulating a fairly small touch screen. To test this theory in a less than scientific manner, I asked female friend, whom I often poke fun at for her ridiculously small hands, to play Castle of Magic. After a few levels she was running into some of the same problems I did, so I’m not entirely sure it’s related to hand size. Still, some user reviews at the App Store proclaim no problems with the controls, so maybe it’s up to perspective anyway.
From a technical perspective, Castle of Magic was played on a 3GS. The frame rate dropped on occasion and, while never enough to render the game unplayable, I’m not so sure it would hold up as well on a 3G or, worse, a first generation iPhone.
