Magic Sword review - Super Nintendo

Visually this game is superb. The sprites and backdrops are all expertly drawn and the animation really brings the characters to life. The idea of involving another warrior also succeeds, providing a further dimension to the game. Also in its favour is the range of options the game possesses, especially the floor select option which cuts out the tedium of completing earlier levels. What I didn't like is the bland approach to the gameplay. It is purely a mater of slash, swipe and stab throughout all of the 50 levels. The only chance I had to refine my games playing skills was when I came up against one of the bosses. Before and after that, things continue in the same style. The same goes for the many items that can be accumulated. Whilst they prove useful, they do not do enough to make the gameplay any more exciting. Ultimately Magic Sword fails to impress because behind the visual spectacle is a game severely lacking in originality.

In its favour, Magic Sword is quite a large game with plenty of slash 'em up action and some very good ideas, like being able to change your companions on the quest. The graphics are also pretty good with some great characters to blow up in a variety of mystical ways. The music and spot effects serve to boost the atmosphere no end as well. So why isn't Magic Sword a mega game? It's quite simple. It's just far too repetitive for its own good. Once you've got over the variety in all the different companions and worked out which objects are the best, there is very little more in the gameplay to provide. The shoot 'em up/slashing action does not vary enough between each level and I must admit to getting pretty bored after ten stages. There are forty stages after that, but it was just too much of a chore to be worth bothering with. Magic Sword is okay, but is only recommended to people who really loved the coin-op and I doubt there are many of them to be honest.

I recently had the chance to rediscover this game thanks to it being included on Capcom's excellent Classics Collection Remixed on the Sony PSP. The Mean Machines guys are spot on once again. This is a lightweight game with very little in the way of originality. It plays a lot like Capcom's other fantasy platformer Black Tiger, but that had a lot more action in it. Magic Sword is simply a case of walk along, collect coins, slash baddies, pick up extra warrior, face boss and then repeat. It gets very boring after the first few levels and there is very little incentive to progress to the end.

Having said that, the actual conversion is excellent - almost arcade perfect - but when the arcade original was so weak, there's very little point in picking this up.