Puzzle games have taken many forms since Tetris with its falling blocks. Now there are such varieties as falling pills, gemstones, balls of goo, and many more. Magnetica is not too different from these games, but it takes the falling objects concept and literally turns it on its side.
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Like all puzzle games, Magnetica has a simple concept that becomes more complicated with higher levels. A chain of colored spheres roll down a tube that spirals towards a center hole. From the center, you can flick spheres with the stylus into the progressing chain. Of course, you don’t get to choose which color sphere to launch, you merely have to use the ones allocated to you. If you launch a sphere into two or more of the same color, they all disappear. Furthermore, if the spheres on the opposite ends of the gap you just made are the same color, they will attract each other. This can set off a chain where more spheres disappear. Generally, you have to eliminate all of the spheres before any reach the hole, but there are several modes of play.
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Challenge mode is the most basic game. You start with only two colors to contend with, but as you progress more colors are added making things complicated. There are also rockets that occasionally pop up in the chain, pushing the balls along faster and other hazards to impede you. There are also the occasional the life-saving silver spheres that eliminate all spheres the same color as the one you launch it into. This should be called the endurance mode, as it is really a test of how long you can handle the progressively harder combinations of spheres that come at you. Quickly deciphering how to break down the chain while adding as few spheres as possible is difficult to a fault. But it can be exciting once you get the hang of it.
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Quest mode works in much the same manner as challenge mode, but it has more diversity of gameplay. Each of the over 100 stages has a different path for the spheres follow to the fatal hole. This makes it harder to put the spheres where you want them. There are also other conventions used such as switches that can alter the spheres’ path, and there are even bosses spread amongst the levels.
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Puzzle mode is probably the best for learning the intricacies of the game. A group of spheres lay still in the path and you have to eliminate them all using a specific set of spheres to launch at it. If you miss the spheres, push them into the center or even finish before using all your spheres, you loose.
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Now, this could just be me, but I just don’t get this game. The rules sound simple enough, but when you try to factor in all the colors that come along and what spheres will attract each other and trying to set up chains it’s too much for me. After a few minutes of failed attempts at strategy, I ended just launching spheres at others of the same color, which only gets you passed the first few levels. The only fun I had was during multiplayer, which supports download play. Then I got to play against people who had an equally hard time grasping the strategy of this game.
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The theme of the game seems to be trying to techno fans. The music exemplifies this. Well, it’s not so much music as rhythm with techno effects thrown in. As puzzle games go, the graphics are pleasantly colorful and have a variety of things to look at. Electric surges and balls of lightning are common sights on the screen. Each stage has a unique layout with its own pattern and obstacles. It gives the game more longevity than most puzzle games, since your not always playing the same exact thing every time. It also adds spice to the multiplayer mode.
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For someone who has a knack for figuring out puzzle games, this game is ideal. However, it seems too confusing for the casual gamer who will likely give up in frustration before mastering the game’s nuances (like myself). This fact hurts the multiplayer too, as you can’t find someone of similar skill level without lending them the game for a week. Bottom line: it’s a nice game that does take puzzle games in a new direction, however, that direction leads to a lonely cold place only meant for serious puzzle gamers. I’d recommend renting it before buying it to see if you and this game have any kind of attraction.