Feel the Magic Review

When the DS was announced, it was hard for some to imagine what could be done with all those new features. Many felt that it would not be used to its full potential, and most games would take advantage of its graphical horsepower only. This has been true for many games so far, but Sega stepped up and produced a truly unique game for the DS – a game that could not be realized on any other platform. Feel the Magic XY/XX is a game about a guy who wants a girl to love him, and he will do anything to convince her of that – including blowing out giant candles and escaping from the belly of a snake. Not all the scenarios are as bizarre as that, and some are downright mundane (a Simon style dance game comes to mind), but they are all done with a coherent and unique style. Sega has taken advantage of almost every feature the DS has to offer with this game. The touch screen is used extensively, and is the primary method of control, but it is used in interesting ways – such as blowing on it to perform certain objectives. The built in microphone is also used, though only to detect sound in the most rudimentary fashion. Sadly – there is no multiplayer support, which certainly could have provided some excellent fun. The dual screens are also rarely used to full effect, with the top screen often just a backdrop graphic. The games could get boring at times, as they are quite simplistic for the most part, but the ethereal graphics go a long way toward keeping the player entertained and engrossed. Many have complained that the game is short, and I won’t argue that as a fact, but it is *so* short that replaying it should be a joy if the player enjoyed it the first time through. It certainly doesn’t fall into that awkward category where a game is too long to be played over and over, but to short to provide a satisfying once through. In many ways, Feel the Magic is the best of the launch window titles for the DS. It takes advantage of most of the unique control methods and other features, as well as showcasing the system’s graphic muscle in an artistic way. If this game is an early indication of the DS’s crop of games, I couldn’t be more excited.