ZX Computing


The Mighty Magus

Publisher: Quicksilva
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in ZX Computing #19

Mighty Magus

If it wasn't for one absolutely unforgiveable design flaw, then I would give The Mighty Magus an unqualified 'thumbs-up', but as it is, that one flaw spoils the game.

You play the part of the aforesaid Magus. Starting at the topmost level of an underground dungeon, you must penetrate deep into the lowest levels to face your arch enemy, Fraug the Dragon. As you descend, you can move around various sets of stairs and platforms, and use a "search" option to look for useful objects along the way. You begin with a certain amount of power and magic which are depleted by falls from platforms and magical combat with the denizens of the dungeon but can be boosted by things you find along the way.

These underground monsters are well animated, though your own movement and the scrolling dungeon layout are fairly jerky. Also, some of the traps on the dungeon floor are quite difficult to avoid as they often look no different from the normal, safe, floor tiles.

I was really enjoying playing this game until the fatal flaw that I mentioned earlier became apparent. The dungeon layout is randomly generated, which is fine as it provides plenty of variation but the drawback to this is that very often you can drop into a dead-end and find yourself with no way out. This means that you simply have to abort and start the game again from the beginning. This, as I said, is an unforgivable oversight, and makes the game incredibly frustrating. Surely some sort of check could have been built into the game to prevent this?

Mighty Magus is (or rather, could be) a very good game, but the 'dead end' syndrome could well result in the cassette being thrown out of the window in frustration. It's up to you to decide if you're prepared to risk it.