Magnetica is yet another unique puzzle game for the Nintendo DS, an already packed genre to be sure. Some may recognize this game as Puzz Loop from the arcade or a variation of Zuma already available for download via Xbox Live Arcade. This puzzler is virtually identical, but there's enough variation here for fans to pick up this version as well.
Each level in Magnetica is made up of tubes that different colored marbles slowly roll through. If a single marble manages to travel all the way to the reactor, the game ends. To prevent the marbles from reaching their destination, the player must flick a marble from the launcher into the line of approaching marbles. The key is to line up at least three of the same colored marbles to make them disappear. Marbles of the same color are magnetically attracted to each other, so it's possible to create huge chain events by taking out strategic marble sets. The biggest improvement over any other version of the game is the use of the Nintendo DS's touch screen. In previous console versions the player has to aim the marble with a d-pad and that takes up precious time. Here all one has to do is simply flick the marble in a direction and it goes there. It's as if the game was made for this system all along.
There are several modes of play. The Challenge mode has 99 levels of marble blasting with the only goal being to clear all the marbles. Every ten levels a rocket will appear, speeding up the rolling marbles and making it even more difficult to stay in the game. Quest mode has 50 missions, with each stage having a different layout. Some of them even have multiple marble launchers to take out strategic marbles. Puzzle mode gives the player a set number of marbles to use to eliminate all of the marbles on the field. At first these seem overly easy, but they ramp up in difficult quickly. Finally there is versus mode, which can be played with up to 2 people with 1 game. Here players battle it out by creating chains and sending junk to the other player's game to hinder progress. Special power-ups will disrupt the playfield and create even more havoc.
Magnetica is an average puzzle game that gets old too quickly. This is one of Nintendo's "Touch Generations" games and as such it's disappointing to see this game retail as high as $34.99 when it would have been a great deal at $19.99. Factor in you can get a very similar game (Zuma) on Xbox Live Arcade for like $5 and there's definitely a problem with the price. Puzzle fans should no doubt check out Magnetica, but for the rest of the players out there your money is better spent elsewhere. Other DS puzzle games, such as Tetris DS, Meteos, and Puyo Pop, offer up more fun for the buck.
21st July 2006
