Adv: Mage Bros. [by JJ Soft]

Game Review: Mage Bros.
Release: Feb. 1, 2003
Genre: Action
Developer: JJSoft
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP, Pentium II or better, 64 MB RAM, DirectX 7.0
Price: US $8.00

Mage Bros. is a very colorful adventure through a mystic land.  In this game for one or two players, you control a mage who must pass through a variety of obstacles, not the least of which being a horde of enemies bent on destroying you.  During each level, you will see torches as you travel from left to right on the board.  Lighting each of the torches with your magic wand causes the magical portal exit of the level to appear.

I spent a good deal of time trying to play through Mage Bros., and have to say that it is an impressive game to play.  The graphics are well done, and the entire game is very well put together.  The added bonus of being able to play the game with a friend truly enhances its appeal in my book.

In the game, you spend a lot of time trying to kill the enemies without being hit.  Very few of the enemies do anything more than just wander around somewhat aimlessly, but their ability to jump in most cases, and just the sheer number of enemies provides a much greater challenge then you might think.

Thankfully, you have your trusty magic wand with you and THANKFULLY it can be powered up.  There are two kinds of wands in the game, those that are enemy seeking and those that are not.  Each wand type can be upped so that it shoots a greater number of fireballs, which is greatly needed.  While firing your wand, your magic energy is depleted.  As you get farther into the game, you'll find yourself wandering around trying avoid everyone while your magic energy recharges to the point where you can fire again, but there is also a remedy for that.  You can purchase magic potions that increase your magic level, and an increased magic level will also increase the speed at which your magic energy is replenished, making it much more possible to survive.  Each of these items can be bought at shops that appear about every other board throughout the game, but be forewarned that they are not cheap!

Levels in the game do require a bit of ingenuity to get past.  Many of them require that you do not light specific torches until you have actually gone as far right as is possible and started back to the left.  You will be confronted with platforms that disappear under your feet, spiked cacti that fall from the ceiling if you walk over their shadow, and elevators that continue to go up until you jump off them...often stranding a friend at the ground floor.

Looking at how well put together this game is, you'll do a double take on the price.  I know I did.  Mage Bros. is a well designed game that I'm sure will keep you entertained for hours as you try to work your way through its 40 levels.

Graphics: 8
I debated long and hard on how to rate the graphics.  They have a Nintendo 64 feel to them.  A bit block at some points, but very colorful and well-drawn throughout the game.  The special effects, such as weapons firing, or the water rippling is also well done and conveys a good sense of what is happening.  All the characters are good-looking, and I think most people will feel it deserved a better rating in the Graphics category...I might agree with them...

Sound: 8
Mostly what sounded like midi soundtracks, but they fit well into the scheme of the game.  Sound effects for lighting a torch or shooting an enemy were well done.

Game Play: 7
The only real problem I had with Mage Bros. was the difficulty in playing the game in some aspects.  The characters seem to move quite easily to where you want them to move to...but firing and hitting your target required a bit more work.  Often I found myself yelling at the screen "he was right in front of you, how could you miss!?"  Of course that did happen only with the "enemy seeking" wand.  That wand tries to hit any enemies it senses, but it had a propensity for sensing enemies that posed no immediate threat to me.

Options: 8
Quite limited options, but nothing that really hurts the game in any way.  Having an analog joystick is a big plus you'll find while playing it.

Concept: 10
The closest thing I could think of that resembled this game was the old Hudson game Monster Lair...a good game in its own right.  This is an interesting concept of mages in a colorful world all done in a simplistic fashion that is easy to pick up and play right away.

Fun: 8
Certainly you will experience frustration, but this is a game that you will find more joy out of then most.  The two player mode is a great and true cooperative mode, where by playing together you become a very potent threat.  I especially liked walking around with the other player standing on my head.  Made it real easy to attack enemies on other levels that way.  However, I ran into a level about mid-way through the third board set where it seems to be impossible to pass the level in two player mode without unintentionally or intentionally killing off one of the two players.  Some of the boards do get to seeming a little repetitive if you are playing just to pass through them, so I'd recommend you enjoy things as you go through...and get as many coins as possible so you can buy a better wand!

Overall: 8
At $8, this game may be the steal of the year.  For the price of a movie ticket, you'll get many hours of fun.  While to some degree I enjoyed the more puzzling nature of Hopmon, JJSoft's last release more than this one, this is a great game that has high production values.  It breaks the mold often thought of independent games in that it is so well put together, easy to navigate and bug-free.  In short, this is a professional title from start to finish that most any gamer could appreciate and should be an automatic pick-up for any gamer at its inexpensive price.

Reviewer's System:  AMD 1800 XP, Windows XP, GeForce 2 MX 32MB, 256 MB RAM Added: April 17th 2003
Reviewer: The Mole
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