Posted by: TepidSnake (Twitter: @SarahSSowertty)
Magica x Magica is an odd little endless runner game released for iOS and Android by Magic Cube, a Korean developer which combines running with some light shooter elements. As an unnamed witch, you must run an unending gauntlet of platforms and monsters to try and save your unnamed friend (the game’s description calls it ‘the saddest run shooting game’,, probably because you can never save your friend, as there is no end). It’s a very simple game, with a jump button and shot meter on each side. You can tap the Jump button twice for a double-jump, and you slide your finger across the shot meter to angle your shots up or down. Your standard shots are weak against the fish/sea creatures you fight (including boss monsters like the giant sunfish), but earning coins lets you buy upgrades that include new weapons like a spread-shot and rapid-fire attack. You can also pick these weapons up mid-stage, along with health top-ups and a limited-time item that doubles the size of your shots.
On the one hand, there’s a lot of little flaws- while you have a health meter it seems to decrease inconsistently with some attacks being one-hit kills, and actually aiming your shots can be difficult as the standard shot sprays quite wildly. There’s also the upgrade system, as earning new weapons and upgrades takes a lot of time (unless you go for the in-app purchases). Having said all that, I just love the aesthetic of it, and it really sticks out (especially amongst Magic Cube’s other games). The visuals have a strange storybook-like feel to them that strongly appeals to me, and the game does some odd stuff with its ‘endless’ theme (after each run you see an hourglass get turned over, resetting an otherwise-unseen timer, and the title screen tracks each time you play as a ‘loop’, suggesting the main character is being sent back to try again). One of those games that’s worth a look, and it’s pretty suited to a phone seeing how short each run is!
As a bonus, here’s the game’s gorgeous-looking title screen.
