Rating:

Mage Gauntlet Review: The game reminds you that long before 3-D, photorealistic graphics came along games were still fun.

Mage Gauntlet {$2.99} is set in a world where evil was long ago defeated and confined by the great wizard Whitebeard. And, wizards and mage guilds defend it to keep it that way. You, however, are an orphaned young girl who doesn’t know anything about your parents or where you come from. You do know, that in a land of magic, you are a freak. Magical things don’t affect you like they do others. You appear to be immune to magic’s power, even destroying magical things just by touching them. Not understanding why you are different, and being shunned because of it, you seek out the great Whitebeard to find answers.

Much of the game is spent navigating passages and swinging a sword to take out monsters and objects in your path. The interface is very simple to control and there’s a limited number of buttons to manage. That keeps the game moving forward quickly. While there’s a fair amount of text boxes to read that could be considered to slow the game down, I found them to be a nice break from constant sword slinging. They are important to the story and improving your skills and equipment.

The graphics are retro Nintendo style, which takes nothing away from the game and add to the classic feel. The sound effects are clean and crisp and the music is 8-bit which is what you would expect for a retro game. The sound effects and music can be turned on or off separately if either one is not your style.

This game did not try to reinvent the wheel, or even improve it, as far as game design goes. But it implemented a time-tested format and provided a new story to explore and adapted it well for the iOS platform. This is a solid app, especially if you’ve got a soft spot for old-school game play.

What we like:

• Old school graphics and play style are still fun
• Simple interface and game controls keep the focus on the game
• Cute story that encourages engagement

What to know:

• If you’re looking for something new and different, this isn’t your game

Advertisement