Magic World, by UPL Software, $17.95
Reviewed March, 2003 by Korey Marciniak

The gameplay in UPL Software's Magic World will be instantly familiar to anyone who has hasn't been living under a rock for the last few years; the game is set up as a 2D side scrolling action game. You set out on a quest to save the lemming inhabitants of Lemming Land . It's all a very straightforward idea, but as far as PalmOS 2D side scrolling games there is very little real competition. Every level is set in this magical Lemming Land , and you will find yourself reminiscent of games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, and other console side scrollers.

The control scheme in Magic World is easy to setup, but once in the game it ultimately left a slightly bittersweet taste in my mouth. The controls responded well, and there was nothing wrong with any of the configuration, but the real problem stemmed from how the character movement was implemented. As the character Lomax you end up facing a myriad of both flying and ground baddies, but the biggest stumbling block was jumping. I died more often than not from sliding off a platform than from any opponent I ran into. It's not as easy to modulate how far forward you go, and this winds up causing a great deal of headaches.

When I first looked at the graphics for Magic World I was absolutely stunned; UPL Software has achieved a level of graphics that one would expect on a true gaming handheld, and they did it without sacrificing anything. Magic World's vibrantly colorful levels, fluid character animations, and overall design are extremely well done. The levels vary in design and color nicely, and with large levels and so much detail it's not without style. UPL Software has definitely set a new bar for side scrollers on the PalmOS.

The sounds in Magic World are well thought out, and offer a nice complement to the impressive graphics. Lomax screams, coins jingle, everything makes the sounds expected and does it in a way that it adds to the whole feel of the game. I am always a stickler for a wealth of music options like vibrant sound effects and music, but I never felt Magic World was missing anything major in this aspect. I can't stress enough how impressive the design of the game is overall, and you won't be let down by the sound effects either.

Overall the game is lots of fun to play, but it's rather difficult even on easy. I am no stranger to side scrollers, and the beating I took by falling off cliffs was far more embarrassing than the one dealt out by the flying enemies. I also was left out in the rain once again as a TG50 owner, since it's necessary to install ‘Grafitti Anywhere' to even register the game or exit once playing. I fail to see why such a glaring oversight was not taken care of before hand, since I've never once seen this issue in any other game or application. Looking past these issues, it is easy to see how impressive the game really is.

Magic World runs on Palm OS 5 or later devices.

Playing Hints and Tips

You're going to die a lot, so make sure your controls are set up, and the game is on easy the first way through. Be sure and take every jump carefully, as Lomax tends to slide right off or overshoot jumps entirely. The first few levels can be easily beaten by spin jumping through everything, and it never hurts to just use that in a pinch.