Monkey Magic

"A so-so 2D platformer"

Well I have never seen the show, but my brother brought home this game he said his friend let him have. Well I picked it up and it's ok...a little too easy but some parts can be agravating.

Graphics 8/10: It is basically 2D except for a few items and things here and there. The graphics aren't smooth and aren't that terribly great. It's a little better than an SNES game in graphics. This isn't bad though, the graphics suit the gameplay very well. The cutscenes look like they have been taken straight from the show, I wouldn't know since I don't watch it.

Gameplay 9/10: This game mixes a 2D platformer with a very strong puzzle element. The puzzles can be aggravating but not something that can't be figured out in a couple of tries. The gameplay; however, is fun yet aggravating at times. There are corners you turn and something happens and you basically don't know what to do until you waste a life or two. You go through the level collecting the three different items and at the end of every scene it totals them up and you have to have a certain percentage to save. The game is more based on its jumping and puzzles; battles in this game aren't that big. You have your karate move and then your magic moves which help out A LOT. You have four different types of magic which can be used on you or shot outwards up, sideways, and down. They are: Tiny, Fire, Ice, and Strength, each one having different purposes in puzzles and battles.

Control 7/10: The controls are ok but not the best. When you crouch down you don't have to hold the down button but just push it once and he stays down which means you have to push up to stand up which can lead to problems in tricky situations. Square is to attack, R2&L2 switch magic, L1 uses the magic on yourself, R1 shoots magic, Circle lets you look around, triangle is to skip talking and to use items, and X is to jump or press it twice to double jump. These controls are superb but when it comes to jumping on the little platform or switching and using magic can become a problem.

Story 3/10: What the?! You'd probably have to see the show to know but I haven't seen it. All I know is that your some monkey that landed in a meteorite to go learn magic and gain ''divine power.'' Where this monkey came from or why he wants divine power is not known by me.

Sound 10/10: The music is pretty good, voice acting is great, and the SFX are pretty good also. Nothing big here, but suits the game well.

Challenge 4/10: Some spots of the game are hard but are easy to figure out, and some are just aggravating and usually it's just because of careless mistakes. The game is super easy though.

Replay 8/10: You'll probably want to play again since the game is easy to beat and it's pretty much fun, so why not?!

Rent or Buy: I'd rent because it's pretty easy to beat and it may not even take the whole five days of your rental.

Overall 7/10: The game is good and should be played for action/puzzle/platform gamers. The reason it gets a seven is because this really isn't anything new or groundbreaking. It just supplies a little different style of gaming but nothing special.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/22/01, Updated 07/22/01