Madou Monogatari: Hanamaru Daiyouchi Enji

"Hanamaru Daiyouchi Enji--Cutest Game I've Ever Played"

This game, Madou Monogatari: Hanamaru Daiyouchi Enji was originally introduced by a friend of mine, telling me how cute a game this was. He told me that this was “the cutest game ever made,” and convinced me to try it out.

Storyline--9/10: The Storyline of Madou Monogatari: Hanamaru Daiyouchi Enji is about a 5 year old named Arle. It starts out with a note coming in the mail, but neither Arle nor her mother was able to read it. Her mother suggested that she go to her grandmother's house after school. After running to school, she begins to learn her first spells in the library, reading up every magic spell she could find, before rushing to her grandmother's house, and head off onto her journey…

This is the beginning of a very cute, wonderfully written storyline. It is easy to follow, and just overall well done. Nothing much else I can say about it, otherwise I will ruin too much of the storyline.

Graphics--8/10: Overall, the graphics are very well done--very cute and very bright--exactly what is needed for a game like this. The human sprites are nice, but definitely not as nice as the enemy sprites. But Arle is the cutest main character I have ever seen in my life. The towns are pretty, and easy to navigate through, so there isn't too much confusion when trying to go throughout the different towns, since each is different. The whole game was done well, from the menus, to the magical attacks.

Gameplay--7/10: I think it was rather easy, but there are a few things that don't really go well with how I usually play. There is no health meter, but instead it is gauged by how Arle dances throughout the battle. A little confusing, at first, but once you learn which dance means what, it is very easy, and a very cute way to express health. The controls are also simple, so there isn't any reason for you to have trouble learning what is what.

Sound/Music--8/10: The music is extremely catchy, which could either be a plus or a minus, depending on how you want to think about it as. And beyond that, I don't really have much to say. They are very whimsical and carefree, which helps set the mood of the game. Also, the enemies have very cute “grows” of sorts. Even though there isn't a giant amount of sound effects, the ones that are in the game are used well and to their full extent.

Replay Value--???/10: I'm not really sure how much replay value there is, but every game has some, at least. I know that my friend that I mentioned at the beginning has played this a couple times through, so it must be pretty good.

Rent, Buy, or Not Worth the Cartridge? Chances are, you would not be able to rent Madou Monogatari: Hanamaru Daiyouchi Enji game(unless you live in Japan and have a rental store that rents out SNES videogames), so definitely a buy. It is a great game, and definitely worth the money.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/28/04