"I refuse to use a witty comment about this game being magical."

I find is funny that I was looking forward to Magical Starsign for quite a while before it came out, whereas most people haven't even heard of the game (or so it seems). The sole fact that the game was made by Brownie Brown was enough to get my interests flowing -- I'm a big fan of their work. Still, Magical Starsign has many qualities that can make a casual gamer be interested as well. First off, the most obvious reason is because Magical Starsign is an RPG game for the DS. Need I say more? Still, there are many other aspects of the game that can make a gamer enjoy such a quest.

Story - 9/10

I'll admit, I'm always harsh on in-game stories. Most are cliche as heck, and I will agree that Magical Starsign is one of them. Well, to an extent. You are an aspiring student in the Will-o-Wisp Academy, a school for magic. Now stop right there! Most people tend to complain that this game is a cheap ripoff of Harry Potter. Well, I tend to shoot those comments down. This isn't the first game that introduces a school that teaches magic. Neither did Harry Potter, so I don't mind it. In fact, I think the introduction of a magical academy is charming.

Anyways, the unnamed protagonist has his band of fellow students that spend their everyday lives in Will-o-Wisp Academy. However, things take a turn for the worse when their teacher, Miss Madeline, embarks on a quest to meet up with a former student. However, she doesn't return and some of her students get worried. Now most people would rejoice at the disappearance of their high school teachers, but these tykes decide to do the complete opposite: they set out to try and find her.

Six students (Mokka, Chai, Sorbet, Pico, Lassi, and yourself) set off in separate rockets in order to find Miss Madeline. However, things go wrong yet again, and the rockets get cut off of their path and crash land on separate planets. Not only do they have to rejoin and save each other, but still set out to rescue their teacher. Of course, there's always the introduction of an evil bad guy who does mean stuff. Well, that person turns out to be the former student Madeline was meeting with. Throw in a corrupt government trying to stop the rebellious teens and there you have it. I will admit that some parts of the game aren't exactly innovative and original, but I'll give points for adding in an evil police force which twists things around a bit.

Graphics - 9/10

The main reason why Magical Starsign caught my eye was because of its incredible art style. Fans of Legend of Mana and Sword of Mana will see some blatant similarities, but that is a compliment in my book. You have your basic 2-D sprites when walking around on the world map. They are clean and detailed, and things get even neater when thrown into a battle. Battles display 3-D sprites with some massive enemy sprites that can take up both screens. Not only that, but the magical spells you unleash also cover both screens without any messups or slowdowns. The only real problem is when the camera zooms in on a character when using a spell. They get pretty grainy when up close and personal, but what else are you to expect: his body takes up half the screen.

I think the real thing that won me over was the art style. I'm probably rubbing it in too much, but I LOVE the art style used in Magical Starsign. They mix a level of reality and cartoons that blends together nicely. Some enemies in the game look cheesy, where others are simply badass. The planets also range from different styles; exceeding in the graphical limitations. One planet has spewing lava pools while others have lush jungles. The few cutscenes scattered through the game are amazing, and really show what the DS is made of. I didn't notice any pixeled sprites throughout the game, so I honestly cannot complain about the graphics in Magical Starsign.

Controls - 8/10

The controls are very "different" in Magical Starsign. Some may think they're annoying (I'm with that group) and others may think it's a breath of fresh air. I fully understand that the DS is trying to test out the capabilities of the touch screen, but it gets ridiculous when you can use the touch screen to control your character. The D-Pad can be used, but not the extent of the touch screen. The four buttons can also be used to move. X moves your character north, Y moves him west, A moves them east, and B moves them south. I can honestly say that this is the first time I have ever seen a button configuration like this.

The controls are somewhat neat to use. Simply point on a point on the touch screen and the character will automatically move to that specified point (good for those lazy people out there). You can also use the touch screen to drag your party around, which is more commonly used (at least for me). However, I would save the trouble of trying to scratch and scrape along your touch screen and just move along with the D-Pad like any normal handheld game.

Buttons are null and void during battles as well. You cannot use any buttons, so you have to use the touch screen to activate spells, initiate attacks, and do pretty much anything else. I don't mind using the touch screen when fighting baddies, but having to constantly tap your screen in order to move the students and scroll through dialogue is tiring and unforgivable.

Sound - 8/10

Unfortunately, the sound in Magical Starsign is very well put together, but there are not really any memorable tracks or tunes. Other than the battle music, which I really like, there isn't much to rejoice about in the sound. Some of the sound effects are very good, especially during a casting of spells. They help add to the intensity of some battles, but some of the party member's yells and grunts sounds cheesy and over the top.

Many of the jingles are in place of the location that you're in. When travelling through Razen, the fire planet, expect nothing other than tough and rough music. When walking through the sandy beaches of Cassia, you will be hearing more calm and tranquil music. However, that all stops when thrown into a battle. Antagonists have their own sinister tunes that don't take anything away from the event. The pirate enemies in the game sport some of the best music, especially when engaged in a fierce battle with them. Some of the tunes can be downright epic at times, but most of the music in Magical Starsign isn't enough to make you wet your pants in excitement (though I hope no game does that to you).

Gameplay - 9/10

Magical Starsign features many charming characters that you come across through your space travels. The dialogue in the game is lighthearted and cheery, though sometimes a little on the lame side. The six students all have their own cliche personalities: you have a tough rebel, a depressed teen, a bookworm, a class clown, and the the scaredy cat. Then there's you, the protagonist that never talks. Some of the bad guys in the game are more goofy than evil, which helps add to the cartoony style of the game. To be honest, I think the police force outshines the main antagonist in terms of being evil/badass. To avoid majorly spoiling anything, you get to fight an elite team of police officials as you are chased from planet to planet by the intergalactic fuzz.

The game is your traditional RPG -- almost too traditional. You will scrounge through dungeons and visit bustling cities, go from planet to planet in search for your friends and mentor. If that wasn't enough, you have to also deal with random battles. The battle system is pretty bare bones, leaving you options found in almost all role-playing games. You have the physical attack, magic, items, flee, the whole works. Each character has their own element: Wind, Fire, Water, Wood, Earth, and Light/Dark. Yes, Light or Dark. When starting the game, you have the ability to choose from being a male or female. The outcome doesn't change the game, so it's personal preference. However, you can choose to be associated with Light or Dark. Don't worry, this isn't a representation of good and evil or anything. Both Light and Dark users have their own spells that they can use, though the game isn't that much different other than boss strategies.

Okay, back to battles. To help save battles from being incredibly bland, Magical Starsign incorporates a row system. There are two rows when fighting enemies: the front row and the back row. When in the front line of battle, you will be open to enemy's physical attacks. You can also use your own physical attacks. When using magic from the front row, it can only target one enemy. When in the back row, magic spells will cover ALL enemies on the field (however the damage is greatly decreaed). They may not be able to get hit by physical attacks, but they are open to being pummeled by enemies' magic. Also, characters in the back row cannot use physical attacks.

The row system implements a sense of strategy during fights. Most enemies can be dispatched by throwing your fists around, but tougher boss fights require a tactical approach. Stick your powerhouses in the front so they can go full force against the enemies. Keep the physically weak and powerful magic users in the back row so they can cover the whole battlefield.

After progressing through the game a bit, you will be introduced to the astrology system. Since the game is called Magical Starsign, I'm sure you had an idea that stars, space, planets, and all that astrological garbage would be included. Well, you're right. In the game, there are five planets, one for each element (except for Light and Dark). The planets will orbit around the sun in a clockwise motion through a real-time system. That doesn't sound too special,
but it gets better. Each planet has a "field" in the astrology map. If a planet crosses their field, then the character associated with that element will receive a power boost. Not only that, but any enemies of the same element present will also get stronger. You will learn a spell not too long in the game that allows you to move the planets yourself, opening up more strategies against tough bosses and such.

Of course, your characters can level up and such, like any normal RPG. After reaching certain levels, you will be able to learn new spells. Once again, this is present in pretty much every RPG, but Magical Starsign doesn't drop the ball with it. Each party member can learn a total of five spells each, with the final spell being their most powerful. The final spells are simply awesome animations and very fun to watch (and use!). One minor nitpick is that there still isn't a range of magic spells: enemies use the same spells as you do.

If the touch screen wasn't implemented enough in the controls, they also add a bit of touching to the battles. A neat system called Spellstrikes is present in Magical Starsign. As you cast a spell, a magical aura will surround your character. Tap the character with the stylus just as the pretty designs fade to give them an extra oomph to the spell. The same can also be used to defend yourself against attacks and spells. Just before getting hit with an attack, tap the character; they will glow green and have less damage dealt to them. It's not exactly original (as seen in the Mario & Luigi series) but a nice addition nontheless.

Like any RPG, there is always equipment to help power up characters. Some equipment can not only boost your stats, but also give you special abilities. Some equipment can be part of a set. If you collect a set of equipment (headpiece, armor, boots, etc), then you will be given an extra ability. For example, there is an equipment set that will double the experience earned from battle. If a character is wearing all parts of the set, then the ability will come into effect. That's the only way to gain some of these special bonuses. Unfortunately, Magical Starsign does not have any specific weapons to use. That would be a nice additon, but all characters use the same set of physical attacks: a kick, tackle, or punch. I would have really liked it if they each had a signature weapon. Sure, it would be hard to explain why a kid is toting a massive sword or axe with them, but I'm sure some strange loophole could have come into play if desperately needed.

On top of the main quest, there is also a multiplayer mode ripe for the picking. You can use Wi-Fi to link up with fellow Magical Starsign players in order to trek through dungeons together. When playing Amigo Mode (multiplayer mode), you can find rare eggs. Bring these eggs onto your ship to incubate, and they will hatch! Monsters will pop out from the eggs -- good monsters. These guys can help you through battles with their own special techniques. Think of them as new party members, though only accessible if you have friends. That's the trick: you need friends (something I don't have). =X

Overall, I thought the gameplay was top notch. Some parts of the battle system are bland, but new additions such as the Astrology and Row systems help make it that much more interesting. The characters and dialogue are all memorable, and Magical Starsign brings a lengthy quest to the table.

Replay - 9/10

Surprisingly enough, there are a handful of activities in Magical Starsign after saving the galaxy. There is only one main sidequest, but it is a long and grueling task to take part in. The sidequest, the Glissini Cave, is only available near the end of the game. The dungeon is composed of many floors; you will have to fight enemies on each floor in order to advance on. There are bosses on every 10th floor or something of that nature. The foes down here are much tougher than in the regular adventure, so you have to train your magical behind off if you want to survive in the Glissini Cave.

Completing the cave alone can take a long time to do so. Aside from the cave, which can help add on to the 25-hour adventure, there are also several other things to do. Like stated earlier, you can team up with a friend and play through Amigo Mode to find new party members. Gamers who like to complete things from top to bottom will have their hands full with the bestiary. There are a whopping 255 monsters to encounter (including bosses) throughout the game. Many are rare and tucked away in far reaches of the galaxy, so only the brave (and crazy) will even think about completing the bestiary. Other than those three things, not many events stand out after completing Magical Starsign's main quest. Still, that trio should be more than enough to keep you satisfied.

Overall - 8.7 (rounded up to 9)

Pros:

+ Graphics are flashy, over-the-top, and cartoony
+ Story is surprisingly well put together after a rather cliche start
+ The characters in Magical Starsign are charming and hard to forget
+ Controls are a nice touch (lol pun) to the game
+ Astrology system and row system help add a sense of strategy to battles
+ Long sidequests and activities

Cons:

- Battle system is unoriginal and lacking
- Controls can also be considered annoying by some
- Weapon system would have been nice

I thought Magical Starsign was a fantastic game. There aren't many RPGs out for the Nintendo DS, so I thought this is just what the DS needed. In my eyes, it isn't a very difficult game. One of the best parts of Magical Starsign is the plot. It really picks up the slack after a rather uninteresting start. The events that transpire throughout the game really get you hooked. The controls can be annoying with all of the options, but they can easily be ignored if you go the easy way and stick with the D-Pad. Yeah, D-Pad fo' lyfe! Okay, that was unnecessary...

The gameplay is the biggest part of Magical Starsign, and overall I think it does a good job. Many think the battle system is the same as any RPG out there, but I think different. Sure, Magical Starsign may not introduce many innovative ideas, but they do bring together many different concepts from a wide selection of RPGs. Not only that, but Magical Starsign does a great job of patching it all together.

CLOSING THOUGHT: I refuse to use a witty comment about this game being magical.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/23/07