"Short and Stylish"

Feel the Magic XY/XX is a DS game that was released at the system's launch. At first, it seemed like a game that would be hard to market. However, for those people that bought it, Feel the Magic was one amazing ride, from start to finish. The only major problem with it is the incredibly short length. It contains beautiful graphics, okay sound, interesting gameplay and good replayability. What more could you ask for?

Look!

The graphics are, simply put, amazing. They are very stylized and vibrant. The characters in the game have pure black skin, with no facial features and such other details. The only amount of detail they contain is their hair and clothing. This isn't a bad thing, mind you, because it gives the game that unique edge, as I previously mentioned. Additionally, the background objects and locations are brilliant. The colors are bright and vivid and really pull you into the experience that much more.

Listen!

The sound is good, but not amazing in Feel the Magic. The music is pretty good, but is repetitive and very upbeat, perhaps too much for its own good. The sound effects are well done and the little bits of voice-overs they use are good. The voice-overs are mainly just one word exclamations and such. Overall, the sound is well done, but nothing too amazing.

Touch!

The controls are great. Sonic Team did a wonderful job using the touch screen controls. The controls are very responsive when using the touch screen and stylus and the microphone responds well when used. More games should have this good of touch screen control. Yes, I'm talking to you Mr. Driller.

Tell!

The story is odd and simple, but gets the job done. Essentially, you are a guy who falls in love with this other girl. To get closer to her, you join a group called the Rub Rabbits, who know this girl and are friends with her. The Rub Rabbits do some fun and silly stunts and you play along with everything they do. I will refrain from saying anymore because there is a little plot twist later on in the game.

Play!

The gameplay is fun and inventive in this game. The entire game consists of mini-games that you must pass to get closer towards the girl. Mini-games range from riding shopping carts down hills that have spiky balls at the bottom, drying the girl off by making a huge fire, and riding a unicycle over narrow platforms and beams. There are many fun mini-games to play and even some boss battles. Also, you can unlock clothes for the girl to wear and when you beat the mini-games, they are unlocked so you can play them anytime. The DS' unique controls and technology are put to good use in Feel the Magic. The microphone is used to blow air so the fire grows and even to yell to attract the girl's attention. The touch screen is used for every mini-game you play and is perfectly intertwined with the game design. Before each game, there is a comic strip that is used to tell you the story. By clicking certain spots in the comic strip, a rabbit's head may appear, helping you unlock clothes for the girl. These rabbit heads are normally in spots you might and might not expect to be the main part of that comic. Also, it is just lots of fun to play. The length, however, is the game's biggest downfall. With the main mode clocking in at between four and five hours, it is incredibly short.

Repeat!

The replayability is high is XY/XX. After beating the game, you can find all the hidden rabbit heads in the comic strip, play the harder difficulty modes and play the mini-games again, since you unlocked them. By beating the mini-games ten times, at different difficulty levels, you can also unlock more clothing. Unlocking the clothing is another thing you can do after the game is over. This makes it so you can have a truly customized girl.

Overall, Feel the Magic XY/XX is a game that succeeds in everything it does…almost. The sound is only okay, the game is really short and the gameplay can be repetitive at times, though it's not frequent. I recommend buying the game if you had your sights set on it already, but rent it if you aren't sure about it yet or if you don't like these type of games.

7 out of 10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/11/05, Updated 08/24/06