"Wait, I have to RUB my DS?"

Nintendo, in an act to secure handheld supremacy, released their Nintendo DS handheld system back in 2004. At launch, an odd import game from crazy company Sega was released for that two-screened system. The game was Feel the Magic XY/XX. Besides having a ridiculous title, Feel the Magic was a collection of minigames similar to the GBA game, Wario Ware. Does it succeed in its strange glory?

Graphics 8/10

When I first bought my DS and played this game, I couldn't believe how smooth the frame rate was. It was excellent. The graphics take an odd 70's art style, with bright colors and wacky textures. The characters themselves are faceless, but thanks to a good processor, move fluidly and don't stutter. Cutscenes are odd comic-panel style appearances, but are funny and portray the games over-the-top and just plain funny sense of style. The minigames are unique and are very good looking for a handheld. Nice graphics.

Audio 8/10

This game's audio is hilarious. The music is crazy Japanese music which can only be described as weird. But that's good. It only elaborates on the overall wackiness of the game. Characters don't have dialogue, but have clever little sound bursts to aid in the hilarity. The hero himself talks with weird “hi” sounds, and the female talks in soothing feminine words with the finishing “Break Time” after a minigame. The minigames use a lot of the same music types and bring in some funny sound effects, each appropriate to the minigame itself. And remember, all of this audio is on a handheld. Excellent.

Gameplay 8/10

This game can easily be compared to Wario Ware, but it does string all the minigames together with a completely “out-there” story. You play as a boy who's eye is caught by a stunning young woman from his school. In an effort to garner her attention, you join up with a performance group called the Rub Rabbits and perform ridiculous stunts to get her to notice you, all while not getting injured and avoiding your arch-rival. Crazy. But the game follows up the story with some of the weirdest minigames you'll see. The story mode follows you through the young romancer's adventures in impressing the girl in really odd ways. Once you complete a minigame, it can be replayed on a harder difficulty in the game's Memories mode. The game doesn't have many modes at all, but the quirky minigames are too fun to miss.

The minigames are an excellent way to use the DS's new capabilities. Equipped with a touch screen, stylus, and microphone, the DS is the perfect candidate for this game. The minigames use every trick the DS can muster, each one being crazy and addictive. One minigame features inputting numbers so your parachuting buddies open their parachutes. Another forces you to guide a unicycle across a horrifically narrow pathway. Another (and I'm not joking on this) literally makes you yell at your DS to get your dream girl's attention. You really can't get more original than that. Each minigame will surprise you in its execution. After each set of minigames, you'll be challenged with a boss minigame. These are cleverly designed and are some of the best uses of the DS's capabilities since its launch. But there are a few problems with gameplay. First of all, the game is short. Like really short. Second of all is that the Memories minigames are brutally difficult, especially already difficult ones like Monocycle, where you must use the stylus to guide a unicycle over an extremely small path and the slightest movement of the stylus can make you start the whole thing over. Yes, difficulty can be good, but this is just harsh. I can't agree with some of the minigames' execution, but Feel the Magic is the perfect way to demonstrate what the DS is capable of and creates a weird and innovative title that is a fun DS game all around.

Replay Value 7/10

With some other difficulty levels and addictive minigames, Feel the Magic seems to have a lot going for it in replay value. But it just doesn't have what I was thinking. Yes, the minigames can be enjoyed in short, pick-up-and-play bursts (as they should, since it is a handheld title), but not all of the minigames are as fun as others. The harsh difficulty will also be a problem. I do encourage more games like this, but there really should have been more in the replay.

Final Verdict 8/10

Feel the Magic XY/XX is a breath of fresh air in a crowded and banal video game market. The games blends some of the craziest minigames with a funny and clever story, making an all-around fun experience for Nintendo's two-screened system. Taking advantage of the hardware at every turn, Feel the Magic takes innovation and runs with it. While replay and some better-designed minigames in some places did disappoint, you really can't go wrong with this game. I desperately encourage development of these kinds of games, and Feel the Magic is definitely worth a purchase, or at least a look.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/02/05