Magical Starsign (DS) Review

I distinctly remember back when the Game Boy Advance was still yet to be released I was flipping through my new issue of Nintendo Power and was jaw dropped at all the upcoming games, and that these games actually had good graphics for a portable system (oh how far we've come). One of those games that I can honestly say made my eyes water in joy and anticipation was Magical Vacation, an RPG that was glowing with colors and vibrant energy. It was in my eyes a system seller, despite never being that interested in RPG's, it was a game I wanted to play and experience, and then show it off to my friends and laugh at them while they played their lime green Game Boy Colors.

However as weeks rolled by, and as those weeks quickly turned into months, which eventually turned into years I had finally come to realization that the game that had originally sold me on a purchase of the Game Boy Advance would actually never see its way to American shores. So initially when I heard about a sequel being made for the Nintendo DS I quickly assumed that it would once again be stranded to the land of the rising sun, and knew better then to get my hopes up over it. Yet it appears with Nintendo's more liberal approach on game releases, with all their brain games and pet simulations, that thecompany has, for whatever reason, acknowledged that there is in fact a fan base for Magical Starsign. But the question remains - was it worth the wait?

You'll take the role of either the hero or heroine, a student at the school known only as the Will-o'-Wisp Academy. But this is no ordinary school. I'm sure there's all the normal cliches, including that incredibly hot girl who is about as dumb as a box of nails, but what makes the Will-o'-Wisp Academy so unique is that it's a school for magic. The students who attend this upscale institute are working on ways to control and exploit their individual magical element. You'll have the choice of either light or dark magic (depending on how difficult you want the game to be) while your classmates will be wielding the ever so generic elements such as fire, water, earth and wind among others.

The adventure begins after your teacher, Miss Madeline, has disappeared to a far away planet in hopes of stopping a former student who has fallen into the clutches of evil. You and a group of your fellow classmates are determined to bring her back safely, and the only way to get there is by finding a collection of spaceships hidden within the school's walls. And when I say "hidden" I use the term very loosely, these "legendary ships" can be found after climbing two staircases. Regardless, the team takes command of their own individual ships and blasts off to the intimidating and endless mass of outer-space. While on their way to the location of Miss Madeline the ships begin to fail and are rerouted to a new destination. You'd think at least one of these would happen to fade away to nothingness and to a gruesome death, but Nintendo's got to keep that ESRB rating down, so each lands on a different planet. So now your original journey to rescue Miss Madeline has become just that more complex.

As you make your way through the various planets around the solar system you'll encounter a variety of monsters and other creatures. The battle system is all status quo; you'll have your semi-powerful physical attacks, the much more useful magical attacks, and an option to get jacked up on elixirs and potions, or chicken out by running away. Like almost every RPG now in days there's always that spin on the genre to make the game a little more unique then everything else on the market. Magical Starsign's attempt at changing the battle system revolves around the game's solar system. Each planet hosts a unique element and if the stars happen to be aligned correctly it can boost a corresponding character and their magical abilities (like the old saying goes, thank your lucky stars), but the catch is that this "boost" also applies to your enemies as well. Preparation, setting up your team prior to battle, and just being aware of the star alignments is absolutely key to staying on your feet throughout the game.

Even though I was delighted to find out that Magical Starsign was making its way to the US, you can't help but walk away from it disappointed. The graphics are basically ripped from the previous release on the GBA with some slap dash 3D affects thrown in. Top it off with a cliche storyline, and melodramatic characters that need to stick to day time television and you have a formula destined for failure. Battles take way too long due to unnecessary special effects (with no option to remove) and will leave you bored after little to no time at all. It's the type of game that you'll find yourself playing for a couple hours one day, and then not touch it for months on end only to rediscover it and repeat the cycle all over again. There are definitely worse games to pick up then Magical Starsign this holiday, but considering the other heavy hitter RPG's right around the corner (ahem - Final Fantasy III), it just doesn't seem like a worthwhile investment, those of you on the fence, wait and pick it up during a summer gaming drought.