Staff Review: Feel the Magic XX/XY (DS)

[JoeyN]

Staff Review: Feel the Magic XX/XY

 

 

When Nintendo announced the DS, they promised innovation in portable gaming. Sega is the first publisher to truly fulfill that promise with Feel the Magic XX/XY. The game is certainly different, as it is the type of game usually only released overseas. In Japan, dating simulations are huge; not so much here in the States. Of all the launch titles on the DS, it is the only one you must use the stylus to play. It also includes a fun little story that?s uniqueness can only be conveyed through this style of game.

The story begins as you play the part of an ordinary shy boy who happens to be in love with a pretty girl from his high school. As the boy is thinking he has no hope of impressing her, a man with bunny rabbit ears appears (yes, you read it right). This man is the leader of a performance group called the Rub Rabbits. He tells the boy he will help him impress the girl of his dreams through a series of tests/mini games. Things start off easy, but as the story progresses, a boss tries to stop the boy's pursuit of his newfound love and take her as his own. Will the boy get the girl of his dreams? Will the bad guy win? Only your actions will tell.

 

The game differentiates itself by telling its story exclusively through a series of mini games. As each level begins, you have an empty heart that belongs to your newfound love. Your job, with the help of the Rub Rabbits, is to fill her heart by impressing her and completing these mini games. In every level you are given a choice of multiple mini games to play. Each mini game will fill the heart a certain percent if you complete it. However, if you fail the mini game by using three lives, your heart level goes down. Once you fill the heart to 100%, you advance to the next level. You can select the same mini game over again if you happen to fail. Some are easier then others, so if you can?t do one you still will be able to move on. However, I personally feel this takes away from the game a bit. If you just bypass the harder ones, you will not get the full experience that Feel the Magic has to offer. I would recommend you give each game multiple tries before deciding to just rush through.

 

I do believe that fans of WarioWare will take a liking to this game as part of the fun here is the variety of mini games available. One of the first ones has you use your stylus to fill in objects on the screen in a certain amount of time. This is not as easy as it sounds. You have to do it without getting hit by falling items and/or going outside the lines. So when an object falls down the screen, you need to lift your stylus off the touch screen to avoid it. This is the first time I truly realized the DS has a lot of potential. One of the more innovative games has you blowing into the mini microphone to move a sailboat across the water, or to blow out a candle. You may want to try these mini games only if you are at home; people on the train or bus may think you have gone insane! As the levels go up the mini games get harder, and once you finally complete the game you can play it all over again on hard mode. The hard mode is a very sizable challenge and only those with great skill will prevail.

 

Hard mode is not the only unlockable feature in Feel the Magic. You can unlock new body parts for the in-game girl, which you can then use in the Maniac mode to customize her. She will then appear with that custom look when you play the game again. You can find these parts in a couple of ways. The first is by clicking on the hidden rabbits in the mini game demonstrations. These rabbits are sometimes hard to see but by clicking them and completing the mini game, you will open more unlockable parts. The second method requires you to play in Memories mode, which allows you to replay finished mini games. However, they are harder this time around, and you only have one life to work with. As you complete challenges in this mode you collect stars, which then help you in your quest to unlock more items. The final method to unlocking parts is to insert selected GBA games.

 

The presentation of Feel the Magic XY/XX is top-notch in every way. It may not have cutting edge graphics and sound, but it gives you a game experience you have never seen the likes of before. This is truly an innovative game for a system that promised innovation. It is definitely my favorite of the DS launch titles, and in my opinion a must-own title. ____________

[ChoiceStriker]

Thanks for the review, Joey - this is on my must-buy list for when I get a DS.

[heavy liquid]

Nice review, Joey. This was one of the game I bought when I purchased the DS, and I think it showcases the uniqueness of the DS well. I love the look of the game and the music.

[JFo]

Good review, Joey. I don't have a DS yet, but when I do get one, I think I'll end up getting Feel the Magic along with it. The game just looks too interesting to pass up.

[JoeyN]

One of the reasons i did this review first was because it hasnt sold a lot according to recent sales numbers. Its one of those excellent games which people pass because its has a strange name.

 

capt

[Romier S]

The developer behind Feel the Magic is apparently working on a new game. No word on whether it's a direct sequel to the game, but he does say he wants to expand on the "world view" of XY/XX:

 

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/06/27/news_6128216.html

 

"I am currently developing a title that kind of expands on the world [view] of Feel the Magic. I create my games with the hope they will make people happy when they play it." Said Yoshinaga. "I can't talk about the details yet, but I'd like to keep creating these kinds of titles, which will leave something [in the hearts] of the players. The [key] point is communion between the heart of people and people."

[Starhawk]

I bought Feel the Magic this weekend after seeing it for $9.99 at Toys R Us. What a deal! I love quick play mini games, especially quirky ones from Japan. And yes, I was in the middle of an airport, blowing on my DS screen all in an effort to rescue my girlfriend on my sailboat.

 

After buying it, I explained the basic story to my real girlfriend (trying to impress a girl, etc). She sees me from the side, playing one of the minigames that reaquires alot of stylus use. She asks me, "What, are you pleasuring her now?"

 

I know a great minigame for the sequel.