A New PS1 Game in 2021: Magic Castle (Review)
One of the cooler things Sony did with the
original PlayStation was the release of the
Net Yaroze,
a consumer level game development kit, aimed
at students and amateurs
looking to get into the world of video game
production.
Though generally not as cutting edge as what
you’d see from big name studios,
some very impressive games came out of this.
In fact, if you were a subscriber to PlayStation
Underground,
you likely played some games made using the
Net Yaroze.
Unlike the usual featured demos, these were
often full-fledged games,
some of which even had save features.
It was really cool at the time, and even now
it’s fun to look back at them.
A few retail games, notably Devil Dice,
started their lives as Net Yaroze games.
Still, there were plenty of games produced
that never met the public eye.
One very impressive Net Yaroze game that sadly
didn’t see the light of day at the time
was rogue-like action RPG Magic Castle.
Being mostly developed in the late 90s, the
game was put on the back burner after failing
to find a publisher.
However, the game’s Developers, Team Kaiga
went ahead and released a fully playable version
of the game in early 2021,
making this,
game.
The game seems pretty basic at first glance.
You go through randomized dungeons, playing
as your choice character from four different
classes;
knight, wizard, fighter and archer.
The main goal is to reach the 20th floor of
the titular castle, where an evil warlock
waits.
As you ascend the randomized floors, you’ll
level up,
as well as find new equipment, spells and
items that make progression easier.
One somewhat surprising aspect about the game
is that it allows you to control the camera
with the right analog stick;
something that wasn’t common at the time.
Of course, there is a chance that may have
been an addition added before its recent release.
It has a nice looking graphical style.
Almost cell-shaded in a way.
And, It also has a very well-made soundtrack,
that dynamically changes depending on the
environment.
Here’s one of the main tracks:
Now, here’s the same track when you’re
in a darker environment:
That’s pretty cool for an indie PS1 game.
Depending on your luck, a playthrough could
end in a few minutes or go on for over an
hour.
When you start you are fairly weak,
but if you’re careful and stumble upon the
right items and equipment, enemies won’t
stand a chance.
The armor you pick up is even reflected with
your character’s color,
which is a neat little touch.
And there’s a secret basement area reached
via a spell that has some of the best items
you can get.
There’s even a chance you’ll find the
same spell again there and get even more items.
This does come at a price, though.
Going to the basement means you’ll have
to start all over again from the first floor.
When you finally do reach the 20th floor,
you’ll find the previously mentioned warlock,
who is actually a…
Knight?
Anyway, the fight is tough, but as long as
you’ve been collecting items and leveling
up,
he’s not too hard to beat.
However, from my experience it did seem like
he was able to run away.
I fought him for a bit, couldn’t find him
again
and ended up going up an extra four floors
before encountering him again
and finally winning.
A
quick tip:
for first timers to this game who want to
get to said warlock without a lot of frustration,
I’d recommend going with the archer.
The other characters are manageable once they’ve
powered up a bit,
but from the get-go, getting far without a
ranged weapon
can be pretty challenging.
Now, it may sound like there’s not a whole
lot to do after completing the game,
but there are overall goals you can complete
to gain various unlockables,
such as challenges.
And, I’d be hard pressed to not mention
one of the coolest features of the game;
the co-op.
You can play the entire game with up to four
other players.
Now, I wasn’t able to play with four,
but I was able to do it with two,
and, I gotta say It’s surprisingly fun.
There’s a completely different strategy
to it,
where you need to decide if you wanna keep
an item you find,
or give it to your partner.
It also makes moments where a dozen enemies
swarm you seem a bit less overwhelming.
There is an issue of camera control, since
everyone shares one screen,
but it’s zoomed out enough that it’s usually
not a problem.
The only glaring flaw I found with the multiplayer
is that,
when you’re dead, you’re dead.
You could find yourself dying in ten minutes,
while your partner ends up going through the
entire castle and defeating the warlock.
There is seemingly no way to bring back a
fallen comrade,
even through the game’s shops,
and that just seems a tad too punishing for
something that is otherwise very fun.
When you die in single player, you have to
restart from scratch, I get it…
But, that doesn’t completely work when playing
with others.
The dying, in general, is really my biggest
issue with the game.
I can’t help but feel I would’ve enjoyed
the game even more
if there were save points and some kind of
story progression.
But, dying and restarting from scratch is
the very nature of rogue-likes,
so I guess it can’t be helped.
Still, it could’ve done just a bit more,
like having a hub town to visit between rounds,
a-la Azure Dreams.
Ah, what am I saying?
This game is pretty amazing for what it is.
Had it gotten picked up by a publisher, it
surely would’ve gotten some improvements
similar to what I mentioned.
And, even if it didn’t, it still would’ve
been worth playing.
Being able to play this; a new PS1 game that
isn’t a translation,
is just plain awesome.
I can only hope we end up getting more games
like this,
either through more previously unreleased
Net Yaroze projects,
or maybe even some brand new ones.
Probably not gonna happen, but it would be
cool.
And, a quick note to anyone who ends up playing
Magic Castle
and enjoying it;
while there isn’t any way to purchase the
game itself,
you can in fact buy the soundtrack and even
get a cool CD.
So, if you wanna support the game, that would
be the way to go.
If you enjoyed this review, and I thank you
for that,
be sure to subscribe to see more like it in
the future.
And if you’re already a fan of the channel
and would like to help out,
consider supporting it on Patreon,
where you can see early footage, updates,
and even get a chance to pick games for review.
Anywho, with that said, thanks for watching
The Legend of Games.
