Mage Bros. Demo

Platformers may not appear to be complicated games, but simplicity is a challenge in its own way. In order for games like Mario and Sonic to become the respected franchises they are today, a basic concept had to be refined over a few decades, while keeping the original formula more or less intact. Thus, not every platformer gets to be a success unless the developers put some effort into it.

Mage Bros. is an obvious Super Mario Bros. spin-off that tries to bring its own ideas to the table, while still taking its inspiration from the Nintendo classic. As such, the underlying concept is very similar, in the sense that you have to get from one end of the level to the other alive, while collecting gold coins and defeating the enemies blocking the way. However, there are a few differences to set the game apart.

To begin with, you are a wizard instead of a plumber, which means that you have the ability to wield powerful magic. Don’t expect a whole array of spells, on the other hand, because all you are able to do is shoot projectiles at the enemies. To stay true to the genre, the other half of the gameplay revolves around your ability to navigate the levels, which are filled with obstacles and pits you can fall into.

Just like in the original Super Mario Bros., it is possible for two players to cooperate and tackle the levels at the same time, which should make the experience a lot more enjoyable. However, the actual stages are very dull and repetitive, since it’s just a succession of bridges, gaps and enemy clusters from one end to the other. The only interesting gimmick is the fact that your character has a limited mana pool, which means that your attack can expire for a while, at least until the mana points replenish.

As far as the visual quality is concerned, the levels are presented in the same side-scroller format, although the graphics engine is in 3D. Hence, you can move in three dimensions and go around enemies, but the perspective is a bit disorienting and you may fail to target your spells properly. Not only that, but the platforming sections can be extra tricky because of this as well.

All things considered, Mage Bros. is neither original nor a marvel of video game design, so you shouldn’t expect an awful lot from it. However, that’s not to say you cannot have fun for a short while, especially if you convince a friend to suffer along with you.