Magic Pengel: Quest for Color Review





Developer: Taito Publisher: Agetec
Release Date: June 24, 2003 Also On: None

PS2 is well known for its huge array of titles in all genres, including many good ones. Agetec hits it right on the spot with Magic Pengel, a game which combines the arena battle, role-playing, and paint programming genres all into one high-quality title. No game until now has allowed you to create your own character, using an art tool, choose its color, and then render it 3D in the game fully interactive.

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Developer Taito wanted to focus on one aspect of the game, game play, which is obvious by the out-dated graphics and low-quality sound. The story basically tells the beginning of time. Long ago, the world was devoid of color. The Spirit of Creation made four shapes using red, blue, green, and yellow. These shapes became the sun, sea, land, and wind. Afterwards, the Spirit of Creation made two other shapes, mankind and Doodles. He gave mankind free spirit and Doodles free body. People drew Doodles and Doodles created colors, which in turn filled the world with color.

You play as a Doodler, who is friends with Zoe and her brother Taro, who are searching for their father. As a Doodler you have the ability to draw Doodles in a sketchbook that stores them until they are needed in an arena match. Throughout the game you will collect new parts and colors for your sketchbook, which allows you to draw larger and more complex Doodles.

The game itself will center on turn-based arena matches. I almost feel like it is a Pokèmon Stadium type atmosphere, but much more deep and strategic. You have the choice to use four different skills in battle, all of which have strengths and weaknesses, which are attack, block, magic, and charge. All Doodles will have different types of what I like to call “sub-attacks�, which are available only to certain Doodles. The only areas in the game where you will find yourself are at home, Sea Side Arena, the Marketplace, Main Arena, and the Kingdom. The preliminary events take place at the main arena, but in order to win, you need experience, which can be obtained by challenging people throughout the areas (mainly in the Marketplace) all of which take place at the Sea Side Arena.

The graphics are the main part of the game that was neglected. I continuously told myself that I was playing a Dreamcast game, when in fact it was a PS2 game, which really does tell you something. Each character has a unique look, but they are very bulky and boring. What I mean by boring is, there is no activity throughout the areas, and everyone stands still and continues to do the same thing over and over, whether it is cooking food or gardening. As I said earlier, the graphics are out-dated and the camera tends to lack balance at times.

I do enjoy the music that Magic Pengel provides; after all, it is quite suitable for this type of game. Voice acting is done poorly and many have too much emphasis on their line, which are repeated over and over throughout the length of this title. There is no doubt that this game is meant for the Japanese, but nonetheless, if you are a true gamer, you would give Pengel a try.

Graphics: 4.5
Sound: 6
Gameplay: 7
Creativity: 10
Replay Value/Game Length: 7.5
Final: 7
Written by Kyle Review Guide

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