Magic: The Gathering - Spells of the Ancients

by MicroProse Software, Inc.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000K4DZ
• Media: CD-ROM
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,446 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Return to an age when the masters of the game dueled with legendary cards, such as the Juzám Djinn and the Juggernaut. Double the challenge with on-the-spot deck construction in a sealed-deck tournament. The game features cards from the Unlimited, Arabian Nights, and Antiquities sets.

GameSpot Review

Players of the computerized Magic: The Gathering have been waiting for this. MicroProse has finally released Spells of the Ancients, the first expansion set for Magic, and it's a top-notch add-on that every MtG player should own.

The most obvious addition is the 138 new cards, culled from the Unlimited, Arabian Nights, and Antiquities sets. These are the earliest published sets of the Magic card game, and contain some very rare cards. MicroProse has also included six promotional cards that are among the rarest of all Magic cards ever printed. Cards from these early expansion sets are some of the most powerful around and can quickly boost the force of your deck.

While some developers would consider this alone enough for an expansion pack, MicroProse goes even further - using the add-on to give Magic a much-needed facelift. Spells of the Ancients upgrades Magic: The Gathering to version 2.0 and fixes several of the problems found in the original. SotA revamps the clunky interface, improving aesthetics as well as usability and simplicity. There is also a "Face Builder" utility that allows you to create your own persona. Sounds like a neat idea, but it actually boils down to flipping through tons of clip art, which does little but change color. Perhaps the coolest new feature is the addition of sealed-deck tournament play. In the sealed-deck tournament, you must build a deck from unopened Starter Decks and Booster Packs chosen from the various sets. You can then challenge up to thirty-one other AI players using your new deck.

The game itself hasn't changed, but several improvements have been added to improve gameplay. Version 2.0 is much more stable than previous versions and I suffered no crashes. It is also easier to avoid combat in the wilderness, making the campaign mode much less tedious. MicroProse has even updated the computer AI, and your computer opponents rarely make obvious flubs.

Even with all of these additions, MicroProse still has not included multiplay ability in this new upgrade package. However, a ManaLink coupon that promises multiplay action over the Internet is included with the game. When ManaLink becomes available (which should be sometime in November), MicroProse will send registered purchasers of SotA the first copies via electronic transfer.

With a price tag of around thirty bucks, Spells of the Ancients is an expansion pack that promises a lot of power for a moderate price. New cards, improved features, and sealed-deck tournaments should keep Magic: The Gathering fans busy for a while - and after ManaLink is released, perhaps eternity. --Tal Blevins
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, May 10, 2010

By 

Jason A. Pollock - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magic: The Gathering - Spells of the Ancients (CD-ROM)

I bought the original game right when it came out and was so excited about it. But due to lack of multiplayer and that it was missing many of my favorite cards, it became forgotten. I missed both expansions when they came out. Both expansions together addressed the above issues. I recently bought both expansions (and combined with the original) have been having a blast. If you at any time liked MtG and had fun with it, I recommend both (All 3). Also, I am amazed a game made for Windows 95 works great under Windows 7.