Customer Reviews

Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Magician's Quest really is magical. I've been playing the game for a few days, so I haven't experienced all that it has to offer, but from what I've seen so far, I'm impressed. You play a student at a school of magic (which you get to name). The world where you live includes the school, your dorm, a library, various tree homes, a shopping center, a haunted house, a cave, a beach, and an off-shore island, and lots more. I'm still discovering places you can go. As for things to do, the possibilities are seemingly endless. You attend classes where you learn how to perform magic using various incantations. So far, I've only managed the invisibility spell, and it was just like wearing Harry Potter's invisibility cloak.

In addition to school, you can explore the world and collect insects and fish which you take to the library to be cataloged. In exchange you are rewarded with crystals and bones and different ores which you can sell for Ritch (the money of the world). In the shopping center you can get your hair done, buy flowers, shop for furniture and other items, work for the Emporium (the magic shop), sell your collected items, and various other activities (I'm still discovering things to do there). In addition to classes, you encounter mysteries that need to be solved (the mystery currently going on in my world is the gargoyle is missing from the school); and occasionally you are launched into special mystery times during which the sky turns a strange color and you encounter people and objects that occur only during these times.

For those of you who are Animal Crossing DS fans, here are some comparisons. MT has far more options and possible places to explore than Animal Crossing. You can participate in a greater variety of activities, there are more characters to interact with, and more opportunities to earn "money." One thing I like a lot more than Animal Crossing is that you don't start off with a mortgage you are constantly having to pay off to an annoying Tom Nook. Thus, earning Ritch isn't obligatory or a burden like it can be in AC. Instead, you spend your effort on earning grades and advancing as a magician. Interacting with other characters is similar to AC in that you can talk with them using standard replies from a drop down menu. Interestingly, sometimes you can befriend a character who will follow you around as you do various activities (I'm not sure what else you can do with the other characters). Catching fish is more challenging than in AC (I'm still trying to figure out the best way to do this) but catching insects is somewhat easier.

As for negatives: 1) the animation doesn't seem as smooth as in AC. In fact, on occasion the game almost seems to freeze up, though, so far, I've always been able to get out of a frozen screen by pushing various buttons. 2) When attempting to catch bugs, it's hard to get in the correct position--the animation here doesn't seem as precise as in AC and the character seems sluggish when swinging the net. 3) Fishing can be frustrating because sometimes your line will break and sometimes the fish will simply escape. But, at the same time, that's what makes it more challenging, like real fishing! 4) The booklet that comes with the game is not very helpful. You find out more simply by talking to the dorm master and the principal of the school

All in all, this game should keep you entertained for a good amount of time. It's very much like Animal Crossing, but, I think it's better because you have more variety in what you can do (as much fun as AC is, it does get pretty tedious after a few months of collecting things and there's no real goal other than getting a bigger house). In MT, you work toward learning more magic and becoming a more experienced magician.

Mysterious Times is definitely a game worth buying. Highly Recommended!

I bought this game looking for something similar to Animal Crossing and that is exactly what I got. I love it. It's alot of fun. You are a new magician attending magic school and you learn spells and make new friends while solving mysteries and trying to get promoted as a wizard. There are lots of things to keep you busy such and catching bugs and fish and shopping and visiting the town folks.

It''s real time simulation at it's finest. The wi-fi capabilities add to this games fun rating as well.

All in all if you are a fan of the Harvest Moon games or Animal Crossing then you are sure to enjoy this one.

The game is NOT a clone of Nintendo's Animal Crossing for the DS but borrows many ideas, elements and scenarios from it in a better way.
The graphics are very nice, as well as the music and can be controlled/played using both the stylus and the DS's controls (Thank you Konami).

There are 26 mysteries to solve, one for each week of the year, while in the process of becoming the greatest wizard of them all. While learning spells and incantations like Harry Potter you can do a wide range of things thus the similarity to the Animal Crossing series.
These range from decorating your dorm room with new furniture, learning and buying songs that you can perform in an instrument or whistle them, buying new clothes that includes many kinds shoes and pants and skirts, not just tops and hats., fishing, catching bugs, diging for gems and rare items.
The game is played in real time, and it will adjust itself to the clock and calendar settings of your DS. It has wifi capabilities you can have up to 3 players visit your school, and you can perform music together if you have isntruments like a mini chamber music quartet. Konami also has a few free items the player can download from time to time., so far magic brooms you can ride.
Like in AC for the DS up to 4 players can play with a single game cartridge and have their own separate rooms at the dorm. Your playing character is custom made by ourself as in the beginning you are presented with a large number of options to create him or her, these include haircolor and hairstyle, eyes, gender and skin tone.

As far as I know the game will be playable and some new missions will appear after the year is over, thus the replaying value is a good one. If you are a fan young or old of the Animal Crossing Wild World game, and if you like Harry Potter or fantasy magical stories, you'll love playing this game. Highly recommended. Five stars.

I just got this game today and it's already made me excited enough to write a review. In the game you attend a magic school. You get to name it and choose if you are a boy or a girl. The principal of the school asks you a few questions: your name, your gender, your hair color, your birthday, and your skin tone. After you fill out these questions the principal hands you your wizard license(boys and girls are both called wizards in this game). The moment you get your wizard license, you start the game. You come out in your dorm, an area filled with rooms students of the magic school sleep. Your dorm is the one with the green door. Leave your dorm and come out to the magic school, inside you are taught your first lesson, then you get to explore the school. The magic school has everything from a bell tower, to the staff room, and even has a bathroom! After you're done exploring the school, head outside and turn right to one of my favorite places: the shopping center! It has a potion shop called the emporium, a boutique, an expensive shop that sells brooms and furniture ( my broom is a floating vacuum cleaner!),a place to get drinks called lime light, and several other stores! At first you will not have any money, but head over to the dorms and talk to this pumpkin guy, he'll give you your scholarship money: 3000 ritch! (that's money).
you can learn spells too, but I'm not very good at it!

This is a lovely, cute game with much promise. It's particularly nice to see a game that doesn't involve shooting, destroying, or otherwise using violence. The music is fun, the classes are a kick, and it's probably impossible to run out of things to do. The real-time quests and changes in lessons give the game a great deal of replay value.

If the game has this many positives, why did I mark it down to three stars? In one word, "SLOW!" The 3-D graphics are nice, but there is a lag every single time you go through a door, enter a building, walk to a different spot, etc. Walking speed is slow from one spot to the next, and even running or riding a broom only marginally speeds up navigation. The taxi ride to the island is probably a full minute *and* requires you to click in the middle to continue your journey. For example, going to buy an item on the second floor of Harrow's shop requires a wait to get in the door, walk time across the floor, wait in the elevator, walk through the hallway, wait to get through the second-floor room door, and then finally a wait to purchase the item. To sell bugs and fish, you must go through a similarly slow process for *each* bug or fish individually, combined with a trip to the Emporium to trade in the items for cash. All of those load times add up, and I find that I need a book or something else to do while waiting.

Other DS games, such as Sims Castaway, have a navigation map that eliminates most of the need for walking. I would strongly suggest something like that for this game.

If you have a high patience level and don't mind a game with frequent wait times, this is a good choice. I have enjoyed it a great deal but have set it aside for now because it is so slow.

This is NOT Animal Crossing. (I just read a review where the reviewer compared Magician's Quest to Animal Crossing 32 times!) There are a few similarities. There's the "cuteness factor" for one. Yes,the characters are cute. But they're NOT all animals. Some are robots, some are demons, some are flowers or strawberries. Some, well let's just say....they're different.

You start out as a young magician going to school. The principal teaches the first few classes, after that you get 3 classes a week (in real time). All of the classes have to do with magic - either spells or incantations. In addition, you make friends, make a little money to use in the shops in town, you fish and chase bugs, and generally don't run out of things to do. You can even learn to play a musical instrument and, as you make friends with the other students, they will join you in playing. (All the music in the game is really excellent.) There's also a cave, a haunted house (with ghosts), a seller of dubious items and an evil "shade" who's trying to take over the world. And did I mention - broom riding?

Are you bored yet? Fine. Then use your magic key and start "mystery time". A time when things change, strange creatures appear and your instructor is a skelton called "Mr. Graves" who will assign you strange tasks or have you go against another pupil in a "wizard's battle." After mystery time, the mystery starts. There over 50, each one different. So far I've only figured out two, but they've been fun.

Making friends with the other pupils is delightful. "We're like Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Arthur and Lancelot, Robin and Little John" declares your best friend - a demon named - Seth. And did I mention that you can date? Well, you can. (But, after all, it IS rated G!) So far Seth and I have gone fishing, chased bugs and even played in a band.

I've been playing this for 3 weeks now and have yet to grow bored.
There's just too much to do.

This game is really cool. My kids love it. Imagine a world where all your 'neighbors' are anything BUT human, like one of my daughter's neighbors is a cell phone, one of mine is an orange...lol. You go to school to learn magic, take classes, use spells and incantations. One of the spells is 'flatulence' where you can make people pass gas. Another makes a frying pan fall on your 'friend's' head. Also, there are several 'mysteries' that you must solve, ranging from an ill dragon to a being who is distraught because the waterways in the town have too much pollution, which you must fish out to satisfy the being and solve the mystery. Overall, the game is quite amusing, and keeps you occupied for quite awhile with all there is to do within the town. I would recommend this game for any child or adult that enjoys a game where 'instant gratification' is not necessary.

I really liked this game until it became night time within the game environment. Even with my DS on it's brightest setting I can't see a darn thing! It's truly like being in pitch dark and trying to find your way around. Perhaps they felt this lent a realistic touch, however, it's frustrating and severely detracts from the fun for me. Because of it I ended up shelving the game. I'm sure I'll pull it out again soon to try and progress, but geez - what fun is a game you can't even see?

I find this game to be very interesting. The magic aspect of it makes it unique and you can interact with the other characters more than you can do in Animal Crossing. Every week there is some "case" to solve. That also makes the game interesting. There are a few flaws that keeps me from giving it 5 stars though. Using magic is not always easy to do. It's also difficult to figure out what to do at first - you kind of have to figure it out on your own. Still, its uniqueness makes it stand out. I give the game developers credit for trying something like this and making it work for the most part.

If you love Animal Crossing, you'll love Magician's Quest - Mysterious Times. Konami outdid themselves with this game. The first week or so of playing things move along pretty slow, but hang in there because the game rapidly progresses after that. It is full of surprises and fun. There is way more area to explore than in AC and more things to do. About the only drawback I can think of is that fishing is much harder in MQ than in AC. All-in-all, completely worth the money. Enjoy!