Magnetta
- August 31, 2016
- Heliocentric Studios
Get on Steam"Magnetta" is a side-scrolling action game set on the planet Lucetia, where the prince has been kidnapped and the royal guard has gone missing. As Magnetta, players must use their powers to jump, shoot, slide, and blast through unique levels filled with enemies and secret areas, collecting new weapons and upgrades along the way. With shifting tilesets in the Glitch and Time Trials to challenge players' speed, "Magnetta" offers a throwback to classic NES titles and a chance to save the galaxy.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Magnetta features polished visuals and charming sprite art that evoke nostalgia for classic NES platformers.
- The gameplay mechanics are solid, with tight controls and a variety of interesting enemies that provide a fair challenge.
- The game includes multiple modes and unlockables, enhancing replay value and offering players a chance to optimize their strategies.
- Level design is often criticized for being confusing and poorly constructed, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The soundtrack lacks catchiness and fails to enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Some players find the controls imprecise, with issues like floaty physics and inconsistent hit detection that detract from the experience.
- graphics10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the clever artwork and appealing visuals, particularly in the environmental design, while others criticize the overall aesthetics as lacking charm. The 2D pixel graphics are noted for their simplicity and effectiveness, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, despite some concerns about level design and pacing. Overall, the visuals are seen as decent, enhancing the game's atmosphere without overshadowing its gameplay mechanics.
“With clever artwork and a style that makes you miss game cartridges.”
“Great but simple 2D pixel graphics, a female protagonist, a cliché story about saving a prince but with interesting characters and thankfully no awful voice acting!”
“I tried most of the levels, and with the sloppy level design, charmless aesthetics, and most of all the slow pace, I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried.”
“So first things first, I railed on this game earlier for its graphics.”
“I'll go back on that partially and say the environmental/stage graphics are pretty decent.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay features solid mechanics that are easy to learn, with creative level design reminiscent of the Mega Man series. However, some players have criticized the floaty physics and technical issues, which detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. While it draws inspiration from classic Mega Man titles, it lacks some modern mechanics like wall-jumps, which may limit its appeal.
“The gameplay is solid, the mechanics are easy to learn, and the level design is creative and interesting.”
“The movement mechanics are very reminiscent of the Mega Man series, which is perfect.”
“The gameplay in this game is based on the original Mega Man NES games, so don't expect wall-jumps and such, but there is a slide button.”
“Between the technical issues and gameplay plagued by floaty physics, it didn't take me very long to decide this Megaman-like wasn't worth much of my time.”
“But despite all this, the gameplay simply didn't hold up for me.”
“Unfortunately, the very next section where you have to use this mechanic for real, it adds in a new problem.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it flat and uninspired, reminiscent of NES-style soundtracks, while others appreciate its grand presentation and nostalgic qualities. Overall, many describe the music as mediocre and not particularly catchy, lacking the engaging hooks that would enhance the experience.
“Controls are clean, visuals are appealing, and music is grand.”
“It combines a lot of the aesthetics and sound design of an NES game (it uses the NES color palette and the sound and music are done through emulation of the NES sound chip) with a ton of modern amenities.”
“The soundtrack is a little flat, using the NES style.”
“I think that's my general problem with the presentation of the music, even down to the clean stage art: it feels lacking in inspiration.”
“The music is mediocre, nothing too catchy.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the strong replayability of the game, highlighted by the ability to revisit stages for circuit collection and the inclusion of glitch-mode challenges. Additionally, unique features like challenge and speed run modes enhance the overall replay value, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.
“+ great replay value”
“Each stage also has added replay value as you revisit them to collect circuits or challenge yourself in glitch mode.”
“Despite its classic appearance, Magentta does add some unique twists for replayability with challenge and speed run modes.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
While some users find the character design off-putting, others praise the meticulous creation of both characters and enemies, highlighting the diversity in design, including robots and mutants. Overall, the character development is noted for its creativity, though opinions on the aesthetic appeal vary.
“What this game excels at is the character designs; the enemies and their designs were meticulously created, and you're not just facing robots but also mutants.”
“However, I still find the character design to be very off-putting.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story is engaging, featuring charming dialogue and impressive sprite art cutscenes, despite following a familiar trope of saving a prince. The simple 2D pixel graphics complement the narrative, which is enhanced by interesting characters and the absence of poor voice acting.
“The story is interesting and is told through awesome sprite art cutscenes with charming dialogue.”
“Great but simple 2D pixel graphics, a female protagonist, a cliché story about saving a prince but with interesting characters and thankfully no awful voice acting!”
“The story is painfully predictable and lacks any real depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“Despite the interesting characters, the overall plot feels like a tired rehash of every fairy tale you've ever heard.”
“The narrative is disjointed and fails to deliver any meaningful emotional impact, leaving players feeling unsatisfied.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the emotional impact of gameplay mechanics, specifically noting that the lack of hit recoil when touching spikes detracts from their overall experience and can lead to feelings of annoyance.
