Make Magic With Max and His Magic Marker HD Finally On iOS
Max and the Magic Marker for iPad ($4.99) by Electronic Arts is the much anticipated iOS port of the popular Wii platform-puzzler for all ages that has been winning awards, and creating serious buzz. It’s the best console port since World of Goo came out late last year.
Max and the Magic Marker HD by developer Press Play, (available separately for iPhone) is the rare game that lives up to the hype. It blends the best of all genres, and renders them brilliantly on iOS.
The backstory is about a cute kid, Max, who loves to draw. One day while doodling, he receives a mysterious letter containing a marker and nothing else.
He immediately sets to drawing one of his favorite subjects, a monster, and to his surprise the monster comes alive and starts making a mess of all Max’s work.
Of course Max has to draw himself into the scene to stop him, and that’s where the fun begins.
The game, in part, is a side-scrolling 2-D platformer. You use well designed, well placed and responsive controls to guide Max through the various worlds, collecting ink, special objects and other collectibles by running and jumping a-la-Mario.
But, the action can be frozen anytime; the game switches from sleek video game graphics, to a hand-drawn cartoon, and that’s where the real magic happens.
Check out the demo:
You help Max use the marker to draw whatever he needs to overcome the obstacles in front of him. You can draw teeter-totters, stairs, bridges, balloons, surfboards and anything else your imagination can come up with to help him move forward, even a sailboat.
This game really is for all ages. It’s not just the cute factor; there is no violence in the game whatsoever. The weapon of power is a writing and drawing tool. How cool is that for a change?
Also, there are no time limits in the game, and in easy mode, there are outlines to show kids or newbies what to draw. But, once you switch to difficult mode, this game is no longer kid stuff.
Gamers of any age will find themselves engrossed in the gorgeous design and challenging puzzles. And, because there are no specific right or wrong solutions, this game has a lot of replay value.
The only thing missing is Game Center integration. It’s a game people are going to want to brag about, so hopefully leader boards will follow in an update soon.
Beyond that Max and The Magic Marker HD is a game that was just waiting for a touchscreen. It’s a must have instant classic for gamers of any age. Get it; it’s one of the best console ports the App Store has seen in a long time.
