Madou Monogatari Mega Drive Review

I did it, I graduated from Magic Kindergarten!

The originator of the popular Puyo Puyo puzzle games. Madou Monogatari on Mega Drive is a remake of the original Madou Monogatari 1. The various ports are different in both design and execution, so I'm going  to be avoiding direct comparisons in this review and grading the (recently translated) Mega Drive version on it's own merits.

The game plays like a sort of JRPG fighting game, you cast spells by holding the A button and entering a button sequence before releasing, use items, and can block, dodge, or jump to avoid incoming attacks. As well as that, the spells have some interaction and level of randomness. Meaning it's often worthwhile to charge up a powerful attack against a deadly foe. Basics attacks cost no mana, but anything beyond that drains a relatively limited pool. Healing and Mana items are plentiful however, so for the most part, combat is a fun, "practicing DP inputs" sort of affair where you're trying to get out spells as fast as possible, while keeping an eye on your health and other stats.

Said stats however, are obscured almost entirely. The game eschewed numbers and bars to instead tell you your status based on short text boxes and animations, which you essentially have to figure out as you play. Not knowing how many spells you can cast before running dry is an interesting choice for a game mechanic, but it does ensure that whether you're a veteran JRPG player or someone brand new to the genre. You're on a somewhat more even playing field. It puts me in mind of being a kid, playing pokemon gold before knowing how to read. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I was still having a good time and learning bits about the game along the way. Which adds to some ludonarrative synchronicity as...

The story itself is basically the most throwaway of lighthearted anime plots. You play as smol babby mage Arle who lucked out into passing her written test in magic kindergarten. This means that as you start the game, realizing you barely know how the spells work, you end up in a similar mental position. Having to feel and intuit your way through the game lends extra weight to the childlike atmosphere and low-stakes story. Making for a frankly fantastic little adventure that's equal parts cute and endearing. Especially since the game is pretty short, barring some "guide dang it" moments of frustration as you navigate the tower.

Madou Monogatari is a lovely little game, and it's easy to see why it had staying power if this version is anything similar to the others. Except for the PC-98 port, apparently that's just a horror game.