| Magical Drop III | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Data East[a] |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Naomi Susa |
| Designer(s) | Shungo Katagiri |
| Programmer(s) | M. Saiki |
| Artist(s) | Hiroshi Hachiya Hitomi Hashimoto Itokku Seta Kumiko Oka |
| Composer(s) | Hiroaki Yoshida Masaaki Iwasaki Shinichi Yamazaki Tatsuya Kiuchi |
| Series | Magical Drop |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Neo Geo MVS |
Magical Drop III[b] is a 1997puzzlevideo game developed and published byData East for theNeo Geoarcade and home platforms. It was later ported toSega Saturn,PlayStation,Neo Geo Pocket Color,Game Boy Color,Windows, andZeebo. It is the third entry in theMagical Drop series. In the game, the player takes control of one of several characters, battling against computer-controlled opponents. Gameplay is similar to previous entries albeit with further additions; the objective is to clear the screen of constantly advancing colored 'drops' via a character placed at the bottom of the playfield, which can grab drops and make them disappear by putting drops as a column of three or more of the same color. The player can also participate in a board-style adventure mode, while two players can play against each other in a competitive versus mode.
Magical Drop III was produced by Naomi Susa, with Shungo Katagiri acting as the game's planner, while the soundtrack was scored byGamadelic. It proved popular among players, with the Saturn and PlayStation versions selling over 10,392 and 8,286 copies in their first week on the Japanese market respectively, garnering favorable reception from critics and retrospective reviewers. The game has since been re-released through download services for various consoles and oncompilations. It was followed byMagical Drop F: Daibōken Mo Rakujyanai! (1999).
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Like its predecessors,Magical Drop III is a puzzle game where the player takes control of one of several characters named after a tarot card, battling against computer-controlled opponents.[1] Gameplay is similar toMagical Drop (1995) andMagical Drop II (1996), albeit with further additions; the objective is to clear the screen from a stack of constantly advancing colored 'drops' that descend from the top of the playfield. Drops can be picked up and dropped by the player's character, which is placed at the bottom of the screen, and they disappear when three or more of the same color are put together on a single column. Chains are formed either when a single drop caused a chain reaction or when more than one group of drops are cleared in quick succession. Forming chains cause the opponent's stack to descend faster.[2][3][4]
One notable gameplay addition is the introduction of a third button, which allows players to add rows to their field at any time.[2][3][4] It is also possible to grab normal and special pieces at the same time.[3][4] Two players can also participate in a competitive versus mode (one may be a computer opponent), featuring attack patterns that sends lines to the opponent in non-even rows that vary by character.[3][4][5][6][7] An adventure mode called "Magical Journey" is also introduced, which is a board game that challenges players to reach Empress before computer-controlled rivals by participating in minigames.[1][3][4][7] Thegame is over once a player is defeated when the stack of drops hits the bottom.
The original cast fromMagical Drop andMagical Drop II returns. In addition, the game adds representatives for the remaining tarot major arcana cards, as well as introducing a "daughter" Strength character that more closely resembles the traditional depiction of Strength.[1][5]
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Magical Drop III was developed byData East, which had previously worked onMagical Drop II (1996) forNeo Geo.[8] It was produced by Naomi Susa, with Shungo Katagiri acting as the game's planner.[9] M. Saki, as well as two staffer under the pseudonyms "Tac.H" and "Poconyan", served as the game's programmers.[9] Hiroshi Hachiya, Hitomi Hashimoto, Itokku Seta, Kumiko Oka, N. Ishizuka, Rie Sakurai, Seigo Nishiwaki, Shōji Takeuchi, Tomoyuki Arakawa, and Yoshinari Kaiho were responsible for the artwork.[9] The soundtrack was scored byGamadelic members Hiroaki "Maro" Yoshida, Masaaki "Koremasa" Iwasaki, Shinichi "Sin" Yamazaki, and Tatsuya "nmRtk" Kiuchi.[9][10][11] The development team recounted the project's creation and history in interviews.[8][12][13]
Magical Drop III was first released for the Neo Geo arcade system (MVS) in Japan byData East on February 25, 1997, and later in North America bySNK on March.[14][15] There are differences between the original Japanese version and English release, such as the removal of Japanese voice acting and rival opponents in adventure mode, among other changes.[3][4] On March 21, an album containing music from the game was co-published in Japan byScitron andPony Canyon.[10] It was also published in Japan for the Neo Geo home system (AES) on April 25.[15][16] On June 20, the game was first ported to theSega Saturn under the subtitleToretate Zoukangou!.[c][16][17] A North American localization under the titleMagical Drop was showcased atE3 1997 and planned to be released byKoei,[18] but it never released. The Saturn version changes the speed and various other aspects of gameplay.[3][4] On October 30, the game was then ported toPlayStation under the subtitleYokubari Tokudaigou!,[d] which allows the player to choose between the Saturn's re-balanced version and a version more faithful to the original arcade iteration.[3][4][16][19] In 1998, the Saturn version was re-released as part of the "Sakatore" budget line.[20]
A second PlayStation version titledMagical Drop III + Wonderful was first released in Japan on February 25, 1999, featuring the re-balanced gameplay fromYokubari Tokudaigou! and includes a port ofMagical Drop Plus 1!.[3][4][21] The game was also ported by Sakata SAS toNeo Geo Pocket Color asMagical Drop Pocket,[3] first being released in Japan by Data East on June 24, then by SNK in North America on December 5 and later in Europe on March 4, 2000.[citation needed] On July 23,Magical Drop III + Wonderful was released in PAL regions by Swing! Entertainment as simplyMagical Drop III.[22][23][24][citation needed] The game was ported byConspiracy Entertainment to Game Boy Color as simplyMagical Drop as well, first released in Europe by Swing! Entertainment on August 25 and later in North America by Classified Games on October 18.[25][26][27][28] The GBC version does not include a CPU mode, and thus players only gain access to the full character roster by playing two-player mode.[3] On December 22, aMicrosoft Windows port based onToretate Zoukangou! was released only in Japan by MediaKite Distribution.[3][29] In 2001,Magical Drop III + Wonderful was re-released byTaito as a budget title.[30]
Magical Drop III has since been re-released through various digital distribution platforms, such as the subscription serviceGameTap.[citation needed] In 2009, the first PlayStation version (Yokubari Tokudaigou!) was re-released onPlayStation Network in Japan.[31] In 2010, it was included as part ofData East Arcade Classics forWii.[32] On April 22, the game was ported by Onan Games toZeebo and distributed in Brazil byG-Mode.[33][34][citation needed] The game was also re-released for the Wii'sVirtual Console first in Japan on July 6, then in North America on December 27, and later in Europe on January 14, 2011.[35] In 2018,Hamster Corporation re-released the game forNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4, andXbox One as part of theirACA Neo Geo series.[36] It was re-released on the AntStream service as well.[37]
| Publication | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade | GBC | PS | Saturn | |
| AllGame |    [38] | [39] | N/A | N/A |
| Famitsu | N/A | N/A | N/A | 25/40[40] |
| GamesMaster | N/A | 75%[41] | N/A | N/A |
| IGN | N/A | 5.0/10[25] | N/A | N/A |
| Jeuxvideo.com | N/A | 12/20[26] | N/A | N/A |
| M! Games | N/A | N/A | 68%[24] | N/A |
| Mega Fun | N/A | 66%[42] | 67%[43] | N/A |
| Player One | 85%[44] | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Video Games (DE) | N/A | [45] | 59%[22] | N/A |
| big.N | N/A | [27] | N/A | N/A |
| Fun Generation | N/A | N/A | 74%[23] | N/A |
| Neo Geo Freak | 15/20[46] | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Pocket Magazine | N/A | 3/5[47] | N/A | N/A |
| Saturn Fan | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8.0/10[48] |
| Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8.0/10[49] |
In Japan,Game Machine listedMagical Drop III on their April 1, 1997 issue as being the third most-popular arcade game for the previous two weeks.[50] The game garnered favorable reception from critics.[40][43][46][49] Readers of the JapaneseSega Saturn Magazine voted to give the game a 9.0414 out of 10 score, ranking amongSega Saturn games at the number 68 spot in a 2000 public poll.[51] According toFamitsu, the Saturn andPlayStation versions sold over 10,392 and 8,286 copies in their first week on the Japanese market respectively.[52]
GamePro's Johnny Ballgame and Major Mike stated "it's just as addictive asMagical Drop II".[2]Saturn Fan's five critics found the game highly addictive, regarding it as the most strategic entry in theseries.[48]Player One's Christophe Delpierre and François Daniel commented that "Magical Drop 3 offers a great alternative forPuzzle Bobble fans."[44]AllGame's Kyle Knight labelled it as one of the best puzzle games onNeo Geo, praising the upgraded audiovisual presentation, new characters, addictive gameplay, and responsive controls.[38]
Reviewing theGame Boy Color version, German publicationFun Color noted its overall simplicity and wrote that "Magical Drop is a cool alternative to the usualTetris stuff."[53]Jeuxvideo.com's Lucas also reviewed the GBC version, commending the colorful visuals, endearing characters, controls, and music.[26]big.N's Florian Seidel reviewed the GBC port as well, commending the game's idea andGame Boy Printer support, but criticized the lack of additional modes.[27]Video Games' Christian Daxer reviewed theWonderful re-release on PlayStation, recommendingMagical Drop III overMagical Drop Plus 1!, citing its story and two-player versus modes.[22]
An editor forVideo Games agreed with Seidel when reviewing the GBC conversion, noting that there are only two game modes, but ultimately found it to be a "good average" title.[45]IGN's Craig Harris also reviewed the GBC port, highlighting its versus mode when using a link cable, but compared its graphical presentation unfavorably to theNeo Geo Pocket Color version. Harris wrote "Tetris it isn't, butMagical Drop has its own merits as a puzzle game that makes it fun to play."[25] The Italian edition ofGamesMaster reviewed both the NGPC and GBC versions, finding them to be "bizarre" but fun and enjoyable titles.[41][54]Fun Generation's Simon Krätschmer gave theWonderful re-release on PlayStation an overall average outlook.[23]
Reviewing theWonderful re-release on PlayStation,MAN!AC's Ulrich Steppberger felt that the gameplay ofMagical Drop III was chaotic, while findingMagical Drop Plus 1! graphically outdated but commended its inclusion.[24]Mega Fun's Henry Ernst analyzed the Game Boy Color port, concluding "All in all an average title with good, GBC-typical graphics. Fans of this game genre should definitely get their money's worth and be busy for a while due to the enormous potential for addiction."[42]Pocket Magazine's Benoît B. echoed similar thoughts as Seidel andVideo Games regarding the lack of additional game modes when comparing the NGPC version with the GBC port. Benoît also found the story mode incomplete and the music "tiresome".[47] In contrasts to other reviewers, Jay Semerad ofAllGame gave the GBC conversion a positive outlook, highlighting its visuals, frantic two-player mode, and replay value.[39]
Retrospective commentary forMagical Drop III has been equally favorable.[55] Reviewing the re-release on theWii'sVirtual Console,Nintendo Life's Corbie Dillard lauded its single-player and multiplayer component, refined gameplay, visuals, soundtrack, and game modes.[35] In a retrospective outlook of the NGPC port,Hardcore Gamer's Steve Hannley regarded it as a faithful conversion, highlighting the game's speed and framerate, but saw its condensed playfield, English translation, and lack of additional modes as negative points.[56] Reviewing theArcade Archives re-release onNintendo Switch,Nintendo World Report's Donald Theriault commended its easy-to-learn gameplay, various game modes, and control options, but criticized its frustrating board mode and forgettable music.[57] Dave Frear ofNintendo Life disagreed with Theriault when analyzing the ACA re-release on Switch, giving it a highly positive outlook.[58]
