Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy

Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Designer(s)	Yoshimi Ohnishi Tomoshi Sadamoto Yoshiki Okamoto
Artist(s)	Tomoshi Sadamoto Kazunori Tazaki Akemi Iwasaki
Composer(s)	Manami Matsumae
Platform(s)	Arcade, Super NES
Release	1990
Genre(s)	Hack and slash
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system	CP System

Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy^[1] is a 1990 hack and slash video game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. The player is cast as a hero who fights through a mystical tower to save the world. The player can use a sword, axe or magic, and can also rescue and recruit potential allies of various character classes, each with special abilities.

Plot

Magic Sword takes place in an unnamed world, which is being threatened by the dark lord Drokmar (Dracmar in the original Japanese^[2]), who has control over an evil crystal known as the "Black Orb", which would allow him to rule over the world. In order to prevent this from happening, the hero, known as the Brave One (Alan in the original Japanese^[3]), must scale to the top of the 50-floor tower in which Drokmar resides, known as Dragon Keep.^[4] At the game's end, when Drokmar is defeated, the player has the option of two endings: destroy the Black Orb, or to take control of it, becoming the new dark lord.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot

Magic Sword shares many gameplay elements with Black Tiger. The game has side-scrolling fighting, with some platforming elements. The player controls only the main character. The accompanying ally, controlled by the computer, follows the player diligently and only attacks and jumps when the player does. Assistant characters consist of Amazon (archer), Big Man (wields an axe), Knight, Lizardman, Ninja, Priest, Thief and Wizard. The player is allowed to carry one item, which can assist the player or the current ally.

The player has a magic meter. It fills up while the player is not attacking, but it empties completely each time the player attacks. If the player attacks when the meter is empty or is blue, the player can only perform a melee attack when the standard attack button is used. Magical allies like the priest and the wizard will not attack in this situation. If it is red but not full, the player and any magical ally teamed up with him will perform a weak ranged magical attack alongside the melee attack. If it is full, the player and any magical ally teamed up with him will perform a strong ranged magical attack alongside the melee attack. Non-magical allies will attack when the player attacks regardless of the status of the magic meter.

The player's health is displayed as a set of five HP bars and a number next to the HP bars that counts the number of sets of five full HP bars beyond the ones that are shown on screen in case the player has more than five full HP bars. The ally has a separate HP meter that maxes out at four HP bars.

Full screen attacks can be performed either instantly when a magical book is collected or on demand at the cost of one full HP bar.

The game has about 50 levels,^[5][6] and multiple endings with two alternate outcomes.^[6][7] There are 51 floors to fight through in the game. Eight of these floors have boss characters at the end, including Drokmar himself at the end of the 50th floor. Additionally, there are seven "Secret Doors" which allows the player to bypass levels when specific maneuvers are performed.

Development

During development, Capcom was going to program the gameplay so the player could have up to two allies (four in total in a two-player game). The hardest part of the game was the placement of enemies in each stage. One of the last features implemented in the game was the secret doors.^[8] The game was being location-tested in Japan by April 1990.^[5]

The SNES version was announced at the 1992 Winter CES.^[9]

Ports

A single player-only port was released for the Super NES in 1992 and for mobile phones in 2008.^[10] A version for the Capcom Power System Changer was planned and previewed but never released.^[11] The full arcade version is included in Capcom Classics Collection Remixed for PlayStation Portable, Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.

The arcade version was also released alongside Final Fight in a two-in-one bundle titled Final Fight: Double Impact for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in April 2010.^[12]

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
	Arcade	SNES
GameRankings		64%[13]

Review scores

Publication	Score
	Arcade	SNES
Computer and Video Games	87%[14]
Mean Machines		71%[15]
Nintendo Power		14/20[16]
Super Play		58%[18]
Your Sinclair	86%[17]
Zero	[19]
CU Amiga	78%[20]
RePlay	Positive[6]

In Japan, the game had successful location tests by April 1990.^[5] Game Machine listed Magic Sword on their September 1, 1990 issue as being Japan's second most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles such as Raiden and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.^[21] In North America, it had a successful launch, with early orders of several thousand arcade units upon release,^[6] while performing well at test locations.^[22] It was a hit at American arcades upon release.^[23] In November and December 1990, weekly coin drop earnings averaged $263.75 per arcade unit.^[24] It was the top-grossing software conversion kit on the RePlay arcade charts in November 1990.^[25]

The arcade game received positive reviews from critics. Julian Rignall of Computer and Video Games called it a "slick, colourful and well executed" game and said that it will appeal to any fan of slash 'em up games.^[14] Your Sinclair called it "an unoriginal", but "hugely" playable coin-op game.^[17]

The SNES version received mixed reviews from critics. Nintendo Power called it the great action game, but with extra game options and a stage select for the lower levels compared to the original arcade version.^[16] Super Play criticized the animation for being awful, the sound effects as negligible, and the game slowing down at the slightest provocation.^[18]

References

1. Japanese: マジックソード
2. "『マジックソード』1992年／スーパーファミコン". June 15, 2023.
3. "『マジックソード』1992年／スーパーファミコン". June 15, 2023.
4. "Magic Sword - Coin-Op Arcade Game - Review". Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
5. "Cover Story: "This Is the Good Time" – Capcom's CPS system brings success to the firm... and offers direction for a troubled video market". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 7. RePlay Publishing. April 1990. pp. 183–5.
6. "Capcom Bows "Next Final Fight" With Magic Sword". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 12. September 1990. p. 20.
7. "Magic Sword". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 1. October 1990. p. 19.
8. Okamoto, Yoshiki. "Capcom and the CPS-1". Capcom. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
9. "Magic Sword (SNES) - Next Wave". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 33. Sendai Publishing. January 1992. p. 84.
10. "Magic Sword review". Pocket Gamer. June 5, 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
11. "カプコン アーケードオリジナルボード CPSシリーズ+CPSチェンジャー 限定販売決定!!". Club Capcom (in Japanese). Vol. 2. Capcom. Spring 1994. pp. 90–91.
12. "Joystiq - Capcom porting Final Fight and Magic Sword to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network".
13. "Magic Sword SNES Review Score". Archived from the original on May 5, 2019.
14. Rignall, Julian (October 16, 1990). "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games. No. 108 (November 1990). pp. 113, 115.
15. Richard Leadbetter; Rob Bright (August 1992). "Magic Sword". Mean Machines. No. 22. pp. 102–104. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
16. "Your Guide to the Latest Releases". Nintendo Power. Vol. 38. July 1992. pp. 78–85, 105.
17. Wilson, David (November 1, 1990). "Slots of Fun". Your Sinclair. No. 60 (December 1990). United Kingdom: Future plc. pp. 70–1.
18. Davies, Jonathan (May 1993). Magic Sword Review. United Kingdom: Future Publishing. p. 69.
19. Wilson, David (December 1990). "Dosh Eaters". Zero. No. 14. pp. 85–6.
20. Cook, John (October 26, 1990). "Magic Sword". CU Amiga. No. 9 (November 1990). p. 95.
21. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 387. Amusement Press, Inc. September 1, 1990. p. 21.
22. "New Products". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 1. October 1990. pp. 164, 166.
23. "Machines & Markets". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 4. January 1991. pp. 44–55.
24. "Editorial". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 4. January 1991. p. 6.
25. "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 2. November 1990. p. 4.

External links

• Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy at MobyGames
• Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy at the Killer List of Videogames