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In the west we
got Pandemonium which while technically impressive lacked any charm what
so ever thanks to the shitty characters being as dull as most US based
platform games of the time. However, Bandai bought the license from
Crystal Dynamics to bring the game to Japan. Thankfully Bandai saw fit
to completely remake the main characters and give the game a whole new
story and anime intro and ending. The end result is what you see here,
Magical Hoppers.
Magical Hoppers is a visual treat for Saturn owners. Not only does it
have solid 3D playing areas but also some very nice special effects such
as transparencies, light sourcing and shading. These aren't just used
lightly though, they are used throughout the game in great amounts. This
is easily one of the most impressive games visually on the Sega Saturn.
Unfortunately that's where it all ends. The game at first is quite fun
but it drags on and on and on. The levels don't really offer that much
variance between them which is the main problem. Yes, they look
different but the main goal is still the same. The music doesn't help
either with it's dull and repetitive tunes. Magical Hoppers also has a
very serious audio bug which can completely distort the audio in parts
of the games making it sound like your speakers are about to burst. This
is a real shame because with a little more thought this could have been
one hell of a great game. Still, it's better than Crystal Dynamics other
platformer, GEX which truly is shit in every respect.
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