Lost Magic (Nintendo DS) Preview

It was announced in 2005 that Square Enix, already an amalgamation of two RPG heavyweights, was due to take fellow Japanese developer Taito under its wings by buying it out. The deal went ahead as planned and suddenly all eyes were on the company previously thought of as just small-fry. Lost Magic was then announced as coming to the Nintendo DS in Japan, however, not only was it to be an RPG, but was set to utilise Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. This meant that Nintendo did not just have another exclusive DS game on the way, but more importantly was about to witness the first ever online handheld role-player.

The game focuses on a young boy by the name of Isaac, a wizard building up his skills as he grows in age and stature. Unsurprisingly the world has been put into a state of disarray as it has been challenged by a new evil force that is intent on causing the utmost chaos. And guess who is the only hope of all civilisation? Yes, young Isaac, the wizard. Why is the only hope always someone young and inexperienced in their level of skill? You would think it would make more sense to lay the task on the hands on a wise and powerful mage...the whole process would be much simpler! But anyway, we are not here to analyse to clich

Thankfully, there are seven wands that have been left lingering around the world, holding the entire Universe together due to their immense magical power. And it is these sources of power that prove to be the main basis of this action RPG with a strategy twist. In this mysterious realm, unfortunately the monsters around you wield unimaginable power, causing you all sorts of grief as you play through the beautiful worlds crafted the world-renowned art director Yoshiaru Sato, who many will know from his work with Studio Ghibli, home of the immensely popular Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

Players will be given the task of unleashing their powerful magical incantations via the touch-screen as your stylus suddenly becomes like a magic wand. But it has more uses than just that, as commands can be dished out to the hordes of monsters you actually have under your control during real-time strategy encounters. Suddenly Lost Magic takes on a new light, quite reminiscent of classic PC strategy games, with instant touch-screen input, just like pointing your mouse and clicking. This really does sound like being an experience to suit many for the Nintendo DS. Then, on top of it all, Taito has thrown in some Wi-Fi goodies into the mix, just for good measure. New characters can be created in Lost Magic and pitted against other gamers across the world to see who is best. Duelling mode let players cast magic against each other, testing their skills and strategies to the limits, flicking off new hexes with a simple movement of the stylus! This is a first for the RPG genre on the DS, a major coup for Nintendo and a special treat for us gamers.

And just like Deep Labyrinth has the innovative G.R.A.P.E magic system that allows various combinations to be inputted via the touch-screen to devastating effect, Lost Magic also allows players to combine up to three single spells to create more than three hundred and fifty magical creations using a special symbol system that has so far not been seen anywhere else! Then you can also take part in a Pok