The WiiWare service available to Wii owners is quickly becoming the best source of some great and unique titles that you just can’t get elsewhere. Besides the likes of Square Enix and Telltale Games producing some brilliant conversions, players have also been able to enjoy the delights of more niche titles such as Frontier Developments’ Lostwinds and now, Max and the Magic Marker.
It’s a game that I suspect has been overlooked by too many people. Although it’s had some press coverage, amidst a packed release schedule, something’s bound to be left out. For many, I suspect, it is Max and the Magic Marker. A terrible shame considering the game oozes charm and fun. It’s a game aimed at all the family, while never being patronising or too easy for the adult gamer.
You play Max, a normal kid, who one day is given a magic pen. This pen makes any of Max’s drawings come alive. Unfortunately for Max, the monster he drew has also become real so he has to catch it before there’s even more trouble. It’s a simple storyline but this isn’t to the detriment of the quality of the game. There are 3 worlds in all comprising of 5 levels each. For the price of 1000 Wii points, it’s a reasonable length with plenty of collectibles and bonus features to acquire as well as simply completing the game.
At its heart Max and the Magic Marker is a 2d platformer but it’s the drawing element of the game that sets it apart from other, lesser titles. Think of it as a cross between Drawn to Life and World of Goo. Unlike Drawn to Life, rather than having to draw set items such as vehicles or bridges, it’s down to your imagination as to how to solve many of the puzzles ahead of you. These range from simple platform building to having to bounce balls off walls and creating seesaws. The more ink used to draw something, the heavier the item becomes making it useful in the construction of seesaws as well as destroying the few enemies littered across the levels.
Max and the Magic Marker is tremendous fun. The entire style of the game is wonderfully charming with the artwork looking childlike yet enchanting. At any point in the game with a quick tap of a couple of buttons, players can pause the action to make it easier to solve certain puzzles. Upon pausing, the artwork changes to a child’s drawing of the scene. A small touch but something that can’t help but impress. The attention to detail is excellent. It’s easy to play Max and the Magic Marker with simple controls although at times I found the Wii Remote a little irritatingly inaccurate to draw with but this was more a fault with the Wii’s technology than the game itself. None of the puzzles really require recognisable drawings, simple lines and boxes are fine which is very useful if, like me, you can’t draw! The puzzles are consistently logical and although may cause a few moments of pondering, are never too challenging or awkward.
Level progression is admittedly a little linear and predictable but the crux of the game is in how you approach each puzzle. The addition of various collectibles also encourages players to do more than just finish the level and to actually seek out everything within the game.
Max and the Magic Marker is a fantastic little game and just the sort of title that should be encouraged via WiiWare. It’s good old fashioned fun that’s ideal for all the family. It’s more than that though as it’s also an extremely enjoyable indie game with a great physics twist to proceedings. It’s a shame that levels aren’t a bit more varied but despite this, Max and the Magic Marker is still a great addition to anyone’s Wii collection.
VideogameUK verdict: 8/10
