Master of Ilusion DS

[Michael L.]

I just got this on sale for $15... haven't had time to play with it (I still haven't been able to fire up the Lego Batman game for the Wii I got for Christmas) but I have six nights of hotel stays coming up and the DS is going with me so stay tuned for a review.

[Michael L.]

So, the deal is you have to unlock certain features by practicing with the game. I have played some but do not want to give a full review since I have not unlocked the majority of features (you can only gain so much credit per day!).

However, so far I love this game. The deck is a cheap kids' magic set marked deck, but you could substitute your own (or force cards in some tricks). The game is everything you would expect from Tenyo, though. There are various methods used to trigger the DS in different tricks (including code words and secret button touches) so you can perform a couple of tricks without worrying about tipping a method. One of my favorites is a trick that allows the spectator to draw a face on the touch screen, place a coin near the DS and then the face animates to look at the coin (if you are drinking they can draw huge boobs instead, but the boobs will blink when the animation begins!).

The practice sessions are odd but some seem useful. One tests your ability to keep a silent count of time (harder than it sounds) and another favorite forces you to perform upside down mirror writing.

I'll post a full review when I have unlocked more, but for now I do recommend DS owners check out this game (it has a different name in Europe that escapes me at the moment), especially if you can find it for $20 or less.

[McAig]

I do recommend DS owners check out this game (it has a different name in Europe that escapes me at the moment), especially if you can find it for $20 or less.

Darn. Whenever my son has been in the games shop, I've kept a sly eye out for this game, but didn't spot it. But maybe that's because I was looking for the wrong name!

[Michael L.]

According to the Magic Bunny reviews it is called Magic Made Fun in the UK.

[McAig]

Thanks...my brain is being reprogrammed as I write, to look out for the revised name.