Lost Magic

 DS
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Apr 25, 2006
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 44
  3. Negative: 3 out of 44
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  1. 1UP
    60
    Lost Magic lacks a compelling story or decent balance for the single-player mode, so Wi-Fi battles are pretty much the selling point here. The question is whether or not that's enough, in your opinion, to overcome the game's innate shortcomings.
  2. AtomicGamer
    70
    Overall, I found this game to be entertaining with some issues that definitely get in the way of good game play. Hopefully, a future sequel or similar style game will improve on the issues that have been pointed out. Lostmagic has a great core to build a future game around – hopefully Taito takes the chance to do so in the future.
  3. DailyGame
    60
    Would have made a better GBA game.
  5. Digital Entertainment News
    55
    A solid gameplay mechanic in search of a home.
  6. Edge Magazine
    50
    In the end, though there is little average about either its elegant successes or its needless failings, between them they leave Lost Magic hanging in the balance. [June 2006, p.97]
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  7. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    50
    Online multiplayer matches fare a little better, as the thrill of assaulting your friends with monster rushes and souped-up spells momentarily overshadows the lingering control and A.I. issues. [Jun 2006, p.121]
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  8. Eurogamer
    60
    Furiously frustrating. The game pitch works wonderfully in the realm of theory but in practice its problems undermine most of the flashes of brilliance.
  9. Game Chronicles
    63
    I just think the game fails at some very small but critical facets, and as a result the game has lost some of the charm it could have had.
  10. Game Informer
    60
    The real-time combat adds an element of urgency, but the repetitive battles and clumsy controls dull that edge early on. [Jun 2006, p.118]
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  11. GameCritics
    50
    Parts of LostMagic are brilliant. But that brilliance gets bogged down in physical awkwardness and bad artificial intelligence.
  12. GamePro
    70
    Lost Magic strives to accomplish something innovative and enjoyable, it falls short in its implementation, resulting in a game that frustrates and disappoints.
  13. Gamers' Temple
    71
    LOSTMAGIC’s unique real-time battle system is weighed down by some frustrating issues, but it is an interesting game nonetheless.
  14. Games Master UK
    72
    A slice of Pokemon, a dash on "Pikmin," a little bit of frustration - but a lot of fun. [June 2006, p.76]
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  15. games(TM)
    60
    Its presentation and entirely un-engaging story let it down, but the game itself is very much worth playing after those suffocating first few hours. [June 2006, p.127]
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  16. GameShark
    67
    All and all it is a satisfying game, but it could have been a lot better, especially when it comes to those nasty time limits.
  17. GameSpy
    70
    For a first attempt at a new idea, this is a pretty solid game, and worth a look for most RPG fans. The worst part? You just know any sequel's going to have a lot more than 396 spells to remember. End the madness!
  18. GamesRadar+
    70
    It plays to the DS' strengths, and when it all clicks, it's a lot of fun. Just be prepared to brute force your way through a lot of frustrating misfires if you decide to go for it.
  19. Gaming Horizon
    68
    If you need a more engrossing storyline, though, or get easily aggravated by the “little” things that keep you from virtual victory, pass it up.
  20. IGN
    65
    The control is give and take, the design is amazingly deep, and the experience is rewarding as long as you can get passed the frustration that will ensue from time to time.
  21. Modojo
    60
    Despite the game's shortcomings in terms of its presentation and play quirks, it still scores in one major category- multiplayer.
  22. N-Europe
    70
    The game might have a number of faults but the enjoyment of the battling makes up for it, add to that the WiFi duelling and you’ll be glued to your DS for a long time.
  23. N-Insanity
    68
    Overall, choosing whether you want to buy LostMagic or not is really dependent on two things. One is how much you want the excellent rune drawing, and the other is how much you don’t want to deal with the incompetent ally AI.
  24. netjak
    73
    LostMagic is a solid offering for handheld fans clamoring for a good roleplaying game. A weak storyline and some other minor problems keep this from being a classic along the lines of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, but the large variety of spells and monsters and WiFi multiplayer support should keep players entertained for many hours.
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  25. NintendoWorldReport
    65
    I really wanted to like this game, and I really hope the rune-drawing system is used again for a different title, because it really is fantastic, but the RTS mechanics are unresponsive, and the timed missions are more of a hindrance than a challenge.
  26. NTSC-uk
    60
    A competent, enjoyable game with lots of depth and strategy options, sadly spoiled by the aforementioned niggles.
  27. Thunderbolt
    70
    Sure, it’s got one of the most horribly cliched and overused plots in existence, but it’s saved by a wonderfully implemented spell casting system that will leave you experimenting and developing your character’s capabilities long after the Story Mode has gone stale.
  28. Worth Playing
    65
    The multiplayer modes are a wonderfully nice touch, but the horrible pathfinding and AI get in the way of this being as good of a game as it truly could be.

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best DS Game of 2006
27
#27 Most Discussed DS Game of 2006
30
#30 Most Shared DS Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 41
  3. Negative: 4 out of 41
  1. Tuvix
    Nov 5, 2020
    10
    This game has never been replicated. It is a singular experience that is just so much fun and desperately needs a sequel!
  2. HyrulianHero
    Apr 27, 2019
    0
    Lost Magic is itself an ironic name as the game contains a magic that most will never experience. Played somewhat like a real-time RTS minusLost Magic is itself an ironic name as the game contains a magic that most will never experience. Played somewhat like a real-time RTS minus resource management (mostly) and building, you control Isaac, an aspiring magician who collects monsters throughout his adventure and uses them and his magic runes to battle other monsters and magicians. If I recall correctly, there are 296 different magic spells Isaac can learn from a combination of six different runes, drawn on the DS touch screen. Isaac can choose up to two groups of monsters to take with him into any given battle. Battles are accessed via an overworld screen as the narrative plays on in a mostly linear fashion.

    The artwork for this game is wonderful. It never feels forced, designs are original and brilliant. Even the sprite-work has a unique charm to it, tiny DS screen notwithstanding.

    The story is simple but not quite as straight-forward as one might at first expect. A couple of "twists" keep the tale interesting and characters have at least a bit of personality. The most engaging aspect of the story is the world as it feels consistent, believable. By keeping the world simple, the developers were able to keep every facet of the world feeling cohesive and sequitur.

    There music is nothing to write home about and the sound design in general is lacking. A couple of the themes are catchy but for the most part, the music falls flat and the effects are...well, it's a DS game.

    The gameplay is quite simple but managing your magic gives the game enough substance that even the somewhat repetitive battles can be played differently every time. The monsters you take into battle don't honestly change the gameplay much but they're not carbon copies either; each monster group has its own strengths and weaknesses.

    The real star here is Isaac's lost magic. With six runes and 296 combinations, you'll constantly be considering which effects best fit the situation, how fast they are to draw, their range, power, effects, and magic consumption. This is where Lost Magic truly shines. Expect to find new effects on your third and fourth play-though.

    This is a fantastic budget game, definitely one to pick up if you are looking to fill out your backlog of DS games.    … Full Review »
  3. vahn
    May 1, 2017
    5
    I remember getting this game in 2006 and me and my sister were quite curious about this game: Nintendo ds was at its beginnings and most ofI remember getting this game in 2006 and me and my sister were quite curious about this game: Nintendo ds was at its beginnings and most of their games were still gimmicky but not bad (nothing like the **** 3ds and it's messed up design in most games). However when I took this game in and played it for about 2-3 hours I just stopped: this game is unforgiving and has 3 fatal flaws, 3 unforgivable mistakes that basically ruins what could be a magnificent game.

    1) Clunky Controls: as I said the DS was at its start and the gimmick of the touch screen was used very heavily during that time. However, while some games were great in this regard (Elite Beat Agents, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright), this one is the in the "not so great" category: you can easily mess up the rune if you're slightly off the right path and that uses mana...which means you must not mess it up. The game also controls like an RTS but sadly it's so crippled since you will always have to highlight the units and click and do it EVERY-SINGLE-TIME for moving around. Oh and I wouldn't want to forget to mention that your units move incredibly slow, so if you mess up something you might have to wait a lot of time in order to have them returning in position. It's just beyond bad and it's so bad that the second point is related to control, and that is...

    2) No Pathfinding: in most RTS when you click somewhere, your units will reach it by finding the best route possible - hence the name pathfinding. Sadly this game has none and it's very common that your units will go to a wall and be stuck forever until you make them move on the right track. And how did you move again? Of course, highlight+clickposition EVERY-SINGLE-TIME. What's worse of all this and the biggest flaw that basically makes this game from a rather clunky rts-rpg game to a chore is, unfortunately, the most common one...

    3) Time limit: I don't know who was the retard that thought this was a good idea but - shock - it isn't: not only it adds an element of rush in most battles because of the time limit, but you'll have to deal with the clunky interface AND the clunky controls AND the lack of pathfinding AND make sure you don't make mistakes AND do it within the super strict time limit AND with the slowest units ever created in an RTS. And you might wonder. how much time do you have in these battles? Surely it can't be too bad-

    You have 5 minutes in basically 50-60% of the battles. The highest time available is 10.
    Oh oh and guess what? There are battles that only have 3 minutes!
    Seriously whoever thought this was a good idea clearly had no idea how to make a fun game. I mean it's like putting time limit in a dungeon and without any chance of replacing your group without waiting hours and ....Oh right that game is Final Fantasy XIV....

    Case in point, this game had potential to be great, but instead feels like a chore and a "challenge-fest" for those who don't have enough challenges in their games. It might become easier, later on, I admit (I only reached level 19, 10 years ago, but that's as far as I could go) but I simply cannot play any longer than this. It's just a shame really but alas, the fact that it remained unplayed for nearly 10 years it's proof that this game wasn't meant to be popular and perhaps just niche.

    ...meanwhile I still play Elite Beat Agents, Phoenix Wright and many other valuable games that at least are playable from the start.    … Full Review »
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