This game is a bitch. Pure and simple. Don’t let the graphics fool you into thinking it’s a kid’s game, because most kids would throw the controller down in frustration after the second or third level.
But more on the difficulty later. The game is based on the unique abilities of Super Magnetic Neo, the main character, as he traverses Pao Pao Park in an attempt to stop Pinki. Yeah, whatever. (The cut-scenes are hilarious, though.) Basically, you’re going to adventure through various worlds (such as the Forest or Cowboy Land), running through a few levels, and then confronting a boss.
The game itself is reminiscent of the first Crash Bandicoot, both in terms of style and difficulty. You’ll find yourself walking into the screen (or, occasionally, sideways), with a path that narrows and widens. On the path, you’ll find enemies to bypass, coins to collect, and weird glowing things. This is where the ‘Super Magnetic’ bit comes in. Neo can generate a field around himself that is either positive or negative (or, in this case, red or blue). If the field touches something of the opposite color, either the enemy gets sucked in or Neo gets pulled to it. If the field touches something of the same color, they repel each other. This can be used to bounce from a field, high into the air, and then to grab onto a passing swinging dot of a different color. It may seem a little daunting at first, but after the first level or two it becomes second nature.
If you pull an enemy in, you capture them in a little green box, which you can throw to either hit enemies or push down things. If you repel an enemy (you may have to do it two or three times), the enemy usually explodes. Careful manipulation of the enemies will get you past some of the more difficult parts of the game.
In each level, there are Pinki Medals that you can collect to find a hidden item. You can use these to decorate Neo’s apartment. Pointless, yes, but fun for completists. There are also tickets in each level that will take Neo to a bonus level, which is often wackier than the game itself.
It’s a fun little game, but Super Magnetic Neo is just too damned hard.