Major Magnet Review

Looking for a magnetizing game to play? Major Magnet might just be the perfect choice. Magnets, momentum, and the laws of physics are the player’s best friend in your quest to get Major Magnet from point A to point B as quickly and accurately as possible. Are you up for the magnetic challenge?

As one would guess, Major Magnet (MM) is a superhero who uses magnets to move around, and to battle the tyrannical Colonel Lastin. The brightly colored graphics and distinct designs give the six worlds unique looks, helping things stay varied and fun. The game also features hand drawn character art so eye-catching it’s hard not to fall in love with it. MM’s comical expressions are particularly great, like his wide-eyed panic at being magnetically flung around.

Six worlds with 10 levels each provide plenty of game play, and the developers promise that there’s more on the way. Each level is quite complex, encouraging exploration rather than blindly trying to plow your way to the finish line. Yes, the goal is to get to the finish line without dying, but the more you go off track the more magnorbs and coins there are to find and collect. Magnorbs give points and act as in-game currency, while the gold coins help unlock the next world, meaning that this is one game where staying on the precise course isn’t as beneficial as finding your own way. Fleetwood Mac was right -- you can go your own way.

The controls are easy to learn, but not always exact. Since MM won’t move on his own, the player taps a magnet to draw him in and gain momentum. Tap it again to release him and off he’ll fly. It’s best to release him in the direction of another magnet or he’ll fly into oblivion. If MM doesn’t quite make his mark he has a fail safe in the form of a boost, activated with a quick swipe in the direction he needs to go. Much like the magnet controls, MM’s boosts are easy and generally good about being responsive, but in a game where a few degrees makes a difference, the occasional bit of input delay can make the difference between death or success.

The game is very fair when it comes to costs of additional items and difficulty of levels. There are only a couple of power-ups for purchase, but each are reasonably priced. And, if one level is giving a player too much grief, there’s an item available which will let them skip it. The game’s got a decent sense of difficulty, with precise timing being the key to success, but it’s not unforgiving. If you fly off path there's a good chance of coming across another magnet to try to latch on to in order to get back on course.

Major Magnet is a lot of fun to play, partly for its unique and magnetizing game play and partly due to the peppy music featuring an original arcade soundtrack. The momentum-based game play is reminiscent of Sega Genesis-era Sonic the Hedgehog, which is a very good thing. There’s plenty of levels, fun music, solid game play, and, unlike many of its contemporaries, this is one iOS game that doesn’t constantly prod you for in-app purchases. Now all we need is an iPad version!

App Store Link: Major Magnet for iPhone | By Iddiction, Inc | Price: $0.99 | Version: 1.0 | 48.4 MB | Rating 4+