Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy

About Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy

Magic Sword (1990) is Capcom's arcade hack and slash game in which a hero climbs a 50-floor tower with rescued allies of different classes, choosing at the end whether to destroy the evil Black Orb or rule with it.

Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy in Depth

The dark lord Drokmar, called Dracmar in Japan, controls the Black Orb, an evil crystal that would let him rule the world. To stop him, the hero, the Brave One, or Alan in Japanese, must climb to the top of Dragon Keep, the 50-floor tower where Drokmar lives. Sharing much with Black Tiger, it is side-scrolling combat with some platforming. The player controls only the hero, while a computer-controlled ally follows him and attacks and jumps when he does. Allies are rescued along the way and include an Amazon archer, the axe-wielding Big Man, a Knight, Lizardman, Ninja, Priest, Thief and Wizard, and the player can carry one item to help the hero or ally.

A magic meter fills while the hero is not attacking and empties with each attack. Attacking when it is empty or blue gives only a melee attack, and magical allies such as the Priest and Wizard hold back; when it is red, the hero and magical allies add a weak ranged spell, and when it is full, a strong one. Health is shown in sets of five bars, the ally has up to four, and full-screen attacks come from collecting magic books or cost one full health bar. Eight of the 51 floors end in bosses, with Drokmar on the 50th, and seven secret doors let players skip levels.

Making Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy

Capcom developed Magic Sword for arcades, location-testing it in Japan by April 1990. Game Machine listed it as Japan's second most popular arcade game for the two weeks before its 1 September 1990 issue, and it ranked twelfth in a November 1990 Play Meter survey in North America. Gamest gave it several awards, including second place for both Best Action and Best Graphics, and Computer and Video Games' Julian Rignall said it would appeal to fans of slash 'em ups, while Your Sinclair found it unoriginal but highly playable. A single-player SNES port, announced at the 1992 Winter CES, followed that year to average reviews, Super Play criticising its animation, sound effects and slowdown. The arcade version was later included in Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 and Remixed, paired with Final Fight in Final Fight: Double Impact in 2010, and added to Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium.