In a Nutshell
You are Master Cyrus the wizard in this retro breakout-style game. Using magic powers and your wand, you must break through 5 worlds of bricks, blocks and beasts to save the kingdom.
Story
The story is exceedingly simple and harkens to a simpler era. Simply put, the kingdom has been destroyed by an evil spell and it is up to you to save it. That's pretty much it. of course, this being a retro game that mixes breakout gameplay with light RPG themes, the lack of a grandiose story is not a particularly large flaw. What little there is is charming enough to hold your attention and remind you of simpler days.
Gameplay
This is a rather basic breakout clone with a twist. on top of having a paddle and ball, you also have five magic spells at your disposal: a block-breaking fireball, a trajectory-altering gust of wind, a powerful all-breaking magma ball, a useful ball control spell and a teleportation spell when all else fails. your use of the spells is rationed by your magic meter. You need to use the magic wisely as your meter runs out rather quickly and refills can be hard to come by. One of the major flaws of this game is that a large number of levels have just a few bricks that are very hard to hit properly and you'll often find yourself almost fruitlessly batting the ball as the frustration grows and the ball misses the targets narrowly. Another aspect of the game is the RPG trappings it has. A good portion of the blocks you break will release coins or gems, which you can collect with the paddle and spend in shops or donate to villagers to allow them to repair their houses and businesses. it's simple but it adds a lot of charm and variety, even though most buildings are completely useless. The power-ups you can buy can help out in the game, but i must confess i did not use them very much. All in all, solid gameplay if a bit annoying at times.
Presentation
This game uses a very nice, very charming retro art style. Bright palettes and crisp pixel art is what you'll find here and, if that's something you like, you will surely enjoy the way the game is presented. The music is also reminiscent of the 8 to 16-bit era of video games and has fitting tracks for the various worlds you explore. This is a game that attempts to emulate an era of video games and it succeeds very well, perhaps better than other retro titles. It just looks right to me.
Verdict
Wizorb is a fun retro game that, while not revolutionary, puts a charming spin on an old classic. If you like breakout-style games, you will want to buy Wizorb. I give this game a score of Charmingly Fun with a caveat that it certainly made me a bit frustrated a time. Then again, I am not a fan of breakout games. The art style certainly kept me charmed long enough to enjoy this game to the end.
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