Web site:
Category: Games
Sub-Category: Puzzle
Platform: Arcade, Nintendo Super Famicom, Sega Saturn, PlayStation
License: Proprietary
Interface: GUI
Wikipedia: Magical Drop
First release: 1995
Magical Drop (Japanese: マジカルドロップ) – a puzzle video game series created by the Japanese company Data East. The gameplay mechanics are based on grouping identical elements and are similar to other games in the genre, such as Puzzle Bobble and Columns.
Magical Drop is based on a game called Drop-Drop created by Russ Ltd, a Russian company.
The first game in the series, also known as Chain Reaction, was released in 1995 for arcades.
All games in the series are based on the core mechanics established in the first game. The game is played on a rectangular board, with multicolored balls appearing from the top edge and gradually filling the board. When the balls reach the bottom edge of the screen, the game is lost. The player controls a jester figure located at the bottom of the board, which can move diagonally, capture balls, and return them to the board. In some versions, the jester figures are replaced by miniature figures of the characters themselves. If three or more balls of the same color end up in a single column, they and all balls of the same color they touch disappear from the board. The disappearance of objects from the board can cause a chain reaction, in which many objects disappear at once. Creating such chain reactions is an important gameplay element, leading to faster filling of the opponent’s board when playing against another player or the computer. The game characters are based on the Tarot of Marseille cards.
Data East was considering creating a puzzle game, and while researching existing games, the developers found a collection of games from Russia. They fell in love with a game from a Russian company called Russ. According to Takashi Kobayashi, one of the creators of Magical Drop, Russ’s game was amateurishly made and not very engaging. Its gameplay consisted of random objects, such as donuts and polar bears, and the ability to create chain reactions was completely absent. However, Kobayashi liked the core gameplay mechanic of grabbing and throwing objects. Data East signed a contract with Russ and began producing their own version. The developers began thinking about how to make the game more engaging and began adding new mechanics. The resulting game had many differences compared to the original Russ game, leading Data East to fully acquire the copyright from the Russian developers.
The first game in the series was released in 1995 in arcades under the title Magical Drop in Japan. The English version was titled Chain Reaction. All subsequent installments have had the same titles in all territories. An updated version, Magical Drop Plus 1!, was later released, which added a solo mode to the game in addition to the existing modes of playing against another player or a computer opponent. Magical Drop II was released in 1996, and Magical Drop III in 1997. Both games initially appeared on Neo-Geo MVS arcade machines and Neo-Geo home consoles, and were later ported to many other platforms.
In 1999, Magical Drop Pocket was released for the Neo Geo Pocket handheld game console. Magical Drop for Wonderswan was released for the WonderSwan. The fourth installment in the series, Magical Drop F, was released in 2000 exclusively for the PlayStation. The game featured an “role-playing” mode with a more extensive storyline. That same year, Magical Drop was released for the Game Boy Color.
In 2003, Data East filed for bankruptcy. In 2004, the Japanese company G-Mode purchased the rights to Magical Drop, along with other intellectual property from Data East.[15] G-Mode released the Magical Drop mobile phone games Magical Drop DX in 2004 and Magical Drop Touch in 2009 under the Magical Drop brand. On July 29, 2009, Magical Drop Yurutto was released for the Nintendo DS—a crossover game featuring characters from the adventure game Yuru Yuru Theater.
In 2012, Magical Drop V was released, developed by independent French developer Golgoth Studio. In December 2020, it was announced that Magical Drop 6 was in development.
The sixth installment in the series was developed by Forever Entertainment and was scheduled for release in April 2023 for Windows and Nintendo Switch.
