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Posts with tag master-of-illusion

Master of Price Cuts

We're losing count of how many times we've brought you news of Master of Illusion being offered at a lower price, and now it's cheap again! Newegg.com has the quirky (and rather decent) magic trainer on sale for $15.99, plus $2.99 postage.

We know that this has been even cheaper in the past, but we also know that magic continues to be serious business. So buy Master of Illusion today, and no longer will your bungled card tricks be greeted by awkward, slightly pitiful silences at dinner parties; indeed, we expect you all to be sawing siblings in half by the end of the week.

Gallery: Master of Illusion


[Thanks, Ernest!]

Here come Amazon's Gold Box deals [update 2]

Just a reminder to all you friendly folks in the U.S. -- Amazon is having crazy DS deals today.

The retailer kicked off its Gold Box sales awesomely, offering Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for $16.99. If we don't say so ourselves, that is damn sweet. You have until 12am Pacific time to bite on this, but we recommend getting it sooner rather than later because we doubt supplies will last.

As for the lightning deals, we've listed them here (with our guesses for ones that haven't been confirmed yet). Keep in mind, these are in Pacific time, and each deal lasts for four hours (assuming they don't go out of stock):
We suppose that with such an awesome "Deal of the Day," we can forgive Amazon for everything else being subpar. Keep in mind, though, that these are just our guesses. We'll update the post as other sales are confirmed.


[Update 1: Master of Illusion was confirmed as the second lightning deal and was added to the post.]

[Update 2: Transformers: Autobots is the third lightning deal. And, would you look at that -- Master of Illusion sold out. Who would have thought?]

[Via CAG]

Another Week in Europe

Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of DS lovers.

After a gray, unrelenting winter (for most of us in the unglamorous northern bits, anyway), the clocks went forward for Europe earlier this week, which we suppose means we're now fully immersed in spring (hence the daffodils, you see -- we really think long and hard about those pictures). Fittingly, the European sales charts are full of the joys of spring themselves!

Wait, no, hold on, we're lying again. Must stop lying. In reality, they're still pretty much unchanged from last week, with the one notable exception being Magic Made Fun (known as Master of Illusion in the U.S.) which debuted on the continent this week, where it reached 8th in Germany, and 7th in Spain -- we expected a little more from this sorcery sim, considering its catch-all appeal.

Anyhow, here's to April, when Assassin's Creed, Draglade, and The World Ends With You should arrive to help shake things up. Make the jump for this week's charts.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

Magic Made Fun conjures up screens, possible PAL release date

Master of Illusion hit the U.S. back in November, but PAL gamers are still waiting on Tenyo's magic simulation, where it will carry the far more approachable moniker of Magic Made Fun. The mystery surrounding the game's European and Aussie release date may have been solved, however, as Jersey-based retailer Play.com now has the game listed for release in the UK on March 14th.

On a possibly related note, thirteen new screens of the game appeared in a puff of white smoke were distributed today by Nintendo, which makes us think that the official unveiling of a PAL release date is imminent. Rabbits and hats at the ready!

Gallery: Master of Illusion


[Via press release]

Finally, magic is fun


In the U.S., magic is serious business. The art of illusion is a skillset to be mastered, as evidenced by the North American title for Nintendo's magic trainer, Master of Illusion. But what if magic tricks could be a recreational activity? Something that people could do for entertainment?

That's the idea Nintendo of Europe came up with when they branded the game: much like Brain Age makes brain exercises fun and Flash Focus makes looking at stuff fun, Magic Made Fun takes magic, which is an important life skill, and makes it fun. No longer will you have to force your kids to practice their card tricks!

Gallery: Master of Illusion



[Via GamesPress]

A cheap trick? No, a half-priced Illusion!



Joys be thine, amateur magicians! If you thought that twenty-buck bargain from earlier this week was the best deal Amazon could conjure up for Master of Illusion, prepare to be amazed -- the online shop has sawed the magic kit's original price in half, bringing it down to a mere $14.99 only two weeks after its release in the US! This deal won't last long, however, as it's scheduled to end at the stroke of midnight (or whenever Amazon's stock runs out), so grab this one before it disappears in a puff of smoke.

See also: Metareview: Master of Illusion

Metareview: Master of Illusion


Since it popped up on Amazon's sale yesterday, and since it's an intriguing title (at least, to this blogger), even though it's been out for a while, we thought we would take a critical look at Master of Illusion -- or at least, a look at what the critics are saying.

Game Informer: 80% -- At GI, they dig the freebies and the attention. "You might think the Wii is perfect for parties at your house, but this game and its magic tricks will make you and your DS the center of attention. Master of Illusion not only shows you how to perform tricks of various stripes, but also has practice exercises and performs some of its own magic tricks on you (the game also comes with a specialty deck of cards)."

IGN: 70% -- At IGN, they see Master of Illusion as the new magic kit: "Visit any toy shop and you're faced with a few "magic kits" that will teach kids how to perform feats of illusions using the props that are included in the box. That's exactly what Master of Illusion is: this generation's magic kit. But instead of the trick hankies, cup and balls, and collapsible wands, you use the Nintendo DS as the tricks' "prop." Master of Illusion is easily one of the most unexpected products on the Nintendo DS. Use your Nintendo DS to perform magic tricks? All right! It's certainly unique, and there's entertainment value in Master of Illusion, but keep in mind it's not a game; most of what you get out of this product is what you put into it."

Game Daily: 70% -- At Game Daily, it's all about performance. "The most enjoyable mode is Magic Show. Here, you can take your practice and tricks on the road, so to speak. While a lot of these tricks are pretty nifty, especially the ones where you pretend to be psychic, most verge on a tad obvious. Luckily, Master of Illusion's manual instructs you on how to deal with mistakes you might make or problems you might have with your illusions without spoiling the atmosphere or the show. Your deck of cards will soon become your best friend."

Amazon gives us a reason to be jolly

Amazon has put over two dozen Nintendo DS games on sale, some of them marked down as low as 50% of their original price! Some of the titles are trash, but there are more than a few that you should consider picking up. We've listed below the ones that stood out to us, but make sure to check out Amazon's page for the full selection of DS deals.
  • Front Mission - $24.99
  • Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck - $19.99
  • Master of Illusion - $19.99
  • Nintendo DS Headset - $9.99
  • Prism - $19.99
  • Spanish for Everyone - $14.99
Don't forget that orders totalling over $25 are eligible for the online shop's Free Super Saver Shipping. Joys be thine, frugal readers!

[Via CAG]

WRUP: Final Countdown edition


Considering the big release this week is Master of Illusion, we figured there would be no better anthem to herald the beginning of the magic act than Europe's "Final Countdown." Gob taught us many things, but most importantly he taught us the best magic is done to Europe's masterpiece.

So, will you be honing your skills at illusion or do you have some other game you plan on sinking your teeth into? What are you playing?

DS releases for the week of November 26th

Finally, gamers in the U.S. get a break from the deluge of releases. Draw a breath and hoard your pennies, DS fans ... there's more to come soon, and this lull won't last long. This might also be a good time to catch up on some of the games you've got lying around. Unless, of course, you're going to be picking up one of this week's releases! Gamers in the rest of the world aren't as lucky this week -- or are luckier, depending on your point of view -- and Japan in particular faces a spectacular array of DS games. Importers might want to take a closer look.
  • Boogie
  • Geometry Wars Galaxies
  • Master of Illusion

Continue reading DS releases for the week of November 26th

Master of Illusion info appears from a cloud of smoke

Nintendo has released a ton of screens and info on their magic trainer/simulator, Master of Illusion. Whereas we previously approached the title with bemusement, the screens have captured our hearts. They're so charming! The whole thing looks not like traditional magic tricks, but like a Nintendo game. We must admit that we have a fondness for the Paper Mario font, as well.

The screens show some of the game's trick demonstrations, which are used to teach the player each trick before he or she can pull them off. According to the fact sheet provided with the screens, each of the game's 20+ tricks has a detailed tutorial.

Will your friends be able to solve the mystery of the Hand I Just Drew that Picks Up the Thing They Wanted? Will they thrill to your powers to transform a thing into another thing with only a clap? Will they see you surreptitiously controlling the tricks? We hope not, on that last one, at least. Check after the break for the full fact sheet!

Gallery: Master of Illusion



[Via press release]

Continue reading Master of Illusion info appears from a cloud of smoke

Master of Illusion finds quarters behind Joystiq's ears

Apparently unafraid that the game's secrets would be revealed by the open-air policy, Nintendo let a bunch of game bloggers try out their new magic training game, Master of Illusion. In summary: if you've ever wanted to use your DS to perform shockingly obvious magic tricks in non-obvious ways, then this is, like, the only product on the market for you. If you want to play a game or something, look elsewhere.

Joystiq's Zack Stern explained the game as a set of interactive magic tricks which rely on the included deck of marked cards; the idea is that, once you've determined your friend's card by looking at the marks, you feed that information into your DS surreptitiously (by, for example, drawing a face in a certain way or entering button combinations), allowing the DS to miraculously guess the card. The game also contains some basic lessons about misdirection and other skills involved in magic.

Zack, ironically, wanted to see more training in this DS non-game: "I hope that creative magicians will eventually figure out ways to perform without the handheld. I just wish the game offered that outright, analog goal."

Gaming to Go!We debate the hot topics!

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