Mobile game reviews
TEAM REVIEWS THE LATEST GAMES FOR ANDROID & iOS SMARTPHONES & TABLETS.
Max and the Magic Marker GET DRAWN INTO MAX’S WORLD. $2.99 | maxandthemagicmarker.com
A RE-RELEASE OF a game from 2010, with few changes other than updates for modern versions of iOS, poses an interesting question: Can such a veteran of the App Store still entertain the audiences of 2017 and beyond? The answer is a simple ‘yes’. Max may be getting on a bit, but his mid-’00s haircut is probably his biggest flaw. This is a left-toright platformer enlivened by the collection of ink for the titular paranormal pen. You can use a finger to move the marker, drawing in extra platforms so Max can access otherwise unreachable areas. The more ink you have, the more you can draw.
Your drawings become a part of the world, so you can drop a big weight on the head of a patrolling bad guy, as long as he hasn’t put his protective hat on, or create a shield or bridge to prevent death by getting wet. On-screen controls are limited to left, right, jump and push, but that’s really all you need, and the buttons are large enough so your thumbs don’t slip off.
The game is also not afraid to abandon its central gimmick and indulge in some simple platforming — levels that begin without any ink in the magic marker invite you to jump, clamber and push your way toward supplies. Levels are scored on the time you take to complete them, the amount of ink you collect, and how many of the secret black ink blobs you can find and reach.
At first, the game guides you with dotted lines, showing suggested drawings, but you can turn this off after a few levels and enjoy the glorious trial and error that comes from frantically doodling over everything as you try to chain together a sequence of moves, jumps and platforms to progress. It’s more simplistic than something like Scribblenauts, where the fun comes from just how well the developers have predicted your solutions to problems — especially because Max’s limited ink means the solutions are often stairs, or swirls, or just straight lines — but Max still has plenty to offer despite his advancing age. Perfect for snack-size gaming. We’re glad Max is back.