PixlBit

             

                                     Lisa wields a magic veil not a sword. Sheesh!

     Arabian Magic is a side scrolling hack and slash arcade game for up to four players set in the world of Arabian Nights (also called Thousand and One Nights) which is a collection of folk tales taken from Arabic, Persian, Egyptian, Indian, and Mesopotamian literature. The four heroes: Prince Lassid, Princess Lisa, Sinbad and Afshaal, have to get the Jewel of Seven Colors to save the King of Shahariyard from The Evil One’s enchantment that turned him into a monkey.         

    There are seven levels each of which ends in a boss that gives up one of the Jewels when beaten. You fight with weapons and magic and a magic lantern that unleashes a special attack. You can break objects in the levels for items and power-ups and you can level up after a while, increasing your health and damage. I’m not sure how that part works, but it just happens as you’re playing.  

                                  

                            Don't make me use the lantern. You wouldn't like my Genie.

   Each character has his/her own abilities: Prince Lassid wields a sword is an all-around fighter; Princess Lisa has a magic veil with good reach, is quick, and has a spin move but is not strong defensively; Sinbad is all about power and can charge up his sword with fire by holding the attack button for a few seconds; Afshaal has a mace with good reach and a spin move with good defense but slow movement. All the characters have access to a magic lantern which contains a powerful genie that can be used as a special attack. The Genie appears huge on the screen and can be somewhat controlled by the player. As you defeat bosses, they get put in your magic lantern and you can then use each of them in battle. This was seriously the coolest aspect of the game.

                        

                                            I told you you wouldn't like my Genie.

   The art is really colorful and detailed. The art director was Nobuhiro Hiramatsu who also did character design for Space Gun, another excellent looking arcade game.

                    

                                   With four players in there, it’s just mayhem!