Licensed games. The very concept makes some people immediately turn their noses and lock out any potential for enjoying a game. It’s true that games based on movies or cartoons or other properties are often a cash in lacking the spirit and polish of original or established games. But that’s not always the case. There are many of these titles that are fondly remembered or generally well received. Others still were simply a good game that was reskinned to resemble a property. I’m not really aware of its history, but that’s the feeling I get from Snoopy’s Magic Show. The relationship to Peanuts is superficial, and it’s not really a magic show… But it IS good.
Snoopy’s Magic Show holds a special place in my heart because it was one of my first Game Boy Games. The folks picked out my first few games on the system. Super Mario Land at launch then eventually things like Snoopy’ Magic Show and Kirby’s Dreamland. These titles are steeped in meaning for me, they were among the first games that were wholly mine and the Game Boy was the first console that was wholly mine. The NES was my older brother’s and the SNES was for both of us. A sense of sole ownership to a little kid is a big deal.
In spite of all of this, Snoopy’s Magic Show was the biggest skeleton in my gaming closet. I’ve talked about clearing the skeletons before, but Snoopy is the big one. I’ve owned this game for over 20 years and had not completed. It wasn’t a question of difficulty. It wasn’t a question of length. The limiting factor was that this game would always freeze at some point during the level 80 series of stages. But this game came up as a “fortune cookie” random play choice on the Backloggery recently and I decided to tackle it once and for all. I would play up to the trouble point, then get a password to continue beyond it. But fate intervened and the sun and stars and moon and the asteroids aligned and smiled upon me and I cleared this game with zero glitches. Serendipity.
So, the game? Snoopy’s Magic Show is a straightforward beast but not necessarily an easy one to slay. It’s a tile based game where you move Snoopy around a maze. Collecting four Woodstocks will clear the maze and Snoopy will progress to the next level. What does this have to do with Peanuts outside of the characters? Nothing. But it IS really fun!
It’s not completely without teeth, either. Every level has a bouncing ball that will kill Snoopy on contact – sometimes two. Snoopy has to plot his course through every maze while avoiding the balls and collecting Woodstocks. There are pushable blocks, power-ups, disappearing blocks, conveyor arrows, breakable blocks, and teleportation tiles to mix things up. It’s like Eggerland/Adentures of Lolo in that sense – it has a number of set pieces that combine to create greatly different experiences.
I should mention that these balls have a mind of their own – they do _not_ bounce and move in any consistently predictable fashion other than “towards Snoopy.” Perhaps I’m paranoid, but they seem to be able to change direction at walls and even change speed to find the quickest route to Snoopy. They’re still bound by the need to bounce of off walls, but you generally need to watch them in case they change their path at the wall. This is partially so they don’t get stuck, I suppose, but you will be swearing these things are gaming the system ha ha. This can work against the balls too, as sometimes they seem to react to your (x,y) position. So to move them out of a chamber or into another, Snoopy will have to bait them. They can make some unbelievable moves sometimes, but it adds to the danger and allows for an element of strategy.
This sort of falls apart part way through though. There are 60 stages in Magic Show, then these stages repeat with Snoopy’s brother Spike added as an enemy for a total of 120 total stages. Spike is not restricted by needing to bounce and he heads towards Snoopy in a semi-erratic fashion – he will generally move right for you, with little adjustments. Spike can break breakable blocks and push pushable blocks, ride the conveyor and generally do what you can do. He’s also lethal to the touch. He adds another layer of strategy to some rooms, but makes some others completely luck based.
Part of the issue comes from the control. Snoopy moves one tile for every press of the D-Pad. This means if Spike is next to him, he can’t get away quickly because he will still be considered as being on one tile even as he moves to another. Eggerland/Adventures of Lolo is the better model here because its based on half-tiles instead of full tiles. And that makes a huge difference in terms of contact and precision, honestly.
That aside, the game is generally challenging in a good way. There are some cases that are frustrating or seem completely up to luck (any time you have to move past Spike in a tight passage for instance) but most of the 120 rooms are very manageable and very enjoyable. And besides, it has a password system so you can always take a breather and come back later. Or just skip your troubles I suppose, but you wouldn’t do that right?
Snoopy’s Magic Show may have teeth, but it’s a cute game too. The stages are clear – super important in a puzzle game – and the characters are well drawn. Not to mention it has a surprising range of music, some unique to just a handful of rooms – and this music is pretty damn catchy too. It’s well done and ranks amongst my most nostalgic game music. There’s been myths before that the Game Boy wasn’t capable of solid presentation. I call them myths for a reason.
I’ve spent a lot of this article on Memory Lane, but clearing this game has been a great moment in gaming for me. It’s hard to convey just what it’s like to clean what may have been the ultimate gaming skeleton from the proverbial closet. It’s hard to articulate why this cartridge not freezing on me was so thrilling. It’s just a puzzle game, after all? Indeed, but it’s a waterfall I’ve been chasing for over 20 years – always denied and finally granted.
As for anyone interested in this game – give it a hook! It’s cheap – you won’t break the bank getting hold of this one! It’s easy to pick up – you will understand it immediately! It’s kawaii as hell – you will feel smile! It’s licensed but it’s good – even though it has little to do with the license! It’s a lot of fun – if you like puzzle games! And yeah, I know puzzlers aren’t for everyone. But if you like puzzle games and especially action puzzle games then this is wholly recommended. It can be frustrating near the endgame, sure, but it’s still so conducive to pick-up-and-play.
Snoopy come home, and get in my Game Boy!
There are a number of great licensed games, but a lot of the great ones seem to be during the early generations rather than the later.
I never had to deal with sharing a console with a sibling, thankfully.
I get why completing this would be such an important moment and accomplishment. I’ll try it, but I probably won’t go through the whole game.
You’ll get through more of the game than intended, I’d wager. The stages can go by pretty fast. But by al means give it a spin!
I make a big deal out of sharing a console but it wasn’t really that bad. I was at an age where I was often just as happy to watch. The same when my little bro was born, he would like to watch as well. But having something of your own when interests are shared is a big deal for a kid.