Magnetic Baby Review

The instant I saw Magnetic Baby, I was reminded of a game I love: Super Mario Galaxy for Nintendo's popular Wii console.

There are several reasons for this. First of all, the game plays somewhat like Nintendo's platformer. Gamers control an orange, round, ball-like hero who must rescue a pink, female character of similar appearance. Players must roll the hero around spherical, planet-like platforms, eventually making their way to this damsel in distress.

Like in Super Mario Galaxy, gamers can transfer from one platform to the next by jumping close enough towards that platform that they'll be pulled in by the object's gravitational force. The only difference between Magnetic Baby and Nintendo's platformer is that in Magnetic Baby, it's the magnetic connection between the game's hero and the floating platforms that allow him to roll around them and jump back and forth between individual platforms. In other words, this is basically Super Mario Galaxy – but with a character that gamers must roll around instead of Nintendo's famous plumber.

There's more than just jumping between platforms, though. There are plenty of obstacles in the way, including phase gates, wheels, fans, lasers and more. The constant changing of obstacles keeps Magnetic Baby gameplay fresh and challenging. And with over 60 levels spanning 3 different worlds, the game features a solid amount of variety.

Interestingly, Magnetic Baby features three different control schemes, each of which dramatically changes how the game plays. The default option requires tilting to roll the character. This control option is obviously the most daring of the three. But it was a smart decision of the developer to include other control options. Using the tilt control scheme certainly provides for a unique experience, but I find the other two control options – using an on-screen touch pad or dragging your finger where you want to move – to work better.

The other reason Magnetic Baby reminds of Super Mario Galaxy is because it looks a lot like a Nintendo game. The game is cute, colorful and sharp. Its hero – an orange ball featuring funny facial expressions as it rolls around this animated world – looks like something the Big N would create. And the game's worlds feature a memorable art-direction combining bright colors and different patterns and shapes in an striking fashion.

Magnetic Baby is a fun, cute platformer. Admittedly, it lacks originality – borrowing heavily from Super Mario Galaxy, primarily. But despite this truth, it's still an entertaining and challenging platformer. And for 99 cents, it's definitely worth a go.