Filed under: Nintendo DS, Casual

I've always liked magic. Growing up, I learned card tricks, sleight-of-hand, and other ways to fool an audience. One of my great childhood memories was being driven downtown by my mom and rummaging though a magic store's disorganized racks. I picked out a small, mirrored box that could cause any object I placed inside to disappear.If that store had Master of Illusion, I would have likely bought it instead. The DS "game" teaches kids tricks through dozens of on-screen activities. Some even rely on the included deck of cards. The best tricks lead to performances for friends, while some activities -- like fortune telling -- seem better suited to slumber parties. A few other activities let single players amaze themselves, with the DS reading the gamer's mind in a series of logic-based tricks.While I'll try not to spill too many secrets about how Master of Illusion works, the game looks to be a unique tool for young magicians. However, I was disappointed that the DS is required in all activities; I wanted the game to teach stand-alone tricks that work with just the included cards. But at least the game explains ways to misdirect an audience, recover from a mistake, and other basics that could be applied to other performances.

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Master of Illusion (DS)

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