Blankin’ magnets—how do they work? Science can offer us a long and boring explanation of course, but a better question is, “How can magnets be used to make a video game awesome?” PagodaWest Games is testing a theory or two through Major Magnet, an iOS platformer that combines the speed of Sonic the Hedgehog with magnetism’s black magic.
Blankin’ magnets—how do they work? Science can offer us a long and boring explanation of course, but a better question is, “How can magnets be used to make a video game awesome?” PagodaWest Games is testing a theory or two through Major Magnet, an iOS platformer that combines the speed of Sonic the Hedgehog with magnetism’s black magic.
Sonic the Hedgehog is the fastest thing alive, but Major Magnet (you can call him Marv) has a bit of a gut hanging over his little chicken legs; he’s not running anywhere in a real hurry. But fate takes us all to weird places, and one day Marv finds a magnet inexplicably attached to his person. He joyfully begins flinging himself around at the speed of the Earth’s magnetic pull—but you need to help control him so he won’t go careening through a window.
Like many titles on the App Store, Major Magnet is a 2D action game. Unlike many titles on the App Store, you control Marv by manipulating his environment instead of relying on a virtual d-pad. There are magnetic pods scattered around every level, and you shepherd Marv by flicking them on and off, thereby slowing him down or granting him momentum as necessary.
Major Magnet‘s Sonic the Hedgehog influence is not a coincidence—it was put together by a team of Sonic fans that worked on Sonic 2 HD, a downloadable HD remake of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Regardless of whether you’re a blue hedgehog or a portly guy in a magnetized superhero suit, everyone feels the need for speed at some point. Major Magnet comes to the App Store in January 2013.
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