Universal Magic Shot (by Francois Alliot)

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by PeteOzzy, Apr 9, 2015.

  1. PeteOzzy

    PeteOzzy Well-Known Member

    Oct 30, 2013
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    Norwich, England

    Magic Shot

    Nerial Ltd
    Download Magic Shot, the experimental French Billiards game, by the creators of Reigns. More than 2700 unique levels : …
    TouchArcade Rating:
    $0.99
    Buy Now
    Media
    Details
    Download Magic Shot, the experimental French Billiards game, by the creators of Reigns. More than 2700 unique levels : - Easy to get, hard to master - Lift your day with some colour therapy - Enjoy the peaceful and evocative journey of "Meditation", the expert highscore chase of "Purity" and the frantic hypnosis induced by "Insanity". - Amazing electronic music created by Renaud Bédard using LittleBits Based on traditional French Billiards, players have to touch both the yellow and red balls with the white cue ball, in a single shot. But If only it was that simple! The table morphs after each successful play. Download it now! Pay once and play forever ! No in app purchase Handcrafted in London by Nerial with music by Renaud Bédard.
    Information
    Seller:Nerial Ltd
    Genre:Arcade, Sports
    Release:Apr 08, 2015
    Updated:Mar 28, 2019
    Version:1.3
    Size:82.0 MB
    User Rating: (5)
    Your Rating:unrated
    Compatibility:HD Universal
     
  2. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
    82
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    London
    #2 nerial, Apr 9, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2015
    Magic Shot (by Nerial)

    Magic Shot

    Nerial Ltd
    Download Magic Shot, the experimental French Billiards game, by the creators of Reigns. More than 2700 unique levels : …
    TouchArcade Rating:
    $0.99
    Buy Now
    Media
    Details
    Download Magic Shot, the experimental French Billiards game, by the creators of Reigns. More than 2700 unique levels : - Easy to get, hard to master - Lift your day with some colour therapy - Enjoy the peaceful and evocative journey of "Meditation", the expert highscore chase of "Purity" and the frantic hypnosis induced by "Insanity". - Amazing electronic music created by Renaud Bédard using LittleBits Based on traditional French Billiards, players have to touch both the yellow and red balls with the white cue ball, in a single shot. But If only it was that simple! The table morphs after each successful play. Download it now! Pay once and play forever ! No in app purchase Handcrafted in London by Nerial with music by Renaud Bédard.
    Information
    Seller:Nerial Ltd
    Genre:Arcade, Sports
    Release:Apr 08, 2015
    Updated:Mar 28, 2019
    Version:1.3
    Size:82.0 MB
    User Rating: (5)
    Your Rating:unrated
    Compatibility:HD Universal


    Hi,

    So that's it, our little crazy billiard game with morphing tables is out!

    Here is the trailer...


    Hope you enjoy it! Can't wait to see who will be the first to finish Meditation...

    François, gamedev of Magic Shot
     
  3. Guise

    Guise Well-Known Member

    Jul 10, 2009
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    Haven't had a chance to play much but first impressions are all really positive. Sort of like Desert Golfing for billiards with a (crazy) geometry twist. Recommended.
     
  4. Guise

    Guise Well-Known Member

    Jul 10, 2009
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    The three different modes are all awesome and supremely well-designed. Controls are precise and the visuals are elegant. Meditation mode is based around the abstract shapes of cities, or at least design elements associated with those cities. I think. Maybe the levels are just named after cities. Either way, it's cool. Purity is high-score mode with limited shots. Insanity limits the time you have to score points, with the 'table' morphing faster and faster as time ticks down. It's trippy. There are even more design details I'll leave to be discovered.


    I'm really surprised this hasn't received more attention. Fans of Desert Golfing, Golfinity, billiards, physics-based (and geometry-based) gameplay, and excellence in game design should get this yesterday. It's good.

    PS
    I think there's a duplicate thread a few pages back (started by PeteOzzy). It'd be cool if the two threads were combined to avoid confusion.
     
  5. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
    82
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    London
    Thanks for the feedback! Yes sure, we should merge the two threads. Who could do that ?
    I didn't spotted the post from PeteOzzy, sorry about that.

    The game was out only yesterday, so it should pick up from here (we have some coverage happening already).
     
  6. Qwertz555

    Qwertz555 Well-Known Member

    May 22, 2010
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    I already had my eyes on this, since i'm a passionate billard player (in any form) myself.

    This game wasn't out when i made my BIG shopping tour this early thursday. So what's another three bucks, right?

    Though, the Devs have to wait for ordering another drink, since i first have to buy a new app-card tomorrow.
     
  7. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
    82
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    London
    I'm in London, so a pint is like $8. I fear you may have to convince two more people to play the game.

    Hope you will like it.
     
  8. slamraman

    slamraman Well-Known Member
    Patreon Gold

    Aug 27, 2011
    2,511
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    Well, I haven't seen a Guise singular game of the week nomination since Desert Golfing, which is still the best game of last year, so I've just downloaded this little beauty now. Unfortunately, I'm off on holiday round about now so I can't try it out til later but properly looking forward to this. If Quertz likes it too, it's almost likely to be a real bobby dazzler.
     
  9. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
    82
    0
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    London
    Hope you will enjoy!

    Magic Shot has been featured as Best new game on USA and Canada store! :eek:

    Note that the "Rate this game" button doesn't work in the game (it's the sort of thing you discover when it's too late!). Update is being reviewed but in the meantime, thanks for the people who leave reviews through the App store, means a lot.
     
  10. Qwertz555

    Qwertz555 Well-Known Member

    May 22, 2010
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    You can order a big 1/3 pint, bought.
     
  11. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
    82
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    London
    Thanks!

    Someone asked in a review if it was possible to reinitialise Méditation mode. It's not possible directly in the game (on purpose, think Desert Golfing), the only way to do that is too reinstall the game. Of course that won't affect your ranking (no harm in adding that).
     
  12. Qwertz555

    Qwertz555 Well-Known Member

    May 22, 2010
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    For me, this game is clearly a love-it or delete-it affair. Nothing between.
    I'm still not quite sure to which side i'll be falling...

    Controls are very nice and responsive. Touch anywhere on screen, pull back, aim and let go. Enough length/power can be given. Always important is to cancel a shot/missplaced finger position. Here it's easy, clear and well executed.

    My love goes to the physics. Though you can't give the ball back- or top-spin etc, they feel tight and real. That's why i'd like to see a simple classic table added to find out more.
    Until here, i clearly fall to the love-it side. Recommended!

    My honest dark side parts...

    The music...in short, i muted the music after five minutes in all modes.
    (I can play my own, but i hardly hear the clicking balls,always using headphones)

    What makes billard so special for the connoisseur...the hypnotising clicks of the balls. With music, almost not existent. Mute it and crank up the volume in Purify (my prefered) mode and you get an ear assault by those gimmicky/comics sfx sounds/noises.
    Another game with no volume slider for the (in this case) very important ball sounds, pity. Oh how i'd like to hear only the clicking of the balls, even if it would be for this mode only.

    Insanity mode: the fast and faster morphing tables, while changing the (beautiful) colors at the same time, might not be for everybody (epilepsy, maybe add this to the description?). I only tend to get motion sick in some games, here i'm on the border.

    The skill-luck factor in all modes is definitely more on the luck side, specially when a ball gets stuck in a morphed table and it's impossible to land a hit for a few seconds. Remember, Insanity is a time mode. Maybe one or another table design too much.

    If you read this far...not recommended, and i fall to the dark-side.

    Hmmm...
     
  13. LordGek

    LordGek Well-Known Member
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze

    Feb 19, 2009
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    Software QA Engineer
    Saratoga, CA, USA
    Well thought out review, but, intentionally or not, you sold me on the game and I'm having a blast with it so far!
     
  14. Qwertz555

    Qwertz555 Well-Known Member

    May 22, 2010
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    Ha, Devs, your next 1/3 pint.

    Glad you enjoy it, and to tell you my next trouth: i completely forgot time and my appointment by playing one straight hour through, then i fall...to the bright side, as well.

    The possibility to upgrade "my dark sides" is given, and so are the two most important things - physics and controls!
     
  15. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
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    That's indeed a very well-balanced review, from which we could probably take a couple of ideas for a future update. I like the idea of having a "pure" billiard sound when music is off or the sliders.

    Regarding the music, we decided to go for something very special, very experimental. And it really clik for most people (me included obviously :) although I perfectly understand that it's not for everyone. You probably noticed, the music was made by Renaud Bédard (the dev of Fez) with littlebits. He created from scratch different batches for each music, things like that : https://vine.co/v/OVvAAOnODvd Then I arranged different layers of loops procedurally, so it's never exactly the same music twice.

    I only disagree with the luck factor. It's not that strong. Play just a little bit more and believe me, you will see the skill growing, slowly but surely, even on seemingly impossible tables. French billiard is a game with multiple solutions for each shot. It's not just about making a good shot, it's also about making the choice that have the highest chance of success. And often the most obvious solution is not necessarily the best one.

    That's why playing with the table shapes works so well : except for easy "I got both colored balls in front of the white" situations, you will have to rely on the sides of the table, the cushion to make a point. With curved angles and things in you way, you will need to be creative...

    Of course Insanity relies a bit more on luck, but that's entirely on purpose... :D
     
  16. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
    82
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    #16 nerial, Apr 11, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2015
    Hey thanks ! (I was answering while you replied)

    One more and we have our pint.

    By the way, you have to know that we're two designers on this, me and Arnaud.

    We really need 4 more... (or am I too greedy :).
     
  17. Guise

    Guise Well-Known Member

    Jul 10, 2009
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    Right on. I think you'll like this one.
    Yeah, I think skill definitely takes precedence over luck. On another note, I love how taking a really powerful shot subtly changes the table shape at the spot hit. Really cool design idea.
     
  18. Guise

    Guise Well-Known Member

    Jul 10, 2009
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    One suggestion/request: a Restart button on the Pause screen for Purity and Insanity modes would be handy, rather than having to quit and re-select the mode. Just a thought.
     
  19. nerial

    nerial Well-Known Member

    Feb 24, 2014
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    Ha yes, we had a long debate about that one. In the end it was a bit confusing to have both Resume/Retry buttons next to eachother. Some people ended up restarting a game when they tried to actually resume playing. Very frustrating.

    Also (especially in purity) we didn't want the players to be able to restart too easily we wanted them to experience the whole run. Because even with one slot left in Purity you can make a really good score : ultra mode happens a lot more often, bringing higher scores (even if it's more difficult to sustain it very long because of the decaying table).

    Most people start by enjoying Insanity because it's crazy and shiny but Purity and Meditation are for the long runners. You need some real skills to be good at Purity notably. Highscore is 590 today.
     
  20. Qwertz555

    Qwertz555 Well-Known Member

    May 22, 2010
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    The game is incredibly growing on me, that i decided to give it a nomination in the GOTW thread. (Devs can't vote)

    Made 364 in Purity a minute ago and updating to GC happens immediately. Saying this because i don't see 590, top is still "lauzy" 581 points.
     

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