Cinderella: Magical Dreams (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

It's hard to miss a new Disney release when each animated feature is treated with the same level of fanfare as the last. Directors, actors and artists are wheeled out in order to do the 'exclusive' making of documentary and everyone appears to speak about how much fun it was and the unique properties of this latest product. The same can now be said of DVD releases and it didn't take long for the 'House of the Mouse' to discover that they could whip up a similar storm for the Home Entertainment releases. Cinderella falls into this very category and this game, Magical Dreams, is based upon the 1950 classic animated feature. Disney though has hardly got an outstanding track record with their handheld efforts so will this one break the mold?

Gameplay

Magical Dreams follows the story of Cinderella in a series of simple mini-games playing as Cinders herself, The Fairy Godmother and the two mice: Gus and Jaq. The various levels are a mixture of both mini-games and platforming sections almost all of which draw on tried and tested formulas which you've probably encountered in other titles. The difference here is that they are all manageable for younger players with sensibly placed continue points. There are also unlimited continues meaning the pace never becomes too frustrating because you have been returned to the beginning of a section at the last moment.

The majority of Cinderella's levels take place as a left to right platformer interspersed with the odd mini-game, which usually involves collecting apples or feeding a horse in order for him to kick the otherwise locked gate. More interesting is the ballroom dance section where you must attempt to stay in the spotlight whilst dancing with the prince. You'll also get extra marks for performing a serious of dance moves that delight the crowd and so increase your popularity. Things get considerably smaller when playing as the mice and the object here is generally to seek out and collect an object Cinderella requires to continue with her quest to marry the prince. The mice levels appear to take place in the cellar, loft or even in-between the wall space with the obvious hazards such as spiders and dripping water. The Fairy Godmother's only appearance is in a balloon-bursting event. Burst enough of the correct color balloon and increase her magical ability. As I said it's all pretty simple and given that it saves automatically after each section it's also incredibly user friendly. One thing that did puzzle me though is when you complete the game both the movie clips and stills are there to view but the only way to re-visit a level is to replay the entire game.

Controls

Incredibly easy with instructions given at the beginning of each mini-game. Of course you will have to have the ability to read so very young gamers may need a little help here.

Graphics

The graphics throughout are well above average as is the animation just don't expect Disney quality. That said there are some nice touches particularly when you are playing as the mice. What really sets this game apart visually is the generous amount of Full Motion Video (FMV) crammed onto the cart although as DC studios are at the forefront of this technology it's the least you'd expect. There are some 16 clips here which bridge the mini-games in order to form the story and what's even better they're all available from the main menu for your viewing pleasure once you've unlocked them in the main game.

Sound

Clearly to cram all the FMV onto the cart there had to be a compromise and it's here in the sound department. Don't get me wrong; it does contain samples from the original movie soundtrack, the problem is these have been cut into short loops that play throughout a level. Occasionally them are well suited to your current mini-game but some of these are just too repetitive to be truly satisfying.

Final comments

Well, it's been a while but they do seem to have broken the spell and while this won't be to everybody liking it's ideal for younger gamers who are discovering Cinderella on DVD for the first time. This was reinforced when I handed the game to my nieces over the weekend in order to get a viewpoint from the intended demographic. Needless to say after they both battled over it for some time (two GBAs and one game doesn't go) it was an all round thumbs up with one favoring the Cinderella sections whilst the other clearly enjoyed the mice more. For me it was also the mice section that made the game but I'm sure everyone will have his or her favorites. Overall a great game for 3 to 9 year olds and even with the minor gripes considered, highly recommended.

Pro: Loads of Mini-Games and FMV
Con: The Music
Final score: 7.3

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