Game Description

Magic Carpet is a very original title. Flying on a carpet itself is original in video games, but the concept and story line make this one of a kind.



Collect magical powers by shooting the balls (mana) floating around the world and make them your color (white). Then, let your hot air balloons pick them up and bring them to your castle before the other wizards get to your mana and change it to their own color. That's the main thing of the game.

So where does the mana come from?

Well, all of the 13 different beasts that fly or walk around in each of the worlds contain a certain amount of it, and when destroyed, it's released. You complete a world (there's about 75 of them!) when a certain amount of mana has been stored in your castle.

A really interesting aspect of mana is that you can access more spells the more you get, to a maximum of 20 different spells that can be found in the game. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

Influences of flight sim and 3D shooter, though not really comparable with anything. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

I seriously think I never enjoyed a game as much as I enjoyed this. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Let's start at the beginning. Beautiful "storybook" intro of you (the apprentice) chasing the ultimate beast, a wyvern. When you start playing Magic Carpet, you have to get used to the controls. It's very hard to navigate and shoot beasts, wizards and mana at the same time. Besides this, you have to keep guarding your castle and constantly changing your spells. Luckily, the first few levels aren't that had, so you can practice with all this. You own just 2 spells at the beginning of the game, that's "fireball" and "mana possession" spell. The first is to shoot enemy's and the second to make the mana yours. Just about each level, you get a spell added to your spell list and there's a completely different world to fly around in, so it doesn't get boring doing basically the same thing over and over again.

A very cool thing about this game is the AI. For example, when you shoot at civilians, they will shoot back with their arrows. Though when you cast the "mana possession" spell at their houses, they will help you, and will only shoot at enemy wizards and protect your castle! The beasts roaming around in the worlds are quite smart too.

In the levels at the beginning of the game, the emphasis is on killing enemies, but in later levels, you will have more trouble rivaling the wizards and possessing more mana and destroy their castle, while they will try the same thing with you. The best features are the total freedom and the incredibly original gameplay. It takes weeks and weeks to complete each level this game contains, and doesn't get boring for one minute.

The graphics. Beautiful 3D environment, fluid animation and realistically drawn beasts and wizards. A bit blocky when very close, but still stunningly well. The sound is very good too. Music is very fitting, and adapts to the situation. For example when there's an enemy close to you, the music gets tense and when the enemy shoots at you it gets even worse. Sound effects are just as good. Fitting the situation very well.

Further more, this version is better than the Saturn version. Better graphics, better controls. If for example you want to select a certain spell on the Saturn version, it's hard, because of the delay of the cursor. In the PlayStation version, all is well. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

Fluid animation, mirror effects, and well drawn enemies. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

Fitts the game stunningly well, music adapts to the situation and all sound effects are appropriate. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

Even after completing all 75 levels, I still want to play it again. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

Describing all spells, enemies, levels and each and every aspect of the game. ~ Chris Broesder, All Game Guide