PagodaWest nails that Sonic feel in Major Magnet for iPhone

Lots of game developers have aped the gameplay of Sonic The Hedgehog over the years, but few have managed to nail the feel of Sega's seminal platformer.

Small indie team PagodaWest Games may just have pulled it off, though, with its newly released iPhone title Major Magnet.

Frenetic pace? Check. An obsession with sending your character (the titular hero) zooming through the air with only brief moments of direct control? Check.

Saying that, Major Magnet isn't by any means a complete clone of Sonic.

In fact, it plays more like CarneyVale Showtime on Windows Phone and Xbox, in that you must swing your helpless character around fixed points in the level (magnets on this occasion), releasing at the key moment in order to send him towards the next point of contact.
So, it's not massively Sonic-y in the hands, but boy does Major Magnet FEEL like a lost '90s Sega game. It's in the flashy casino-like menus; the frantic synth-lounge music; and the crisp, vibrant sprite work and animation.

As we pointed out in our Major Magnet news piece back in December, this shouldn't come as a great surprise.

PagodaWest was involved in the development of the Sonic 2 HD fan project, so it clearly has a deep understanding of what made those early Sonic games great.

We'll have to play with Major Magnet - priced 69p / 99c - some more to see if the rest of the game can stand up to scrutiny, but early impressions are positive. Stay tuned for the full review.