Morning is a popular trading card game that features magical creatures and spellcasting abilities. Within this game, there are collectible cards known as the "magic user" cards, which are highly sought after by players and collectors alike. These cards depict powerful wizards, sorcerers, and witches who possess incredible magical abilities. The appeal of the magic user collectible cards lies in their unique and visually stunning artwork. Each card features intricate illustrations that showcase the distinct personality and magical prowess of the depicted character. The artists behind these cards give life to the magic users, capturing their essence and making them even more desirable to collectors.
The artists behind these cards give life to the magic users, capturing their essence and making them even more desirable to collectors. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, the magic user collectible cards also hold significant value in gameplay. These cards often possess special abilities or spells that can turn the tide of a battle in the player's favor.
Vermilion magic 6s
You just gotta love those 80s and early 90s crappy box arts as even Sega was guilty of this. I love how Sega of America designed the main character as a Dollar General version of the Burger King. The artist must've been high on psychedelics if some generic looking prince was the best, he/she could come up with. At least it isn't on the same levels as the horrid Buck Rogers ripoff from Phantasy Star II’s cover. Just like the first Mega Man the artist got the characters and world absolutely wrong.
Welcome to a new edition of Retro Corner Reviews and we continue down the Sega Genesis rabbit hole with a niche RPG. During the late 80s and early 90s, Sega’s consoles weren’t known for RPGs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. At the time Nintendo had a strong grasp on third party support through cutthroat business practices. Meaning, they would often threaten these publishers with not allowing their games on the NES and Super NES if they dared to work with the competition. It’s the reason Squaresoft's titles never appeared on a Sega or non-Nintendo system. It’s also probably one of the reasons the first Lufia was never ported to the Genesis by Taito even though one was planned. That forced Sega to produce their own in house RPGs like Phantasy Star and the Shining series. After the release of PSII, work went into not only PSIII but Shining in the Darkness and Sword of Vermilion. Now, SoV was released in 1991 and is the first of the three RPGs to come out that year. It’s Sega’s one off titles that never saw a sequel and would eventually be forgotten by gamers in that generation. SoV also uses a few sub role playing genres in between the gameplay and level design.
Gameplay
The system used here isn’t anything like traditional RPGs and incorporates a few sub genres. SoV does use traditional concepts such as magic and entering towns to buy equipment and items. I have seen many who seem to think this gameplay is confuddled to the point it frustrates them based on not understanding the challenge. From my experience this isn’t the case where you have to go through hurdles of complications. In fact, the challenge was easy to understand, and it is simple to learn how to overcome each one. We begin with the overhead view that is only used within towns. As usual, here you shop at the stores, sleep at the INN and save at a temple while trying to learn of your next quest. I could never understand why saving anywhere was never a thing in these old role playing titles. It’s truly an outdated concept that Sega even used in their other games of the same kind. Another annoying thing is how the stores don’t show the strengths of the equipment. Most of the time my assumption on the prices and experience with RPGs tells me which is stronger. However, even Final Fantasy IV had this feature so that makes me give a cock eye to Sega for not paying attention to their competition. You could talk to NPCs but often they contribute nothing much to the adventure aside from their obvious dialogue. I like the feature of running into an NPC on the world map that asks if you are sure to venture into an area filled with stronger enemies. It’s probably the only modern mechanic that’s found overall in the entire game.
These images show how the combat works and it's interesting that AM2 used two different styles. On the left image shows the Hero fighting Kobolds using a fire spell on an overhead layout in a large open area. The problem is how limited the sword range is and I can't understand why slashing the sword at an arch never crossed their minds. Even Willow on the NES had this modern mechanic so why AM2 never thought of that is anyone's guess. The second image is one of the boss battles and it switches to a 2D side scrolling gameplay. Its challenge is the basic player strikes the boss while avoiding projectile attacks. No matter how far into the game you get they acted nearly the same as the others. That's also not factoring how stiff the controls were in this style.
The gameplay then switches to a first person view on the overworld and dungeons as the player navigates in a pseudo-3D effect. Enemies are encountered randomly which thrusts the player into an overhead view where they can engage or simply leave the screen to run away. As you guessed this is how experience and money (called kim) is earned. Depending on the battle the player will fight one or several of the same monster by random encounter. Even though some have a problem with the feature, but I have played this type of gameplay before. Due to the short range from the character’s slashing, often the player will run into the monster to strike. The early Ys titles had this kind of mechanic as you would run into the enemy to cause damage. There is a difference as despite the short range of attacking you can still strike enemies without taking a hit. It’s obvious why some find this annoying but at least the magic spells help get around the battle. The thing is Sega uses that as a clutch instead of giving better range of the sword. It also forces you to grind in order to not take too much damage. These ideas were taken mostly from the 80s style role playing titles like Ultima that used similar gameplay.
I understand what concept AM2 was going for when entering the dungeons. It is very reminiscent of the Ultima series, and the only difference is the visuals are more detailed. However, compared to the overworld the same effort wasn’t put into the dungeons especially those that were in caverns. As the map shows in the corner, there are no indications where the chests are nor the location of the bosses. Most RPGs suffered from this problem especially those that used dated concepts from Ultima. It’s also sad that the studio didn’t look at Zelda to implement a better map system for the levels. For the second picture it's one of the mazes where I found an hidden Sapphire Shield but by then I already had a better one. As you can tell the mazes were a lousy way to try to make players deviate from the main quest. I am not even kidding when in one labyrinth there is a dark weapon called the Dark Sword and if equipped will curse the Hero. Imagining going through a maze of useless items only to feel an unbridled rage when you find a crappy sword.
The level design is probably the worst thing here as the same challenges are repeated. From beginning to end, you will arrive in a town, learn about the next quest item and then enter its nearest cave as the stage. That is the worst case of laziness I have seen from an RPG and it’s the same level design every time. It also spirals downhill from there as the next issue is the limited inventory system. Having to use Lanterns and Gnome Stone (an exit item) did help since each one of these are needed for a dungeon once. However, for the other items like herbs and poison balms makes it hard to manage the inventory. It also doesn’t stack these up on each other, so you have to plan what to carry into the next area. Funny how Sega continued to get this wrong while Square even in their spinoff series like the Final Fantasy Legend Trilogy somehow understands. The lack of a hint system for the map is another thing that hurts the gameplay. The overworld and dungeons’ maps don’t show where the chests are once the player obtains the level’s atlas. It shows the exit of each floor and the layout but not the treasures. The one thing missing, are the weapons not having elemental and status alignment effects built in. I recall this mechanic being featured as far back as 1988 as seen in something like FFII on the Famicom.
Rating: 6.5/10
Graphics/Presentation
Sega went a different direction for the visuals’ art when compared to Phantasy Star and the Shining series. They were attempting for a western design and used a realistic art style as opposed to the anime appearance. Unfortunately, SoV doesn’t have good visuals as they come off bland and uninspiring most of the time. The towns saw this the worst as everything comes off empty and lifeless to the point of boredom. It is true that the Phantasy Star games had the same issues but its anime art and the vibrate colors helped. Even the colors used here comes from the infamous colored palate of a dystopian world. It’s like this was made in some low end free RPG maker that offers bland default textures. The NPCs were another example of generic design and like the towns, their colors made them look lifeless. I understand they were trying to shoot for a believable appearance for these human characters. However, this idea for the time would only work through digitizing live actors like in Mortal Kombat. The problem is that still won’t guarantee the visuals will come off looking good. AM2 should have looked at the other departments and used a cartoonish style as seen from Shining in the Darkness. At least they got the monsters,’ designs correct, and these looked believable. These enemies follow the typical tropes seen in other major stories from those European medieval based worlds. You will encounter imps, skeletons and other magical beings. There is still nothing special about their appearance, and it’s your run of the mill ideas.
I have seen many visuals during that Generation within the genre to have above average designs. The towns in SoV are probably the worst ones seen so far and everything looks lifeless. I could give examples like the first Lufia which had livelier towns to venture through. There were hardly any landmarks and props to tell the history of the land, I mean the Final Fantasy titles on the NES had these too. At least the overworld had a proper design with showcasing a pseudo-3D effect which not many RPGs had in the Fourth Gen. That same tiling does show up in the second image, however; AM2 did a much better job covering it compared to the dungeons. The landscape in a pseudo-3D effect shows everything from the mountains in the distance to the sky and it’s not using some specialized chip either. If SoV didn't have a crappy art style, then this would've been one of the best looking early games on the Genesis.
The overworld on the other hand looked better as the pseudo-3D effect made the environment stand out. AM2 seems to have sustained the realistic art style and gives the visuals a chance to work here. Once the player gets to the dungeons, it retains the same visual 3D appearance which resembles an empty labyrinth. Unfortunately, AM2 dropped the ball here as it is the same grey white stone walls regardless how far the player gets. That means there were no differences from each square on the map. No matter where you went, there were always missing props like torches, cracked walls and even different color stones with moss. Different settings like caverns, submerged temples near lakes and unique environments should’ve been considered. The dungeons look absolutely sterile as if they were built a few years prior without any use whatsoever. A concept like this doesn’t necessarily need a stronger system to get the right look. Take Treasure’s Light Crusader, and it used similar realistic visuals that didn’t need a PC’s tech to get that style correct. I could also use the Super NES port of Eye of the Beholder which did a great job with this concept. The problem comes down to execution as its possible AM2 was being rushed by management. Regardless the execution was lousy and what was a decent idea on paper gave us average graphics.
The first image shows Hero in a battle with mage creatures as they shoot a magic projectile. Those orbs may wobble in their spherical energy, but the designers didn’t care to put light projecting around these orbs. The animation was another problem and the mages simply floated up and down. After playing through PSII a game like this can do proper animation effects too. AM2 should’ve asked tips from the Sonic Team on how to do proper sprite movement. Of course, there were bad choices made in the monster designs. The picture on the right shows medusa-like creatures fighting Hero. Its concept looked generic with bodiless features and a head full of snakes as the hair. Even one of those magic beings with an orb in the center and energy surrounding it looked like a cheap plastic toy.
The Animations on the sprites were also limited and stiff as each moved like zombies on a few frames. Back then NPCs walking about in idle poses was the standard, but this is more of a problem with the enemies. The common monsters moved about with very little frames and none of them have any attack animation. I noticed when they shot projectiles at me as seen from the mages it just moves in a simple manner. AM2 needed to add a few more frames of them charging their magic or a simple glow from their hands. It’s bad enough the hero stiffly whacks the monster with his sword but to see magic effects move like plastic toys is terrible. Surely the soundtrack is decent right? Not every track on the OST was terrible despite the Genesis’ sound chip being low quality. I found the title screen, Statts, Dungeon 2, Boss B, 3D Mode and Battle to sound decent. These stood out because it hits the right tone of some 80s fantasy film. Sadly, that is the sole appeal of the tracks listed above. For the rest it was as if some amateur produced these on a keytar rather than a quality synthesizer. The Genesis does have a crappy sound chip but even Sega’s other departments and the third parties worked around to get good results. It's obvious the studio wasn’t good at producing this type of music when considering their previous works of Outrun and Space Harrier. They were always known for producing solid OSTs from the Arcades and continue to do so after SoV. When compared to SITD and Sonic 1, the studio’s first RPG outing left more to desire. SoV just wasn’t their best efforts and it shows through the inexperience in designing good visuals and sounds in the genre.
Rating: 6.0/10
Features/Content
It seems these older role playing games always had the issue with content during that time. SoV is the perfect example of an RPG lacking such a feature that plagued these releases in the Fourth Generation. It’s like Sega hasn't learnt anything from their previous experiences with the genre since the Master System. The backbone to RPGs was always the side quests and SoV truly lacks these. I would expect this from a Game Boy title like Final Fantasy Legend but not on a console game. As explained in the gameplay section, there is only the main quest that repeats the same challenge from the start to end. The only time there is any break from the main quest is when the game forces the player to grind to higher levels. It was a lazy design choice these developers went to so they could pad the game to make them longer. That also tells me these developers couldn’t come up with original content. Even those on the Super NES like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger were guilty of the same thing too. The difference is those handled their designs with variety while SoV did the opposite. Of course, if you are not grinding then the mazes scattered around the world are there to explore, but none of them don’t count as a side quest. Now, because of the dated system will cause most gamers to look at maps made from users online. There is no reason for these mazes when I could buy better equipment at the shops. A single reason for even going into the labyrinths is for retrieving stronger equipment. That literally defeats the purpose of this challenge when I could get a stronger sword in a more convenient place.
Rating: 5.7/10
Final Rating
Sega divulging into role play design for the console’s early years was a struggle as SoV didn’t help their cause. The biggest problem in the gameplay was the repetitive level design from the main quest. The player goes into a town, find the item needed in a nearby cave and enters the dungeon to retrieve the key object to then face a boss. It tried to do too many styles of gameplay at once that conflicted with the other. Of course, that always isn’t the case as there are instances where mixing ideas can make great games. In SoV’s case there isn’t one as AM2 needed to make a traditional RPG even if they get B quality results. Now, the developers should’ve worked on employing better art then what they showcased here. Everything is the definition of ugly and lifeless as there is too much use of the dystopian palate. I get it this is supposed to come off looking gritty, but some games use the same style that produces better graphics. After listening to the soundtrack half of the tracks were decent renders of synth 80s fantasy that would capture the essence of the previous decade. However, the rest of the half sounded terrible so much I don’t believe the superior Super NES sound chip could have saved this. The worst thing about SoV is its crappy content and only the main quest is all the game has to offer. Nothing is more fun than going through repetitive level design with the same dungeon challenge. With no side quests leaves searching through mazes as the sole deviance. I can’t give a recommendation for SoV and if you see something like Light Crusader picked that up instead.
Gameplay: 6.5/10
Graphics/Presentation: 6.0/10
Features/Content: 5.7/10
Final Rating: 6.2/10 Decent
You just gotta love those 80s and early 90s crappy box arts as even Sega was guilty of this. I love how Sega of America designed the main character as a Dollar General version of the Burger King. The artist must've been high on psychedelics if some generic looking prince was the best, he/she could come up with. At least it isn't on the same levels as the horrid Buck Rogers ripoff from Phantasy Star II’s cover. Just like the first Mega Man the artist got the characters and world absolutely wrong.
Owning a powerful magic user card can give a player a strategic advantage, making them highly sought after. Collectors of magic user cards gather them for various reasons. For some, it may be the joy of collecting valuable and rare cards, while for others, it may be the desire to build a formidable and visually impressive deck. Regardless of the motivation, the magic user collectible cards hold a special place in the hearts of players and collectors alike. To acquire magic user cards, players can purchase booster packs or participate in trading events. These cards can also be obtained through trading with fellow players, making the collection process both exciting and competitive. The limited availability of certain magic user cards adds to their allure, as collectors strive to obtain the most coveted and rarest cards. In conclusion, the magic user collectible cards of Morning are not just visually appealing artworks, but also hold significant value in gameplay. Their intricate illustrations and unique abilities make them highly sought after by both players and collectors. Owning these cards brings not only joy but also strategic advantages, turning them into valuable pieces within the trading card game community..
Reviews for "The Allure of Morning Magic: Building a Unique Collection"
1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Morning the magic user collectible". The storyline was confusing and poorly developed, and I found it hard to connect with the characters. The illustrations were also underwhelming and did not capture the magical world the book was trying to depict. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend this book to others.
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I found "Morning the magic user collectible" to be an absolute waste of time. The writing was repetitive and lacking in depth, making it difficult to stay engaged. The world-building was minimal, leaving me with many unanswered questions. Additionally, the pacing of the book was off, with long stretches of nothing happening and then rushed resolutions. I was thoroughly disappointed and wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
3. Alex - 2/5 stars - "Morning the magic user collectible" fell flat for me. The characters were poorly developed and lacked any real depth. The dialogue was stiff and unnatural, making it hard to believe in the interactions between characters. The plot felt predictable and unoriginal, offering nothing new to the genre. Overall, I found this book to be a letdown and wouldn't recommend it to others looking for a captivating magic-themed read.
4. Emily - 2.5/5 stars - While "Morning the magic user collectible" had an interesting concept, it failed to live up to its potential. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked a clear direction. The writing style felt disjointed and didn't flow well, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the story. The ending also left much to be desired, as it felt rushed and unresolved. Overall, I think this book had promise but ultimately missed the mark.