Drop Wizard Review

Nostalgia washed over me as I played the indie retro platformer, Drop Wizard, developed by Nuetronized. For only 2.99, I was dropped into a colorful pixel world with old-school 16-bit music. This title pays homage to it’s 80’s arcade ancestors. To say the least, I was excited to see the action arcade game finally come to android. 

At first, you are introduced to the title’s narrative with still-shot cutscenes and added subtitles. The story is a simple one. You play as Teo, a wizard out to free his friend, Mia, who’s been turned to stone by evil warlocks. You traverse the land fighting vicious enemies in an effort to turn Mia back to her human self. 

Don’t Stop till You Drop

Drop Wizard’s gameplay becomes addicting almost as quickly as the mechanics start to stack. Enemies roam around each map in a variety of different patterns, and it’s your job to take them out. You start off in the middle of the platform. The moment you move you’ll be unable to stop. Tap the left and right sides of the screen to keep Teo stable until you want him to drop to the lower platform. As you hit the lower platform, a shooting star flies out of Teo’s wand. You must hit enemies with the shooting star to knock them out. Then hit them a second time to send them into a rolling ball of destruction, taking down the rest of your foes with them.

Enemies leave behind candies, coins, and diamonds, all of which add to your points. However, these items only appear on screen for a short time, so be sure to pick them up quickly! It sounds easy, but there are a few aspects that make it both more challenging and exciting than you’d initially think.

First, Teo only shoots a single star the moment you drop to a lower platform. So not only do you have to avoid enemies as you continuously walk, but you must time and aim your shooting stars. This cluster of mechanics gets even crazier when it comes to boss levels. Not only do you have to annihilate enemies, you must also knock the enemies into the boss several times until they are defeated. It’s clear this game requires your utmost attention when you are playing, and that’s what I love about it.

Bop it, Drop it, Lock it

Drop Wizard does a great job of keeping things feeling fresh. As you progress through levels, you are met with a variety of different enemies, patterns, and obstacles to overcome. Each provides you with unique challenges so you never feel like your playing the same level twice. Not to mention, the challenge progression is smooth and steady. Sure, at times, the game can feel a bit clunky with its insane puzzles, but overall it’s fantastic. 

All in all, Drop Wizard is a nostalgic and thrilling experience. It’s a game that excels in intense engagement and quick-witted problem-solving. Drop Wizard does justice to the action arcade genre. It’s truly on par with the classics.