Every now and then a game comes along that really changes the way we look at games. Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color is just such a game. The cartoon-like graphics are not radically different than everything else out there, but the way it's used is simply amazing!

The word 'Pengel' is a combination of 'Pen' and 'Angel', so your Pengel is literally a 'Pen-Angel'. It flies around with you and draws your doodles (under your command, of course). Your 'doodles' are characters that fight for you in your doodle battles and they're created by you. You use your Pengel to draw your doodles in 2D and they are filled in and puffed up into 3D characters as you work on them. Not only do these characters become 3D, but they are auto-magically assigned animations that not only look good, but are often more appropriate for the characters than would be expected. I chose Magic Pengel as a write-in nomination for SpikeTV's Video Game Awards 2003 for Best Animation and Most Addictive.

In addition to the really cool doodles, the areas have a nice, relaxed feel and good continuity across the entire area. The characters that you interact with are characters indeed, bordering on stereo-typical, but each has their own persona and interests.

The music in Magic Pengel is another point of excellence. The title theme and other songs are cheery and up tempo, with a rich acoustic timbre. When the title theme first started, I thought the music was from a different source, since it was an almost folksy island song with acoustic guitar. It fits the game well, though, and is a nice departure from the typical choice of electronic blips or licensed rock.

The only sonically aggravating part of the game would have to be the short talking clips used when not in the arenas. An encounter with a villager in the village will get you a few choices of things to say, but the only part of the discussion that's actually spoken is the first word or two of the other person's narrative. To make good use of it, they typically play it twice per interaction. This can be, for example, 'Howdy!', and can easily get on one's nerves after a while. Luckily, the music and the gameplay make up for this shortcoming.

WARNING:
The 'doodles' in this game are subject to the imagination and creative talents of the player. If the player can think of something and has the creative talents to draw it in the editor, it comes to life as a doodle. This means that dirty little minds can make dirty little doodles that come to life in ways that parents might not approve of... and that juvenile adults might laugh for entirely too long about. No, really. Two words: 'Wiggle Parts'. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Um, yes. Ha. Moving on...

Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color is a very addictive game that has elements of Poke'mon and Paper, Rock, Scissors with the twist that you get to draw your own characters (doodles) and their strengths and abilities are based on how you draw them.

This is obviously a gimmick, although a really cool gimmick. A game cannot make it on a gimmick alone. Luckily, there is enough strategy involved to keep the game fun and a nice storyline to keep you coming back.

Other reviews that I've seen say that Magic Pengel relies on this gimmick too much. I think that they probably haven't played it enough to get past the coolness of the gimmick and enjoy the game for the game itself. I don't really blame them. It takes a lot of time to get over how cool the animation gimmick is...

The difficulty in Magic Pengel is heavily dependant on how fast you try to progress. If you take your time and practice in the Seaside Arena, you can build up your colors (you win colors by fighting in the arena), gain experience and learn new tactics to help you win future doodle fights. In order to actually advance the storyline (and, hence, the game), you have to win in a tournament at the castle. However, doing so raises the stakes a bit and you can expect things to be more difficult, even in the Seaside Arena.

Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color strives to provide a high production quality and loads of fun. This dedication pays off in spades, as the music and graphics transport you to the laid back island where your quest for color begins.

The system used to create and animate the doodles in Magic Pengel is amazing and deserves recognition for technical achievement. The editor used to create the doodles leaves something to be desired, as it's rather difficult to line things up in 3D with the 2D doodling interface provided. A bit of patience will get you through the tough stuff, however, and you can take pride in your doodle creations when you pull off something cool.