Magician Lord is a side-scrolling platform game originally released for Neo Geo arcade machines in 1990. In it, you play as Elta, a magician on a quest to find eight books of magic power and stop an evil wizard from summoning a god of destruction. This challenging game demands quick thinking, fast reflexes and clever use of Elta's ability to change shape.

Choose the body for the job

As Magician Lord begins, you're in Elta's basic form, which lets him shoot a weak energy bolt. As you go through the levels, you'll collect orbs which allow you to change into one of six other forms. Each other form has different attacks and movement abilities, giving you the advantage you need to take on different types of enemy. Like a lot of classic arcade games, Magician Lord focuses on fast play and isn't afraid of being challenging. Spend too long on a level, and you'll find yourself pursued by a powerful monster.

Challenging but fun

If you like old-school arcade platform action and don't mind getting killed from time to time, Magician Lord offers a lot of potential. It's difficult but rewarding, and the different forms keep the gameplay varied throughout.