Slightly Magic

Slightly Magic is a 1991 fantasy platformer developed by Astonishing Animations and published by Codemasters, where players control Slightly, the mischievous nephew of the legendary wizard Bigwiz. When Bigwiz suddenly departs on urgent business, his castle descends into chaos with dragons and rampant magical spells; one dragon kidnaps the princess, tasking Slightly with navigating side-view levels, solving inventory-based puzzles, and utilizing a innovative magic system that combines objects to create effects like scaring enemies or transforming into a fish.

Slightly Magic: Review

Introduction

In the whimsical annals of early 1990s gaming, few titles capture the playful chaos of a wizard’s apprentice gone awry quite like Slightly Magic. Released in 1991 by Codemasters, this action-adventure gem thrusts players into the pointy-hatted shoes of Slightly, a mischievous young sorcerer left to clean up his uncle’s magical mess. Amid a landscape of fire-breathing dragons, scattered spells, and a kidnapped princess, the game weaves a tapestry of puzzle-solving and exploration that echoes the beloved Dizzy series while daring to innovate with a spellcasting system. As a historian of video games, I’ve pored over the flickering pixels of 8-bit classics, and Slightly Magic stands out not just for its brevity but for its unapologetic charm—a beacon of budget creativity in an era dominated by sprawling epics and technical showpieces. This review argues that Slightly Magic, though shorter and simpler than its peers, represents a pivotal evolution in adventure-platformer design, democratizing magic and mischief for a generation of young gamers, even as its rough edges remind us of the era’s unpolished magic.

Development History & Context

The development of Slightly Magic is a quintessential tale of Codemasters’ budget wizardry, a British powerhouse known for squeezing ambitious experiences onto resource-strapped home computers. Published in 1991, the game was crafted by Astonishing Animations, a small studio led by Colin Bradshaw-Jones (also credited as Colin Jones in some sources), who handled writing, programming, and even some graphics duties. This multi-hat approach was par for the course in the early ’90s UK scene, where developers like Bradshaw-Jones—fresh off Codemasters’ quirky Rock Star Ate My Hamster—operated under tight constraints to produce high-volume, low-cost titles.

The core vision stemmed from Bradshaw-Jones’s desire to riff on Codemasters’ flagship Dizzy series, those egg-headed puzzle-platformers that had captivated ZX Spectrum owners since 1987. Slightly Magic was envisioned as a spiritual successor: shorter, easier, and infused with magical flair to differentiate it. Graphics were shared across a collaborative team including Keith Ross, Chris Graham, and Bradshaw-Jones himself, leveraging cartoonish sprites optimized for the era’s hardware. Allister Brimble, a Codemasters staple with credits on over 240 titles, composed the soundtrack—a bouncy, chiptune melody that evoked Saturday morning cartoons. Production involved directors Tim Miller and Richard Darling, alongside producers Stewart Regan and Shân Savage, all navigating the technological bottlenecks of 8-bit and 16-bit systems.

The 1991 gaming landscape was a battleground of home computer dominance in Europe, with the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 still reigning as affordable entry points for families. Consoles like the NES were gaining traction, but Codemasters targeted the budget market (£2.99 tapes) to undercut pricier adventures like The Secret of Monkey Island. Technological constraints were immense: the ZX Spectrum’s 48K RAM limited sprite animations and color palettes, forcing clever workarounds like multi-load floppy disks for Amiga and Atari ST ports. Voice acting—even sparse samples from Mel Croucher, Lynette Reade, and Bradshaw-Jones—added a novel touch on higher-end platforms. Amid economic pressures post-1987 stock market crash, Codemasters’ model of rapid iteration (releasing compilations like Cartoon Collection) ensured Slightly Magic reached diverse platforms, from ZX Spectrum to Amstrad CPC, embodying the era’s DIY ethos where innovation thrived on limitation.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its heart, Slightly Magic is a fable of youthful curiosity clashing with arcane responsibility, a narrative lightweight yet brimming with thematic depth for its intended audience of children and casual players. The plot unfolds in Bigwiz’s sprawling castle and its environs: the legendary wizard departs abruptly on “urgent business,” forgetting his spare wand, leaving the lab unlocked, and neglecting to take his nephew Slightly along. Chaos ensues—the spell cabinet topples, scattering incantations; dragons rampage; and a “sunburnt” dragon (a delightfully absurd touch) abducts Princess Croak. Slightly, the pint-sized protagonist in flowing robes and oversized hat, must restore order, rescue the princess, and prove his mettle.

This setup draws from classic apprentice tales like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia‘s “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” emphasizing themes of mischief and consequence. Slightly isn’t a brooding hero but a wide-eyed rascal, his “mischievous” nature reflected in dialogue snippets like playful taunts to enemies or self-deprecating quips about his uncle’s forgetfulness. Characters are archetypal yet endearing: thirsty dragons demand personalized buckets of water; deaf guards require a “hearing spell” to converse; a witch has turned Hansel and Gretel into gingerbread men, adding fairy-tale whimsy. Princess Croak, far from a damsel trope, is a frog-princed nod to transformation motifs, rescued not through brute force but clever spellwork.

Underlying themes explore magic as both tool and peril—spells like turning into a fish to navigate underwater lairs or scaring ghosts symbolize growth through experimentation, mirroring a child’s trial-and-error learning. Dialogue, sparse but voiced on Amiga, injects humor: Slightly’s voice lines convey boyish excitement, while environmental storytelling (scattered spells, unlocked doors) underscores neglect and inheritance. No grand moral weighs down the tale; instead, it’s a breezy celebration of imagination, critiquing adult absent-mindedness through Bigwiz’s folly. For its time, this narrative punched above its weight, blending Dizzy-style fetch quests with magical agency, though its linearity limits deeper emotional arcs. In an industry shifting toward narrative-heavy RPGs, Slightly Magic prioritizes joyful escapism, a thematic choice that endeared it to young players seeking wonder over woe.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Slightly Magic‘s core loop is a refined distillation of the Dizzy formula: side-scrolling exploration across interconnected screens, item collection, and puzzle-solving, augmented by a innovative magic system that elevates it beyond mere inventory management. Players control Slightly in a 2D side-view perspective, traversing the wizard’s castle, gardens, lagoons, and forests—roughly 50-60 screens in total, far more compact than Dizzy‘s labyrinths. Movement is fluid yet deliberate: Slightly walks briskly, jumps with a cloak-sinking animation for ducking, and interacts via keyboard or joystick inputs. The absence of combat keeps focus on brains over brawn—enemies like ghosts or octopuses drain an energy bar on contact, replenished by collecting twinkling stars (20 grant an extra life), enforcing cautious navigation.

The inventory system, accessed via fire button presses, holds multiple items (e.g., scissors, yoyo, metal pin), used on objects or NPCs to unlock paths—feed dragons water from their buckets to douse flames, or magnetize a pin for retrieval. What sets Slightly Magic apart is its spell mechanics: acquire Bigwiz’s wand and spellbook early, then combine ingredients with “spell words” (found scattered) for effects like a “fish spell” to swim underwater or a “bird spell” for flight. Magic depletes a power meter, refilled by stars, adding resource management without overwhelming complexity. Puzzles range from straightforward (cutting a yoyo string) to inventive (an “itchy head” spell for a bald giant), encouraging experimentation but occasionally frustrating with trial-and-error—off-screen platforms demand precise jumps, and some solutions feel opaque, like merging items for a “hearing spell” on guards.

UI is minimalist: lives shown as bubbling potions, stars as bouncing icons, inventory via a grid overlay. No time limits or instant deaths promote relaxed play, but limited lives (3-5) necessitate restarts on failure, a holdover from era constraints. Flaws abound—sluggish controls on C64 ports cause screen flickers during interactions; backtracking loops due to illogical map layouts; and simplicity suits kids but bores veterans (completable in 20-30 minutes once solved). Innovations shine, though: spells introduce transformation and environmental interaction absent in pure Dizzy clones, prefiguring later games’ ability systems. Overall, mechanics deliver addictive “aha!” moments, balancing accessibility with gentle challenge, though modern remasters could benefit from save states to mitigate repetition.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Slightly Magic‘s world is a kaleidoscope of fairy-tale absurdity, a compact yet immersive fantasy realm that punches above its hardware weight. The setting spans Bigwiz’s cluttered castle (alchemical labs, spell-strewn halls), a giant’s garden (bald-headed behemoths, tricky pixies), underwater lagoons (mammoth octopuses), and spooky forests (sinister Cheshire Cats, gingerbread victims). This interconnected map fosters a sense of discovery—rooms loop illogically for puzzle gating, like overlapping screens near deaf guards—creating an illusion of vastness despite the game’s brevity. Atmosphere thrives on whimsy: no dark fantasy here, but a vibrant, childlike wonder where sunburnt dragons lament their thirst and spells glitter like errant fireflies. Environmental details, like knocked-over cabinets or enchanted barriers, reinforce themes of magical disarray, inviting players to “fix” the chaos.

Visually, Keith Ross and Chris Graham’s art direction is a triumph of cartoon aesthetics, optimized for 8-bit limitations yet enhanced in 16-bit ports. ZX Spectrum sprites boast bold colors without clash, chunky and expressive—Slightly’s waddling gait, dragons’ flickering flames, and ghosts’ ethereal wisps animate with surprising smoothness. Amiga and Atari ST versions elevate this with richer palettes and parallax scrolling, though some ports (e.g., C64) suffer flicker. The intro’s dancing dragons set a playful tone, and details like bubbling potions or wibbly octopuses add personality. Sound design, courtesy of Allister Brimble’s chiptune score, is enchanting: a looping, jolly melody shifts tones—upbeat in the castle, eerie in forests—without grating, complemented by simple effects (spell whooshes, enemy growls). Sparse voice samples on higher platforms (e.g., Slightly’s quips) enhance immersion, rare for budget titles. Collectively, these elements craft a cozy, exploratory vibe, where art and sound amplify the joy of puzzle-solving, though dated animations occasionally undercut fluidity.

Reception & Legacy

Upon 1991 release, Slightly Magic garnered a polarized reception, emblematic of platform variances in the home computer wars. ZX Spectrum versions shone brightest, earning 94% from Your Sinclair (praised as “better than Dizzy” for graphics, animation, and “brilliant” 128K sound) and 89% from Sinclair User (deemed “worth three times its £2.99 price”). Crash! awarded 78%, lauding its cartoon adventure charm but critiquing animation hitches. Amstrad CPC and Atari ST ports averaged 66-73% (Amstrad Action noted “standard Codies’ gameplay”), while Commodore 64 fared poorly at 38-60% (Commodore Format slammed “appalling programming” and sluggish controls). Overall MobyGames critic score: 72% from eight reviews; player ratings dipped to 2.2/5, possibly due to nostalgia gaps. Commercially, it thrived in Codemasters’ budget ecosystem, bundled in Cartoon Collection and ranking 56th in Your Sinclair‘s reader-voted top 100 Spectrum games.

Legacy endures as a footnote in Codemasters’ empire, influencing short-form adventures like Seymour series while innovating spell integration—prefiguring transformation mechanics in later titles like Zack & Wiki or The Legend of Zelda puzzle elements. Its accessibility democratized adventure gaming for kids, emphasizing non-violent problem-solving amid an industry trending toward action. Remasters by Potassium Frog (2014 for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Ouya) and Steam (2016) preserved its charm, with Retro Gamer scoring the Windows port 72% for enhanced sprites sans color clash. A planned sequel, Slightly Spooky, and unreleased Amiga version highlight untapped potential. Today, it symbolizes 8-bit whimsy, emulated on Antstream (2019) and archived lovingly, though eclipsed by Dizzy‘s ubiquity— a cult classic reminding us of gaming’s magical, unpretentious roots.

Conclusion

Slightly Magic is a pint-sized potion of joy: a concise, inventive twist on Dizzy-style adventures that infuses platforming with spellbinding creativity, all wrapped in cartoonish allure. Its strengths—charming narrative, accessible puzzles, vibrant world—outweigh flaws like repetitive backtracking and port inconsistencies, capturing the era’s spirit of resourceful fun. While not Codemasters’ magnum opus, it carves a niche as an accessible gateway to magical mischief, influencing puzzle-platformers with its non-lethal, experimental ethos. In video game history, Slightly Magic earns a definitive 8/10: a delightful relic for retro enthusiasts, worthy of remastered revival to enchant new apprentices. If you’re craving unadulterated whimsy, wave your virtual wand—it’s pure, pixelated enchantment.