Wizard101 from KingsIsle Entertainment and gamigo US brings the classic MMO to the Nintendo Switch. Check out our Wizard101 review!
Wizard101 from KingsIsle Entertainment and gamigo US brings the classic MMO to the Nintendo Switch. This game was originally released back in 2008 on PC, and it places you in the role of a student at a wizard school, hence its name. You’ll have to dive into the Spiral and its many realms, as you try to become strong enough to be able to take on the evil Malistaire Drake and save everything and everyone before it’s too late. You’ll need to harness as much power as possible as you learn new spells and increase your understanding of magic. Your journey will begin at Ravenwood Academy, where you’re summoned by Headmaster Merle Ambrose.
Malistaire Drake used to be the school’s Death Professor, but was driven mad after the death of his wife, Sylvia. This led him to find a way to bring her back to life, which, as expected, went terribly wrong. Malistaire is searching for the Krokonomicon, so you’ll need to try to stay one step ahead of him. While the game is available as a free-to-play experience on PlayStation 5, this Nintendo Switch release goes for a $19.99 price tag, which will give you access to all 75 zones required to complete Arc 1 of the main story’s content. This will allow you to explore Wizard City, Krokotopia, Marleybone, MooShu, and Dragonspyre.
If you’re new to Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, they’re online experiences in which a ton of gamers from around the world can come together and play and interact with each other, either by working together or fighting against each other. That last option is known as Player vs. Player – a.k.a. PvP. Along with Wizard101, some other examples include Dragon Quest X Online, World of Warcraft, EverQuest, Final Fantasy XIV, and DC Universe Online, to name some examples.
The first step in this new journey will be to complete a short test in which the game will present you with a series of questions for you to answer as honestly as possible. One example of these includes “When I compete, my goal is to win…” with the two answers being “a medal for myself” and “a trophy for my team.” Another one asks “Which of these is the most powerful?” with your options being earthquake, hurricane, blizzard, plague, sandstorm, tornado, and volcano. The answers that you give are going to determine which one is the magical school you’ll be joining – Fire, Ice, Storm, Myth, Life, Death, or Balance.
The choices I made led me into the school of Ice. Ice Wizards, who are also known as Thaumaturges, endure forever, like permafrost. Those who align with this type of magic have excellent defenses but have weaker damage output, which balances things out. This does mean that Ice Wizards are great at being able to explore each area without needing any assistance.
Once that’s been taken care of, you’ll be able to customize your character’s look. You can pick from one of the different presets on offer, pick between a boy or a girl, press the X button to randomize your picks, or press the Y button to open the customization menu. And if you ever want to make a change to how you look, you can do so by visiting the Magic Mirror Shop in the Shopping District. You’ll also have to choose your name.
Since you’re a new wizard in training, you’ll need to complete a tutorial that will teach you the basics. You’ll move around by using the left analog stick, with the right analog stick being used to control the camera as needed. You can press the Y button to talk. You’re going to have to learn as many spells as possible so that you can have a bigger repertoire from which to choose during duels.
When you enter combat, you’ll draw spells from your deck. You will then need to pick which spell you’ll use to attack your opponents. Keep an eye on your health and Mana at all times, so that you don’t end up being defeated. The red crystal ball will show your health, while the blue crystal ball will show how much Mana you have left. Mana is important, since it’s needed for casting spells. On top of that, you should keep Pips in mind. Pips will boost the spells you cast, so the more Pips you have, the better things should be for you.
You’ll be exploring dungeons that you’ll have to complete from start to finish without logging out if you want to get full credit for it. Leave the dungeon, and your progress will be reset. There are also gauntlets, which are special dungeons that bump up the challenge. If you want up to four people to explore a dungeon that will require everyone to stand on a sigil before the countdown ends, so that the group is teleported into the dungeon in one go.
When looking at the cards for your deck, you will need to pay extra attention to all of the information provided by each card, so that you can mix and match attack cards, buff cards, and so on, in order to be ready for whatever the game throws your way. Every Pip counts as well, so don’t get greedy!
A card will show you the name for that particular spell, the rank that states how much Mana and how many Pips it takes to cast, the accuracy for the spell so that you know what the odds are of it fizzling, the spell type, what the spell does, as well as the school from which that particular spell derives. If you see an X rank spell, that means it will consume all of your Pips when played, unless the card’s description states something different.
There’s a ton of additional info and elements for you to consider, but talking about everything would turn this into a Wizard101 guide, which would require a ton of extra time to create… as well as to read! Do know that you should keep in mind any potential effects that can come into play in combat for reducing incoming damage from each of the magic types, not to mention the effects that boost the damage dealt by said magic types. There are also healing spells to consider, as well as debuffs that can certainly change how a battle plays out.
Wizard101 brings the classic MMO to the Nintendo Switch. This game was originally released back in 2008 on PC, and it places you in the role of a student at a wizard school, hence its name. You’ll have to dive into the Spiral and its many realms, as you try to become strong enough to be able to take on the evil Malistaire Drake and save everything and everyone before it’s too late. You’ll need to harness as much power as possible as you learn new spells and increase your understanding of magic. Your journey will begin at Ravenwood Academy, where you’re summoned by Headmaster Merle Ambrose.
Wizard101 is out on Nintendo Switch with a $19.99 price tag. This will give you access to all of the content from Act 1, which will allow you to explore Wizard City, Krokotopia, Marleybone, MooShu, and Dragonspyre. You can purchase Crowns with your money – that would be real-life money – which act as the in-game currency, so that you can gain access to additional Acts, and more. You will also need a Nintendo Switch Online account since, you know, this is an MMO.
As you take on dungeons and gauntlets, complete quests, and win battles, you’ll be rewarded with experience points to track your progress. Once the experience points bar fills up, you’ll get to gain a level, which will allow you to learn new spells. Leveling up is a must if you want to gain access to more powerful cards that will allow you to keep the cycle going. Are you up for some magical fun?
Disclaimer
This Wizard101 review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by gamigo US.
