Introduction

Why Play Magical Drop III?

With plenty of well known puzzle games for you to try your hand at, Puyo Puyo, Tetris 99, Puzzle Fighter, Dr. Mario, Puzzle Bobble, why pick a more obscure title like Magical Drop III?

One of the most appealing reasons is the “easy-to-learn-difficult-to-master” nature of Magical Drop. Even without the assistance of this website, most players will pick-up the basic strategy of Magical Drop within their first few games. Factor in the heaping helping of inherent randomness within the game systems of Magical Drop and you’ll find a title where everyone can hold their own.

For those of you a bit more familiar with competitive gaming, you’ve likely seen many titles lauded for their high APM, short for “actions per minute,” playstyles. These games, headlined by one of the first ubiquitous esports titles in Starcraft, require players to think and act quickly from round start until game over. It can be argued that Magical Drop is cast from a similar mold; where quick reflexes, situational awareness, and split second decision making separate the dabblers from the fanatics.

Finally, you could be someone who selects a game to play based purely on aesthetics, in which case I don’t blame you, as this was my first introduction to the game as well. With a cast of cute characters and a lively soundtrack, Magical Drop is eye-catching even amongst the cacophony of sights and sounds in an arcade.

The Kawaii Occult

The simplest way I can describe Magical Drop’s aesthetic is “kawaii occult.” 

“Kawaii” is most commonly translated from Japanese as “cute.” Famous characters like Hello Kitty, Pikachu, and Rilakkuma are some of the most notable examples of kawaii, but this concept of cuteness has also been applied to more mundane items to make them more appealing for consumers. 

“Occult” on the other hand is used to describe items related to magical beliefs and the supernatural. Generally looked upon with some contempt in Western culture, occult items such as ouija boards, black cats, and tarot decks all draw comparisons to witchcraft and other darker spiritual practices. However, the aforementioned tarot cards form the foundational theme of the Magical Drop series.

Magical Drop & Tarot

If you are unfamiliar with tarot, it is a set of playing cards popularized in the 15th century that was later co-opted by practitioners of the occult as a conduit for fortune telling and divination. The tarot deck is made up of two types of cards, referred to as the major and minor arcana. 

The minor arcana are similar to traditional playing cards, and are divided into four suits: wands, swords, pentacles, and cups. Each suit has fourteen cards, numbered from one to ten with the addition of a king, queen, knight, and page. In Magical Drop, the minor arcana are represented by the four different colored balloons, each with the corresponding symbol on the inside.

The major arcana are a set of twenty-two cards, numbered from zero to twenty-one, that served as trump cards in the original game the deck was developed for. In time these cards, like the rest of the deck, took on their own meanings and each received their own names. These names carried over into Magical Drop as the names of the playable characters. Magical Drop III is the first game in the series where all twenty-two characters appear in their most iconic designs.

Where to Play Magical Drop III

If you’re lucky you’ll be able to play Magical Drop the way it was meant to be played, in an arcade on a Neo Geo MVS machine. But let’s face it, not all of us are privileged enough to live near a well maintained arcade with a robust collection of retro games. In fact, while I have easy access to one of America's most reputable fighting game venues, I don't have a scene of local Magical Drop players to practice with.

Thankfully, there are a few more accessible ways to play Magical Drop III, which even makes an appearance on a current generation game system. That’s right, you’ll be able to purchase a port of Magical Drop III through the PS Store or XBOX Store. For $8 you’ll receive both the English and Japanese versions of the game, the latter of which features a more difficult single player mode and more varied voice acting.

For collectors of retro games, there are a variety of physical options available. Due to its popularity Magical Drop III was officially released for the Neo Geo AES, Playstation, and Sega Saturn home consoles. While these games may have minor differences in game modes and naming conventions, they still retain the charm of the arcade release. Strangely enough, an additional port known as “Arcade Hits: Magical Drop” deviates from the rest by replacing the original cast of characters with renamed and redesigned 3d models that remain unique to this version.

Finally, for those interested in playing the game on your PC, you’ll be able to find ROMs online to use with your emulator of choice. While MAME is likely the most well known option; my personal preference, Fightcade, provides you the opportunity to match up with other opponents around the globe.