Might & Magic Clash of Heroes DS – A Retro Romp Review

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Might and Magic Clash of Heroes

A few months ago I reviewed the iOS release of ‘Might & Magic Clash of Heroes’, which was a port of a 2009 Nintendo DS game that has also been released for PC and XBOX Live Arcade.

Type of app: Strategy / Role-Playing Game

Platform/where to buy: iPad (iPhone version here); Available in the iTunes App Store

Developer: Capy / Ubisoft

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Description:
Here are some of the features:
• Create offensive or defensive unit formations, master advanced combos and build up the right strategy to beat your enemies.
• Master, earn and hire more than 10 heroes, 40 units and 50 artifacts to create the ultimate army combination.
• Overcome various challenges: enemy heroes, special challenges, Boss fights or riddle battles.
• After each battle, earn XP and level up your hero and units to become more powerful.
• Play through a 20+ hours campaign in 5 different settings.
• Explore vibrant and highly detailed maps full of knights, elves, wizards, necromancers and demons and interact with a unique manga-inspired environment.
• Challenge your friends and adversaries all over the world in the Online, Face-to-Face and Pass & Play modes.

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Major features:

Might & Magic Clash of Heroes is loosely based in the storied Might & Magic universe, but could largely be in any fantasy setting. There are the normal set of fantasy types and characters and elements, but the names reflect the M&M world.

You play as a series of characters, each in turn. You start as the Elven archer Arwen, who slowly builds up alliances, gains hero units and becomes more powerful by defeating enemies and completing quests … and then you are dumped back to level one as a new character. And again. And again. And then you get to the finale of the game where everything is resolved.

The real attraction here is the combat system. The enemy lines up on the top screen and your units are along the bottom, facing off. To form an attack, you need to create a column of three identical units. These units will have different speed (number of turns until they attack) and attack strength. You can also form defensive barriers, create chains, utilize hero units and eventually power-up your special attack. How you approach battles requires a great deal of strategy as you get to higher levels, and makes the game amazingly fun.

Might & Magic Clash of Heroes DS

Ease of use/Overall performance:

In the way that is amongst the best examples of a Nintendo DS game, Clash of Heroes allows you multiple control paths to every task. I was amazed at how much I loved this after only using the iPad for my last play-through. You can use only the buttons, only the touch screen, or a combination. As you will see in the video, I favor the ‘GBA Style’ of only using the buttons.

Everything in the game is meticulously explained in detail, and you can review lessons if you forget. Also, things tend to be very straight-forward and since you learn a bit at a time it is easy to remember.

Might & Magic Clash of Heroes DS

Would use again/recommend?: Definitely recommended! This was what I called ‘one of the best DS games of 2009? – and that was one of the greatest years for the platform! I actually prefer the DS version to the iPad, due to the simplicity of controls and the way the two-screen implementation seems designed for the gameplay.

Suggested changes/wish list for updates: Nothing!

Source: Personal copy

Price: Grab the game for $19.99 from Amazon.com

Here is my review:

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!