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group=lower-alpha is a 1990 Action game-Platform game video game developed by ADK Corporation and published by SNK for arcades on the Neo Geo system. It was one of the for the MVS (on which it was a pack-in game title), as well as its home counterpart, the Neo Geo, which launched in 1991. The player controls Elta, a magician who embarks on a journey to recover the stolen magic tomes from the evil sorcerer Gal and his followers before Az Atorse, the god of destruction, is revived and destroys the land of Cadacis and the world.
Upon its original release, Magician Lord received praise for its colorful and detailed graphics, sound, gameplay, and for being a showcase of the capabilities of the Neo Geo. However, some critics were divided over its difficulty, and the game was considered a financial flop in arcades. Retrospective reviews have been mixed in recent years, with reviewers praising the game's graphics and sound but criticizing its difficulty. Magician Lord was later re-released for the Neo Geo CD in 1994, followed by several appearances on compilations and download services for various consoles. A sequel to the game was in development, but was never released.
Some of the levels featured are linear in nature, populated with obstacles and enemies, requiring the player to traverse the stage by running, jumping, climbing, shooting or dodging enemies, while other levels later in the game become more maze-like and exploratory, making the player take different routes to reach the end: if the player takes too long to complete the level, an invincible creature appears and starts following Elta until he is killed and respawns on the same location where he died. Once all lives are lost, the Game over unless the player inserts more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing. If a memory card is present, the player is allowed to save their progress and resume the last stage the game is saved at. As with many earlier games released by SNK, it is well known for its high difficulty.
All of the levels in the game have doors that can be opened by pressing up on the joystick, leading to rooms that can either benefit or harm the player and finding the correct door will lead the player to the miniboss of the level, while in the AES version these also act as checkpoints. One of the main features of the game is the ability to transform into powerful beings by picking up combinations of colored orbs found throughout the stages inside , granting the player new forms to attack enemies and bosses. When he is not transformed, the primary form of attack for Elta is a weak but fast-moving energy projectile that he can shoot in four directions.
Some of the transformations available in the game are the following by grabbing the same-colored orbs in a row or by combining them:
Magician Lord was initially launched for arcades on April 26, 1990. The game was also released during the same period for the Neo Geo AES, when the system was originally a rental-only system for video game stores and hotels in Japan, but this was later reversed due to high demand and price, coming into the market as a luxury console on July 1, 1991. Unlike other games that were later released for the Neo Geo, there are several differences between the MVS and AES versions of the game such as the increase of hit points for the player, the inclusion of an introductory sequence, among other changes, while later reprints of the AES version included the original MVS ROM image. It was re-released for the Neo Geo CD on October 31, 1994, featuring a CD-quality soundtrack and other changes. The game also made multiple appearances on Nickelodeon's 1992 game show Nick Arcade.
The game has received multiple re-releases in recent years on various digital distribution platforms such as the Virtual Console, PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop and Xbox Live. It was also released on the SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 compilation for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii in 2008. Magician Lord was also one of the 20 pre-loaded games included on the Neo Geo X. The game was also included in the international version of the Neo Geo mini. An unofficial tech demo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 2023.
On release in North America, it received positive reviews. GamePro gave the Neo Geo version ratings of 5 out of 5 in all five categories of graphics, sound, gameplay, fun factor and challenge, and called it the best action game for the system. GameFans four reviewers scored it 99%, 91%, 92%, and 95%, referring to it as "one of the best action games ever" and "the king of action/platform games". Jason Weitzner of GameFan also gave a positive outlook to the game in their June 1999 issue, praising the graphics and level design, stating that " Magician Lord still remains one of the best 2D games ever". Overall, the game was met with mostly positive reception since its initial release in arcades and later on Neo Geo AES.
In 2014, HobbyConsolas named Magician Lord one of the twenty best games for the Neo Geo AES. Likewise, Time Extension also listed it as one of the best games for the Neo Geo.
The premise of the game would have been set two years after the events of the first game. Gal Agiese and Az Atorse have been defeated, and sealed away by the powers of Elta, who became the newly-proclaimed "Magician Lord". During this period of time, darkness and despair loomed over Cadacis and its citizens. If the darkness outweighed the light of the land, Gal Agiese and Az Atorse would be resurrected for the third time, and wreak havoc upon Cadacis once more. The Queen saw the seal breaking again, but using the last of her magic, one of the eight tomes of power arrives in the clutches of Elta. Elta, noticing the cataclysm starting once more, finally reaches the castle. Elta must now find the Queen, and prevent the third resurrection of Gal Agiese and Az Atorse.
Production then carried over toward the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1998, simply known as Magician Lord. Only an alpha test version of the game for the Neo Geo Pocket Color was ever produced. It was planned to be further developed, but the sequel was cancelled due to Alpha Denshi filing for bankruptcy. After 14 years of seclusion, the alpha test cartridge was finally unearthed by French gaming website Gamekult. The game offered more transformations than the first game, and played similarly to the likes of Metroid and , with the main difference being the ability of the Magician Lord to transform at will.
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