It’s pretty common to see anime games distilled into visual novels, but Namco Bandai didn’t go that route for Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable. This PSP game is a hardcore dungeon crawler designed like Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer.
Each attack or step you move uses up a turn. The same rules apply to monsters. You control a single magical girl at a time, but you can switch characters anytime except when engaged in a battle. In other words, Madoka Magica Portable is essentially a rougelike.
You can learn new spells by picking up spellbooks from fallen enemies. Characters also grow during the adventure game part. Players pick dialogue choices during events, which change your emotional bond. This level determines if you’re going to get magic power or attack power stat boosts. Dengeki PlayStation reveals each game ends with a battle against Walpurgis Night. On a second playthrough you can get extra bonuses via a karma parameter and purchase statistic boosting items from a special shop.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable is slated for release on March 15.
