Magician is a side-scrolling action RPG developed by Eurocom and published by Taxan, released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1990. Set in the peaceful kingdom of Merlwood, where people live in tranquility under the protection of powerful mages, the story takes a dark turn when the ambitious mage Abadon summons evil creatures, builds a castle, and eliminates all other powerful wizards in a bid to rule the entire land. Players take on the role of Paul, a young magic apprentice who sets out on a journey to learn the secrets of the ancient masters and ultimately challenge and defeat Abadon.
In the game, players guide Paul through various puzzles and mazes, collect items, learn new magic spells, and interact with non-player characters for assistance. Beyond managing Paul’s health, players must also monitor food and water consumption, which deplete over time and need to be replenished by finding supplies. The game features a unique magic system where players combine syllables to form magic words to learn and cast spells. By helping other characters and completing quests, Paul gains experience points, which increase his magic level and maximum mana. It also supports a battery-backed save system with four save slots, allowing players to save progress at any time, though saves are limited to 15 total uses.