Disney Princess Majestic Quest Is Here!
When I attended the D23 Expo last month, one of the things I was most excited about was the chance to play a demo of the new Match 3 cell phone app, Disney Princess Majestic Quest. The ads for this game taunted me on social media for months, dating back to before they had even selected a title. I took an online survey to share my opinion on which of three titles I thought would work best--Disney Princess Gems, Disney Princess Match, or Disney Princess Majestic Quest. It was a long wait before I could finally download the game on my own smart device, and I am pleased to say it was well worth it. The game was advertised to only include Jasmine and Belle at launch, even though there was a big Ariel billboard for it on display at the D23 Expo. When it became available, I was surprised to see that not only was Ariel included in the launch, but she was also featured the game's menu icon.
If you're not familiar with Match 3 games, they are a digital craze that was made popular by Bejeweled, in which the player must swap around digital jewels on the screen until they are able to match at least three in a row. If the player is matches more than three, the jewels will turn into a magical symbol that helps them clear the board faster. This simple concept has turned into a huge market for various movie and character-themed smartphone apps. Disney Princess Majestic Quest follows the same strategies as any other Match 3 game but also incorporates beautiful CGI environments for each princess and allows you to earn stars that help them restore their castles after a destructive storm. I enjoyed the CGI rendering of Jasmine's castle the most since I wasn't able to go inside her castle in the Kingdom Hearts games. Seeing the Sultan's throne room in full CGI gave me a new perspective of it that made me feel like I was there. Belle's story takes place in her iconic ballroom, which you can also visit in Kingdom Hearts 2. Ariel starts out in King Tritron's Throne room, which is featured in both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2.
My favorite aspect of Disney Princess Majestic Quest is the story. I'm a fan of interactive storytelling apps that allow you to make decisions for the characters that change their dialogue and actions in the next scene. This game allows you to do that in between matching quests to a smaller extent than apps where that is your only mission. For instance, when Princess Jasmine hears mysterious whispers in the throne room, you can choose whether you want Aladdin to search for them inside or outside the palace. I loved the surprise guests that can be unlocked in each princess's world after completing the matching quests. I never knew who I was going to meet next. Jasmine and Ariel start out alone, but you can quickly unlock Aladdin and King Triton once you reach your first game milestone. Belle inspects the run-down ballroom with Cogsworth and summons the Beast after her first few missions. Even though the character designs look a bit off from the original animated films, they are still very impressive for a free cell phone game.
The jewels that you match in the minigames are also princess-themed. They include red apples for Snow White, purple suns for Rapunzel, the green heart of Te Fiti for Moana, yellow roses for Belle, blue lamps for Jasmine, and orange leaves for Pocahontas. The matching quests change as your progress the story and level up your skills. They start out very easy and then become so hard that you'll either want to rage quit or shell out a few dollars to unlock some of the optional bonuses. My favorite matching quest is the one where you have to free fairies that are trapped inside amber squares along the game grid. You crack the amber by matching gems next it, which allows the fairies to break free. Another game mission that comes up a lot is spreading the royal mat. For that one, a few squares along the grid have a greenish textured background behind them, and you must spread matching jewels from that area to expand the background until it covers the entire grid. For each minigame, the princess you are playing with stands next to the rid and reacts to your progress. Once you win, she clasps her hands together in delight to congratulate you.
By now, you might be thinking that this is a sponsored post, but I can assure you that it's not. I just happen to love princesses, sparkly things, and cell phone games. Disney Princess Majestic Quest is a fantastic way to kill time if you're waiting in a long line or if you're just looking for something to do. I love the extra details they included, such as the magic wand that helps your progress when you make a lot of matches and the castle backgrounds that appear behind the game grid, but I especially love the story. After the palaces are restored, the game drops hints of a new story mission at a new location in the princess's world. I already completed Jasmine's story so far, but I can't wait to see what happens next for Belle and Ariel. I recommend this app for anyone who loves Disney Princesses and strategy games.
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