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My favorite Sims expansion by far!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 74 / 80
Date: November 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Wow.. I haven't written a review on this game sooner because I've been having too much fun PLAYING it since the day it came out!! In my opinion, this is probably the best Sims expansion pack yet. I have enjoyed every pack though, none of them were bad. This one just has so many fun new items, the new spells are a BLAST, and Magic Town is just a hoot.

Some of the cool new features:
*Magic Town*
This place rocks! Not only can you buy stuff, you can take a ride on a rollercoaster, do quests for the merchants (and get handsomely rewarded!), perform magic tricks for magicoins, and so much more!

*New Spells*
The spells are the coolest part of the expansion pack, no questions on that! Sometimes the funnest part is making your spell fail! And there are just so many fun little easter eggs thrown in.. like when your "Horn of Plenty" spell fails.. you can run around kissing all the frogs (frog prince perhaps?? ;) Also you can use the Enchant spell to turn your gnomes in to great gardners (just be wary of casting the Perfect Garden spell when you have live gnomes!).

*New Items*
WOW they added a lot of new items!! You can grow your own grapes and elderberries, then make them in to nectar to sell or keep. You can also buy baking supplies and bake bread in your new oven. You can churn butter, you can make gargoyles, get honey from your beehive, skeleton maid to clean your house.. the list goes on and on.

*Magic Town HOMES*
Ok, these homes are neat - but my beef is that they are so small! For one Sim it might work, but I moved in a huge magic family and had to tear down the house and build a new one. The houses on the lots are neat - I just wish they were bigger!

*Pet Dragons*
These are a lot of fun! The only thing is I think they might be a little buggy still. My nice dragon got to the point where it would bite my Sims if they tried to give it any attention, then it got mad it wasn't getting attention and packed its bags and left. :(

Overall - I give this pack 5 stars. I would give it more if I could! It's one of the best packs yet, and probably one with the least bugs! Its a lot of fun for all Sims fans. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

The Sims: Makin Magic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 62 / 68
Date: November 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is an amazing game, with the new magic element, everything becomes a lot more fun and interesting. I'm sick of annoying neigbours coming round, so what do i do? I turn them into an animal, I love being able to use magic. This new element of the game is a must-see. What a great new refreshing change, whether it be brewing potions in the kitchen, planting vines in the backyard, or hatching dragons, I'm sure everyone will love it.

The custom games at the carnival are funny to make, I really enjoyed the hanging people on the tree and the magic act show is really good, at last, you can do something really intersting and weird, i really enjoyed this game, in comparison with The Sims: Unleashed, i think this was a totally better game. So go out there and buy it, or miss out on the oppertunity to turn your neighbours into toads.

The Best Expansion Pack?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 55 / 63
Date: October 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I won't claim this _is_ the best expansion pack (mostly since House Party and Livin' Large are distant memories for me), but I will go so far as to say that Makin' Magic is the best in recent memory. I've been a huge critic of the Sims franchise (largely as a result of TSO) in recent months, this expansion goes a long way toward answering my two chief concerns: that Maxis has lost sight of their fan base, and that additional game play options were needed in the stand alone game. So I am pleasantly suprised that Makin' Magic responds to the cries of players who want a simpler lifestyle for their Sims, much less that it did it by providing game play options. Tom and Barbara Goode can finally make their debut in my neighborhood as they were meant to--as a self-sufficent couple living off the land (by making and selling nectar, butter, bread, and beeswax).

Okay, so we _still_ don't have foundations and gable roofs, but the Sims 2 preview disk claims those features are coming in the new game. Wow. I'm left with nothing to complain about. Would that Maxis had done the same with TSO. At any rate, the offline franchise seems to have faired much better than its on-line counterpart, and seems fated to be with us for many years to come. Kudos to Maxis for this one!

Another Great Expansion...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 43 / 52
Date: October 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The Sims Makin Magic is nothing revolutionary or impressive. In fact, it is just an add-on pack for anyone not familiar with The Sims or its army of expansion packs. But Makin Magic doesn't have to be revolutionary, because it provides a great experience for all fans of The Sims and is a great showpiece for the seventh and final expansion pack in the franchise.

Makin Magic continues the great tradition of The Sims games, and now it gives the series something new. Although the title suggests primary focus on a magic-oriented theme, there are really three categories:magic, carnival or circus, and haunted house. The haunted theme is great because the game was released just a couple of days before Halloween of 2003.
The game adds many great new objects including a magic stand, roller-coasters, and spooky objects. The game also improves upon the series' already phenomenal sound, with creepy but fun tunes to listen to while you play.
One of the best parts, however, of Makin Magic is its new location, Magic Town, and its atmosphere. Magic Town, simply put, is awesome, and it is my favorite part of the town. Keep in mind, that also includes downtown, old town, vacation island, and studio town. And so far, I had been finding myself creating new lots in every expansion simply because the lots that Maxis released were boring. There is no need to create new lots in Makin Magic, because the pre-made lots are very, very cool!
For any fan of The Sims, makin Magic is a must-have, especially if you can get it at a good price. It is my favorite expansion next to Hot Date, the best expansion for any game, ever, and with The Sims 2 just around the corner, Makin Magic and Superstar will keep you very busy until then.

By the way, if you like the game series, but don't have the expansions, do yourslef a favor and get Livin Large, House Party, Vacation, Hot Date, Unleashed, Superstar, and now Makin Magic. They are worth your money!

THE BEST EXPANSION PACK YET!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 32
Date: November 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game......! The first day I got it I played it for about 5 hours straight.....no kidding....it's that FUN!!! It's so good because you get to hunt for rare ingredients and do magic spells. I'll give you one suggestion though....I wouldn't buy the dragon...and that's because once it hatches it can set things on fire..and my person died because of that..luckily
when I got off I didn't save the game so she came back to life. I would only get a dragon if you put fire alarms all over your houses!!! The Sims Makin' Magic is hard to understand at first...because you don't know what to do to cast spells...and a lot of the ingredients are hard to find...it took me a while. Like, the clown confetti, and pegasus feather, and wizard eyelashes and things like that are hard to get.....you have to play different things against people or by yourself to get the ingredients you need. Also, to buy things at the vendors you must have a certain amount of coins for each thing at the different vendors. You get coins by performing shows and doing magic duels with other sims. Well, I hope I helped! I suggest this game and give it a 5-star rating!!!!!!

A great ending to the best PC game series ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: December 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have every SIMS game ever made (Including all the original SIMCity games from long ago.. but that's another story). This will be the final expansion pack to the Sims series. I don't think that the game designers could have picked a better way for your Sims to go out than to let them learn and perform magic. This expansion pack has kept me more entertained than all the rest of them combined! From the great new objects and designs for the home to the mini-games (graveyard puzzle, cloud game, etc), I am hooked! The spooky music of Magic Town is amazing!! If you are on the fence about getting this expansion or not, think no more. Just go out and buy it. You'll be very glad that you did.

A great expansion to tide you over until Sims 2

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: December 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I see a lot of grumbling about "saving your money" for Sims 2. Yes, the new version is out in a few months - but why not get some new gameplay to keep the game interesting in the meantime? The expansion pack is worth the money if you play the Sims regularly or if yo used to play the Sims regularly and got a little bored. There are some great new objects, new interactions, and new gameplay that keep the game fresh and interesting.

I have particularly enjoyed the addition of being able to of Sims being able to cultivate grapes, berries, honey, "nectar" and butter. I have always wanted my Sims to "live off the land," but it's never been really feasible. With the addition of selling "nectar" your Sims can make a living off of the things they raise. I also really like the flooring, walls and objects that go along with this theme (more homey, more country). There are also some additional interactions (leaping into arms, etc.) which are nice. One thing I'd like to see: the ability to buy multiple items with one action (as opposed to buying one unit of sugar each time) - it makes being a "nectar" producer very annoying. (You need sugar to produce nectar, so you obviously need a lot of it - you spend an entire day at the market, trying to buy enough sugar.)

I agree with the reviews that take a bit of an issue with the magical aspect of the game. I do like "The Sims" being a life simulation - the addition of quests and magical powers seem a bit off the Sims' original focus. However, some of my friends do enjoy the new gameplay, so I guess it's fine. The thing is you don't HAVE to do any magic if you don't want to. To me the new farm/coutry stuff and interactions are worth the money.

A quick word about expansion packs: while expansion packs are additional revenue sources to tide Maxis over until the next new version, I do appreciate them. Maxis does a fairly good job listening to fan feedback and implementing the ideas for the expansion packs. Even great game makers like the folks at Maxis can't perfectly predict all the things people will want - especially in a life simulation. While I think Maxis went a little too far with the number and trendiness of the expansion packs (yes, The Sims Superstar, I'm looking at you), I loved some of them and liked most of them (although I got the least use out of Sims Vacation).

Long story short, this expansion pack will make the wait for Sims 2 seem a bit shorter.

EA Games has announced the "expansion pack finale"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 20
Date: August 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

For those of you out there wondering what the sims makin' magic is all about, it is about just that, magic. A MagiCo traveling salesman arrives at the player's house with the magic starter kit and a whole new way to play sims starts. According to a review at gamespot.com (go to gamestop also for additional reviews too) this expansion pack will add a variety of spells and charms that can be unlocked one by one to perform parlor tricks, refresh sims by doing their chores, to enter into magic duels etc. To unlock new spells you will go to Magic Town and there sims will be able to take on quests to earn the most powerful spells to perform at a variety of magic shows, duel with other sims, to earn MagiCoins which will allow them to buy spell ingredients and many other things. There are new characters that sims can trade with and purchase ingredients from, for example, the vampiress, the local apothecary, the faierie queen, gypsy vendors etc. There are a lot of new objects in this expansion pack, magical and non magical. There's a wand charger, charm maker, baker's oven, skeleton closet that houses a maid etc. :)
I have been wondering for some time when EA games was going to come out with an expansion pack like this and I am so happy it is on its way. This is a whole new sims! No more reality! I will be able to zap that garbage easily with one flick of my sims wrist.
I have given myself a break from playing the sims until October, when this expansion pack comes out. Who wants to play the sims the same old way when they can be magical? :)
That's all the information I have for now. I hope it was helpful to you guys out there wondering what all the fuss is about.
One more note, the sims bustin' out expansion will be here around December. I think that is definitely the last expansion pack. Hey, if you love your sims, it is never enough. I read that that one will have 25 specific characters to interact with and also more that a dozen specific houses to visit, like Mortimer's haunted house where they have man eating plants that may kill your sim or just eat your garbage, also a frat house, a club, etc. and a whole new game interaction where your sims starts imitating the behavior of a sim character they've interacted with like towel snapping, burping, pulling fingers etc. :) Bringing it on EA games!! We are ready!!!!!!!!

Happy gaming! :)

The Sims have magic!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: November 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

"The Sims Makin' Magic" expansion pack is by far the best addition to the world of The Sims since "Hot Date", which introduced the whole concept of leaving your Sim's house. This game is bursting with tons of new game play options.

First of all, your Sims can have magical powers now! You can create spells and charms that can do everything from do the dishes to make your Sim a celebrity! Once you perform a spell, it is unlocked in your new, very useful family spellbook. There are tons of spells and you can travel to the all new Magic Town to make MagiCoins (needed to purchase certain magical ingredients), buy everything from Dragon Tears to Faerie Dust, perform, charm snakes, barter, duel, take rides in a funhouse, complete quests for vendors, and much more. You can even adopt a dragon! After a certain number of spells have been cast in your house, magical rewards begin appearing in your yard such as a beanstalk, crystals, and gnarled roots.

Your Sims can even bake their own food now! Nectars, pies, cakes; yummy! There are also many new objects that can assist you in your culinary development. There's the family cookbook (in addition to the family spellbook), a butter churner, honey maker, a baker's oven and nectar press. You can now even grow grapes and elderberries in your garden and then make nectar out of them to either sell or store in your new nectar bar.

In addition, there is of course, many new pieces of furniture, plants, NPC's (I love the new skeleton maid), interactions, floors, wallpapers and skins. There's also a great option for those especially magical Sims; an opportunity to move into an old house in Magic Town!

Maxis has done it again!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: July 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I love this game!!! It has tons of stuff... Things can go good or bad... I did a spell and tons of jewels and gold appeared... but another backfired and the lawn knomes became evil and started attacking my sim.... It has new objects, like the outhouse and butter churn, more cool skins, spells to be cast with backfires etc. Kids have their own spells, however many of them require dragon scales and dragon tears, which they obtain after a parent brings home a dragon egg and it hatches. In this game, unlike vacation or unleashed, you can choose to have only one sim go via the hole in the ground or the whole family go via a balloon that comes to the house. You can duel, perform, and go on carnival rides. After a certain amount of magic has been performed, magical things start growing. Magic crystals grow and you get abilities, including a great fire extinguish... flowers can be used as tables... Rumor has it that sometimes beanstalks grow into the clouds to reveal lot 99, however I have not yet seen this...

The only thing that could be better than this is The Sims 2!

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