Winx Club: Join the Club

The game is based on the setting of the second season of the Italian animated series Winx Club ^{[3] [K 1]} . The plot of the series tells the story of a team of young fairies , calling themselves Winx ^{[K 2]} and fighting evil in the world of magic ^[4] . The fictional universe of the series consists of several dimensions, the main of which is Magix - a magical world closed to ordinary people ^[5] and inhabited by fairies, witches , pixies , ogres , trolls , monsters ^[6] and other creatures. The concept of fairy magic in the series is presented in the form of magical transformations that they receive by performing certain actions. Transformations increase their strength and in some cases allow the use of magic in a particular environment. In particular, in the second season, the heroines manage to overcome a number of their weaknesses, and they master the Charmix transformation ^[6] , which allows the use of magic in dimensions that are resistant to ordinary magic.

The main characters are six girls from different planets: Bloom , Stella , Flora , Muse , Tecna and Leila ^{[K 3]} . The latter joins the team at the time of the game. All of them are students of Alpheus - a school for fairies. Bloom, Stella and Leila on their planets are princesses ^[5] . The heroines have boyfriends - the so-called specialists from the Red Fountain School, where they learn to own laser weapons ^[4] . At the time of the game, only Leila does not yet have a pair. Specialists appear in video inserts, and also sometimes take part in the gameplay, including as game characters . The game tells about the confrontation of the Winx with three witches: Aisi, Darcy and Stormy, who are the sworn enemies of the fairies. The witches have teamed up with Lord Darkar, who is looking for four parts of the Codex that can give him tremendous power. Winx's mission is to protect the Code ^[7] .

The storyline of the game opens as you progress through various types of mini-games ^[7] : memory games , platform races ^[8] , music games , arcade flight simulators ^[7] , analogues of SSX ^[9] , Zuma , Tetris , mazes and shooters ^[7] . Introductory mini-games are video clips taken directly from the animated series on which the game is based ^[8] . In total, the game has five locations, each of which has several doors. Through the doors, the player gains access to specific mini-games, as well as to the general map. The locations available to the player as the game progresses in chronological order: Red Fountain ( Russian Red Fountain ), Cloud Tower ( Russian Cloud Tower ), Alfea Dorms ( Russian Alfey Hostel ), Alfea ( Russian Alphea ), Shadow Haunt ( Russian The Lair of Shadows ) ^[7] . Passing mini-games, the player opens other tests in the same games, as well as other mini-games available through other doors. The next location opens after passing the mini-games behind all the doors in the current location. In the mini-games necessary for the passage of the plot, the player takes on the role of one of the Winx fairies or one of the experts ^{[K 4]} from the Red Fountain school, without the right to choose. At the same time, passing all the tests in each mini-game is not necessary for passing the plot - it is enough to pass only the first, and others are needed only to open bonus items: video clips, songs, outfits and furniture. Games in which there are several tests can be replayed by each Winx fairy by choosing a different character and returning to the corresponding doors. In such games, the player reveals items corresponding to the character for whom the mini-game was held ^[7] . Among other things, the game has a multiplayer function that allows you to play together with other players, as well as share found items of clothing and decor with them ^[8] .

In memory games, the player is shown certain people or objects, and he must remember the details associated with them or their location, and then choose the right options ^[8] . One example of such games is Blushing Flora ( Russian Shy Flora ), where the player must remember the location of objects in the room before Stormy throws them across the floor and then returns them to their places. Other examples of games with a similar concept are Brandon to the Rescue ( Rus. Brandon comes to the rescue ) and Which Witch? ( Rus. Which of the witches? ), where the player must defeat Darcy, choosing the real witch several times in a row instead of the illusions that she creates.

In running games, the player controls the running character, trying to avoid damage from opponents and evading obstacles ^[8] . An example is the Storm Chaser game ( Russian: Storm Hunter ), where the player needs to run away from Stormy and her tornado, skirting holes and other obstacles in his path, until the character reaches a safe place. The same concept is presented in the game Rest, Relax, & Run ( Rus. Have a rest, relax and run ), where the specialist Timmy must lure the witches into a trap, while running away from the monster. The similar gameplay is played by the games Hall of Terror ( Russian: The Corridor of Fear ) and Shield Limit ( Russian. The Shield Limit ), with the only difference being that in the first player does not run away from anyone, but simply runs, and in the latter he himself chases after Aisi dodging her snow balls.

Another type of mini-game is the similarity of a snowboard simulator ^[9] : in particular, in the games Underworld Assault ( Russian. Underground assault ) and Sky Shield ( Russian. Sky shield ), the player needs to go down the slope on the board. At the same time, there is a competitive element in the first: the player must get to the finish line before the secondary character. An example of an arcade flight simulator is the Mayhem Globe Mania ^{[K 5]} mini-game in which a player takes control of a magical specialists aircraft and needs to get to his destination without crashing into landscape elements. The musical mini-games include Heart Attack ( Rus. Heart attack; pun from “heart attack” ), where the player is required to press the keys uttered by the speaker on time (up, down, left, right), as a result of which the heroine performs certain movements, allowing her to attack witches.

The game also has arcade shooters. So, in Bad Bloom ( Russian. Bad Bloom ) where the player assumes the role of one of the pixies in pursuit of Bloom, who is under an evil spell, within the vertical space. Pixie independently carries out the pursuit, and the player is required to fire shots in the form of magic charges, which can both attack Bloom and bring down her charges. Another example of a simple arcade shooter is the game Principal Showdown ( Russian. Dismantling directors ), where the player needs to aim at the marked sections of a huge monster and press a certain key to fire.

Finally, the game features reaction mini-games. In particular, in the game Portal Password, the player sees moving figures from Tetris and must press a certain button at a time when the flying figure coincides with its outline. In others, the player must press a certain sequence of keys several times in time to “join forces”. Such games include Convergence ( Rus. Convergence ) and Defeat Darkar ( Rus. Destroy Darkar ). At the end of the latter, the player is required to additionally press one key for a final hit.

The vast majority of critics rated the game negatively. Reviewers note the unacceptably long loading time of both the game itself and any of its levels, and the game itself is characterized as a set of poorly implemented mini-games ^{[8] [9] [14] [16] [17] [18] [19] [3 ] [20]} .

Chris Roper writes with IGN that the only interesting feature of the game is the numerous unlockable items, such as clothes and furniture, but at the same time he does not consider it worthy of special attention, since it does not affect the gameplay ^[19] . The same opinion is shared by Jevon Jenkins with Game industry News: in his opinion, this element of the game is “rather entertaining, but quickly boring” ^[14] . The author of the review on GameZone considers this feature to be the only one that can keep someone behind the game. He calls it a good addition to the gameplay, but not enough to make the game interesting ^[3] . The critic with IGN sees another drawback in low-quality video clips, and Andrea Gvarashio from the Italian website EveryEye.it agrees with this, comparing the quality of digitized clips with several times used VHS ^[17] . A number of reviewers also note that the videos do not reveal the plot at all, which makes it incomprehensible to those who are not familiar with the series ^{[17] [19] [3]} . The graphics of the game also mostly received negative reviews from critics who characterize it as too simple and nondescript ^{[9] [17] [18] [19] [3]} . Some critics consider the presented mini-games too simple and uninteresting ^{[8] [14] [16] [17] [18] [3]} , and some also note inconvenient controls ^{[9] [14]} . In the reviews of GameZone and GamerShark, it is noted that the target audience of the game clearly does not coincide with that of the PSP, since the owners of the console consist mainly of men who expect more intensity from games ^[3] . Max Tseshits from the German site PSP.de calls the game not the most successful example of licensed products, citing the more successful licensed Konami games as an example ^[18] .

Some critics spoke negatively about the moral side of the game. So, the reviewer of the GamerNode website believes that the main characters are fixated on young people. In his opinion, the heroines of the game look like prostitutes and do not represent anything without their guys. Half of the missions, he said, are to "reach a safe place next to male students." Winx Club , according to the author, classifies women in the lower class, whose only value is beauty and household chores. He predicts a good buy-out of the game based on the popularity of the series ^[20] . Lawrence.com's Andrew Campbell spoke negatively about the franchise in a similar vein, describing her characters as “empty” thinking “only about clothes, guys and the wind in their heads.” He compares the franchise with the imaginary version of Harry Potter , in which the characters constantly drink beer, download porn and masturbate, and believes that the Winx Club is as unacceptable for girls as such a Harry Potter would be unacceptable for boys ^{[9 ]} .

In contrast to many of the negative reviews, Ashley Perkins from Game Vortex posted a positive review. The reviewer believes that the game contains rich graphics, catchy music and will appeal to fans of the franchise. Perkins positively emphasizes the quality of scoring, as well as the abundance of plot video clips from the animated series at the beginning and at the end of each mini-game. The mini-games themselves, as noted in the review, are very short, and it is convenient to play them during short breaks. Other advantages of the reviewer include the automatic saving of game progress. Another advantage that fans of the series will like, she considers the opportunity to explore the rooms of the heroines in the hostel of Alfey. Most of the mini-games Perkins describes as quite fascinating and easy to learn, although some of them (in particular, racing), in her opinion, have poorly thought out controls. The reviewer considers the opportunity to open many outfits and scenery a wonderful way to extend the pleasure of the game. Perkins considers the long loading screens to be a possible repulsive factor for children, but overall he appreciates the game positively - in her opinion, it may seem interesting even to adults who have never heard of the animated series, since it perfectly “kills time” ^[7] .

Critics' opinions about the game soundtrack were divided. A review on IGN describes the game’s music as “extremely crappy, drowning out the already few dialogs” ^[19] , on GameZone as “incredibly bad” ^[3] , and Andrew Campbell of Lawrence.com describes it as “the worst that he ever heard ” ^[9] . At the same time, Jeff Jedgod from the resource Game Chronicles believes that the soundtrack was professionally recorded and resembles typical pop music ^[8] , while Andrea Gvarashio from EveryEye.it writes that the music in the game is relevant to the original animated series ^[17] . On PSP.de, on the one hand, the soundtrack is described as “a few annoying repetitive tunes,” but at the same time, the reviewer notes that the quality of the compositions is at a fairly high level and will appeal to fans of the series ^[18] .

• Official site Winx Club
• Winx Club's official Russian-language channel on YouTube
• Rainbow official website
• Konami official website