The game is based off of the Japanese arcade machines Puzz Loop. In the game, colored marbles roll down a twisted path towards a goal and the player must shoot more marbles at the chain by flicking them from a launcher in the center to match at least three marbles of one color and make them disappear. Making marbles disappear in the game causes the remaining marbles in the chain to stick together, which can make more marbles disappear in chains. If the train of marbles reaches the center goal, the game ends.
The game has three modes, an endless Challenge Mode, Quest Mode where boards must be cleared under certain conditions, and Puzzle Mode where a small number of marbles must be cleared with a limited availability of marbles.
A WiiWare version named Magnetica Twist was released in 2008 which incorporates motion control and four-player co-op, as well as omitting puzzle mode.
Tropes:
- Awesomeness Meter: The game has a meter on the upper screen that fills up the more chains the player can rack up.
- Casual Video Game: This was the launch game for Nintendo's Touch Generations.
- Endless Game: If you can't last till as long as Level 99 in Challenge Mode, the game ends only when the marbles reach the center goal.
- Heartbeat Soundtrack: The game switches to a "Danger!" theme when the track of marbles gets close to the goal.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: The game is centered around them as a central gameplay element with the speed of the player's flick of the touch screen determining how fast a thrown marble flies and the direction of the flick determining the direction. Naturally, power-ups are hidden in certain marbles.
- Interface Screw: The UFOs in the DS version's Quest Mode will fill the screen with dust clouds which must be cleared out by blowing into the microphone.
- Level Grinding: Scoring multiple chains in Challenge Mode is how the player is able to progress levels.
- No Plot? No Problem!: The game is a puzzle game with a very generic "metallic" theme. Even Quest Mode does not feature any kind of backstory.
- Powerup Motif: Happens when a power-up appears, is activated, and disappears.
