Magician Lord places you in charge of Elta, a wizard who has to collect eight books of wisdom from Az Atorse, the god of destruction. Along the way, you can gather power-ups to transform into different characters, such as Rajin, Samurai, Waterman, Shinobi, Poseidon, and Dragon Warrior. Each character has unique abilities. The game is divided into eight areas, with each stage ending in a battle against both a guardian and an area boss - essentially Atorse's incarnations.
The gameplay focuses on side-scrolling action, with an emphasis on mastering Elta's abilities as you progress through the levels. You'll need to use your wits and reflexes to overcome obstacles and defeat enemies, all while navigating the challenging terrain of each area. With its innovative graphical capabilities, Magician Lord showcases the Neo Geo AES console at its best.