Listen, I know it's pretty easy to draw a snarky comparison between Nine Parchments and fellow co-op twin-stick spell-based... thing, Magicka, but if our own experience with the game is to be believed, there's a substantial amount of difference between the two.  For example, Nine Parchments is about to be out on Xbox One, a console the Magicka series never touched.  March 7th, to be exact.  So, you know, stick that in your pipe and make a snide remark about it.  

Frozenbytes' Nine Parchments arrived on PC and the Nintendo Switch last week, so this past Monday Nick, Locke, Jason, and Mike teamed up to check out this spell-slinging adventure, and see how exactly it differs from Paradox's Magicka.

After getting teasers for the past year, some details have emerged about the underlying mechanics for Frozenbyte's forthcoming "cooperative blast 'em up," Nine Parchments. Each of the eight playable wizards will have their own set of skill trees into which players can dump points into as they earn experience. There are also magical staves you find in the world that will open up new areas or give you a new quest to undertake.

Frozenbyte's next co-op title, the magical Nine Parchments, will be coming to Nintendo Switch in addition to the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Not sure how all that beauty will look on the portable screen, but wizarding on the go sounds promising.

Finnish developer Frozenbyte is moving away from their puzzle-platformer wheelhouse (Trine) with their next co-op title, though there appears to be a little bit of a tie-in. The Nine Parchments will follow four wizards of the Astral Academy who are attempting to circumvent the long process required to master titular scrolls in favor of a more direct approach.