is a 1997 puzzle video game developed and published by Data East for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It was later ported to Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Game Boy Color, Windows, and Zeebo. It is the third entry in the Magical Drop series. In the game, the player takes control of one of several characters, battling against computer-controlled opponents. Gameplay is similar to previous entries albeit with further additions; the objective is to clear the screen of constantly advancing colored 'drops' via a character placed at the bottom of the playfield, which can grab drops and make them disappear by putting drops as a column of three or more of the same color. The player can also participate in a board-style adventure mode, while two players can play against each other in a competitive versus mode. Magical Drop III was produced by Naomi Susa, with Shungo Katagiri acting as the game's planner, while the soundtrack was scored by Gamadelic. It proved popular among players, with the Saturn and PlayStation versions selling over 10,392 and 8,286 copies in their first week on the Japanese market respectively, garnering favorable reception from critics and retrospective reviewers. The game has since been re-released through download services for various consoles and on compilations. It was followed by Magical Drop F: Daibōken Mo Rakujyanai! (1999). Gameplay Like its predecessors, Magical Drop III is a puzzle game where the player takes control of one of several characters named after a tarot card, battling against computer-controlled opponents. Gameplay is similar to Magical Drop (1995) and Magical Drop II (1996), albeit with further additions; the objective is to clear the screen from a stack of constantly advancing colored 'drops' that descend from the top of the playfield. Drops can be picked up and dropped by the player's character, which is placed at the bottom of the screen, and they disappear when three or more of the same color are put together on a single column. Chains are formed either when a single drop caused a chain reaction or when more than one group of drops are cleared in quick succession. Forming chains cause the opponent's stack to descend faster. One notable gameplay addition is the introduction of a third button, which allows players to add rows to their field at any time. It is also possible to grab normal and special pieces at the