Monster Force
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Universal Interactive Developer: Digital Eclipse Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: At first look, Monster Force can be easily mistaken as a GameBoy Color game. The game's short animation cycles and limited, dark color palette don't exactly proclaim it as a GBA game. However, this game does have it where it counts in both style and presentation. Since the game is loosely based on the Universal Monster's license, the dark, drab colors help to convey the feeling of those old monster movies. This effect is even played up during the game's story sequences with a nice, grainy effect looping over the stills. The best part about this is that Digital Eclipse uses the effect just enough to get the message across, but never overdoes it. When it comes to sounds, Monster Force falls short of the mark. The background music is fun, but gets very monotonous after the first two or three loops through. It also doesn't help that the game doesn't have the most expansive play list around - so expect to hear some songs more than once. Sound effects are good, but never feel like anything more than the stock effects.
Gameplay: When I first saw this game at E3, I was certain it had to based off some new cartoon - both the look and the name scream animated series. But when I discovered that it was a somewhat creative use of the old Universal Monsters license, I was interested. Monster Force follows the adventures of three monsters: Drac, Frank, and Wolfie as they set out to find Dr. Percy Frankenstein and ask him if he can help them find their creator Victor Frankenstein. I'm sure Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley wouldn't approve of the deliberate mishandling of their characters - but you know what, they're dead so that doesn't really matter much. Monster Force takes an obvious cue from old top-down shooters such as Gauntlet, Smash TV, and my personal favorite - Zombies Ate my Neighbors. After selecting one of the three monsters (each with their own unique traits), players set out across nine levels on the way to Percy's castle. As players progress, they will be able to collect atoms that can be spent on power-ups in Igor's shop. In addition, players can earn special prizes for completing special challenges, such as making it through a level in a certain amount of time, collection a set number of atoms, or defeating all the level's enemies.
Difficulty: Surprisingly, I found Monster Force to be a nice challenge - especially when you consider this game is mostly geared towards younger players. Running through the levels just to get through them isn't much of a challenge and can be done with minimal effort, but completing all of the board's challenges takes both patience and planning. The one thing I really disliked was the Time Challenge modes. In the third sub-level of every level, the game has a level that must be completed in a certain amount of time. The problem is that regardless of whether you complete the challenge or not, the game allows you continue. Other players may have no problem with this, but personally I found it to be rather cheap.
Game Mechanics: If Monster Force has one flaw, it's in the control department. Controlling your character, regardless of which you choose, is a bit of a chore. Simply moving your character around open spaces feels a little stiff and doesn't really lend itself to the type of fast-paced action the game is trying to encourage. This becomes even more frustrating when trying to navigate the winding halls in some of the levels. Because of this, the game can become frustrating - especially when trying to beat the time on some levels. In the end, Monster Force is an unexpected surprise that probably will slip under the radar of most gamers. Although it can be easily written off as a childish game, those who try it will find a fun challenge.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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