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NES
Platformer
1 Player
PasswordsWhen one thinks of great NES game developers, Bandai likely never crosses one's mind. Bandai never put out that many good games, but did release one gem that is overlooked time after time. That gem is the psychologically-scarring Monster Party.
You play as Mark, a boy who is coming home from playing baseball, only to notice a bright star that catches his eye. The star slowly becomes bigger and eventually crashes right in front of him. The star turns out to be a monster named Bert, whose world is being taken over by evil monsters. Mark agrees to help Bert, who melds with Mark and takes him to the monster world.
Poorly translated story aside, Monster Party proves to be quite an entertaining side-scrolling platformer. As Mark, you traverse the monster world with only a baseball bat to protect you. If you defeat certain monsters, you can briefly transform into Bert by (FDA, take note) collecting pill power-ups.
There are a few elements in the game that make it so unique. First, you must defeat various bosses (who spew more poorly translated dialog, of course) by entering doors scattered about the world you're in. Once you defeat all of the bosses, you are awarded with a key that allows you to exit the level. Which boss you face when is up to you, as the scrolling is open-ended.
Another feature lies in the strategic play balance between the characters you use. Mark, with his short-ranged bat, may seem like an inferior choice to the more able-bodied Bert, who can shoot energy beams and can fly. One fact that may be overlooked is that Mark's bat can deflect enemy attacks, which can kill normal enemies in one hit. This play balance gives both characters different strengths, allowing the player to use whichever character they feel most comfortable with. By playing by these rules and stockpiling life, Monster Party is actually quite easy, but very enjoyable.
Incredible. The graphics are very impressive and creepy in some parts. All of the environments are varied and look wonderful, showing a great level of detail. The enemies are all unique to each stage and well drawn. Hats off to the bosses, which range from a punk rocker to a variety of fried foods (I am not making this up), all rendered in startlingly fine detail. Mark and Bert are the only sore spots. Their animation is generally adequate, but both have some issues on design, especially Bert, who is rather undetailed.
The sound effects are great. It's surprising how many different sound effects they thought to cram into the cart, and they are all fitting, especially the sound of deflecting enemy attacks. The music is effective, but is restricted to short, ten-second loops. These don't get old too quickly, but there definitely could have been more variety.
The control handles better than it could have. While there are some times when the control doesn't seem tight enough, it handles very well overall. The collision detection is also spot on. While they take some getting used to, playing Monster Party should be second nature after a stage or two. Props to the ability to make Bert drop like a rock in mid-flight on command, especially considering that he's only available for a limited time.
My past experience with the game has always been love/hate. As a child, I found this game to be a little too hard and frustrating, and finally traded it for a copy of Ghosts 'n' Goblins (as if that would solve the frustration problem). I regretted it a few years later when I rediscovered the game again in ROM form and couldn't help admire it. I repurchased Monster Party in the fall of 2002 for a dollar and went on the beat it in under two hours. I've spent the time since then trying to make up for trading the game by having it be the subject of my first review and having it be the first NES game I play on my Game Axe.
......BOTTOM LINE: Overall, Monster Party is a work of art and a concept that cannot be praised enough. With a very unique premise, beautiful graphics, and solid gameplay, Monster Party is well worth your gaming dollar (literally, in my case) and will surely provide you with a chill down your spine, an ache in your thumb, and a horrified smile on your face.
-The Collector
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