| Introduction
Monster Force is an original interactive entertainment
title from Universal Interactive which stars three classic Universal movie monsters, The Frankenstein
Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man, in new incarnations as teenaged characters,
Frank, Drac and Wolfie. An action-adventure title, Monster Force tells the story of the teenage
monsters’ heroic efforts to defeat the evil terror that has seized their
homeland.
GamePlay
Before you can actually sample any monster action
you must first choose which of the three characters
you wish to play as they all have very different strengths
and weaknesses. Wolfie, for example, is very fast but
lacks the firepower of the other two characters. Frank,
on the other hand, is quite the opposite so where his
firepower is significant he doesn't get around as quickly.
Drac is probably the best bet for most gamers, as he
possesses equal amounts of both abilities. This can
change throughout the game though as atoms can be traded
in Igor's shop for increased power-ups and abilities
making for a better all round monster.
Atoms are released when almost anything is attacked
but it really is a question of strategy whether or not
you choose to destroy everything. This is because all
levels are on a timer so completing the maze within
the time limit gives you extra points anyway. You are
then awarded with a medal (usually bronze or silver),
which really gives the game replay value because at
some time you're going to want to go back through the
game to get the Gold on all the various stages.
The levels themselves are stacked with puzzles and
triggering a switch in one area usually means that you've
opened a door somewhere completely different. There
are also keys to find and teleporters to navigate all
while disposing of hordes of angry monsters. Multi-player
fans are also catered for although, again, you'll require
an extra copy of the game and only two players are allowed
to battle it out at any one time. It is all packaged
neatly with a very user-friendly battery backup with
prompts you to save the game after each completed level.
Controls
The control system is not only easy to master but
also incredibly user friendly. This is due to an information
screen, which pops up every time a new concept or a
hint of some description is introduced. All this makes
for a very smooth and uninterrupted game, as even if
things do get difficult, and they do with some of the
more advanced shots or combinations, there's always
help at hand.
Graphics
Although the visuals in Monster Force are small they're
also incredibly clear and the animation of any of the
three main characters is wonderful. There are also a
fair few special effects throughout the game and almost
every area features amazing explosions and numerous
monster transformations. A special mention must go to
the intro and cut screens, which can best be described
as a type of Pathe Newsreel footage from WWII. They
are truly wonderful; the screen flickers as antique
looking illustrations depict the story and they do a
fabulous job of creating the game's atmosphere.
Sound & Music
This is without a doubt one of the game's highlights
and the audio throughout is excellent. For once the
developers seem to have had some idea of what the theme
of the actual game was and have matched the soundtrack
accordingly. Again, the best example of this is accompanying
the intro with an inspirational 'silent movie' type
score. The sound effects too are great and the samples
of wolves howling and monsters creeping around are some
of the best featured on the GBA to date.
Final Comments
Monster Force is another very polished product from
the very capable Digital Eclipse but I must stress,
it's not for everyone. There's a certain type of gamer
who'll enjoy this and after playing it for some time
the best way I can describe it is a kind of updated
Gauntlet from the early days of arcade machines. To
put it simply, if you enjoy finding keys, killing monsters,
triggering switches etc. then there's hours of arcade
fun to be had with this game. If not, there's little
in this game to covert you but try it out anyway as
it's beautifully designed.
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