Monster Party
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| Monster Party | |
|---|---|
 North American boxart |
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| Developer(s) | Human Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai |
| Platform(s) | NES |
| Release date |  June, 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Monster Party is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), released in the U.S. in 1989 by Bandai. It was and remains a relatively obscure platform game for the console but has a small following among NES players. Prototype screenshots of a Japanese Famicom version exist, but the game was never released in Japan.
Contents |
[edit] Story
The story centers on a child named Mark who is accosted on his way home from a baseball game by a winged, gargoyle-like alien monster named Bert who requests his assistance in ridding "evil monsters" from his home planet. Mark is reluctant to help, but Bert insists, saying that Mark can use his "weapon" (the baseball bat in his hand) to fight enemies. He quickly whisks him away, and inexplicably fuses with Mark while in flight.
This bizarre plot introduction sets up a game that is filled with variations on many traditional horror characters and themes (sometimes with ironic twists) as well as relatively novel, and always weird, characters all its own. Some traditional horror bosses the game features include a mummy, giant spiders, zombies, Medusa, and Death; persistent players will also encounter such creatures as a haunted well that throws plates, a large caterpillar, walking pants, a huge cat that hurls small kittens, and a bouncing piece of shrimp tempura.
[edit] Gameplay
The player takes the role of Mark, who wields his bat to attack and to deflect projectiles; this is necessary to defeat most bosses as Mark is otherwise a somewhat clunky and fragile character. Enemies drop hearts, which replenish life, as well as pills which (for a small period of time) turn Mark into Bert, who can fly and shoot beams a limited distance. The effect of Bert's beams on enemies is stronger than Mark's bat attack.
Monster Party features eight levels, each of which has a unique password that allows the player to access a particular level without starting the entire game over. The basic objective in each level is to beat particular bosses (and a certain number of them) to earn a key and move on to the next level. Bosses are accessed by doorways found in the main part of the level. However, many of these doors lead to empty rooms, and it is often difficult to find the right door which leads to a boss. Every door, whether it leads to nothing or a level boss, gives the player a question mark ('?') item, which can either provide the player with health, points, or transformation into Bert.
Monster Party is known for its quirky, odd character design, particularly in the multitude of bosses the player must defeat. The bosses range from more normal enemy fare such as ghosts and severed heads, to the bizarre such as giant punk rockers, a gigantic cat that throws kittens, a cow-man that sends smaller cows out to attack, and killer shrimp. The dancing zombie duo in Stage 5 are invincible unless the player lets them finish their dance routine, after which they self-destruct. There is even a boss that is, literally, a dead spider. The spider's corpse simply says "Sorry, I'm dead" and disappears, concluding the "boss battle" as soon as it is started.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Monster Party - Digital Press Online Review of Monster Party at Digital Press Online.
- Monster Party - Bandai Shows screenshots of the Famicom prototype in comparison to the NES version.
- Monster Party at MobyGames
- Monster Party at GameFAQs
- Monster Party Review Review of Monster Party at Flying Omelette, with several screenshots.
- Encyclopedia Obscura: The Horror! Information regarding the alterations of Monster Party pre-release, and excerpts from its morbidly odd ending (8-Bit, but potentially still graphic)
