Indie Reviews - Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess
By StarFoxA 4 Comments
Previous Reviews:
Miner Dig Deep - September 18, 2010
Johnny Platform's Biscuit Romp - September 17, 2010
Arkedo Series - 01 JUMP! - September 16, 2010
Soulcaster - September 15, 2010
Groov - September 14, 2010
Developer: Mediatonic
Price: 240 ($3.00) Microsoft points
Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess
Coming from Mediatonic, Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess is a combo-based vertically scrolling platformer. You take control of the Duke, a narcissistic vampire whose princess has been (most likely) stolen by monsters. In order to discover which monster stole his princess, the Duke must fight five different monsters across a total of five stages. Yes, five stages. This game is incredibly short.The core gameplay mechanic involves catching up with the monster and then hitting it. This must be done three times per stage. Each platform in the level increases the Duke's combo, with higher combos allowing the Duke to jump higher, as well as a visual flair (e.g. smoke trail, demon wings). This is a very fun gameplay concept, the only problem being the game's longevity.
Beyond the five stage story, there is a score attack mode and numerous unlockable awards (and a single unlockable level). The score attack consists of 15 stages rather than only five, but none of these differ incredibly from the main story stages (in fact, five of them are from the story). The gameplay is very fun, but it just doesn't hold up in these levels, due to the fact that no new additional mechanics are introduced.
The real appeal of Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess is its humor. Every stage has its gag, usually consisting of the words "probably" and "stole my princess." This is the positive aspect of the game's longevity, as the humor doesn't get old (any longer, and it would likely be groan inducing). Some of the unlockables also carry on this theme, with one newspaper clip describing how a "demon" (the Duke) kidnapped a waitress (the princess) at a Burger Princess restaurant.
Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess is a very, very hard game to recommend at 240 Microsoft points. The entire game can be finished in about 15 or 20 minutes, while other games at its price point and lower offer hours of gameplay. That's not to say that Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess is a bad game, but if the concept of vertically scrolling combo-based platforming intrigues you and you enjoy some corny humor, then this game is (probably) for you.
Tomorrow: Leave Home
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