Monster Party

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Monster Party

North American boxart
Developer(s) Human Entertainment
Publisher(s) Bandai
Platform(s) NES
Release date(s) NA June, 1989
EU 1990
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

Monster Party features content that is atypically morbid for an NES game, though for the title screen the blood is colored green.

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 realm, "Dark World". 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 on the way to Dark World magically fuses himself to Mark so that they are one being (with Mark able to transform into Bert for a limited time).

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 giant plates, a large caterpillar, walking pants, a huge cat that hurls kittens, and a bouncing piece of fried shrimp. It is also interesting to note the bloody and bizarre "graphic" graphics of the game.

[edit] Gameplay

Mark (as Bert) faces one of the strangest bosses in the game: a hopping fried shrimp. Defeating this form turns the monster into an onion ring, which in turn becomes shish kabob.

The player takes the role of Mark, who wields his bat to attack and to deflect projectiles. Rebounding projectiles back at bosses is often necessary to defeat them as Mark, as he otherwise has limited attack options. 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, and gradually improves as the player completes levels.

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.

[edit] Levels

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A level is completed when a certain number of bosses have been beaten and the key to the door at the end has been obtained.

  • Dark World: During the first part of this area, everything has a smile on its face. However, in the midway point, the area changes into a hellish environment. Enemies include a gothic child and legs. The bosses for this level are a Man-Eating Plant, Giant Spider (deceased), and a Pumpkin Ghost.
  • Dark World Dungeon: A sewer-like area infested with fish heads, crocodiles, and a blood-belching creature. Bosses for this level include Medusa, a giant snake with snakes for hair, Shrimp Attack (the most unique battle in the game, featuring a fight against a fried shrimp, an onion ring, and a shish kabob, all with the teleportation devices from "The Fly" in the background), and a haunted wishing well that throws plates at you (a reference to the Banchō Sarayashiki ghost story).
  • Dark World Cave: Bosses for this level include Guardian of the Giant Sphinx, who complains that his legs are asleep, Giant Spider (who throws X's at you), and Giant Cow Man, whose attack is smaller cows.
  • Dark World Castle Ruins: A pyramid-like area with desert enemies, such as scorpions. Bosses include Giant Samurai, a giant cat, and Punk Rocker.
  • Dark World Lake: This area has two bosses instead of the usual three. Enemies include sharks with large fins and sea serpents. Bosses are Walking Dead, who become invincible if touched and merely wish for you to "watch" their dance, and Mad Javelin Man, a large wooden robot.
  • Dark World Haunted Mansion: The Chameleon Man, a large mask, is the boss.
  • Dark World Tower: This level scrolls upward. There is a bug that causes the key to the level to be obtained after two bosses instead of three. Beating the third boss causes the player to lose the key instead, creating an unwinnable situation. Enemies include umpires, masked elephants, and imps. Bosses include a caterpillar named (Rolls) Royce, the Grim Reaper, and the return of the Giant Spider, with a Roman numeral II on its back.
  • Dark World Heaven's Gate: A heaven-like area that defies the physics of most side-scrolling games by allowing you to move left at the start. Enemies include dynamite and witches. Bosses are Hand Creature, Snake Man, who calls you Mark despite not knowing your name and regardless of your present form, and Giant Dragon.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Party"
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