Developer: AirConsole, Epopeia Games
Publisher: AirConsole
Platform: PC, Mac
Tested on: PC
Mega Monster Party – Review
Normally, popular games are always being copied. Whether it’s a simple platformer like Super Mario or a complex deck-builder like Hearthstone, eventually there will be somebody somewhere who tries to replicate a certain concept. For the popular Nintendo Mario Party series, this happened surprisingly little. Perhaps this is due to multiple mini-games that need to be made or that the production just seems too much effort compared to the profit, but whatever the case, Mega Monster Party tried it anyway.
Story
In Mega Monster Party, you and three friends (or NPCs), get to connect your phones as controllers through AirConsole (a service/developer that allows easy party game access with simple online connectivity) to play a party game together. There’s no real story present in the game. You simply pick one of eight characters to play with, get on a game board, and start rolling a die to move forward. One turn at a time, you try to reach the game master standing at a random space on the board to gain an advantage over the other players. There are no characters giving any background story or lore in any way, there’s just this aforementioned core concept, accompanied by mini-games, fun graphics, and simplistic sound effects.
Graphics
We must say that for a game that’s quite affordable (approx 13 Euros/Dollars) we are quite surprised by the quality of the game in general. What the game does well graphically, is that it makes everything feel accessible, just as you would expect from a Mario Party-type of clone. The instructions of the board game and the mini-games are very clear, and you even get a small example every time you start something. On top of that, the buttons to interact with, as well as the HUD, are clear, and these are all merged with a nice variety of maps that each have something unique to offer, however small this offer might be. While the character models are a bit simple, they are likable and effective too.
Sound
Like some of the graphics, the sound design is also a bit simple. Each map has a single background track (switched with mini-game music when it’s time for mini-games) that’s playing in a loop. Luckily, the music is long and complicated enough to not get on your nerves. The characters each have their own unique set of voice lines, consisting of grumbling, laughing, and occasionally something resembling words. While we would have liked to hear a bit more variety, the overall sound design is effective enough to accompany a game like this.
Gameplay
Mega Monster Party has almost the exact same rules as Mario Party. This party game and mini-game combination means you roll a die to move on a game board and play mini-games to collect coins. With your coins, you try to reach the game master who appears on a random space of the board each time. Pay him 20 coins, and you get a minion. Where in Mario Party you would buy stars instead of minions and be crowned the winner if you have most, in Mega Monster Party it works slightly different. Here, at the end of the game, you get a fierce parade of mini-games, where the minions you have gathered work as lives, deciding how many games you can lose. It’s a fair chance for everybody to still get a shot at the title, and we liked this concept a lot.
Aside from this fair chance to win, there’s also still pure luck involved. Mini-games are, much like Mario Party, divided into skill, the frantic pressing of buttons, and pure luck. This is fine for a game such as this; if you don’t take winning too seriously. Nonetheless, what does bother us about Mega Monster Party is how this is a stripped-down version of a party game. This means there are fewer games involved, and fewer events that made Mario Party fun. Instead, a lot of events are settled by using rock-paper-scissors mechanics (e.g. players landing on the same square), and on the game boards themselves barely anything special happens.
Now, for a game that’s roughly priced only a quarter of the price you would pay for Mario Party, we truly appreciate what is on offer. That being said, for a game that moves rather slow, you want more excitement. You want to see weird events happening on the game boards, and perhaps even more intriguing mini-games. Mega Monster Party is far from bad, though its simplicity feels like it’s just enough to entertain you for an evening or two. The latter might disappoint those who are looking for a solid Mario Party experience.
Conclusion
Mega Monster Party does a lot of things well. It is simple and effective in its graphics and communication, making the game accessible and clear. However, it’s also a very bare-bones version of Mario Party, lacking more content to keep the game interesting on the board, as well as during its mini-games. While this is a very solid attempt to recreate a Mario Party experience, it’s also just not enough to be more than a “budget copy”, which might not be enough for everybody.
Mega Monster Party - Review,
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