Have you ever thought what would happen if someone took Super Mario and added fishing and music? …Just me? Well, in the off chance that you have wondered that, I’ve found the answer! The result would be Monomals. Developed by Picomy B.V. and published by Rogue Games, this fun take on a 3D platformer will get anyone hooked!
PREMISE
In the world of Monomals, there is a giant music competition going on between all the best animal DJs. You, as the player, are in charge of helping these DJs catch all the Monomals underwater to make some sick tunes.
The game opens with a rabbit-like character and a cat in a floatie. The cat explains to the player how to play the game in a quick tutorial, explaining not only the basic mechanics of gameplay but also how to apply the Monomals you catch to create tracks. By the end of the short and sweet tutorial, the player is set for the rest of the game.
GAMEPLAY
Regarding gameplay, I truly believe that this game nails it! The controls are both fluid and simple, allowing players to easily become attuned to them. In each level, players play as the ‘hook’ end of each DJ’s fishing rod, having to navigate the underwater platforms in order to reach the Monomal at the end of the level. Players must use the left joycon and the A and B buttons to swim and dash across obstacles.
Environmental obstacles vary per level and per world/area. For example, in the first world, common obstacles were slime based. In the second, there were obstacles based around unbreakable blocks that could only be broken through a time-limited power booster. Slime is slow, while the boosters were all about speed.
Each level also includes a set amount of enemies for the player to navigate around and/or destroy. Usually these take form in hostile fish mobs which swim towards the player menacingly. All the player has to do is dash through enemies to poof them out of existence. But the enemy types do not stop there. There are shielded fish, which are fish with helmets that require two dashes to poof. There are also charging whales, that charge quickly in one direction and get stunned when they hit a wall. It is only when the whales have been stunned that it is safe to kill them.
That being said, there are also enemies in this game that are unkillable. An example of an unkillable enemy would be green slime, which are essentially sentient slimes that will try to eat the player for as long as the player is passing through them.
It should be noted that although players can “die” in this game, the most that happens is that they lose 5 coins per death. Death also only happens when the player takes around 3-4 hits of damage. Throughout the levels, players pass through checkpoints marked by television screens that light up when the player swims past them. There are several of these checkpoints leading up to the final ‘boss’ of each level. Once the boss fight has started, the beginning serves as a checkpoint as well.
All these features make this game relatively low stakes. If you’re not aiming for a time record, there isn’t much to worry about. Arguably, this actually makes Monomals all the more enjoyable.
Check Out the Short Gameplay Trailer:
Boss fights at the end of each level are all unique and fun. All of the challenges the player may have faced in their journey to the boss level is then replicated in two different mini stages, wherein the player must apply their new learned knowledge in order to break the Monomal out of their safe cage. Once both stages have been completed, players must chase the Monomal down and capture it via dash.
MUSIC
This wouldn’t be a complete review without some mention on the music. Music plays a huge part in this game, changing with each level and world. Each world has its own unique genre of music too, with the swamp world, for example, being jazz themed.
The music is also interactable, slowing down when a player is swimming through slime, for example. It really adds to the amazing experience that the game already offers. Without music this game would be ok, but with the music, this game becomes great!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, Monomals is a fun platform game that all ages would enjoy. It’s not too grindy, not overly difficult, and definitely not all that punishing. It’s a great game to put on to relax, listen to some funky music, and have fun. It is definitely one I’d recommend buying, but probably not at the full $20 price. If you happen to catch this game on sale, however, it is a must buy.
Rating: 9/10
For more information, please visit: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/monomals-switch/
Related: MONOMALS Unleashes Animal DJs Today on Switch
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Nintendo Switch Review
Victoria's fascination with games dates as far back to the early days of Newgrounds, where she became enthralled with the patchwork flash games that the site boasted. From there, she continued onward, playing a multitude of different games, diversifying her taste with every new day. Whether it was talking to Alduin at Skyrim's peak, or romancing Sebastian in Stardew Valley, she has always been fixated on the mechanics of games, as well as the diversified culture that backgrounds them. Even to this day she continues trying new genres: from RPGs, to Roguelites, to even more quaint experiences found in Cozy games.
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