Paper Monsters Review: A Uniquely Designed Addition to the Platform Gaming World…

App Name:	Paper Monsters
Platforms:	Universal (Optimized for both iPad and iPhone)
Publisher(s):	Crescent Moon Games LLC
Version Reviewed:	1.0
Genre(s):	Gaming
Release Date:	January 26, 2012
Price:	$0.99
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Most of us know that platform games on our mobile devices these days are a dime a dozen. It is difficult to differentiate one thing from the next, as so many concepts appear to be borrowed from other games, including graphical styling.

Paper Monsters does a good job at separating itself from the rest of the pack, at least in terms of graphics and look.

The game is quite simple, as it is aimed at pretty much any age out there. One of the things I particularly enjoyed about it was the retro gaming feel it had. The player is transported into a world made out of paper mache (similar to Paper Mario), cardboard, and cotton balls. It is a strikingly unique idea that plays out quite endearingly throughout the experience.

As far as game play goes, it is pretty standard double jump fair. A lot of platform games struggle with control issues, but I didn’t find that the case with Paper Monsters.  The controls include a virtual thumb stick on the left, and tapping on the right for double jumps. A big criticism of most platform games is the typically sub par controlling. Almost every time I died in Paper Monsters though, it was as a result of my own doing, not something I could blame on the controls. The player hops around the intricately created paper world, exploring various levels containing secrets and prizes (some are incredibly well-hidden), all the while doing battle with a diverse collection of villains and bosses. As far as completing levels, the challenge is rather easy. The best way to challenge yourself even further is to do your best to discover all hidden secrets and prizes, as there are plenty to be found.

One of the things I rather enjoyed was the customization you are allowed to do with the main character. The golden buttons you collect allow you to dress your box dude in a variety of outfits, letting you add your own visual flair to the game. If you don’t feel like doing the work to collect the necessary buttons, in-app purchases are available to you (child warning).

If I had to nit pick about what I didn’t like with the game, I would say that it doesn’t exactly stand out in terms of being something that brings a new element to the platform gaming table. Most of what you do and experience in Paper Monsters is similar to other platform games, even though this one in particular manages to still entertain and feel fresh. I attribute that to the unique styling and playful atmosphere that the game provides. The graphics, as I said before, are a delight to interact with, and I had very few, if any, issues with the game stalling or crashing on me, which was nice.

The only other thing that even remotely got on my nerves was the sound of the jump effect. The continuous repetition of the sound got to be slightly annoying; which, if you play many games like this at all, repetitious sound is something that comes with the territory. In terms of the rest of the soundtrack, it was all still quite enjoyable and offered enough variety to keep things interesting.

In the long run, I found Paper Monsters to be a high quality game that was amusing and entertaining. An added bonus is that you are able to allow younger kids to play it without fear of wanton violence and questionable material being presented to them. While there isn’t anything necessarily groundbreaking to the gameplay, Paper Monsters still brings a unique enough feel to the genre to warrant the $.99 purchase, if you ask me.

Our score: 4 out of 5.

About the Author

Jared Murray is a freelance writer currently living in Phoenix, Arizona; which is way warmer than his home state of Indiana. Way. Follow him on Twitter: @jared_84

 

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