For the past few years a lot of people have been craving for a port of Pokémon to iOS. Of course, Nintendo won’t let that happen any time soon. Fortunately, some developers have made similar games to satisfy those users itching for a monster battle game. Some of these have come close in terms of gameplay.
The latest battle game to be offered on iOS is Haypi Monster (Free, App Store Link), a Pokémon-based MMORPG by Haypi Co. The monster battle game skips the storyline entirely, such as those in Pokemon with a top-down view, navigating a map, and goes straight to the battles.
Overview
Haypi Monster features over 100 monsters that you can battle, capture, breed, and train. When you start the game for the first time, the introductory monster you’re given is Draco, a fire type monster. You’re then taken through an in-depth tutorial, which you can’t skip. There’s a lot to learn before you start battling. It can kind of get overwhelming to remember all the features and options that the game offers, but of course the more you play, the more you’ll get used to it.
The interface is a bit cluttered. It would have been better to just put everything in it’s own window instead of the main start screen. Just organizing all your monsters can take a lot of time. I just found myself in certain menus most of the game because I noticed I spent more time training and upgrading my monsters than in the gameplay actually battling. Once you have a chance to jump into the gameplay after you’ve finished the tutorial, you start off in the jungle scene.
Gameplay
The game is presented to you in terms of a board game. You roll the dice to determine how far your character will advance throughout the map. At first, the gameplay may be a bit repetitive because you’re battling the same few monsters over. Once you get through the first board, the gameplay quickly picks up. To catch a monster, you us a card and seal it when your opponent is weak.
I did notice that the percentage to catch a monster is a bit off. I tried to use a card to seal different opponents when they were at 2 or 3hp and I still wasn’t able to seal it. You’re also able to switch out your monster during battle. If you are on a sea level and you’re using a fire type monster; that may be tougher depending on your skill level. Also, water type monsters are stronger against fire monsters just as fire types have an advantage against plant monsters.
Graphics
The graphics of Haypi Monster are vibrant and crisp as far as the battles go. There are a lot of neat animations for both offensive attacks and defensive maneuvers alike. If you’re familiar with Pokémon, you know what to expect as far as graphics go during battle. The game takes full advantage of the retina display. They’re very vibrant and have a lot of color as the game has more of a cartoon art design.
That’s where it seems to end. The user interface of the menu and board are somewhat left to be desired. When you get to the features and different options, your eyes don’t know where to go first. They try to make it natural by blending it into a background, but it ends up being a bit confusing.
Overall
Haypi Monsters, more than likely can satisfy your craving for a monster battle game, as this is one of the more detailed offerings on the App Store. With the ability to train, breed, and use synthesis (combine two different monster types into one), you can easily spend as much time upgrading your monsters as you do battling.
Haypi Monster also offers multiplayer by giving you the ability to compete with friends and team up against other monsters or battle each other in a tournament. There are in-app-purchases, which are just a set amount of coins, but there are plenty of ways to collect coins in the game, so IAPs aren’t really needed. Haypi Monster is free-to-play, which is a definite plus, considering there are other monster battle games on the app store which aren’t free and don’t even offer as much gameplay as Haypi Monster.
Price: Free, App Store Link
Rating: 4/5[rating:4]
Pros:
- Over 100 monsters to battle, capture, and breed
- Six scenes and hundres of levels
- different types of multiplayer mode
Cons:
- Confusing interface
- Long tutorial
- Basic introduction, but no storyline
