There are a decent number of platform games on the App Store. Most of them are ‘cookie cutter’ type games that just take the easy way out. Sometimes it works, and other times they fail. Every now and then though, a platformer comes along that really stands out. Paper Monsters ($.99 App Store Link) is just that.
Developed by Crescent Moon Games and Robots vs. Wizards, Paper Monsters takes 2D platforming to a whole new level. You play as “Litte box guy”, the hero of course. It isn’t the character’s name, just a nickname the developers gave him. In the game, the main character is ‘you’. The storyline in Paper Monsters that you’re in this world, Paperland and Lord Papyrus and his minions invade the world, and only you, the hero, can stop them.
Paper Monsters looks absolutely stunning. If you’ve played Super Mario, Paper Super Mario, or Little Big Planet, Paper Monsters should look familiar both gameplay and design wise, so it should be pretty easy to pick up and play. Paper Monsters combines 2D gameplay with 3D environments, 16 levels, 4 worlds, and plenty of unique enemies. The development for Paper Monsters started back in mid-2010, and went into the better part of 2011. For people who have been waiting for Paper Monsters to come out, it’s been a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Paper Monsters is as good as it gets. The levels are significantly long and the platform aspect of the game is pretty challenging. There are a lot of secret areas and treasures to find, which are basically different items to collect, like buttons, power ups, or paper clips. Paper Monsters takes a page or two from other platform games. It doesn’t hider the gameplay in any way though. As you’re making your way through the levels, you travel through pipes to find certain items. Like in any Mario game, you end up on a platform in back of the main stage platform where you collect all the items andtravel back to the main platform.
There are a good number of enemies and all of them have unique characteristics and weapons. Boss battles are a bit easy for the most part. They can be a more challenging, but they’re still a lot of fun to play against. Besides jumping your way through platforms, there are also water and flying levels, which are a good change of pace. They keep you attached to the game and introduce a lot of fun enemies.
In the water levels you’re in a submarine of sorts and you shoot missiles at your enemies, because of course you can’t just swim freely. The hero is made of paper after all. Other than that, your main offense against enemies is to jump on them. There are 4 worlds and 16 levels, which may seem short to some, but the levels are pretty long. Dash mode is also included in Paper Monsters for additional gameplay. You run freely, but you just control jumping while collecting buttons. It’s a fun mode if you want to waste a few minutes or pass by time.
Graphics
The graphics of Paper Monsters are what stand out the most. Even though the gameplay is purely 2D, the worlds are in 3D. They look very sharp, colorful, and eye-catching. There is a lot of attention to detail in the character and environments alike. You can tell Crescent Moon Games and Robots vs. Wizards put a lot of time into the graphics and they don’t disappoint at all. All the textures look beautiful, especially the paper textures of the characters. All the levels are so bright and vibrant. Sometimes I feel like playing the game just so I can look at how great the graphics are.
Controls
The controls are as simple as it can get. You can either choose from the floating joystick or classic touchpad. I started off with the joystick, not only because it’s the default control that the game starts with, but since I’m playing on an iPhone and not on a bigger screen such as an iPad, I always like to have as much of the screen as possible and not a touchpad where the touchpad and controls are on top of everything. After playing through a few levels, I switched over to the classic touchpad just because the joystick didn’t feel as responsive as I though it would.
Since I was using the floating joystick, it felt like it was doing just that, because you can place it wherever you please, I kept accidentally moving it to the left the whole time. The touchpad though, works great. It’s really not visible at all. It’s very responsive to whichever direction I’m going in. The right side of the screen is used to jump,and if you tap twice you do a double jump. In water levels you use it to shoot missiles at enemies. Paper Monsters, being a platform game, that’s really all you need as far as controls go and they work just fine.
Verdict
Paper Monsters is a great game with a lot to offer. The sound is also a big plus. The music sounds great. Paper Monsters has a good soundtrack which blends well with the gameplay and all the characters. The sound effects stand out well and they help bring more character to the little box guy and his enemies. The buttons you collect can be used to purchase different outfits and items in the button store. If you please, more buttons can be purchased through in-app purchases. With the inclusion of Dash mode, Paper Monsters has plenty of replay value. Even though there only 4 worlds with 16 levels, there is a good amount of gameplay. Paper Monsters is one of the most refreshing platform games on the App Store. If you’re looking for something different and creative, don’t hesitate to pick up Paper Monsters.
Price: ($.99 App Store Link)
Rating: 5/5[rating:5]
Update: Paper Monsters is now available on Mac for $1.99 (Mac App Store Link)
Pros
- Great vibrant graphics with 2D gameplay and 3D environments.
- Fun gameplay and a good number of secrets items and treasures to find
- Good soundtrack and sound effects
Cons
- Boss battles can be more challenging
- More than 16 levels would be nice
