The recent release of Terra Noctis proved
once more that not only are platformers still
fun, but with the right tweaks they're perfect
for iDevices.
It seems that Crescent Moon Games and developer
Robots vs Wizards were on the same wavelength
when coming up with Paper Monsters, but instead
of something akin to Yoshi's Island, this
game channels simpler games of the era.
This isn't the developer's first rodeo when
it comes to platformers and you can see shades
of their previous title Doodle Monster smashed
up with aesthetic inspirations from Little
Big Planet in their latest release.
As befitting a fairly standard platformer,
the storyline is similarly generic and you
as the cardboard protagonist must fight the
paper-y hordes of Papyrus over 16 stages and
four interesting boss battles.
While the controls are much of what you'd
expect (virtual analogue/digital movement,
tap to double jump), the presentation goes
that step further by setting the game in a
2.5D world.
The cute paper-themed worlds are charming,
but more importantly layered with depth as
the player constantly finds themselves warping
to areas 'behind' the current stage to collect
bonus objects and buttons.
These can be traded in for costumes to pimp
out your character, adding a touch of individual
flair to the game.
Unfortunately the game never really feels
like more than a basic platformer and while
references to other classics (such as the
mouth-portals from Mario 2) are neat, they
don't really add to the experience.
Similarly the occasional switch in gameplay
(such as controlling a submarine) breaks up
the flow, but doesn't provide anything beyond
a temporary sea-change.
Although Paper Monsters fails to take the
opportunity to explore the platforming genre
outside of a few visual touches, the experience
is none-the-less short, tight and fun enough
to keep you hooked till the end.
Those after more of a challenge may not find
what they're looking for here, but for fans
of classic platformers and casual gamers this
is worth checking off your list.
