Dec 12, 2013 Review Date: December 2013. Welcome to the world of Moshi Monsters in Katsuma Unleashed, another whacky adventure in this fun side scrolling arcade game. The story of Moshi Monsters Katsuma Unleashed pits the player against the nefarious Dr. Strangeglove who has kidnapped Elder Furi in an attempt to make him reveal the secrets of Moshi Picchi.
Back in the mid ‘90s when Nintendo's SNES and SEGA’s Mega Drive ruled the roost, movie and cartoon tie-in games were everywhere. Most were fairly uninspired, simply pasting franchise-specific characters into generic 2D platformers, but there were the occasional flashes of brilliance too, from the free-wheeling fun of Tiny Toon Adventures, the cool arcade action of Super Star Wars and Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse. Fast forward to 2013, and things feel a bit different to how they once were. Licensed games still exist, but they aren’t as prevalent as in their heyday. In fact, it seems the major blockbusters are more likely to be accompanied by a mobile game than a console title now, (what we would have given for a full-blown Wreck-it Ralph game complete with Sugar Rush racing mode!), but one arena where the license is still king is children’s games. Take a quick glance at what’s on offer for younger players, and you’ll see game after game based on cartoons and kids films. The problem is though, not all are created equal and there are some real stinkers out there (we’re looking at you, Smurfs 2).
Happily though, Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed is somewhat better than the Smurfs 2 - and despite a few annoyances, it's an entertaining enough game in its own right - doubly so, of course, if you're a big Moshi fan. If you're unfamiliar with Moshi Monsters (and if you have a kid under 13, that's probably unlikely), the craze started life as an online game where children can adopt and care for their own pet monster while playing mini games and accumulating ‘Rox’, the game’s currency. The game was (and still is) such a success that the lovable monsters started branching out into toys, books, and of course games. While Moshlings Theme Park, also for the 3DS, was a collection of mini games (similar to Peppa Pig or Hello Kitty), Katsuma Unleashed is a side scrolling action game that has more in common with New Super Mario Bros. Playing as Katsuma, a popular Pikachu-like monster, it’s up to you to jump your way through the levels as you try to stop the evil Dr Strangeglove and rescue Elder Furi (and the other Moshi Monsters) from his villainous clutches.
Springs, collectable gems, and a blue sky. Yep, it's a platformer alright.
The game's been divided into six distinct worlds, each of which has its own theme (snow, temple, castle, etc.), but follows a fairly standard formula - you'll be leaping across platforms, dispatching enemy robots, collecting as many Rox as you can and picking up hidden secrets as you race towards the goal. Some levels on the map are optional bonus stages, requiring a small amount of Rox to play, but with enough Rox inside they'll repay your investment many times over. In a nod towards its younger target audience, you're also given an infinite supply of lives, and while the levels aren’t restricted by a timer, each one takes about five minutes to blast through - which is perfect for those with shorter attention spans. Katsuma has a nimble jump, a dash ability, a spin attack and a ground pound at their disposal, all of which work in a pretty similar way to the Mario games - however, as with other games of this type, there's more to do here than meets the eye.
Adding some much needed replay value, and an extra challenge for older players, each level contains a number of secrets if you stray off the beaten path. From hidden Moshlings (smaller Moshi creatures), which you can find and enter in to the in-game‘Moshipedia’, to special coin pieces and stashes of Rox, which have been tucked away, waiting for you to find, there's plenty to keep more rigorous players occupied - although you won't be able to see everything on your first pass. Certain areas require certain powers to access them - and the only way to unlock those powers is to defeat the end of world bosses, and come back later. Shields, flight, and special attacks all power up Katsuma, letting you return to previously played levels and explore every nook and cranny searching for secrets - something anyone who's played the LEGO games will be rather familiar with. In a pretty clever move, the developers have also included a code for the Moshi Monsters website in the box, with more codes waiting to be unlocked within the game itself. We’re not sure exactly what these do on the site, but we’d wager they’re for Rox or some kind of additional content for the online game - something that's bound to go down well with the game's fans.
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However, as a Moshi Monsters game, Katsuma's Revenge also had to try and navigate the awkward challenges that come with being a game designed for a broad range of children - and it's here there may be a few problems. While older children (and adults) will enjoy the depth of gameplay, younger Moshi fans may be unable to see all the game has to offer without some help. It’s actually quite a tricky game in its own right, and small hands will have to be pretty nimble to control Katsuma and safely guide him through each level. It's also more than a little bit disappointing that without collecting every hidden coin fragment, the ending of the game is a bit of a let down (SPOILER ALERT: without collecting every hidden coin, you can’t rescue Elder Furi from his cage, so he remains trapped and then the credits roll
/SPOILER). It makes sense to give you a reason to go back through the game and collect the coins, but it can feel a bit harsh on younger players, who'd expect to see the character saved once the final boss is dealt with. You’re told early on that the coin fragments are important, but they’re easy to miss, especially with so much else going on. Somewhat awkwardly, the controls feel a bit sloppy too, and there’s a slight delay between pressing a button or direction on the +Control Pad and Katsuma responding. It almost feels as if the game is in slow motion at times, and means that precise jumping isn’t really an option. It’s a shame, as these floaty controls can make replaying levels more of a chore than it should be - especially when combined with the game's somewhat dodgy frame rate.It’s no secret that the 3DS’ main attraction, that 3D top screen, can be a blessing and a curse in equal measure. When used well, the added depth and flashy ‘pop-out’ effects can really add a lot to a game. However, when it’s not implemented quite so well it can be a headache-inducing blur, and unfortunately, that’s what we have here. Katsuma Unleashed looks vibrant and colourful in pictures, but in motion it’s another story. It’s hard to describe, but once you’re moving Katsuma about there’s a strange jerky motion that goes beyond a regular choppy frame rate, that makes it very hard on the eyes, even with the 3D slider off. We’re not sure exactly what causes the problem, but it’s really distracting, and made our eyes feel very tired after only a short session.
Still, the stutter is likely to be of little concern to the biggest Moshi Monsters fans, who'll nonetheless love Katsuma Unleashed, partly for the appeal of the characters and partly for the game itself. While it's nice to see so much thought being put into the level design and replayability, the game’s shortcomings in terms of the eye-straining graphics, inaccurate controls and relatively high difficulty for a children’s game mean that this is one for the older Moshi fans only - but you'll have to take a look at our Parental Review for more on that.
Moshi Monsters Katsuma Unleashed
by Kimberly Keller - November 2, 2013, 3:22 pm PDT
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A pretty solid tie-in game for once.
Mind Candy has teamed up with Activision to make another Moshi Monsters game, the third in the series based on the popular children’s website. Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed is the first for the 3DS and also the first to focus on a singular character from the franchise. Squarely aimed at a younger audience, this side scrolling platformer may not bring anything new to the table, but it’s a fun and cute game that has enough to keep players interested till the end.
Katsuma is an angry looking bunny/cat thing with fangs and a tail. I say bunny only because he has large rabbit ears, but he also inexplicably makes hilarious feline noises throughout the game. As it is obviously designed for a younger demographic, there are a lot of loud, silly, and colorful elements added in to the already zany game world. Defeated enemies satisfyingly explode into bolts and cogs, a superhero item comes with its own superhero theme song, and boss characters have extreme themes that don’t have any purpose but to be visually interesting (a candy-throne boss awaits you at the end of a picturesque forest).
The game is fairly straightforward: all of Katsuma’s friends have been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Strangeglove and Katsuma must find them while defeating enemies along the way. Traditional platformers like Mario come to mind as you proceed through the colorful levels (replace coins with gem-like Rox). Most enemies can be bounced on, some have helmets or other obstacles that require a different type of attack and multiple hits, and ledges and floating platforms appear often. It’s easy to control Katsuma as there are only three main options: jump, spin attack, or run.
As you progress through the game, special powers like distance attacks and flying can be unlocked. These are shown on the bottom screen on the console and can be activated by simply tapping on the picture you want. Secret areas and items are hidden throughout levels, which make for a good amount of replay, especially since some require abilities that are unlocked later in the game. Finding everything is key or else Elder Furi cannot be saved at the end of the game, and will send you back unless you’ve found all the pieces of the special coins and broken all the cages of the scattered Moshis.
Helpful items are scattered around levels. Katsuma’s three hearts can be replenished, or even have a fourth temporarily added on. Cake is used to fill up his power bar, which is depleted the longer you have a power activated. Signs are also put up so you don’t get lost, but sometimes ignoring these instructions can lead to rewards.
Boss levels are interesting, but not always challenging, as some of the levels leading up to them take more tries than the actual end battle. Each boss has their own weakness or flaw that can be exploited, and the game does a good job at mixing it up. However, the power ups unlocked by the end of the game can make Katsuma nearly invincible if timed right, which severely lowers the difficulty for clever players.
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After each level is completed, Katsuma travels to the next area using a map, making it easy to see your progress and go back if need be. Extra bonus levels also appear on the map, but cost Rox to access. These levels require you to either reach the end or collect a certain amount of Rox within a time limit, without dying. The level always gives out way more Rox than you paid to access, making them worthwhile detours. It’s worth noting that Rox actually don’t unlock or buy anything in the game itself, but rather reveals special codes for the Moshi online game each time a certain amount has been collected.
Shortcuts on the map are unlocked as you finish the different worlds. Entering a shortcut leads to a different dimension of sorts that contain entrances to previously completed worlds, so it is easy to find early levels you want to replay. Also contained in this area are mini games featuring the main Moshi cast. Each focuses on their individual abilities (the same ones Katsuma channels for his powers) and have a special challenge that must be accomplished in addition to normally completing the mini game for it to be fully counted as completed.
Whenever a level or mini game is successfully completed, a special Moshi is unlocked in a Moshi encyclopedia. Players can view the Moshi’s picture and a short sentence about them. This is also where the special website codes and StreetPass unlockables will appear after they’ve been received.
The only really glaring problem is how the camera keeps up with Katsuma. In an effort to always keep him centered, the camera moves quickly to keep up, but never stops right when he does, leading to a bounce-like movement as it reverses its direction slightly after passing the center point. Katsuma can move quickly, jumping and changing directions in an instant, making the camera’s bouncy movement frustrating as you try to focus and jump on a small spring or enemy but can’t aim quite right. The use of 3D is fantastic in the game, but paired with the camera’s movement, it’s unfortunately better left off. It is possible to get accustomed to the odd movement but is rather annoying for a good chunk of the game.
Overall, Katsuma Unleashed is a good fit for most kids and is worth looking into if you’re an adult who is looking for a fun platformer. It’s definitely not going to offer a huge challenge, as even the unlockable hard mode didn’t change much, but the level designs are unique and clever and many contain different ways to complete them. The fun aesthetic and music, paired with simple gameplay, make for a game that is easy to pick up and play anytime.
Summary
Pros
- Clever level designs
- Easy to pick up
- Fun aesthetic and music
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Game Profile
Worldwide Releases
| Moshi Monsters Katsuma Unleashed | |
| Release | Nov 05, 2013 |
| Publisher | Activision |
| Rating | Everyone |