Paper Monsters Review

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.