Video Game

Monday, March 8th, 2010 — No Comments

Konami released a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992, based somewhat on the comic book MIMP adaptation.

A typical platformer, the video game allowed one to play individually as either the Monster or the Vampire (neither had any advantage over the other), or team up with a friend in a two player mode. The Vampire and the Monster are watching TV as the game begins when the signal is interrupted and Warlock appears on the screen, challenging them to a battle. The game then commences through six levels where the player punches his way through nearly every series one monster (with a few exceptions) and a few series two monsters (Minotaur features in the last stage and Warlock is the final boss)–as well as some environmental hazards, such as golf balls and burning stovetops.

Most monsters take only one hit to destory, a few take two or three (Windigos, who is spawned only by the final Warlock boss, take five or six hits a piece) and the bosses take even more than that.

The game mechanics consist solely of running, jumping, punching, and occasionally picking up and throwing items at enemies. The variety of enemies is great, each one having its own unique movement or attack pattern. Each stage is also themed uniquely: the monsters start out in a bedroom, move on to the kitchen, a sewer, a construction site, an “oriental” land (for some reason), and finally Monster Mountain itself.

The copy on the back of the box reads:

Cutting The Enemy Down To Size Will Be No Small Feet.

Thousands of history’s famous monsters gather for the meeting of the century. But their volcanic convention center erupts, mysteriously turning them into terrors of pint-size proportions. They escape to the home of Jack, the teenage “Captain of Cool”. There begins a battle between the good ghouls and The Warlock’s band of evil beasts.

You must become The Vampire or The Monster and lead the forces of right through a humongous, human-size world six levels deep, featuring Jack’s house, a scummy sewer, a hazardous construction site and an odd oriental place. Don’t get burned on the stove or crushed by runaway golf balls. And try to avoid getting clubbed by flying fish or jabbed on the barbed wire fence. In fact, all things considered, you may want to team with a friend and put up twice the fight. Either way, you’ll find yourself falling down manholes, jumping over fences, scaling steel girders, and riding on a soda pop can. Meanwhile you’ll have to punch and zap at all your fiendishly favorite monsters including the head rolling Skeleton, the rock candy throwing Goblin, the fire spitting Haniver, the bone crushing Cyclops and dozens more.

Every monster you mash is worth points. Score enough and you’ll get an extra life. Something you’ll really need when you finally face the powerful Warlock and his magic lightning jolts. So be a pocket-size peacemaker and conquer the smallest threat to monsterdom the world has ever known.

In addition to the game itself, the box included a free Blemmyea (series 3, number 81) figure, in this case described on the box as a “rare Konami monster,” in either orange or blue. It can be assumed that purchasing the game was the only way to get the rare series 3 figure at all. Of additional note, the plastic the figure is made out of seems a bit tougher than the typical “squishy” type that makes up other MIMPs.

Related entries:

• Comic Books
• Decipher Board Game
• Series 1
• Series 2