Monster Force
Monster Force is a top-down action game for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Universal Interactive in 2002. You play as young, cartoon-style versions of Universal's classic monsters: Frank, Drac and Wolfie. The scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein has been kidnapped by his jealous brother Percy, who has built a monster of his own. The play style recalls Gauntlet, with projectile attacks, collectable atoms to spend on power-ups and themed stages that end in trials.
Controls
What Monster Force is
Monster Force came out in North America in August 2002 and in Europe that October. It takes the Universal horror characters and turns them into a team of kid heroes created by Victor Frankenstein. When Percy Frankenstein captures his brother and sends his creation, Sergeant Smash, after the monsters, the three set out through cemeteries, laboratories and other spooky locations to stop him.
Frank, Drac and Wolfie are playable from the start, and two more characters, Mina and Drew, can be unlocked. Each character fires projectiles, and the differences between them give you some choice in how to approach a stage. With a link cable, two players could also fight each other.
How it plays in your browser
The camera looks down on the action, and you move through each level shooting enemies and collecting atoms. Atoms act as currency for power-ups and healing items, so picking them up is as important as clearing rooms. Each stage is made up of two regular levels followed by a trial level with a specific objective to meet.
The GBA emulator here runs the US release, and progress within a session works as it did on the cartridge. Because enemies can come from several directions at once, it helps to keep moving and fire in the direction you are travelling rather than standing still.
Arrow keys move your monster around the map, and Z and X act as the Game Boy Advance A and B buttons for attacking and actions.
Tips worth knowing
- Collect every atom you see. They pay for health and power-ups when stages get harder.
- Keep moving while you shoot so groups of enemies cannot surround you.
- Read the goal before each trial level starts, since the objective changes from stage to stage.
- Try each of the starting monsters on an early level to find the one whose attack suits you.
- Save healing items for the later part of a stage rather than using them at the first scratch.
Frequently asked questions
Who can you play as in Monster Force?
Frank, Drac and Wolfie are available from the start, and Mina and Drew can be unlocked.
Who is the villain?
Percy Frankenstein, the brother of Dr. Victor Frankenstein. He kidnaps Victor and sends his creation, Sergeant Smash, after the monsters.
Who made Monster Force?
Digital Eclipse developed it and Universal Interactive published it for the Game Boy Advance in 2002.
Can two people play?
On original hardware two players could fight each other using a link cable. In the browser the single player adventure is the main way to play.
More games like this
Yu-Gi-Oh! Double Pack, Disney's Aladdin, Happy Feet. You can also browse the full games library or read the guides on the blog.