The Wii Market The Wii Market offers full shopping experience for anything Nintendo Wii related.

1. 

   S. Kelso
   July 29th, 2010 - 18:40

   Review by S. Kelso for Monster Lab
   Rating:
   I received this game for Christmas and have logged about 12 hours on it so far. I’ve really been enjoying it.

   Monster Lab has loads of kitschy monster movie ambiance and Halloweenie vibes. It also has really great, addictive gameplay.

   The game is essentially a collection of mini-games, somewhat like the Wario game, Smooth Moves. You build a monster from a small collection of parts then go out completing quests and mini-games, and also fighting other monsters to get ingredients to make more parts. Each part you create (heads, arms, legs and torsos) requires you complete a usually pretty fun mini-game themed to what you are building. (Tossing brains into a skull to build a head or wrestling an arm under a grow light to make an arm, etc.) There are loads of combinations to create the various parts and it’s a lot of fun to see what you’ll get.

   Oddly, though the mini-games are always timed and sometimes a little stressful, combat is turn based. No button-mashing is required when you get into a fight, just decent strategy.

   Potential turn-offs are that the story is simplistic and the humor is corny. However that seems to fit the game, somehow.
2. 

   J. S. Omundson
   July 29th, 2010 - 18:59

   Review by J. S. Omundson for Monster Lab
   Rating:
   Talk about an underdog story! This game doesn’t get nearly enough acclaim and attention. My daughter (age 6) and I both love this game for its ease of play while maintaining a deceptively deep strategy element. It’s a wonderfully realized game graphically too. Elements of scariness without being too scary and a great sense of humor make this game my prized possession for the Wii in our household.

   It’s an elaborate paper-rock-scissors game with construction concepts, mild drama, and great humor. I can’t think of a better game to introduce the concept of strategy to a 6 to 10 year old.

   Gameplay – 5/5
   
   Graphics – 5/5
   
   Storyline – 4/5 (can get a little repetitive)
   
   Education – 5/5

   Love this game.
3. 

   J. Thies
   July 29th, 2010 - 19:57

   Review by J. Thies for Monster Lab
   Rating:
   I waited to get this game, and wasn’t sure if it would be up my alley or not. That being said, I love this game! Very few games have stepped up to the plate with the Wii to make a game which is both fun and challenging based on the capabilities of the Wii, especiall in the RPG genre. The variety of mini games in Monster Lab makes me feel like I’m not doing the same grind for hours straight. While you go into dungeons, and do battle with rogue monsters, you also can play up to three different mini games within the dungeon which gives you ingredients to make parts for your monster. Plus I enjoy the variety of monster parts (Mechanical, biological, and alchemical) and how each has a mini-game associated with them. Your success at the game determines the quality of your part. I love how challenging the game is, yet how versatile it is when you are not as good at some things. For example, I am terrible at the Mechanical Legs mini game, but thankfully I can use biological or alchemical legs instead! Also I am terrible at sketching, but can muddle through when necessary. The game has an excellent help system, which offers instructions each time. This is very handy as many games out there will tell you once, and expect you to automatically know AND remember the crazy sequence each time. I feel this game finally took the time to develop an interesting game with lots of play-ability! It is clear that care was taken to develop this game I am sure I will enjoy for years.
4. 

   NYJ
   July 29th, 2010 - 20:32

   Review by NYJ for Monster Lab
   Rating:
   The first review I read about this game said that it reminded the reviewer of the Monster Rancher set of games, but with a better combat system. I was always a fan of that series, and so I decided to go ahead and purchase this game. I am certainly glad I did. The concept of building your own monster and doing battle with it has been a favorite concept of video game design for a long time. From Mail Order Monsters on the Commodore 64, to the Monster Rancher series on the PS1 and PS2, Monster Lab takes the genre and runs with it. In this game you play an apprentice “mad scientist” who is conscripted into service by three other mad scientists. They teach you their trade and from that experience you can build parts to assemble your very own monsters. Monster parts come in three flavors: mechanical, biological, and alchemical, with each one having power over another (sort of like rock, paper, scissors). Building parts is done by acquiring various items in the world by doing mini-game challenges and fighting other monsters. You then create those parts via other mini-games. There are twelve combinations (of body parts) total that can be built (arms, legs, heads, torsos & alchemical, biological, mechanical), but when you throw in the 150 monster spare parts, and 300 items that can be collected, the game boasts that there are over a 100 million possible end results to your tinkerings. Your proficiency in the mini-game will determine how well the part will function, how strong it will be, and if there are any bonuses or defects in the item. Certain combination’s of spare parts will also bestow different attributes to your part as well. Between trial and error, and finding recipes, you will be able to constantly upgrade and build new monsters. The combat system is very well done. It is turn based, and each part is designed to target different parts. You win by either destroying your opponents torso (the part that can take the most damage) or remove all limbs. Once combat is done, you can “field repair” your monster and regenerate lost limbs, or fix general damage to your creation. An additional component to this game is the ability for you to build a monster and then take it online to play against other mad scientists. For me, this game has already provided endless hours of amusement. It is done in the mold of a cheesy “mad scientist” B-movie, so the character acting is over the top, as it was meant to be. It’s a great game, and should play to all ages. The best part is the price, which comes in under $20. It is well worth the purchase!
5. 

   A. King
   July 29th, 2010 - 20:54

   Review by A. King for Monster Lab
   Rating:
   I was hoping this was for 2 people, but it is an engaging game for one. Maybe it is, as I’m kind of new to Wii and still figuring things out.

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