Monster Lab

by Square Enix

Product Features

• Step into the shoes of a Mad Scientist: Starting as an apprentice working under 3 eccentric mentors, level up through the ranks as you master the mad sciences
• Outrageous Experiments: Cultivate your science skills through crazy yet ingenious experiments both in and outside the lab
• Create your own Mad Monsters: Over 150 million monster combinations allow you to create a truly unique creature. Monster Generation System: Never fight the same monster twice. Multi-player: Challenge and compete against your friends monstrous creations.
• Explore a challenging fantasy realm: Delve into 6 eerie regions facing quests, challenges and collecting powerful ingredients needed for your next mad monster creation
• Gesture Combat: Go head-to-head against evil Monster minions in a fast-paced, ferocious, turn-based combat system

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0013RATPK
• Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches ; 8.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 4, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,910 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #41 in Video Games > Nintendo DS > Role-Playing

Product Description

Platform: Nintendo DS

Monster Lab is set in an eerie, supernatural world where the evil Baron Mharti rules the region with a cruel hand. The player takes on the role of an apprentice scientist who must perform a vast array of intricate experiments to create your very own monster from over 150 monster parts. Taking control of your monster, the player can then explore the land - searching for ingredients to make more monster parts, hunting out other monsters to defeat in combat, uncovering quests to embark upon or simply competing in the numerous mini-games available.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars B-movie monster making for the NDS, December 28, 2009

By 

NYJ (Atlantic Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Monster Lab (Video Game)

Monster Lab is a fun title from Eidos, and will result in countless hours of fun for those who pick it up. You play as a an apprentice who is tasked with helping a trio of mad scientists defeat their old compatriot, Baron Mharti, who has run off with their formulas for monster building and is threatening to take over the world with his creations. As you explore the world, you pick up parts with which to make your own monsters. You will learn the tricks of the trade to build parts from three disciplines: mechanical; biological; and alchemical. Parts that can be built are heads, torsos, arms, and legs, and are done in a series of mini-games (12 total for each part and each discipline). Different disciplines have strengths and weaknesses, and different areas of the world are comprised of monsters which dominate in a particular discipline as well (for example, the Neverglades are filled with monsters which are predominantly biological). Combat is turn-based, with monsters taking turns beating on each other. You win by either destroying the torso of your opponent, or knocking off all of their limbs. The story is very interesting, is often amusing, and is of the length that it isn't off-putting or not enough. With hundreds of items to be collected with which to make parts, there are literally a million or more monster combinations, though for later stages of the game you won't be using the wimpy parts you created in the early stages. There is an online component as well, which will allow you to take your monster online, to see how well it matches up against others. For those who have played the Wii version of this game, they'll know what to expect from the NDS version, though the two are dissimilar enough (particularly in the part creation mini-games) to warrant a re-purchase, especially given the low price point of the NDS version. Overall, this is a great title, very well made, but surprisingly relatively unknown. If you want a title which will supply you with an interesting story, great gameplay, online capability, and potential for replayability, you'll want to check out Monster Lab for the NDS.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun action/RPG delivers unique style and great value, December 3, 2010

By 

Jared Castle (Roseburg, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monster Lab (Video Game)

Overlooked among larger Nintendo DS launches is this imaginative gem, which sells for less than $20 yet provides amazing value for an action/RPG (roll playing game). "Monster Lab" main story should take your family's mad scientist about a week to achieve but there's a treasure trove of replay value in trying to build a better monster as well as a dozen different minigames.

I recently gave two copies to my sons (ages 8 and 6) as a pre-Halloween gift to see who could build a better monster. With the aid of a odd mad scientist (are there others?!) in the lightning tower you earn about the three elements -biological, alchemical and mechanical - necessary for monster building. You bolt and stitch your monster together using whatever spare parts are available, although players can upgrade their creation through exploration. There is strategy to the monster building and the sheer volume of options (the game boasts there are more than 150 million monster combinations) will lead to hours of experimentation.

Once your monster is complete with arms, legs, torso and head you can begin turn-based battles that ultimately leave the losing monster in a heap of disconnected parts on the floor.

As gory as this monster-making might sound, the graphics are kid-friendly and intentionally silly. The style reminded me of the bizarre Claymation produced by Dreamworks Interactive for The Neverhood. The game has great style and sound quality, with an obvious nod to Universal classic monster movies like Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Ghost of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein.

In summary, don't overlook this entertaining action/RPG. It stimulates creativity (monster building) while teaching strategy and there's nothing quite so funny to an 8-year old as showing off his own monster, complete with pumpkin head and lobster claws.

Rating: Five stars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Well Made Game, June 30, 2011

By 

Sympathy - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monster Lab (Video Game)

This is a well made rpg game that has a style similar to pokemon. It has a great storyline, awesome minigames, and the ability to customize your monster is pretty unique.

Even though it is turn based, don't let that fool you. It's still fun. And for $10, this is a pretty decent deal

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