Monster Seed

by Electro Source Inc.

Product Details

• ASIN: B00000J9J6
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,699 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Monsterseed is the latest addition to the growing legion of monster-breeding games, which have become so popular as of late. In what appears to be a fine amalgam of the 16-bit and 32-bit eras, Monsterseed can best be described as a 16-bit game in quaint 32-bit trappings. Reminiscent of Riverhill Soft/Atlus' Tactics Ogre series, Monsterseed is a monster-breeding/strategy RPG of a specifically simple nature.

Perhaps aimed at a slightly younger crowd, Monsterseed isn't nearly as menu-heavy as Tactics Ogre or games of a similar bend, but it's simple in a streamlined, easy-to-learn format. In the game, you must find a wide variety of monster eggs, incubate them at various temperatures, and combine them with an assortment of solutions. The nature of your combination will then dictate the nature of your monster.

Assuming the role of Daniel, a young "ruler" (which is another term for monster breeder), you travel to a town called Len Bal looking for work. Unfortunately, the town has been infiltrated by a band of unscrupulous thieves named the Black Rope Gang. As a ruler, it is up to you to breed an army of monsters to defeat the scourge of Len Bal.

Upon starting the game, your first assignment is to enter the Monster Fighting Ring, which is the local arena in which you will hone your skills. After defeating the beginner level, you will win various eggs and solutions, which you can hatch at the local hatchery. As you complete increasingly difficult levels at the ring, you will obtain even more exotic eggs and solutions, which will enhance your chances of victory in battle with the Black Rope Gang.

Graphically, the game features polygonal characters and graphics (particularly during battle sequences), but it has prerendered backgrounds and decidedly 16-bit graphics when it comes to dialogue boxes and menus. This game really feels old school. However, that's not to say the graphics are bad. The Dual Shock works fine with the game, making moving around easy. Nice spellcasting effects round out the package. While the sound effects are nothing special, they don't detract from this innocuous little game either. The weirdest thing about this game is that whoever translated it must not speak English as his native language, as the dialogue is often awkward and peculiar.

Ultimately, this game is certainly not groundbreaking, or even flashy, and for some, it's way too simple an RPG, lacking the depth of some of the newer monster-breeding games. But it still has a certain intangible charm that gives this game a recommendation. It has a straightforward storyline and a streamlined front end that will keep gamers interested and entertained. While Monsterseed makes no pretense of being the next big thing, it just goes to show that there's nothing wrong with being second best. --James Mielke
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Product Description

This is the game Monster Seed for the Playstation 1. This game may not come with the original case and instructions. We stand by our products and offer a 60 day guarantee. If a game does not work within 60 days from the time you receive it we will gladly exchange it for you.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Game is fun, but the translation is terrible!, November 20, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Monster Seed (Video Game)

I am having a lot of fun playing my copy of MonsterSeed, but my main problem with the game is that the language that they use is not english, although it contains english words. Once you learn the ways the programmers use the language, the game becomes sort of fun. [for instance, "Suicide" turns out to mean "Attack only the other Monster Ruler", not "kill yourself", as most people would think]. The random encounters do not occur as often as they do in FF7, which is a relief. One down side to the game is that you have to return to the town every time you want to save the game (so far, the quests that the game has given me have each taken about an hour to an hour and a half to complete without foreknowledge; if you already knew what to do, you could probably finish each one in forty minutes). The "battle mode" would have been much better if it didn't use a 90 degree view; when you summon many monsters the screen often gets a bit crowded. Contrary to the packaging, this game does contain some mild profanity. Overall, I would say that this game is good, but expect to spend at least an hour getting used to how they (mis)use english.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun game and great graphics, November 14, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Monster Seed (Video Game)

It was a cute game. You have to learn to fight rulers and monsters with monsters and moves of your own. In your adventures you gain monster seeds and potions then you hatch the seeds. Every monster comes with different powers. You also gain potions and spells that can heal you and your monsters or inflict damage on your enemy. I couldn't stop playing the game untill I had finished. It had some of the best graphics I have seen but no blood shed. I didn't like that the monsters cussed. It normally wouldn't bother me but it seemed very out of place in this game.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wow, this game is hella cool, May 11, 2002

By 

Timmy O'Tool (Ol' London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monster Seed (Video Game)

hmmm... good game. If you liked Dragon Warrior Monsters, Final Fantasy Tactics, or Dragon Seed (no relation), you'll love it. This game incorperates a monster hatching system like DWM and one of the best battle systems ever, the FFT/Tactics Ogre system. The translation is terrible, but it doesnt affect the game too much, and adds a few laughs to generally grim gameplay. The fights are very grim, as anyone who falls and is not raised immediatly says a few final word and then dies, even though the fighting is presented as a sport in the arena. Plenty of cool looking beasties to look as as well as some cutsie ones to stomp on. Buy it.