Your mom tried to warn you.
PLAYERS: 1-2 alternating
PUBLISHER: Konami
DEVELOPER: Konami
GENRE: Action platformer
RELEASE DATE: January 1992
Monster in My Pocket is a strange licensed game predominantly based on a toy line, although it tried to be all things to all kids: comic books, trading cards, an attempted television show. These monsters really wanted your parents’ hard-earned Clinton cash. If your parents fed into the monsters aggressive marketing and bought you this game, you were in luck. Monster in My Pocket is never going to be remembered as a major classic, but it is a solid B-tier (the ‘B’ stands for Blacula, who unfortunately, is nowhere to be found in the game) Nintendo title.
Choose to play either Dracula – less Bela Lugosi, more Max Schreck/Nosferatu – or Frankenstein’s Monster and get to work stopping the Warlock from doing warlock-y things. Dracula and the Monster only have one attack and a double-jump each, but it’s enough to get them through the seven stages of overwhelming set designs. Much of the fun comes from navigating through normal, everyday environments as a mini-sized monster. Whether it’s leaping over a stove burner or toppling down some stairs, the detail Konami put into the backgrounds is second to none. There are oodles of unique monsters to fight (indeed that’s really all you do); it’s always a treat spotting a relatively obscure monster, like Baba Yaga. Each of the seven stages go by quickly, and if you’re half-way decent at platformers, you’ll likely finish the game within an hour or so – but what an hour. Oh, that games would be short and creative, rather than long and tedious. Monster in My Pocket is a little wonder.
B+
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7 replies on “#431 – Monster in My Pocket”
Yeah I was surprised that there was only 1 attack no subweapons or anything. Still it’s fun and as in most Konami games the graphics and sound are good.
Remember seeing this game in Nintendo Power and thought it looked cool. Also the toys were awesome and taught me about the Jabberwocky, Spring Healed Jack, Baba Yaga, Roc, and other monsters I didnt know before.
Let me tell you something. As a little kid, loving the ever living shit out of these toys (because they were amazing), when this game came out, my mind was blown. One of the best days ever, AND it came with an exclusive toy!
In fact I do believe I wrote an article about it….*ahem*
http://www.retrorevelations.com/2012/10/childhood-memories-monster-in-my-pocket.html
Cheers!
Was there a movie about this?
@Tom: There was a cartoon pilot, but it was never picked up for syndication. Seems strange, given the overwhelming amount of cartoons in the early Nineties. Monster in My Pocket would have fit right in.
This and The Little Mermaid were the first games I finished outside of Mario. True classic in my eyes -Robb K
Blacula reference gets you a bonus point. Other points awarded for the Mexican Radio. I too, often wish I was eating barbecued iguana you see.