By: Matt Striplen

When I picked up Attack of the Friday Monsters, I was a little skeptical, just going off of the name. As I continued playing, however, I was slowly won over by the game’s irresistible charm. Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale plays like a favorite childhood memory. That said, non-Japanese gamers may have some difficulty relating to the experience, as the story is centered on the concept of “kaiju,” which are Japanese monsters that were featured prominently in films of the mid-to-late 20th century (and more recently in Pacific Rim). However, in this version of Japan, the monsters appear to be real, and they rampage through the cities every Friday night, hence the title of the game.

The player controls Sohta, a young boy who has just moved into a new town. There are tiny glowing particles dropped by monsters across the city called “Glims,” which the player must collect to obtain “Monster Cards.” The Monster Card game is a glorified version of rock, paper, scissors. Each card is marked with a hand symbol and a number. To play, each person must lay down five Monster Cards in the hopes of winning the majority. In the case of two of the same hand symbols, the numbers determine the victor. If Sohta wins the majority, he may receive an additional Glim to increase his card collection. What comes next is adorable.

As a reward for winning a match, Sohta may cast a spell on his opponent, using magic words of your choosing. By casting a spell, you make the other character fall over in a comical manner. This mini-game, while fine for young children, will quickly bore experienced gamers. The core gameplay, however, is spent wandering the town and speaking with the various people you meet. Most NPCs are other school children, but you will eventually encounter the enigmatic and elderly Frank, who seems a bit too odd to just be an average character.

The only traversable areas are the small town and the surrounding trails. Although I’ve never been to Japan, the scenery is ripe with nostalgia for a rural Japan of the 1970s. Tiny shops boast their wares, and the air is full of the pleasant ambient sounds of cicadas and distant trains. Overall, the graphics are very simple and the characters based on anime style.

While the game is fully 3-D capable, it does not add much to the experience. Japanese-only voice acting appears sporadically throughout Attack of the Friday Monsters, which is a nice touch to fully immerse the player in the atmosphere. Another nice touch is, oddly, in the credits. In most games, only the music composer is credited, but this time, every single member of the orchestra has his or her name listed. As a musician myself, I personally appreciate the recognition given to their hard work.

OVERALL (3.75/5)

Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale is a very cute and sweet game that will be enjoyed by younger audiences and possibly some older Japanese players. My only problem with the game is how short it is; lasting, at most, three hours. Attack of the Friday Monsters ends up feeling like the first chapter in a children’s book rather than a complete product. To compensate, the game leaves the option open to continue collecting Glims and battling friends after the story is finished, though not much else will happen story-wise. This would be a great game for anyone under the age of 10.