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Monkey Blast!
(Focus ZERO)


vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Monkey see, Monkey Shoot!"

2002 QB Gaming Gold Award Winner for Best QB Villain: The Monkeys!


As a banana dealer it's very important that you protect your only source of income, even if it means you have to shoot down the army of bloodthirsty, ravenous monkeys!


Fire your automatic weapons and grenades, then stop by at Skippy's to get the latest in pistols, threshers, and other monkey-stopping devices! Remember, it's your future on the line. You can't sell bananas without having bananas to sell, and guarding your supply will mean an all-out war against the quick and hungry simian race!


Graphics (n.)
The use of animation and visual effects to stimulate the senses
vvvv
(Very Good)
WARNING! This game is very bloody and is recommended for mature gamers only! The particle effects in Monkey Blast are amazing. Technically, the number of blood particles that fly out whenever you've shot down a monkey are brilliantly animated, with tons of splatter and no slowdown. Focus ZERO even paid attention to the gore that develops depending on where you shoot the monkey. A hit on the head will cause immediate decapitation while blood spews from the monkey's neck, while a hit to the boy will slow down the monkey but won't stop it from leaving a trail of blood every now and then. There's no getting around it; this game is simply beautiful and that comes from someone who abhors animal violence!

But the graphics in Monkey Blast are more than just blood and guts. The monkeys themselves move smoothly and are well-animated. There are even different types of monkeys and gorillas that range in speed, size, and in walking frames. This, combined with a colorful green background and a scanned title screen to get gamers in the mood, add up to a pretty nice display of what QB can do in the graphics category.

Sound/Music (n.)
The smooth blend of atmospheric sounds and original harmonies
vvv
(Good)
No music, but Monkey Blast makes up for it by providing a series of atmospheric jungle sounds. Again, the monkeys are the center of attention here because they react to how you play the game. Monkeys let out some low-pitched grunts as they sneak towards your banana stash, yell in joy when they successfully steal from your bananas, and cry out in pain when you land a solid head shot. The sounds are very interactive in this sense.

In addition to the monkey sounds, the many weapons you'll pack in Monkey Blast all come with individual, arcade-calbur sound effects. The gun sounds and grenade sounds in particular are spectacular. But once you get into the game, the sound made by the Treshers you can buy at Skippy's Weapon store really takes the game to another level of carnage.

Gameplay (n.)The precision of control and involvement of character within its universe vvv
(Good)
Good. Focus ZERO attempts to explain Monkey Blast as a Missile Command clone with a twist. But it's a lot more original than that, becoming a homegrown blend of Missile Command, Operation Wolf, and a dash of RPG elements to boot!

Monkey Blast is an endless game where you have to protect your bananas from a horde of monkeys. The more bananas you protect and the more monkeys you shoot down, the more money and points you get. The more money you get, the more weapons and threshers you can buy at Skippy's Weapon store after beating each level. The more weapons you get, the better your chances of shooting down even more monkeys. This cycle repeats until all of your bananas have been stolen, and your high score is recorded.

The gameplay of Monkey Blast is enhanced by a wide range of weapons at your disposal, with guns that vary in accuracy and in speed. More individual weapons, like grenades and threshers, make beating each of the game's many levels a lot easier if you have the extra money for them.

Story (n.)
The creativity and presentation of the game's critical plot
vvv
(Good)
If Missile Command really was the inspiration for Monkey Blast, then the objects featured in Monkey Blast couldn't be further off from it's inspiration. There are no demos, but the game does get a good score rating just for having such an original concept. Arcade shooters too often emphasize game elements without giving much explanation. In most cases, the game comes out fine anyway. But Monkey Blast gets extra points because Focus ZERO actually took that extra step of going to the drawing board and trying to figure out how to add a twist to the story of a game style that's tried and true.
Replay Value (n.)
The timelessness of the gamer's delight, such that the experience can be repeated again and again
vvvvv
(Excellent)
The game's high point. I had gotten so used to Microsoft Gorillas that I never thought shooting down monkeys could be made into a format that is so fast and entertaining. With the wide range of weapons and different enemy types, Monkey Blast! simply has that polish that few new arcade games really pull off. The graphics are really easy to the eyes, but the game has it's spectacular moments. The sound effects and gameplay also play as major contributors, providing just the right atmosphere and explosiveness that could only be realized by a game this violent in nature.
Challenge (v.)
To strike the mental nerve in such a way as to stimulate human thought and reflexes
vvv
(Good)
As each level progresses, the monkeys take more shots to take down. Therefore, the key to keeping your bananas safe and achieving gigantic high scores is to always purchase the best weapons your money can buy. If you're finding the game too difficult, one way other than to adjust the skill level is to purchase some Threshers. One thresher is really all you need to take care of most of the monkeys in a level, so try the rest of the money you keep for ammunition and new automatics.
Fun Factor (n.)
The overall entertainment value as maintained throughout the adventure
vvv
(Good)
It's not easy to make mouse-operated arcade games fun, and Focus ZERO took a real risk by trying to make a solid game out of such an off-beat game concept. But the execution of Monkey Blast! really shows after you get through the violent hunting image this game tries to convey. You might as well call this game "Planet of the Apes meets Operation Wolf" because that's what this game feels like. Arcade fans and hunters-at-heart will find a lot to love about this title.

Monkey Blast Reviewed by Vance Velez

Players 1 player Genre: Arcade/Shooter Game
Rating To solve: N/A Final Rating: 24/35

To download this game, click here.
 
Installation Tips
wIf you're unzipping this program in DOS, you may have to use the -d option.
wTo play Monkey Blast!, unzip the file and run "MB.EXE".

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