Monsters Will Bring Us Together: Fling, Roll, Bounce and Play the MONSTER STRIKE Mobile Game

Mixi, inc., a game developer from Japan, has unleashed a new video marketing campaign for its chart-topping mobile game Monster Strike.

SILLY VIDEO, STUNNING MONSTERS

The video features Brooklyn Nine Nine star Andy Samberg delivering a pep talk to a locker room full of computer generated 3D creatures. These 3D versions of characters from Monster Strike were created by award-winning Tippett Studio, perhaps best known recently for recreating their famous 3D holo chess scene for The Force Awakens.

I'm so-so, on this video to be honest. The silly locker room spiel didn't do it for me. But the creatures? Dang! They are stunning. Tippet Studio did an amazing job of bringing some of the creatures from Monster Strike to life, and for that the video is definitely more than worth a view (or two).

BIG IN JAPAN

Monster Strike is the biggest mobile game in Japan, dominating the charts on both iTunes and Google Play store since 2014. Worldwide it's been downloaded more than 30 million times.

If you haven't tried it yet I would say Monster Strike is definitely worth a look. The game play mechanic is pretty unique for an RPG "level 'em up" style turned based fighter. To attack you pull back on your monster and fling them across the battlefield. Your creature then bumps around the arena, banging into bad guys and causing damage, or bouncing off of allies and setting off back-up powers. 

It's sort of like shooting a game of pool while simultaneously playing Pokemon. The monsters are cute, the artwork is solid and the leveling up aspect can be a bit addictive. I will warn you, the boss fights can be challenging, particularly when trying to clear them in as few turns as possible to earn the speed bonus. Personally, I like it when a game isn't too easy and I think it's actually nice to lose every now and again.

MOBILE APP WITH A SOCIAL TWIST

One of the other really unique parts of Monster Strike is the co-op play. Rather then pairing you up with a random stranger somewhere across the world, co-op play in Monster Strike relies on gathering together with friends in the same physical space. Playing together and cheering (and jeering) each other on, creates a unique social experience that is missing from most app games.

The social aspect is the driving force behind the whole #MonstersWillBringUsTogether campaign that Mixi launched with this video. From now until April 4th likes will unlock Orbs. You can check out the full details of the #MWBUT promotion on their website, but the general gist is the more people that click "like" on a particular Facebook post Monster Strike has published featuring the new Andy Samberg video, then the more Orbs they will give out as an in game prize.

OVERALL, I find Monster Strike addictive and hard to put down. It's surprising just how much fun the fling to attack mechanic can be. Add in the ability to level up and combine monsters, and the engaging co-play options, and you've got a solid mobile game here.

TRY IT FOR FREE
Monster Strike is free to download and free to play. It's available in the Apple App Store and via Google Play. It does of course have the typical freemium gameplay aspects, where you can you use real world money to purchase in-game currency (Orbs), to speed things up or to hatch more monsters. However, having tested it out and played it for a good chunk of time I can vouch for the fact that you can play, and enjoy, this game without dishing out for the extras. Also, the whole #MonstersWillBringUsTogether campaign makes right now a particularly great time to join in on Monster Strike and get a bunch of free orbs (so far they've unlocked the "10 each" option, but I'm guessing more are to come).


Have you folks tried out Monster Strike yet? What did you think? Anyone else playing it right now? or are you about to download it and give it a shot? Let me know how you like it!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, but as always our words and opinions are our own (and we would never suggest you try a game we didn't genuinely enjoy). 

Bingo Monopoly

I recently discovered the Monopoly Bingo app.  This is a Storm8 created app, and must be connected to the internet to work.  It is a free game, with in app purchases, but NO gambling involved.  All "money" is pretend except if you want to buy more diamonds to spend on dice or other resources you ran out of.

Monopoly Bingo is just that. A Bingo game base on the classic board game monopoly.  As with every bingo game, the numbers are called and you daub your numbers.  Although with this game, you can earn boosts that are similar to cards, and awards in Monopoly. This will help you earn more: dice, money, and other bonuses.

When you open the game, you will have 3 options of ways to play: Classic, Special and Tournament.

 

Tournament

In the Tournament, you have 3 rounds to play.  The goal is to get as many points as possible during the bingo round.  You can buy as many cards as you have money to play and want to play. The more points you wrack up the higher you will be in the global ranking and more rewards you will receive.  

There are different properties that you will unlock and each has it's own rewards to earn.

Classic

This is your classic Bingo game, and you will earn items so you can play another round.  You will win collectibles, which then go on to your collectors card, and you will get bonuses on your Bingo card there when you get a line. 

 

Special

For this type of play, you pick your property to visit, and this determines the pattern you will need to achieve to get bingo.  The rest of the game play is the same. 

 

My Days As an AdVenture Capitalist

I am always on the lookout for a fun new game to check out, and share with you.  Oh man, this one is super simple, and doesn't seem addictive at first....

AdVenture Capitalist starts out with you opening a lemonade stand.  You just click a button.  That's it. Over and over.  Then oh you can buy a newspaper stand, and upgrade your lemonade stand.

As you are click and going you will think hmmmm this is starting to get boring.  All this clicking? It's a lot of work, for what I am getting, and if I close the game nothing is going to happen while I am not here.  That's when the little dude pops up and says "tired of clicking?" and you think YES!!!!

So you hire a manager, and well that's easy.  Now the money is cranking in. You are buying upgrades, and new companies, and managers, and everything is moving swimmingly.  Then you think, that's it?

So that little guy pops up and says get Angel Investors....this is cool, but you have to restart! GAH all progress lost!!  But then..... the angels make things faster.  Oh man this thing is crazy.

This super easy game, is not complicated, but FUN!!! It keeps you interested, and is very easy.  It keeps going when you aren't there, so when you come back you and upgrade and keep rolling.

You can play online, grab it through Apple Store, Google Play, Steam or play on Kongregate.

Ok, I gotta go...I gotta check my investments!

Surprisingly Addictive Coin Dozer

I love playing games on my iphone when I am waiting on something. I recently discovered Coin Dozer. 

This surprisingly addictive game, is just like what you would see at an arcade. Whenever I am stuck having fun at Chuck E Cheese, I am playing Coin Dozer or something similar.  I find it is great for spitting out tickets, and using up tokens, which are my 2 goals at Chuck E Cheese LOL.

I really didn't think this game would be all that fun, and seriously thought, ok it will be a quick post for the blog.  That was the sole purpose of downloading this game.

Now I am totally addicted.   I really thought it was funny that in the iTunes description it says:

The mega addictive time waster game you and your kids have spent countless hours playing, now in the palm of your hand! No cash, quarters, bulldozer, or trip to Vegas needed.

It totally is a time waster, but so fun and addictive.

Push shiny gold coins and exciting prizes into your hands by dropping some from your pocket through the slots and into the coin pusher.   When you are pushing some of your coins will drop off the side, and I have seen some of my bonuses fall down there and I yell NO! LOL Hubby and the boys think I got bad news, and I am like no my XP bonus coin fell off the side!

You can get boosters like walls that will protect the sides so all your coins and prizes go straight to you!

This is a free game, although you can buy the pro version, which I might do next.  So far I have found the free version great, and totally not needing to pay for anything. I hate when the free version means you really have to buy in app purchases to get anywhere.  You can for sure do that with this app, but I haven't found that you need to.

You can earn everything you want for free to keep playing.  You can also watch ads for other games and things to get more coins or Dozer Dollars to buy boosts.  I choose to do this since I need to find more games to play so I can share with you. But it's not needed to have a totally fun experience.