Mononoke Forest review
It’s been several years since we first covered Gamedo’s simulation game Cororoke no Mori Poitto back when the game was announced for 3DS at the Tokyo Game Show 2014. Unfortunately the Japanese original is rather text heavy and led to an aborted mission, which is where -thanks to Rainy Frog- our English review copy of Mononoke Forest comes into play.
Described as a ‘heart-warming simulation game’, the first thing that strikes the player is the immense cuteness of the title with the characters (Mononoke) both resembling and challenging Pokémon in the cuteness stakes. The game’s premise is simple enough – control the Mononoke on the bottom screen and bring a (human) village back to its former glory.
How this is done isn’t necessarily logical but let’s run with it for awhile – you pair together two or three Mononoke on the bottom screen and with your stylus propel them to the top screen capturing new Mononoke along the way and enabling you to progress in the Story by clearing polluted areas, growing grass, finding animals, building houses etc etc.
To progress in the Story Mode you will need to find specific Mononoke which are located throughout the village, If you come to a standstill then you can replay any area of your village and find new Mononoke. Capturing isn’t as straightforward as simply flinging the Mononoke you have into the ones you want as success appears to be based on luck.
Captured Mononoke can be renamed, levelled up and just like Pokémon – evolved (to do this, you will need to spend ‘Happy Orbs’ that are accrued from completing tasks for the villagers). You also get to spin a wheel and pick up one of several distinctive personality traits for your new Mononoke, adding somewhat of a new dimension to the game.
Completing Mononoke Forest may take many hours, but while the construction of the game allows the player a certain freedom in choosing the layout of his/her village in placing the buildings; the simulation aspect in the Story Mode is somewhat linear and doesn’t allow you to casually roam around and make their own enjoyment such as in Animal Crossing.
The action elements too don’t hold up as propelling Mononoke with a stylus doesn’t require much skill and isn’t expertly executed. In-spite of this, Mononoke Forest contains an impressive level of promise with its super-cute characters and its brilliant concept, It’s just a shame that these concepts aren’t fully delivered leaving a game you want to like more than you actually do.
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