Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure

Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure has a strong moral story, tight controls, and enough RPG elements to qualify as the first foray into action-adventure role-playing games for many young players. The world is easily approachable -- it reveals itself slowly by uncovering foggy areas as gamers unlock new dungeons and work to retrieve household items to help Parin's monster friends rebuild their homes. Environmental puzzles and platforming challenges also are solved as Parin takes on mini-games and boss battles and uncovers secrets during the adventure. Character and enemy design is top-notch, and the environments are varied. Also, unlike the PSP version released in 2007, this version features almost no load times whatsoever. There's still a fair bit of backtracking here and there to complete tasks and advance the story, but gameplay is smooth and fast.

Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure also has some depth. Upon completing each dungeon, players are ranked and given a score based on how many enemies they've defeated, how many secrets they've uncovered, and so on. Getting an "S" (for Super) ranking in each area is quite a challenge. By completing optional side quests and mini-games, players also can get medals (bronze, silver, and gold) that will grant them special items and accessories later in the game. These items can be equipped for added bonuses in combat. Parin can even find different costumes to wear, which unlock more special attacks and moves. Overall, Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure is a delightful adventure with a surprising amount of depth, action, and fun, especially for young gamers.