Moco Moco Friends
Overview -
'Pokemon' has practically become an annual series, but the iconic monster collecting franchise is not getting a new mainline title this year, leaving a sizable gap in children's and adult's wish lists this holiday alike. In place of 'Pokemon', though, other monster collecting RPGs are looking to fill that hole on the holiday game shelves. Nintendo's own 'Yokai Watch' is attempting to be the next smash hit, but Aksys has also quietly released 'Moco Moco Friends', their own cutesy twist on the tried and true formula. Can this 3DS title fill the gap 'Pokemon' left behind?
Video Review
The graphics of 'Moco Moco Friends' is a mixed bag. When the Plushkins are fighting, everything looks great, from the Plushkins themselves to the attack effects (even if they're basic looking in nature). Outside of battles, though, the zoomed out nature of the dungeons makes Moco's character model and the other assets look off, almost as if the developers used the battles models without regard to how they would look from farther away. The majority of the graphics, though, look quite good.
Audio Review
Honestly, I was surprised with how great the 'Moco Moco Friends' soundtrack is. The music is bouncy and bubbly and perfectly represents the cute and happy atmosphere of this game. I found the music to be very pleasing overall. There's little in the way of voice acting, with only limited lines said by the characters in Japanese, but the voices fit the characters. I did find Moco's voice to be a little grating after a while, but considering the girl's personality, it could have been a lot worse.
Final Thoughts
'Moco Moco Friends' is great for an RPG newbie. It's simple, it's colorful, and manages to distill the genre down to its basics and makes it fun for short bursts—perfect for a portable. But, anyone looking for a deeper experience should not be looking towards 'Moco Moco Friends', as this simple title will lack the substance that most RPG fans cherish.
