Line #111 VideoGame/MonsterTale


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/monster_tale_art.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:They're so cute when they grow up...]]
3
4	''Monster Tale'' is a 2011 Platform/NintendoDS game from the short-lived developer [=DreamRift=] and published by Majesco Entertainment.
5
6	The game tells the story of Ellie, a little girl that is woken up in the middle of the night by a loud noise. Upon investigation, she finds a strange bracelet. All of a sudden, the bracelet glows and transports Ellie to a different world, populated by new and strange creatures, referred to as monsters. Not long upon arriving does Ellie finds an egg, which hatches a small and cute creature that Ellie dubs "Chomp". Now, Ellie and Chomp must travel through the monsters' world so that the girl may find a way home. She soon learns that she and her new friend are destined to liberate this mysterious world from the rule of five evil children.
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8	A creative mix between {{Metroidvania}} and [[VirtualPet virtual pet raising sim]], the game was created by the same people behind the equally GenreBusting ''VideoGame/HenryHatsworthInThePuzzlingAdventure''. While traversing the overworld as Ellie, the bottom screen on displays Chomp residing in a pocket dimension, who will come out to aid Ellie in combat. Depending on how you decide to make use of and raise Chomp -- from whether you use him for defense, healing, or as an additional source of damage during a fight, to the type of toys and foods you give to the creature to play with and eat during downtime -- he will evolve accordingly: growing more powerful, gaining different abilities, and transforming further into even more specialized forms.
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10	Plans for an {{updated rerelease}} called ''Monster Tale Ultimate'' for the Platform/Nintendo3DS were announced in 2015, but thanks to Majesco being bought out by a biotech company the following year and immediately ceasing video game operations, [[{{Vaporware}} nothing ever came of it]]. In January 2021, years after Majesco changed hands again and re-entered the industry, it was announced that they once again [[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/01/nintendo_ds_platformer_monster_tale_is_making_a_comeback_on_modern_consoles planned on remaking the game for current consoles]] -- whether this project will also succumb to the same fate as ''Monster Tale Ultimate'' remains to be seen.
11	----
12	!!This game contains examples of:
13	* ABoyAndHisX: Ellie befriends Chomp as soon as he hatches from his egg. Their close bond is not only a huge part of the gameplay, but even teaches most of the Kid Kings to [[HeelFaceTurn become better partners and rulers]] once they are defeated.
14	* AllMythsAreTrue: The one shown during the game's intro. Also deconstructed -- the fact that the monsters believed this was what allowed the kid kings to rise to power. It is also reconstructed ''at the same time'', since it refers to [[TheChosenOne Ellie]].
15	* AllTheWorldsAreAStage: Prissingham, the final kingdom, contains {{portal door}}s to remote sections of the four previous kingdoms that Ellie and Chomp have never seen before. One of these sections even contains the last of Ellie's upgrades, the [[LastDiscMagic Ultimate Charge Shot]].
16	* AlphaBitch: Priscilla shows what would likely happen if such a character [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen ever acquired any form of power over others]].
17	* AlwaysNight: Treehouse Grotto is so enshrounded in nighttime, that there are many crescent and [[WeirdMoon colored moons]] in the night sky.
18	* {{Animesque}}: Judging by the character designs, you'd think this came from Japan, but in truth, it was made by an American developer and was only ever released in North America.
19	* AntiVillain: Despite the fact that they utilize slave labor, Zoe and Ethan have potentially valid {{Freudian Excuse}}s for their behavior, depending on [[UnreliableNarrator how reliable you think their testimony is]] (especially compared to someone like Deanu, who only complained about having chores back home). Zoe was never allowed to play with toys for fear of breaking them, and ChildProdigy Ethan was tired of being dismissed as JustAKid when it came to his inventions. The Monster World gives Zoe all the toys she wants and Ethan the chance to build world-changing devices. Priscilla, however, is given no such excuse. She just wants to be popular.
20	* AristocratsAreEvil: Inverted; the kid kings aren't evil because they're royalty, they named themselves royalty because they're evil.
21	* ArmsDealer: Jinx sells items for Chomp that not only give him experience, but also serve as weapons for indirect assistance for Ellie. For example, soccer balls and meteorites bounce all over the screen and hit enemies.
22	* BadassAdorable: Ellie is a blue-haired kid whose bracelet gives her an arsenal of both melee and long-ranged attacks.
23	* TheBeastMaster: All the human kids in the Monster World are effectively this, as each one has a monster partner, such as Ellie having Chomp and Meade having Krubble.
24	* BigBad: Priscilla is the leader of the Kid Kings and is thus the big bad.
25	* BigFancyCastle: Prissingham in its entirety consists of Primhedge Palace, Priscilla's castle, and it's a ''massive'' one. It's also a MarathonLevel and TheMaze, with a couple of AllTheWorldsAreAStage sprinkled on top of it.
26	* BigNo: Ellie when she gets knocked out. As well as the Kid Kings (And Queens) when they're defeated.
27	* BlueIsHeroic: Ellie is a blue-haired little girl in a white night gown and wears blue sneakers. She's TheHero.
28	%%* BratsWithSlingshots
29	* BrattyHalfPint: Zoe is the youngest Kid King.
30	* BreadAndCircuses: It's implied that Meade is doing the "circuses" part, at least.
31	* CastFromHitPoints: Using skills eats away at Chomp's life bar, but it's easy enough to recharge by moving him to the lower screen to rest.
32	* CashGate: You have to pay Jinx 2750 gold to clear an avalanche in Ethanica.
33	* CollisionDamage: Played straight, plus some enemies wield melee weapons and attacks that do more damage than simply touching them.
34	* CoolTrain: The Demon Shuttle in Ethantica.
35	* CuteMonster: Chomp himself is one. The contrast between his cuteness and his monsterness is most pronounced in his Adult forms.
36	* DeathThrows: Ellie and Chomp fall off the screen when they get K.O'd. Chomp however just falls back into the Pet Sanctuary to recover. Ellie has [[GameOver no such fortune]].
37	* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:The Kid Kings, except for Priscilla, each eventually come around after fighting Ellie for various reasons. Zoe and Ethan even provide BigDamnHeroes moments while you're storming Pricilla's castle. Deanu [[TrueNeutral wasn't really evil to begin with]], though.]]
38	* DownTheDrain: The Tubeworqs area in Deanuford, overlaps with UnderTheSea.
39	* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Fire is strong against Earth is strong against Water is strong against Fire. Or, more accurately, Red beats Green beats Blue beats Red, as few if any monsters show elemental traits besides color (and for those that do, it's the color that really matters).
40	* EmpathicHealer: Chomp's Healing skill works this way, due to the fact that all skills are CastFromHitPoints.
41	* {{Egopolis}}: All of the kid kings' realms are named after them.
42	* EternalEngine: The Factory Fortress Area in Ethantica.
43	* EvilDiva: Meade is a RareMaleExample, a rock musician who performs live on stage in front of crowds of monsters and is implied to [[MagicMusic command his partner Krubble]] using certain riffs. Though, he turns out to not be that evil.
44	* TheEvilGenius: Ethan is quite smart and is also one of the evil Kid Kings.
45	* EvilLaugh: Priscilla, Meade and Ethan all have one.
46	** Oddly enough, ''Chomp'' emits one of these after using a pet item when in a teen or adult form.
47	* ForestOfPerpetualAutumn: The appropriately-named Autumn Thicket.
48	* ForeignRulingClass: The Kid Kings rule over kingdoms that are populated by monsters, despite the Kings themselves being humans from another dimension.
49	* GadgeteerGenius: Ethan runs an EternalEngine area and uses a robot he made for his boss battle. For bonus points, his theme in the soundtrack is titled "gadgeteer".
50	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: After beating a Kid King, you can see their crown in the collectibles screen. However, you're shown actually grabbing their key, and when the Kid King in question appears again they are still wearing their crown.
51	* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: The unnamed dragon monster in the beginning of the game. The game data literally calls it "Intro Boss".
52	* TheGoomba: Small {{Waddling Head}}s called Dumbseekers. One ability Chomp can get is the ability to turn into them. [[JokeItem As you might expect, this does nothing.]]
53	* TheGhost: [[spoiler:Chomp's mother never appears.]]
54	* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Priscilla is bad and also a princess.
55	* GreenHillZone: The Windlemill plains area in Zoetopia.
56	* GuideDangIt: The effectiveness of items unlocking new forms decreases as the adjacent forms increase in level. Nowhere does the game tell you this. This can potentially lead to some forms being [[PermanentlyMissableContent unobtainable]], or at least taking extremely large amounts of time and diligence to unlock.
57	* HairRaisingHare: Zoe's monster Lobster.
58	* HandbagOfHurt: Ellie's Satchel is used to hit things.
59	* HandBlast: The ancient band that Ellie wears can fire energy blasts against monsters and door panels (and gets more powerful throughout).
60	* HateSink: Unlike the other Kid Kings, Priscilla has no clear excuse for her actions and doesn't even ''think'' of reforming. She just wants to [[spoiler:take over both worlds so she can become famous]] -- and she probably won't get very far even if she wins, since she's an openly smug {{jerkass}} even to the other kids.
61	* HealThyself: Chomp's Paladin (Teen) and Sasquatch (Adult) forms possess the rare "Healing" skills, which allows them to create Hearts to restore Ellie's health. "Healing I" restores a half-heart, while the stronger "Healing II" restores a full heart. Unsurprisingly, the Sasquatch is one of the last unlockable Chomp forms in the game.
62	* HeartContainer: These can be bought in Jynx's shop or found laying out in the open.
63	* HeartsAreHealth: Though they're strangely ''blue'', not red.
64	* HedgeMaze: Primhedge Palace lives up to its name, it is also TheMaze.
65	* HubLevel: The Ancient Ruins.
66	* HumansAreSpecial: Because the monsters believed in this, the kid kings managed to seize power.
67	* InescapableAmbush: Much like it's [[VideoGame/HenryHatsworthInThePuzzlingAdventure british cousin]], it loves these. They get particularly brutal near the end.
68	* InfinityPlusOneElement: Light (White), which resists attacks of other elements (even NonElemental) and in turn other elements are resistant to its attacks; and Dark ({{Purple\|IsTheNewBlack}}), which has strong attacks against everything and vice-versa.
69	* JokeItem: The Dumbseeker Copycat ability does nothing but turn Chomp into a little green version of the game's [[TheGoomba Goomba.]] It does no damage and provides no advantage.
70	* KidHero: Apparently, the only ones who can see/tame monsters are kids.
71	* KillerRabbit:
72	** Chomp, whose child forms are as cute as a button until it starts fighting.
73	** Mister Lobster gets bonus points for ''actually'' being a rabbit.
74	* KonamiCode: A shortened version (replace "B, A, Start" with "Select") {{Palette Swap}}s Ellie and grants a small shop discount.
75	* {{Leitmotif}}:
76	** The Kid Kings (except for [[SurferDude Deanu]] and [[BigBad Priscilla]]) have a recurring leitmotif that plays when you fight them.
77	** Ethan's theme, "Greetings, Gadgeteer", gets combined with the Kid Kings' general motif for "[[BossRemix 8-Bitter Boss Battle]]" when you battle him and his partner Nathan.
78	** Priscilla's theme, "Little Miss Priss", is a pompous pseudo-Baroque harpsichord piece. You can hear snippets of it in "Primhedge Palace", the theme of her kingdom of Prissingham, and it gets a more straightforward BossRemix for the battle with her.
79	* LittleMissBadass: Ellie. By virtue of [[AmplifierArtifact the Band,]] Ellie can beat up monsters twice her size with nothing but her bare hands and [[ImprobableWeaponUser a messenger bag.]].
80	* TheLostWoods: Autumn Thicket and Treehouse Grotto areas. Located in Zoetopia.
81	* MarathonLevel: Prissingham is an extremely long gauntlet through several previous areas' lookalikes.
82	* TheMaze: Prissingham is huge, with many twists and turns and even some portals to previous areas.
83	* {{Metroidvania}}: The game is an exploration-focused platformer with [[AbilityRequiredToProceed areas locked behind abilities]] that takes cues from both Metroid (the appearance of the map and the main character's ranged weapon, as well as Fusion / Zero Mission style objective markers) and Castlevania (RPGElements for Chomp).
84	* MultiformBalance: Chomp's various transformations all have their own strengths, weaknesses, stat spreads, attacks, and even elemental types.
85	* NeverHadToys: One of the [[AChildShallLeadThem Kid-Kings]], Zoe, states that back in the human world, her parents would never let her have any toys because of her habit of breaking them. When she became one of the Kid-Kings, she put all the monsters in her kingdom to work making her toys, whether they want to or not.
86	* NoblewomansLaugh: Priscilla.
87	* NominalHero: Ellie just wanted to find her way back to her home world and had no intention of saving the Monster World. She just happened to come across some fellow kids who wanted to kill her. It wasn't until she learned of Priscilla's diabolical scheme that she decides to intervene. Ellie herself lampshades this in the ending, claiming herself as not a hero, she just did what she had to.
88	* NotSoStoic: Meade is TheStoic but, when fighting, at which point he goes into a SuperPoweredEvilSide.
89	* OneManParty: Many of Chomp's skills aren't that useful, and it's easier to go through the game without him on the top screen. Near the end of the game, this trope is still present, but on the other end, with a properly-raised Chomp being practically game-breaking, to the point where Ellie will barely contribute.
90	* OneWingedAngel: Priscilla's monster Snout during the final boss battle, though it was already a monster to begin with.
91	* PajamaCladHero: Ellie's wears nothing but her nightgown for the vast majority of the game.
92	* PalmtreePanic: Deanuford is generally this with lots of Water-based levels. The Beach area to be more specific.
93	* PermanentlyMissableContent: The meter for unlocking a new form stops rising once the connected form Chomp needs to be in hits level 30, which will make it impossible to unlock. The sole exception seems to be the Elite Guard form, and ''only'' if you had already used enough of the required items before point of no return to build the rest of the meter through having Chomp take and deal damage.
94	* PipeMaze: The Tubeworqs Area in Deanuford takes place in a pipeworks facility underwater. Ellie however doesn't have to travel though the pipes themselves, so its downplayed.
95	* PoorCommunicationKills: [[spoiler:Most of the kid kings don't really have any reason to fight Ellie, and only flip out and try to kill her when they think she's going to ruin their fun somehow. Instead of talking them down, Ellie just leaps into the fray and only explains that they don't really have any reason to be fighting ''after'' the battle.]]
96	* RedEyesTakeWarning: Priscilla, right before the final battle.
97	* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Chomp.
98	* RottenRockAndRoll: {{Subverted\|Trope}}. Meade, the first Kid King, runs the seedy-looking Scratch Pit and plays rock and metal for legions of adoring monsters... but he's generally pretty reasonable [[DefeatMeansFriendship after you beat him]].
99	* RoyalBrat: The (self-proclaimed) kid kings. Although it is inverted since they aren't likely part of any rich families (to our knowledge), in which case, they are likely just [[SpoiledBrat spoiled brats]].
100	* RPGElements: Chomp can level up from consuming items or fighting enemies, boosting his stats.
101	* RuinsForRuinsSake: The Ancient Ruins area. Not only does Ellie begin her adventure here and finds Chomp, it's also the [[HubLevel central Hub area]].
102	* SheIsTheKing: Even though Zoe and Priscilla are girls, they are still referred to as "Kid Kings" in game, instead of Queens. (Priscilla does insist on being ''called'' a Queen, though -- "I am your Queen!" is even one of her voice clips.)
103	* ShoutOut:
104	** Ethan says that someone named [[spoiler:Henry Hatsworth]] (he had trouble remembering the name) had stepped in the monster world before. This particular person was a character whose game was also developed by Peter Ong. [[spoiler:Ellie says that this reminds her of her great uncle.]]
105	** [[spoiler:There are floating puzzle pieces in the background of Zoe's "kingdom" that look suspiciously like the background of the Puzzle Realm. Cole's Machine really did some damage by just existing...]]
106	** One of Priscilla's busts has her leaning forward and clenching her fist with yellow eyes and an angry face (like a certain [[VideoGame/DisgaeaHourofDarkness "Flat-Chested demon"]] you may know)
107	** Ethan also not only uses a DS-like device, but commands his monster Nathan to use [[Film/{{Spaceballs}} "Ludicrous speed!"]]
108	** As well as [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis "Blast Processing!"]]
109	** Priscilla's outfit and hair greatly resemble [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros a certain video game princess]].
110	** Many of Chomp's attacks such as [[VideoGame/MrDriller Drill em Mister]], [[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Ghoul's Cascade]](which even has a blue fire effect), [[VideoGame/RType Artype]], and [[VideoGame/RollingThunder Rolling Thunder]] are references to classic VideoGames. And the form that learns the "Drill 'Em, Mister" attack is called the [[VideoGame/DrillDozer Petdozer.]] Chomp also has a move called "Aegis" which is a shout out to [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII Urien's Aegis Reflector]], and functions the exact same way.
111	** One of Chomp's forms is a furry, fanged beast who has the ability to ram enemies, and is named "Tall Bain". It doesn't seem like a stretch to say the name may have something to do with Jon Talbain, the werewolf from ''VideoGame/{{DarkStalkers}}'' who's primary attack is to, you guessed it, ram enemies.
112	** There's even one in the ClosingCredits: The director Peter Ong thanks his brother Jay Ong for "being like [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Itachi]]''.
113	** Meade: [[Music/{{RageAgainstTheMachine}} "Sleep Now... In The Fire!"]]
114	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Ethantica is located in the cold regions, with the Frigid Cliffs area serving as a starting point.
115	* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Baby Chomp puts some on for his "studying" animation in the Pet Sanctuary.
116	* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''VideoGame/HenryHatsworthInThePuzzlingAdventure''. [[spoiler: Subverted in that it is implied that both games are in the same [[TheVerse universe]]. See ShoutOut above.]]
117	* StalactiteSpite: Stalactites fall on you in certain places, just like the trope says.
118	* SurferDude: Deanu talks like this.
119	* SwissArmyHero: Chomp can do just about anything, provided he has access to the specific ability and form. With the right tools and abilities, he can perform any job he is tasked to do.
120	* ToyTime: Zoetopia has this general theme throughout. The Windlemill Plains has Lego-like toy Windmills and toy block tilesets. The Autumn Thicket has loose toys strewn across the ground, the Treehouse Grotto has lots of treehouses, and houses the Spookhouse Lookout, where Zoe and Mister Lobster are fought. It ties into the general lore of Zoe, who became a Kid King in the Monster Realm because her parents wouldn't let her play with toys due to their fear of her breaking them.
121	* TreeTopTown: Treehouse Grotto.
122	* UndergroundLevel: Meadeland takes place entirely underground, the Caverns area is a more specific example.
123	* UndergroundMonkey:
124	** Different "elemental" versions of monsters.
125	** Chomp himself is actually a protagonist version of UndergroundMonkey, as all of his forms in the same stage of growth are slightly altered versions of each other.
126	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: When Ellie first enters the monster realm she doesn't seem too surprised that not only is she in a completely different place, but it has also instantly turned from night to day. Of course there's a reason for this, [[spoiler: her great uncle is Henry Hatsworth, adventuring runs in the family.]]
127	* WaddlingHead: The basic enemies, natch, given the game's intentionally trope-tastic nature.
128	* WakeUpCallBoss: The first kid king, Meade, is this.
129	* WarmupBoss: The unnamed two-headed dragon at the beginning of the game.
130	* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: Chomp can get K.O'd over and over with no penalty. If ''Ellie'' dies, however. It's GameOver.
131	* WhiteAndGreyMorality: The kid kings seem interested in subjugating the monsters only to pursue their interests. [[spoiler: Priscilla wants to conquer both worlds to become famous!]]
132	* WindmillScenery: The Windlemill Plains has lots of toy-like windmills in the background.
133	* WolverinePublicity: Chomp received a ton of spotlight in the games' promotional material, and while he is a significant part of the game, the promos doesn't really shed a lot of light on Ellie, the character you actually play as.
134	* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Most of Ellie's powerups, actually. She needs a powerup just to learn how to ''swing her knapsack''. She then needs an additional powerup to swing it continuously, and another to swing it in an uppercut. She also needs one to learn how to ''roll'', and there are two powerups that do nothing except allow Ellie to perform two attacks she learned previously in the air.

Context VideoGame / MonsterTale