Video Game / Goonya Monster

Fighting the undead has never been so much fun...and dangerous.

Packed with cuteness, punk attitudes, and a shade of existential dread.

—Tagline

Goonya Monster is a 3D party game by MUTAN Inc., the creators of Goonya Fighter, in which a team of three Busters must collect seven Souls to win... But beware! A Monster will be pitted against them to prevent them from doing so with a wide range of powers at their disposal, and they will win if all Busters are defeated or the three-minute timer runs out.

The story mode focuses on four humans, Octo, Toad, Snail, and Pirarucu as they take up the role of Busters along with the half-cat, half-Monster Goonyan when swarms of Undead and Monsters begin to run rampant across the world.

It is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, and Microsoft Windows.

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Tropes:

• Affectionate Nickname / Terms of Endangerment: Anemone refers to Toad as "[her] dear Toad".
  • She does the same with Orca, as well.
• Alpha Bitch: Pirarucu. She was born as the sole heiress of a wealthy family (emphasis on "was", as when Clione became part of the family, all the potential was given to him instead), so it (naturally) has given her a strong sense of pride and a short fuse, leaving her prone to snap at the others.
  • Lovable Alpha Bitch: Despite this, however, she's shown to be capable of showing genuine care and concern towards them, even taking up the role of Cool Big Sis when it comes to Snail.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Orca seems to be this at first glance, but she proves that she truly cares about people and nature.
• Animal Motifs: All of the human characters are named after aquatic animals (or semi-aquatic animals, in the case of Snail and Toad), with the exception of Dr. Virus. Orca takes it further: Not only does her hairstyle resemble her namesake animal, she also wears shoes resembling it, and she's the leader of an organization of Monsters called Orcinus.^note Both are derived from the orca's scientific name, Orcinus orca.
• The Atoner: Goonyan, Anemone, and Orca become this upon the experiment to revive Dr. Virus's son failing.
• Awful Truth: Goonyan is actually a member of Team Virus.
• Be as Unhelpful as Possible: Orca resorts to this once asked by Toad to tell him and the catalyst behind the Undead appearing and the whereabouts of Slug.
  Orca: I have no reason to give you any more information.
  Octo: Huh? Why?
  Orca: You guys are Busters. Busters are the enemy of Monsters. If you get in our way we will not tolerate it.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Slug was the only person in Snail's family who truly cared about her during her rather rough childhood. Following his departure after they reunite while the latter is a Monster in Episode 3, she refuses to fight him.
• Big Brother Worship: As Slug was the only one in her family who didn't discipline her for her energetic nature, Snail puts him in this light.
• Blended Family Drama: Pirarucu is initially characterized as being jealous of her stepbrother Clione for getting the attention she used to have. She tries to make up for it in Episode 3.
• Blood Knight: Snail, due to her energetic nature, is very enthusiastic about battling the Undead.
  Pirarucu: Why do you always resort to violence...?
• But Now I Must Go: Every time Slug comes to help the others, he always ends up leaving again afterwards. Averted in Episode 6.
• Cheerful Child: Snail. Unfortunately, this aspect of her led to her parents putting her through severe disciplinary measures. It eventually improves at the end.
• Cool Big Sis: Pirarucu to Snail.
• Cool Mask: Slug usually wears one.
• Cooperation Gambit: Orca agrees to a temporary truce with the group when they are trying to track down Team Virus so she can get answers as to what her cooperation with the latter has when it comes to the benefits the world will get out of it, stating that depending on what she gets, their relationship will go back as to what it was before.
• Despair Event Horizon: Clione crossed this in the attack that killed his mother. As a result, the shy and gentle boy both manifested a more agressive and protective Split Personality and lost all will to live.
• Emergency Transformation: How Goonyan went from a normal cat to a half-Monster, courtesy of Dr. Virus.
• Epilogue Letter: Goonyan writes a letter to Octo and the others to reunite at the eponymous facility, which kicks off the epilogue.
  "To Octo, [t]hank you for all your letters, nyamo! I thought I'd respond with a letter too, nyamo. I've been searching for a way to make amends that only I can do, nyamo. Along the way, I've been working hard on helping people and reconstruction efforts, nyamo. But I'm getting off topic... Guess what? I finally found a way to make amends, nyamo! So, I want to invite you and everyone to come see, nyamo! Please come to this place at the time written in this letter, okay, nyamo? From Goonyan"
• Every Man Has His Price:
  Pirarucu: Well, I won't do it. Who in their right mind would agree to something so dangerous?
  Goonyan: Did I mention you get rewards for winning battles, nyamo! And the shop has a lot of nice things, nyamo! If you like shopping...
  Pirarucu: I'll be a Buster!
• Expecting Someone Taller / Mistaken Age: Discussed when the group finds Orca during a meeting by Orcinus.
  Toad: She looks about the same age as Pirarucu.^note The official website states that Pirarucu is 17 years old.
  Pirarucu: To be honest, I thought she would be older.
• Face of a Thug: Orca, with her role as The Stoic leader of Orcinus, and her appearance, with Octo even seeing her as intimidating. However, deep down is a very caring Nature Lover who wants to better the world.
• Forgotten First Meeting: Played With. Octo has a feeling of nostalgia when he encounters Goonyan, but doesn't realize that a cat the former first encountered during one of the times he was alone (which led to him becoming the Kindhearted Cat Lover he is) was the latter.
• For Great Justice: Orca is a strong believer in this when it comes to nature.
  Orca: I want to make the world a better place.
• Friendless Background: Since he was alone for much of his life, Octo never had any friends, only having a cat as company until he made new friends, after which it stopped coming to see him... Or so he thinks, as Goonyan turns out to be a transformed version of that cat.
• Fuel Meter of Power: Goonyan's ability to reset time to a certain point is established to not have many uses left (three, to be specific), and also gets weaker with each use. He uses it for the last time in Episode 6 in a (soon-undone) Heroic Sacrifice.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Team Virus.
• Guest Fighter: You can play as the members of the band SAKANAMON, four VTubers (including MUTAN's official VTuber), three mascots from different aspects of Japan, and the Author Avatars of FAKE TYPE. as Busters, and Sakanamon and FAKE TYPE. as Monsters.
• Harmful to Minors: Clione's mother died in a Monster attack before the events of the game, causing the manifestation of his Split Personality.
• Heroic BSoD: Orca goes through this when cornered by the Undead following the reset in Episode 5.
  "... Have I been tricked? Or, will this help save the world...? Why am I...?"
• Heroic Sacrifice: Goonyan does this to give everyone a fighting chance against the King Amoeba. However, it's soon undone by Octo and the others to return the favor.
• Heroism Incentive: Pirarucu initially refuses to become a Buster. It is only when Goonyan mentions shopping that she turns a complete 180 and accepts.
• Hulking Out: Turning into a Monster is this. Orca transforming into her Nega-Dragon form in Episode 5 counts as a female example, though all Monsters have a somewhat masculine build.
• Iconic Outfit: Clione's white hoodie.
• I'll Never Tell You What I'm Telling You!: Anemone accidentally lets slip her relationship with Orcinus and being a part of Team Virus in both Episode 3 and Episode 4, though the latter establishes her participation in Team Virus. Goonyan resets time in both instances afterwards.
  "I'm telling you, I don't know anything!! They gave me space for mass production of the Zombie Virus! And to start the world's first Undeadification process! I provided a potion that turns humans into Monsters to Orcinus! But that's it! If you want to know more about 'Team Virus', the organization cloning Goonyan... I don't know anything about it!"
• A Kind of One: There are plenty of variations of Monsters, with one in particular being the Negatives, humans with a strong will who become black-and-white versions of specific Monsters (i.e. Orca as the Nega-Dragon, Clione as the Nega-Death, Slug as the Nega-Nine-tails, etc.).
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: Octo. His encounter with Goonyan (alongside their Forgotten First Meeting) is enough reason for him to immediately accept becoming a Buster.
• King Mook: The King Amoeba is a playable version of this to the Amoeba Zombies.
• Mad Scientist: Anemone.
• Make My Monster Grow: In a match, a Monster getting bigger means its skill has leveled up, up to the maximum of Level 4.
• The Man Behind the Monsters: Orca.
• Mascot Mook: The Kigurumee, Balloon, and Pumpkin is this for the Monsters.
• Mistakes Are Not the End of the World: The lesson of Episode 6.
• Monster Clown: The Balloon Monster, sharp teeth and all.
• Monstrous Humanoid: The Monsters.
• Mood Whiplash: When Clione's Split Personality reveals that the main personality has no will to live; taken further by the reveal that this came to be because his mother died protecting him when they were attacked by a Monster.
• Nature Hero: Orca. Especially since she was raised in a forest once threatened by deforestation. Her belief in justice stems from wanting to protect the forest's natural beauty.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Lampshaded by Pirarucu when discussing Anemone.
  Pirarucu: She's really, uh... How can I put it... She's either a badass or a dumbass, one of the two...
• Palette Swap: Any of the Monsters that aren't the two new introductions of each Episode following the first, and the Negative Monsters.
• Reset Button: Goonyan has a special power to reset time to a certain point when things go wrong, as demonstrated at the end of Episode 3.
• Retail Therapy: Pirarucu developed her avid obsession with shopping to cope with her jealousy towards Clione.
• Right Behind Me: When Octo and the others discuss how to get to Orca for an explanation, they don't realize she's already come to them until she asks them what they're talking about.
  Everyone: She found us!!
• Searching for the Lost Relative: The first three episodes are focused on finding Clione and Slug.
• Sheep in Wolf's Clothing: Members of Orcinus drink potions in order to turn into Monsters and control the Undead. They are completely neutral otherwise.
• Split Personality: Clione has one triggered by yawning. He is normally a gentle and timid boy, but his other personality is much more outgoing and carefree. His hairstyle also changes depending on which personality he's in.
• Sudden Name Change: In an earlier version, when Clione is first mentioned by Pirarucu in Episode 1, he was initially referred to as "Arowana". Episode 2 onwards refers to him as his proper name, as well as future updates.
  • The same applies with the Amoeba Goonyans, first introduced as "Green Goonyans".
• Unwitting Pawn: Pretty much everyone to Team Virus's plan to revive Dr. Virus's son.
• Verbal Tic: "Nyamo" for Goonyan.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting: Once you've taken the potion to make you into Monster, you can do it whenever you want.
• Walking the Earth: What Octo and Orca get up to after the story.
• Wham Line: There are a few.
  • Monsters are really transformed humans.
  • When Clione explains how his split personality came to be, he delivers two at once: that his main personality has no will to live, but it's what he doesn't tell them that's the real kicker.
  "(My real mother protected me a long time ago from a Monster and was killed...)"
  • Team Virus's plan for Clione to be used as a vessel is because of his lost will to live.
• When You Coming Home, Dad?: Octo's parents genuinely loved him, but their work made it so that they rarely came home to spend time with him, leaving him to spend time with a cat that would later become Goonyan until he eventually made friends of his own.
• "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: Episode 6 ends this way. The last two parts of it are even called "Where Are They Now?" for emphasis.
  • Toad joins Team Virus with Anemone to make up for their past transgressions, taking on the role of their leader.
  • Snail and Slug reunite with their parents, who do their best to improve their relationship with the former.
  • Pirarucu and Clione continue to improve their relationship and are once again living with each other.
  • Orca and Octo set off together to partake in reforestation efforts across the world and finding the latter's family. Octo also spends time writing letters to his friends.
  • Goonyan left to help with reconstruction and discovering a way to make amends... the establishment of the eponymous facility to recreate all of the battles everyone fought together.
• Worth Living For: Pirarucu for Clione, as he learns in Episode 5. Despite the subsequent reset at the end, it is officially cemented in Episode 6.
• Wrong Side All Along: It is revealed in Episode 4 that Goonyan is really a member of Team Virus, an organization seeking to use the power of Souls to make Clione into a vessel for Dr. Virus's deceased son while also making Busters and Monsters fight each other. However, everyone has gone so far into wanting to stop the Undead that the only thing they can do is to keep going in order to keep it from happening.