Alpha Release: Monk's Quest, created by Dan Cobb

Today, I'm writing about an alpha release of a small side-scrolling game called Monk's Quest. The premise is similar to other side-scrolling games like Mario Brothers, in that the player takes control of a hero, and must advance through enemies to reach the end of the zone. While the creator emphasized that this is an alpha release, I will say the initial two levels of play were bug free and straight-forward.

To move the character, one uses the near-standard combination of the w, a, s, d on the keyboard, and players of common mmo-style games and first person shooters will adapt to the controls quickly.

The player initially begins with two attacks, operated by the left and right mouse buttons. The left mouse button controls a low-power ki projectile attack. The player initially starts with 50 ki, and replenishes ki through defeating enemies and acquiring their discarded tokens. The right mouse button controls the ki-free bo staff attack, which has good range compared to the basic enemy's melee strike. The bo staff and ki strike are depended upon the mouse cursor's location, thus if you have the cursor above the character, the staff will attack above the player, etc.

The creator developed a small collection of midi music which plays during gameplay, and the initial choices are appropriate for each level. A forboding, errie track plays when the hero enters an underground cavern, while a brighter melody greets the player during the title screen and first level. The music is reminiscent of various snes games, and isn't a distraction while playing.

The level's ending is perhaps the most whimsical part of the game so far, as once the player reaches the end of the zone, a buffet of goodies sits on a table. A prompt then tells the player to rapidly click the right mouse button, and "EAT!" flashes on the screen. This action replenishes any health lost during the level, and is a nice addition as I imagine the levels get more difficult as the game proceeds.

Speaking of difficulty, if the player dies they start at the beginning of the current level. The first two stages were no big trouble, but I can anticipate many frustrated evenings should the levels become too long, or too difficult. The inclusion of save points, perhaps half way through the level, would likely alieviate things.

Overall, the alpha run of Monk's Quest was a success, and the creator should be proud of this alpha version. Final release dates have not been posted, but I look forward to releasing a further review as I receive updated versions. Until then, the alpha version I played can be downloaded by visiting the "Petit Gibier" website. Please feel free to comment and post any additional questions about this game, or if there is another game you'd like to see reviewed. ゲームをやった！。