3/18/2004

Games in the puzzle genre have been known for having either an extremely weak plot, or none at all. If your looking for a deep Final Fantasy type deal, you've definitely come to the wrong place, but Monkey Brains has a fairly well developed plot, for it's type. It goes something like this:

During World War 2, Two scientists, Dr. Simius and Dr. Kreep (I wonder who will be the villian in this game?), have been sent to a small island off the coast of Malaysia to work on a government project to better understand the human brain. Together, the two scientists build machines that they hope will interpret the thoughts of their test subjects, which are cute little monkeys native to the island. However, the machines they created were much more powerful than anticipated, and actually allowed them to control the minds of the monkeys. Then, the government decides to cut the project, saying that the results could be disastrous if the technology found its way into the wrong hands. During the flight home, Dr. Kreep hijacks the plane, in an attempt to steal the mind-controlling technology. He wrestles with the pilot, and accidentally destroys the instrument panel and sends the plane in a downward spiral. He recovers, and jumps out of the plane with the only parachute. The plane is very close to the ground, so Dr. Simius takes a chance and jumps. The airplane explodes behind him, and he is thrown to the ground, unconcious. When he wakes up, he realizes that his legs are broken, so being the brilliant scientist he is, manages to build a makeshift wheelchair from the plane wreckage. Then he decides he must put a stop to Dr. Kreep once and for all. Since he is crippled, he decides to use the mind-controlling technology against him, and controls the minds of the native monkeys to help him reach and defeat Dr. Kreep.

Well, you won't be seeing any top-notch 3-D graphics here, folks, but the graphics are highly detailed, and often humorously so, adding to a very cartoonish feel to the game. For some examples, if a monkey hits a mine, he will go flying away with his head lit on fire, black and charred. Then he will shake a little and the ashes will fall of and he will return to normal. If you leave monkeys sitting around next to each other, they will get into squabbles and shriek at each other. If one if left alone, he may engage in many activities by himself, such as eating a banana, swatting at flies, scratching his armpits, doing a little dance, etc. While the monkeys are the most fun aspect of the graphics, the other graphics aren't bad. The explosions, ranging from small to covering a fifth of the screen, are quite nicely detailed, complete with flying shrapnel. Other small items, such as cannons, fire trucks, catapaults, and pipe organs, are graphically realistic and detailed. Probably one of the best and funniest animations in the whole game, however, is watching a firetruck getting bent double as it is sucked down a drain.

Sounds are nice, and appropriate for the different environments. For example, in the jungle, you will randomly hear bug buzzing and crickets chirping in the background. The explosion sounds are nothing special, but adequate. But the music, this is where the game truly shines. Personally, I give this game my little award for the BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE. Some people might argue that the music is repetitive, but the truth is, there are several different themes that run throughout the game, that mix with different and equally as excellent melodies. There is a completely different track for every level, and each one is long enough that you won't get sick of it. The tracks themselves vary in length greatly, from 2 minutes to 5 minutes. On a scale from 1 to 10, I give this game's music a 10 out of 10.

The gameplay bears many resemblances to an average platformer, but has equally as many unique and creative aspects as well. On one hand, each level is pretty linear. You use the monkeys to help Dr. Simius from point A to point B. That's as far as each level goes. But, on the other hand, getting him from point A to point B can get pretty tricky and involves lots of creative brainwork. Basically, each level involves you to control the minds of usually around twenty different monkeys, using them to get Dr. Simius to the exit. In an example level, you might take Dr. Simius, step on a button, releasing two monkeys from cages on a platform above you. Use those monkeys to go through a series of puzzles, which triggers a platform to start moving over a pool of water. Then you take Dr. Simius and take the platform across the water, then you might do something like having a monkey throw you across several small pools of water, then have the money stand on a button, allowing Dr. Simius to pass through a door, where he can release more monkeys from cages. And they can go through a series of puzzles to trigger more different things to happen, and so on. But you won't only have to cope with puzzles. You will also have to avoid landmines, time bombs, monkey-eating plants, monkey mashing machines, and giant goldfish. Eventually, you get Dr. Simius to the Exit, and you beat the level. The actions you can perform to complete each puzzle are so varied it would take far too long to list all of them. The gameplay overall is very enjoyable, and adds to the hilarity and fun that make this game definitely worth your money.