Monster Bash

The controls are lousy and the difficulty is too high.

this game was simple, yet entertaining way back when. a halloween themed platformer essentially. kept me entertained for quite a while. thank you GOG!

I remember being too young to want to play this one as "shareware" as a child as the zombies in particular die a bit too gory for my tastes at the time. This is further confusing as the protagonist and pets make it seem like it is a game meant for kids but now that I'm an adult I think that is what gives this game it's own sort of charm. This is a really solid sidescroller with very large levels that are full of secrets. It is Apogee at it's best. The first two episodes are in my opinion pretty much perfect. Each locale feels fresh and unique and all the enemies never feel repetetive. They also feel fair. Episode 3 however starts out fine but very quickly becomes extremely frustrating and difficult (namely the swamp levels). I don't know how anyone beat the third episode without using a cheat code. That being said, the whole series contains some of my favorite levels ever made for a 2d platformer (right up there with SMB 3). I particularly love the haunted house levels in episode 1 (especially the giant couch one), the castle levels in episode 2, the pumpkin patch (episode 3), and bones cave (I think in episode 3). Definitely worth checking out especially for the price!

Oh my god! YES, YES, YES! I always loved Monster Bash as I was a kid, but haven't played it in so long! I've been hoping for GOG to add it for ages now, and it's finally happened! As for how the game is, it's difficult, if I remember correctly, but extremely entertaining (even if the bosses were too easy)! Well worth $6 dollars!

I bought it because I remembered liking it a lot as a child. Honestly I don't know what I was thinking. The game is testes-crushingly hard from the get-go so maybe consider getting it if you want a platformer you can't just breeze through in an afternoon. Definitely couldn't recommend it for a person new to DOS platformers. You've got a big meaty life bar and just about everything in the levels can and will whittle it down. You get no breaks and frankly it can get annoying. Memorization of the levels becomes key. You can't (far as I can tell) look above you without jumping and often there are spikes or little knife throwing hands just out of view slice away at you when you try and check the ceiling for goodies. Not like you can just not do it either; you need to open all the animal cages in a level to be able to clear it and whatever health heart or powerup that MIGHT be there is all but necessary to keep going. Monster Bash is certainly awful pretty though. Probably the nicest Apogee jumper to look at. The cool Halloween decoration style levels are neat and spooky and the enemies within are at least graphically well designed. I especially like the zombies who explode into gore and a rolling head Really speaks to the thrill seeking 13 year old in me. The sounds and music I have no strong opinion on. I suppose they serve their purpose but neither left a lasting impression on me. Buy it if you're a nostalgia goober like everyone else on this site and it's on sale, but only play it if you're very patient and at least a little experienced in the kind of hit detection/hidden path bullshit DOS platformers like to pull.