Play Monster Party Online

Monster Party came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989, published by Bandai. It was one of those games that felt a bit different from the usual platformers and action titles on the system, with a strange mix of horror and cartoonish elements that made it stand out in the rental store.

You control a boy named Mark, who is whisked away to a monster world by a giant bat named Bert. Your goal is to fight through eight themed areas, clearing each screen of enemies before you can proceed. You start with a simple baseball bat for combat, but you can find temporary power-ups like a bow that shoots arrows. The game is structured screen by screen, and you often have to defeat all the enemies on a screen to open the exit. The difficulty can be unpredictable, with some sections being surprisingly easy and others throwing sudden, cheap hits at you. Playing it feels like navigating a bizarre, slightly janky dream where you never know what odd creature you'll face next.