Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure Review

Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure

Release: October 13, 2016
Publisher: Mastiff LLC
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Genre: Action, Adventure, Family, Nintendo 3DS Reviews, Role-playing
PEGI: 10+
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Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure is an action adventure platformer for the 3DS eshop. We’ve seen a few games like this on 3DS but what makes Gurumin different is that it is a fully three dimensional game and more like something we’d see from a retail game. In fact, Gurumin 3D seems like a game that fans of Mario and Zelda would like, but is that true? Is Gurumin 3D a fun addition to the 3DS eshop?

The story in Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure is directed towards kids and some adults may find it a bit too simple. The game’s dialogue is alright, although occasionally seems like its trying too hard to be funny. The story is “cute”, but I feel like it could have been so much better. Even so, the game’s story could have been much worse too. In the end, the story is just there to support the gameplay. So how is Gurumin’s gameplay?

There is a lot of content in Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure. From exploring the human town, to interacting with the monsters, unlocking new dungeons, exploring them, and finding mini-games, you’ll never be bored with this game. The dungeons, especially, are really good. The game starts out with a couple of straight forward dungeons, but then they become more complex as you get further into the story. One of my favorite things about the dungeons is that there are so many breakable things in them. I love how interactive the environments can be. The breakable walls are one of the best things about the dungeons. You just never know what you’ll find behind them! Also, if you are looking for a challenge, be prepared for some hard dungeons and some even tougher boss battles.

The boss battles in Gurumin 3D can be really tough. Just like older games though, there are strategies to each of the boss battles and you’ll have an easier time if you can figure out exactly how you are supposed to fight the big bosses. The dungeons are not slackers though. They can be a bit maze-like at times and of course present you with some challenging enemy encounters. You’ll also be happy to go back to either of the towns to talk to the monsters or humans for a bit of relaxation and plot development. The game has some rpg elements, but overall, its very focused on being an action/adventure/platformer.  Gurumin can be a tough game, but it is a fun one too. There are elements of this game that will remind you of a Nintendo 64 Zelda game! That is never a bad thing. And for the most part, the controls in this game work pretty well too.

The analog and button controls in Gurumin 3D are very responsive. Jumping can be a problem in some three dimensional games but I thought it worked good in this game. However, there is one major issue that brings the game down a bit (and one minor one I’ll note in a bit). The camera control is via the L/R buttons on normal 3DS systems. This method of controlling the camera really isn’t that good. And the camera isn’t a very good camera and will get in your way a lot, especially during fast and furious boss battles.

On the New 3DS, you can use the second analog nub to control the camera. Personally, I didn’t find that this method worked that well either. The camera in this game just isn’t very good no matter how you control it. I wish this game had stuck to the automatic camera you find in the human town at all times. Its not perfect either, but I’d rather have the camera follow me than have to deal with the jerky camera you control. I wish I could say that the camera controls were the only thing I didn’t like about Gurumin’s controls. There is one more smaller issue that could have been better. Gurumin uses the touch screen for some of its menus and this could have been handled a lot better.

The touch screen in Gurumin 3D is used for a menu where you can switch hats and drill parts. The main menu, where you can access foods and the system menu, will open up on the top screen though. I’m not sure why this was done. I think the entire menu should have been on the touch screen. This issues doesn’t break the game, the touch screen works fine, but its feels strange that part of the menu is on the bottom screen and the rest appears on the top. I also think that the touch screen should have had some kind of map available for the more complex dungeons that you run into. There is no map in this game and that seems like a missed opportunity.

If you put aside Gurmin’s camera woes and its so-so touch screen integration though, you will find a very fun game. In fact, Gurumin will remind you a lot of an older classic action/adventure/platformer game, especially when you consider its graphics!

Gurumin 3D’s graphics will remind you of games from the Nintendo 64 era, but with a little more polish and detail added to the mix. The graphics are not as great as say, a Mario or Zelda game, but they are pretty impressive for an smaller non-Nintendo company. I especially think that the town and dungeons look nice. The overworld map is pretty neat too! The characters themselves do seem a little generic here and there, but they could definitely have looked a lot worse. Oh and Gurumin 3D looks even better in 3D. Overall, this is a good looking game!

As for the game’s soundtrack, its pretty good. Most of the music is cheerful and fun and there are not too many annoying songs. Unfortunately, Gurumin 3D has a bit of a sound quality problem. During load screens and saving, the music in Gurumin will skip and that definitely drags down the game’s musical experience. Meanwhile, the sound effects are ok, but nothing that special. Despite any of its flaws though, Gurumin 3D is a good game and one that fans of Nintendo 64 games will not want to miss.

Gurumin 3D is a bit of a throw-back to the type of games we found on the Nintendo 64. That is not a bad thing about all. We do not see very many 3D action/adventure/platformers on any system (though that is starting to change) and Gurumin is a welcome addition to the 3DS eshop library. Yes, the game does have its flaws, the camera issues are especially bad, but if you can put those aside, you’ll have a lot of fun with Gurumin. I definitely recommend that Mario and Zelda fans check this game out!

Thanks to Mastiff Games for providing a review copy of this game. Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure is now available on the 3DS eshop!

Positives

• Very good graphics
• Excellent 3D
• Fun Gameplay
• Nice Controls
• Lots of Content

Negatives

• Simple Story
• In-Game Camera Woes
• So-So Touch Screen Use
• Sound Skips

Trailer