Though it’s mostly gone out of fashion, one of the defining characteristics on the Super Nintendo was that most sequels (and even some original games) had the word ‘super’ in front of them. It was meant to invoke the image of just not any sequel, but an upgrade to everything that had come before. More revolution than evolution. In the case of Super Monsters ate my Condo, sadly it’s the latter and not the former. Not that it’s a bad release, but it falls a little short of the expectations us as the consumer get when we see ‘super’ in front of something.
Essentially the game has not changed too drastically from the original release. Colored condo pieces need to be swiped to chain up three of the same color to appease the giant monsters that tower over it. Creating these combos will tag out a monster of the same color, and another will take its place. Swiping colored pieces to monsters of a different color will anger them (and if too angry, they will topple your condo). Once a combo is created it will create a bronze piece, three bronze’s will make a silver, and three silvers a gold (and this just keeps going). If one of these pieces is swiped into a monster, you will activate their super power (such as doubling combos, sending the monsters to sleep, or straightening the looming tower), and the higher up on the combo chain the special piece is, the longer the super power lasts for. It becomes a game of quick decisions and weighing the pros and cons of building up combo pieces versus using them on the monsters for the bonuses they give (aside from just planning which colors to send in which direction).
But that was what the original game was, so what is so super about this new release? Well the two minute timer is a start, creating a more bite-sized frantic game pace, as well as the standard inclusion of missions, ranks, oh, and the spin wheel at the end of each game for the chance to receive something awesome. The shop is where you can buy dapper head wear for all the monsters, and this has an effect on your score multiplier, and the worldwide rankings are nice to see where you rank amongst the other condo monster pacifiers.
If you missed Monsters ate my Condo, this super sequel while not a spectacular leap forward is a great jumping on point to experience the visual and auditory craziness of this great action puzzler. Fans of the original might get some mileage out of the tweaks, but you aren’t missing out on too much if you decide to stick with the original.