Demikids Light Version (U)(Rising Sun) ROM

Nintendo Gameboy Advance / GBA ROMs

Rating: 4.7/5

Atlus's semi-answer to Pokemon, Demikids puts the player in the role of one of two (or three, for the Japanese version) "demi-kids" - half-human, half-demon children (less awesome than it sounds, sadly) - and pits them against an ever-increasingly diverse and difficult hoard of monsters. Much like the Shin Megami Tensei meta-series, the player will be able to recruit "demons" - aka: monsters w/ some mythological background - but the story and graphics has been simplified and softened for a younger age group. Still a decent game in its own right, even if it never achieved the popularity of what it attempted to emulate. Graphics are great for a GBA game, and the characters are likable enough. At least the story goes beyond "gotta catch them all", but it doesn't bring much new to the table either - especially with the "damsel in distress" theme right off the bat. Sound is alright, although not exactly memorable. And if you've played any SMT game, you'll recognize the chibi-ized monsters in this game. Most importantly, the gameplay is solid, if not challenging, but it works with no visible hiccups, unlike some Poke-clones.