Holla everyone,

this is going to be the second review I write. Could be the last one, I don't know
"Azure Dreams" on the game boy was a game that took me months to play. I guess my brother purchased a used cartridge and played it a while before I found it. At first it looked short, but after reaching the top of the tower the first time, the game expanded in it's dimensions in a way, I didn't find again in a game boy game.

It deals about a young boy living in a desert town called Monsbaya. Monsbaya is dominated by the monster-tower. The boy (the player) is an upcoming monster-tamer, like his father, who disappeared in the floors of the tower long ago. As a fresh grownup, the boy meets a familiar. Familiars are tamed monsters. This one tells you, that he is a familiar of your father, and here to support you in your quest to reach lvl 30 of the tower. From this point on you are able to enter the tower. The floors in the tower are generated randomly, so whenever you enter it, you'll be confronted with unknown conditions. Your character itself can be equipped with weapons and stuff, and even level up. But once you leave the tower, your experience level lowers back to lvl 1.

Inside the tower you can move across the floors, encountering monsters and fighting them by yourself or with the help of your familiar(s). You'll find many types of items, which you can bring out of the tower to store or sell them. Quite similar to games like Dragon Quest Monsters, you're abled to breed monster's eggs to fill your monster stable. You can even make 2 monsters fusion to another, which brings a lot of fun. Especially when you create a freakin' strong monster, you've never seen, that smashes everything ...!


Graphics:
The graphics are great for a game boy game. Especially when you're using the game boy color
Battle-graphics (pictures) are nice works and the monsters designs are way more cooler than those in the Pokémon titles, in my opinion. I'd say this is high end graphics for GBC. Animations are standard. So I'll give a 8 on this point.

Sound:
Nothing bad to say about the games music. It only gets monotone, after playing 40 hours or so. Nothing annoying, but no premium compositions. So I'd say it's worth a 7

Addictiveness:
Azure Dreams is as addictive as Pokémon, I'd say. The huge number of monsters you can fight, find or create by fusion makes this game a time-killer. OK, but it can be frustrating from time to time. Let's give this point a 6.

Story:
The story is quite simple and there are not many sequences of story at all, while you're exploring the floors of the monster-tower. But it's good enough to give motivation t play on. Some surprises are also within it, so ... a fair 5.

Depth:
I couldn't look at myself in the mirror again, if I'd give this point any less rating than 10. As I mentioned in the beginning, this game offers hours and hours of exploring the tower, or help making Monsbaya a bigger and more beautiful city. Though you'll get to know everyone from the townsfolk pretty soon in the game, it's cool, that they always got something else to say (influenced by your progress in the tower). I also mentioned the huge number of monsters, didn't I? So ... 10.

Difficulty:
People, who are used to play games like this may find nothing hard on this one. But I played it as my first game of this type of rpg's and I think it's pretty hard from time to time. Especially because the floors are generated randomly - sometimes they're build in a way, hard to get through. I think it's ok, when I give this point a 7.

Overall:
7,8


Again, I hope u had fun reading through this. This is really a great game if you don't know, which Pokémon to play, or if u search something different, but similar

PeeZe

Bizz

Wow I have never heard of this game. Though if it really has over 100 hours of game play that is really good for an old GBC game. I might have to check this one out.

Nice review!

Holla again!

I just found a quite interesting link about this game. I thought, I could post it here, as a little addition to my review:


Azure Dreams Monster Shrine

Monsters list, further descriptions, music links,fusion-table, etc. about Azure Dreams for game boy color.

PeeZe & have fun with the game

Bizz

I have never heard of it either. But I like it when games have enough depth to provide that much playing time. I might give it a try when I have time.

@ rcarter2: do that, you won't regret it

By the way, a few years after playing this game, I found a remake of it on PSone.
The principle's the same, but with better graphics of course and some new features. I played this one too, but somehow it didn't flash me as much as the gb-title did.

This sounds really fun,might try it.