Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale

 3DS
  • Publisher: Level 5
  • Release Date: Jul 18, 2013
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 57
  3. Negative: 8 out of 57

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  1. wa2kool
    Aug 20, 2013
    9
    Absolutely wonderful little title that really captures the nostalgia and emotion of childhood to the point of making you smile and tear up slightly. The game's setting is small but a joy to venture around. Collecting glibs is fun and addictive (in a healthy, non-extreme way). The visuals and soundtrack really compliment each other and both components are superb on their own. The storyAbsolutely wonderful little title that really captures the nostalgia and emotion of childhood to the point of making you smile and tear up slightly. The game's setting is small but a joy to venture around. Collecting glibs is fun and addictive (in a healthy, non-extreme way). The visuals and soundtrack really compliment each other and both components are superb on their own. The story itself pans out very differently to what I was expecting and it was for the better. Ignore the steep price tag, you owe it to yourself to have this title in your collection. Though gamers seeking a more hardcore, action-packed and challenging experience should look elsewhere.… Expand
  2. MisterShmi
    Dec 20, 2013
    10
    This game was fantastic in every way. Destructoids review was pretty spot on. The game is extremely nostalgic and really captures the magic of childhood. I found it involving me on an emotional level. It charmed me to death. The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic. When you consider all of this for the $5 price tag (I got it on sale) this buy is a no-brainer. Absolutely one of the bestThis game was fantastic in every way. Destructoids review was pretty spot on. The game is extremely nostalgic and really captures the magic of childhood. I found it involving me on an emotional level. It charmed me to death. The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic. When you consider all of this for the $5 price tag (I got it on sale) this buy is a no-brainer. Absolutely one of the best eShop titles I have purchased.… Expand
  3. TheIrepan8
    Mar 10, 2014
    10
    Attack of the Friday Monsters! Was brief but felt personal. I finished it in two hours but everything about it was stunning. Set in 70s Japan before the era in which neon dominated the cities and theres was a gadget in everyone's hands. In it you play as Sohta, a ten-year old kid who just moved to Fuij no hana in Setagaya ward. He learns that monsters come out every Friday and fights eachAttack of the Friday Monsters! Was brief but felt personal. I finished it in two hours but everything about it was stunning. Set in 70s Japan before the era in which neon dominated the cities and theres was a gadget in everyone's hands. In it you play as Sohta, a ten-year old kid who just moved to Fuij no hana in Setagaya ward. He learns that monsters come out every Friday and fights each other near the place. It is very charming and although all your do is talk to people and collect things theres something about that is very touching and makes you smile.

    +Lovely art style
    +Brings a smile to your face
    +Very immersive
    +Catchy music and lovely opening music
    +Feels personal
    +Characters are charming
    +A tribute to some of the most famous monsters and heroes from Japanese TV

    -Not to everyones taste sadly.    … Expand
  4. samuraigaiden
    Sep 20, 2014
    10
    This is one of those unique modern games that can't easily be described by referencing older games, because there is very little like it. The game plays like a JRPG, but there is no combat. The progression works like an Adventure game, but there are no puzzles. The game is about playing out the story and collecting cards in the card-battle mini game. The main story lasts 2-3 hours and itThis is one of those unique modern games that can't easily be described by referencing older games, because there is very little like it. The game plays like a JRPG, but there is no combat. The progression works like an Adventure game, but there are no puzzles. The game is about playing out the story and collecting cards in the card-battle mini game. The main story lasts 2-3 hours and it won't take more than 6-7 hours to 100% the game. Still, it deserves 10/10. So why is it so good? Play it and find out.… Expand
  5. SilentlySlow
    Dec 25, 2014
    2
    This game was recommended by many, and I saw it on sale at the eshop, and so I thought, "What the heck? It must be good since it's so well liked." Boy was I wrong. I went in expecting a game, and came out wondering where my game was and wanting a refund, because I felt robbed.
    Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale, is what it states it is, a "tale", not a game, but a "tale". This    This game was recommended by many, and I saw it on sale at the eshop, and so I thought, "What the heck? It must be good since it's so well liked." Boy was I wrong. I went in expecting a game, and came out wondering where my game was and wanting a refund, because I felt robbed.
    Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale, is what it states it is, a "tale", not a game, but a "tale". This tale, however, failed to entertain me. It fails as a game and a tale, because the story makes absolutely no sense it all. Without spoiling too much, there's monsters, aliens, kids, and cards. This all adds up to become a simmering pot of disaster. With this, the game actually takes itself seriously. There's a few jokes here and there, but for the most part, the game is supposed to be serious. NOTHING made sense and I was left with $3 gone to waste.
    If you're looking for a game, then don't buy this. If you're looking for a story, then don't buy this either. If you're researching horrible overrated games or if you feel like burning money, then this is just the "game" for you.    … Expand
  6. ricklongo
    Jan 9, 2014
    7
    Part of Level 5's Guild series, in which the Japanese publisher releases smaller experimental games, Attack of the Friday Monsters is quite the intriguing little adventure. More interactive anime than actual game, it offers practically no challenge, but there's still enough here to give players a pleasant experience during its short length.

    The game is a homage to old Japanese monster    Part of Level 5's Guild series, in which the Japanese publisher releases smaller experimental games, Attack of the Friday Monsters is quite the intriguing little adventure. More interactive anime than actual game, it offers practically no challenge, but there's still enough here to give players a pleasant experience during its short length.

    The game is a homage to old Japanese monster shows like Ultraman and Godzilla, and takes place in a rural Tokyo suburb of the 1970's. You play as Sohta, a kid who just arrived in town, where he learns that, every friday, big monsters battle it out just outside the city. It's a finely crafted little story about childish imagination that has the potential to be quite memorable. It does get a bit crazy sometimes, but that's to be expected given the source material.

    The gameplay is so simple it seems almost an afterthought, and consists in two activities: you either wander around talking to people and collecting "glims" (shiny objects which turn into monster cards) or play monster cards with your friends. The wandering part is quite a joy, immersing you in the game's idyllic scenery as you discover the town and its people through Sohta's eyes. The card game is based on rock-paper-scissors, but with a bit of strategy added so that it isn't too luck-based. Like I said, challenge isn't really the name of the game here; the gameplay is mostly a laid-back and relaxing exercise to get you through the story.

    Attack of the Friday Monsters succeeds in what it sets to do: offer a simple emotional childhood tale disguised as an adventure game. During its three hours or so, it will be easy to lose yourself into its world, and it's quite possible you'll get nostalgic for your own childhood. My main qualm was the realization that this could have been so much more; the premise is attractive, the title is the right kind of quirky, the setting is quite inviting. The game is enjoyable as it is, but it could be downright memorable had it been developed as a full-fledged retail release.

    Rating: 7.5    … Expand
  7. Steeldude
    Mar 29, 2015
    3
    As a lover of card battles and Japanese culture, I was largely interested in this game only to find out that the story was way too childish for my tastes (and I don't usually mind these things but in this game it was really extreme) and the card battle mechanic revolved around running around the whole area repeatedly in order to find random orbs and then fighting in a rather dull game.
    I    As a lover of card battles and Japanese culture, I was largely interested in this game only to find out that the story was way too childish for my tastes (and I don't usually mind these things but in this game it was really extreme) and the card battle mechanic revolved around running around the whole area repeatedly in order to find random orbs and then fighting in a rather dull game.
    I guess I expected too much.    … Expand
  8. b00lpr0p
    Oct 11, 2018
    7
    It's an average relaxing game, not so great, but not a waste of time at all...
  9. orbweavez
    Feb 16, 2017
    6
    What the hell was that I just played?! The whole time I was thinking, when am I going to do something of significance? When am I going to see and fight monsters? Then suddenly it was over and I had only played the cards game 3 times and had collected nearly every token and card, and for what exactly?! All I did was watch the game unfold as I walked around town talking to a few people. It'sWhat the hell was that I just played?! The whole time I was thinking, when am I going to do something of significance? When am I going to see and fight monsters? Then suddenly it was over and I had only played the cards game 3 times and had collected nearly every token and card, and for what exactly?! All I did was watch the game unfold as I walked around town talking to a few people. It's not a boring game. I was actually interested the whole time for what ever reason, but I think it is more suited for younger people. It's a short game. Thank goodness I got it on sale!… Expand
  10. kosterix
    Apr 5, 2021
    5
    €7, Digital.
    I think I kind-of finished Attack of the Friday monsters ?! I don't remember the ending. There were no friday monsters IIRC, but you get to know the part of town and its inhabitants well, and the experience is nice, but the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere.
    It's far less quality than Weapon Shop De Omasse. So, if you haven't played De Omasse, you'll like this one. If you    €7, Digital.
    I think I kind-of finished Attack of the Friday monsters ?! I don't remember the ending. There were no friday monsters IIRC, but you get to know the part of town and its inhabitants well, and the experience is nice, but the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere.
    It's far less quality than Weapon Shop De Omasse.

    So, if you haven't played De Omasse, you'll like this one. If you have, you won't.    … Expand
  11. ND-Bringer
    Oct 25, 2021
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Being a big fan of Level-5 games, I was happy to take a look at this hidden E-shop title. The trailer had sold me in with its nice visuals, the pleasant orchestra, and I can't get enough of the opening movie song. I swear I sang the opening lyrics every time I completed an episode. The nice about Level-5 games is that they give you a Saturday morning cartoon feeling. I bet Spirited Away fans can't get enough of Yo-Kai Watch, but this game is a lot different from the other Level-5 titles I've played. Mainly because it's took very little time to complete the main story. Even though I was taking the time to explore the entire area, this game only took me about 2 hours to beat! And its strange because Level-5 RPG's like Inazuma 11, Yo-Kai Watch, and LBX all had these long stories to go with them. And even if it was a short game, as long as the gameplay was satisfying I would easily give it at least an average score, but no. The monsters card game consists of tedious luck based mechanics...oh joy...my favorite. Each card has a rock, paper, or scissors element and an attack point level. You place 5 cards face down to face your opponents cards, you then both get hints about some cards that are going to either win, lose, or draw. Finally, you move two cards to increase your chance of victory and the cards are revealed. At first I didn't think this game was so bad, it reminds me of Voltorb Flip from Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver...and while that game is pretty fun, its not required to beat the game. But this card game is. Sure their's a couple of puzzles to solve here and there, but this makes up the entire game. Why? I'll get to that in a bit. As for the story, it's bit complicated, bare with me. So a little kid named Sohta moves to Tokyo, Setagawa and is asked to deliver some laundry to bakery owner. He makes some new friends like A-Plus and Ramen and hears that monsters attack every Friday. At first he investigates the area and learns that aliens may be attacking as well. But then he learns hat they're not real and it was just a collection of misunderstandings, like the factory smoke that morphs into the shape of a monster. But then he finds out that he's an alien and is asked by a creepy dude named Frank to defend the planet, because the original hero who tried out to be Earth's defender filled years ago and he's too disappointed in himself to try again. And that hero is actually your father who's also an alien! And that little girl who moved in around the same time you did is an alien princess...and...now I've gone cross-eyed. This a complicated story for an E-Rated game. So much is thrown in to this small world and I haven't even gotten to the side character stories. In all honestly though, some of the stories are wrapped up almost immediately anyway. All you really have to do for each character's is complete a quick information fetch quest, that's it. And then you get Monster Glims as a reward. Monsters Glims are the collectible items in this game. Combine enough pieces...and you obtain a new Monster Card to use in battle. With a powerful deck of creatures, you can become the boss of all of your friends, and command them to fall down down with a cursing chant! That's...a bit dark for children's card game, but I got sick of it pretty fast, so it never bothered me. It's just something Sohta and his friends do for fun. Collecting Monsters Glims reminds me off the Attack Piece hunts from Bowser's Inside Story. It's not required to beat the game, but it give you a fin little activity to do during each level. Unfortunately, even in the post game, you don't get to fight many opponents with only 6 of Sohta friends to fight, all carrying randomly selected card decks, things repetitive real fast. After collecting all of the Monster Glims in town and all of the available quests, there isn't anything else you can do in this game. And I mean it! No new areas to explore, no extra content, there isn't even a music collection as far as I'm aware. The last episode can only be completed once you collect all of the monster cards! And the only way to collect more is that sometime after winning a game you get a Glim from one of your friends. But it gets extra tedious because after you get the UFO card, your friends now use decks of 3-star cards, making it near impossible to defeat them! And even if you win you're not guaranteed to get new Card Glims, BECAUSE THIS GAME IS NOTHING BUT A WASTE OF MY TIME! Sigh...this is not game. This is more of an animated movie, especially with the average completion time. If you ask me, the theme the game developers are trying to market with here doesn't work. There's no realism because this is basically an extra kid friendly version of Monsters V.S Aliens. And I thought I was taking a break from Dreamworks games! Its not a mean-spirited time-waster. Again, I really like the visuals, but the gameplay is like a sandwich with only one slice of turkey. I'm still hungry and unsatisfied.… Expand
  12. SwiSearmagician
    Aug 22, 2022
    10
    Attack of the Friday Monsters is a beautiful and charming 3ds game. You play as a little kid who moved to a new town. Your parents are dry cleaners and your first task is to deliver the bakers dry cleaning but from their the entire adventure starts. Part of the charm of Attack of the Friday Monsters is that it all takes place on Friday. Everything you do up until the credits takes place onAttack of the Friday Monsters is a beautiful and charming 3ds game. You play as a little kid who moved to a new town. Your parents are dry cleaners and your first task is to deliver the bakers dry cleaning but from their the entire adventure starts. Part of the charm of Attack of the Friday Monsters is that it all takes place on Friday. Everything you do up until the credits takes place on the same day. Attack of the Friday Monsters is the type of game where describing it doesn't do it justice. Similar to Animal Crossing. Most of the game is you walking around a little town in Tokyo talking to different people and accepting different quests or episodes as their called in this game. The episodes mostly consist of you talking to someone and then running to another part of the town and talking to someone else. Saying it like that seems boring but part of the reason this game is so good is the town. The town is relatively small. You can explore almost the whole thing from the start except for one or two areas that have to be unlocked. The game looks great for the 3ds and really makes you fall in love with the setting, The characters are also amazing. The characters aren't like super unique or interesting its just that they feel like genuine people. They all feel connected in the little town. Some episodes aren't to progress the story and just to get to know specific characters more and those are also delightful. The game sometimes even gets a little bit of a darker tone in certain episodes when it tackles more serious problems. Attack of the Friday Monsters isn't for people looking for a game with action or anything like that. Although the game does have one element that's more of a "game" then others and that's the card system. The game rewards you for completing episodes and exploring the town with "glims". If you get enough glims then you'll unlock a monster card. Get 5 monster cards, then you'll be able to battle people. The card game system isn't really in depth, it's fun for what it is but its basically just a different form of rock, paper, scissors. You put five cards down and then the cards will have to face the card in front of them. Basically like five rounds of rock, paper, scissors. Whoever has the most wins, wins the game and becomes the boss of that person. I really like this addition to the game. Not only does the whole boss system work with the story and is cute, it also gives you something else to do when you want a break of just talking to other people. You can even go more in depth like combining your cards to make them stronger or trying to collect them all. My main problem with Attack of the Friday Monsters is the length. The game is around 5 hours long. You can beat it in one sitting if your not looking for everything. It really leaves you wanting more. More characters, more parts of the town to be unlocked and because of the short length I felt like near the end of the game it was rushing things. An important character is introduced around 30 minutes before the game is finished. But besides that Attack of the Friday Monsters is one of my favorite 3ds games. With a charming little town to explore and fun characters to discover I really haven't played much like it. When you add on the budget price this game is a must buy for anyone looking for a peaceful little game to fall in love with.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best 3DS Game of 2013
25
#25 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2013
27
#27 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. games(TM)
    Sep 23, 2013
    50
    When it comes down to flat-out value for money? The 3DS store has plenty of other games to hold your attention. [Issue#139, p.120]
  2. Games Master UK
    Sep 18, 2013
    85
    Short and sweet, its ability to capture a sense of time of place should be cherished. [Nov 2013, p.73]
  3. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    Sep 17, 2013
    86
    There's a subtlety of theme and a sense of personality here that is matched by almost nothing else on 3DS. [Oct 2013, p.83]
See all critic reviews »