Following rumours and speculation circulating online surrounding Monster Monpiece possibly getting an english localisation, Idea Factory International have confirmed that the moe card game rpg will indeed be coming to EU and US audiences this spring via digital release on PSN. The game will be the first title published directly by Idea Factory International rather than partnering with other publishers such as NIS America, Rising Star Games, or Aksys, all of which have published Idea Factory games in the past.

If you’re unfamiliar with this title, the core gameplay of Monster Monpiece revolves around battling with cards containing various ‘Monster Girls’ you’ll encounter throughout the story.  During the game, you can meet loads of ‘moe’ monster girls to help you in your battles, who you can also power up by using the game’s ‘First Crush ❤Rub ‘ mode where you use the touchscreen to interact with a monster girl of your choice by rubbing the screen. Here’s a handy video to show off some features of the game in action:

During the process of bringing this quirqy title to the EU and US, Idea Factory have announced that some of the Monster Girl cards in the original version of the title have been omitted due to the ‘strong sexual nature of the card images’. A full disclaimer about the omitted content, as well as the original press release can be found below.

Update – Idea Factor International have issued an additional statement about the decision to remove some of the images in the game for the english release:

“Idea Factory International is fully aware of the concerns expressed by fans, so we would like to inform everyone about the censored images in greater detail.
Monster Monpiece is a card battle game, in which players summon various “Monster Girls” onto the game’s battlefields and then fight their opponents. These cards—meaning the “Monster Girls”—are able to be powered up by exposing themselves (taking off their clothes) via the level-up features called First Crush Rub and Extreme Love. We kept the same number of cards in the game as the original Japanese version, but replaced some of the higher level Monster Girl images with the “less exposed” lower level versions of the corresponding Monster Girls due to some intense sexual imagery. The number of censored cards is about 40 out of the approximately 350 card images available in the game. This means that over 300 cards are left untouched from the original images. That said, each card that has had its image removed will still have the same number of levels for the player to increase, but the higher level card images will be the same as the lower level, even though they have leveled up and have become more powerful. We would like to emphasize that the game’s playtime, the game’s system, and the game’s features are all the same as the original Japanese release, and players can level up their Monster Girls to the highest levels as well, again, matching the Japanese release.
This was a very difficult decision since we work very hard to satisfy our fans and want to bring the same content being offered in Japan. However, Western society is not as lenient as that of Japan when sexual images are involved—especially images of humanoids that appear to be younger than a socially acceptable age. The borderline of what is “acceptable” will always be extremely gray and vary from person to person, but as a responsible company working in the U.S., we had to make the difficult decision that we did. We sincerely apologize for those who do not agree with any level of censorship, but we greatly appreciate your understanding with the decision we have made.
About the rating differences between North America (ESRB, Mature) and Europe (PEGI, 12): The reason for the difference in these ratings is simply the difference in the rating system between ESRB and PEGI. We received a Mature rating for Monster Monpiece from the ESRB with the censored material we submitted. However, for PEGI, and with the same material assets for their review, they rated it 12+ because of the minimal amount of violence shown in the game. We appreciate your understanding with these rating differences.
Idea Factory International, Inc.”

 

——– Original Press Release Below ———

LOS ANGELES, CA., January 21, 2014 -Today, Idea Factory International is thrilled to announce that its first PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system title, Monster Monpiece™, will be released this spring in digital format for the North American and European markets via PlayStation®Network. Monster Monpiece is a card battle strategy game with light RPG elements, providing a simple yet strategic card battle system with a charming story. Monster Monpiece also supports Ad hoc and Network modes, so you can test your card decks against other players online!

Story

God’s hammer struck twice, punishing the world of Yafaniel below…
In the world of Yafaniel, humans and an unusual species called “monster girls” coexist. May Esperio, an Academy student from Kunaguva, is training hard to become a “master” of monster girls with her best friends, Elzaand Karen. However, after an encounter with a mysterious stranger, Elza became “Lost”, a victim of a strange affliction that plagues both humans and monster girls. Elza and the monster girls in her service have begun stealing the Magus Quartzes that are held in each of Yafaniel’s major cities. May decides to travel the world pursuing Elzain an attempt to cure her. However, May knows that if she fails to save Elza, the whole world may be destroyed!
Key Features

Likeable characters and a story rife with adventure! With a wide range of unique and quirky personalities, the entire cast of Monster Monpiece each add a little spice to the adventurous story from beginning to end!

Use Skills, Potentials, and a strategic mind! While the battle system seems simple, you still need a strategic mind to best utilize your Monster Girls’ Skills and Potentials in battle!

Fusion and Aura Bonus kick battles up a notch!  The keys to a successful battle lie in mastering the Fusion system and activating the Aura Bonus to increase your cards’ stats during battle!
Card battles featuring 3D chibi characters!  There are more than 100 Monster Girls that will support you in battle against your opponents. Once summoned to the battle field, they will pop up on it as vibrant 3D chibi characters!

First Crush ❤Rub Level up your Monster Girls (battle cards) with the First Crush ❤Rub mode, where you send your magic power into the cards by rubbing the touch screen!

Disclaimer for the North American and European versions of Monster Monpiece: Idea Factory International, Inc. would like to inform fans and prospective users of Monster Monpiece that we have made the decision to remove several Monster Girl images from the North American and European versions of Monster Monpiece. The gameplay, game system, and storyline are fully intact and Idea Factory International strives to localize and publish Idea Factory titles with the same content as their Japanese releases. Here is the list of Monster Girls whose images have been limited to that of their level 1, 2, or 3 evolution form due to the strong sexual nature of the card images: Vampire, Kraken, Goblin, Cockatrice, Kobold, Skeleton, Titania, Bahamut, Fia, Brownie, Pegasus, Mandragora, Mau Sibau, Rafflesia, Death Scorpion, Phantom, and Tengu.
We fully understand that there are needs and demands for the complete version of these games. Our intention and motivation is to offer Idea Factory titles in a form that is as close as possible to the Japanese versions. This was a tough decision, but we would greatly appreciate your understanding and support.

 

Copyright: ©2014 COMPILE HEART All rights reserved. Monster Monpiece is a trademark of Idea Factory.
Licensed to and published by Idea Factory International, Inc.