Monster Monpiece, Idea Factory’s moefied monster card-based RPG will be launching exclusively on the PS Vita on May 28th for Europe and a day earlier in North America. Available via digital download on the PlayStation Store, Monster Monpiece, or MonMon as many have begun abbreviating it to, will be the first title released by Idea Factory’s international arm which was established last year.
Along with the announcement, several new screenshots of the game’s English version have been revealed to give gamers a sneak peak at what they can expect once the game launches in a couple weeks.
In the journey to western shores, MonMon had to receive a few changes due to some of the saucy content found within the game in the monster-girl cards you’ll collect to battle with. As with any instance of perceived censorship, several groups online have been quite vocal about this change, even though the removed content is several images and not anything that would noticeably effect the gameplay or story.
Idea Factory International have been quite upfront in their handling of the matter so far, admitting that the card images in question were removed due to western society not being as lenient on sexualised images, especially if the characters involved could appear to be under an acceptable age. Considering how some public media outlets have reacted to questionable content in games in the past, it’s not too hard to see why IFI might want to avoid such issues with their localized releases.
Since the original announcement of what cards would be affected, images of some of the censored cards began to appear , illustrating some of the content that probably would attract attention if played in public.
——- Original Press Release Below ——
LOS ANGELES, CA., May 9, 2014 -Idea Factory International is excited to announce today that its first PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system title, Monster Monpiece™, will be released in digital format via PlayStation®Network on May 27 for the North American market and on May 28 for the European market. Monster Monpiece will be available to purchase for $29.99.
Monster Monpiece is a card-battling strategy game with light RPG elements, providing a simple yet strategic card-based battle system with a charming story. Monster Monpiece also supports Ad-hoc and Network multiplayer game modes, so you can test your customized 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, Elza and 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, each member of the Monster Monpiece cast adds 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 your wits about you in order 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 touchscreen!