Master of Monsters

Master of Monsters is a turn-based strategy game created by Japanese software developer System Soft (now System Soft Alpha) for the MSX and NEC PC8801 later ported to a variety of consoles and PCs including the PC Engine, NEC PC9801, Sega Mega Drive (Genesis), Sega Saturn and PlayStation. While it never garnered the same success as its System Soft stablemate Daisenryaku, the game has garnered a loyal following over the years. Its success in the US market on the Sega Genesis proved sufficient for a sequel on the Sega Saturn and an anime art-style enhanced PlayStation version titled "Disciples of Gaia" with a Japanese RPG feel.1

Today, System Soft Alpha has returned the game to its strategy-based roots, and the 2 titles (I, and "Final" - but not II) in the Master of Monsters series as originally popularized on the NEC 9801 PC were updated by System Soft Alpha with new graphics and gameplay features. Two more sequels (3 and 4) were made for Japanese Windows and harken back to the deep strategic gameplay of the NEC PC9801 versions (as opposed to the more casual Genesis and PlayStation versions). Available for Japanese language Windows-based systems, the remakes include マスターオブモンスターズIII Special Edition, マスターオブモンスターズ4 ～光と闇の争覇～, Master of Monsters Value Edition (the original game, updated and with expansion packs added in), and 真・マスターオブモンスターズ Final. There was also a spin-off of the game targeted towards the younger audience titled Masumon Kids, and there is now a cell-phone based version of the game available for the popular cell phone game market in Japan.