Monster Party is a 1989 NES action game developed by Human Entertainment and published by Bandai in North America. It blends horror themes with humor, paying homage to and parodying classic horror culture.
The story follows Mark, a boy who meets Bert, an alien from the Dark World, on his way home. Bert asks Mark to help defeat evil monsters in his homeland. After Mark agrees, Bert fuses with him, letting Mark transform into Bert to use flight and ranged attacks against enemies.
The game has 8 levels, each with unique monsters and scenes. Players must defeat a set number of boss monsters to get keys for the next level. Enemies and levels are creative, featuring classic horror character reimaginings and original weird creatures like talking caterpillars, walking pants, and a giant cat that throws kittens.
Notably, while released in North America, its original Japanese version was canceled. In the early 2000s, screenshots of the Japanese prototype leaked online, showing differences from the final US version like a gorier title screen and more complex backgrounds. The unreleased Japanese prototype leaked fully in 2014, drawing wide attention from retro game fans.
Overall, Monster Party is a beloved NES classic known for its unique premise, diverse enemy designs, and humorous horror elements.