Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout

Overview

Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout is a PlayStation-game released in 2000. It is a spin-off of the mildly popular Monster Rancher -franchise. In the game players control one of the titular monsters in a series of levels where the objective is to reach a goal on the other side of the level. Between the player and the goal are several tiles which can have different effects on the player character as they jump on them.

All levels have a time limit, and the game scores players depending on the tiles they've jumped on and the time they take to reach the goal. The player character has three health points, though if the player should fall off the level, it's immediately game over. The gameplay is controlled entirely with the D-pad, and the player character is always jumping. The game is very reminiscent of the Commodore 64 -classic Bounder.

Characters

The game features four different characters for the player to choose from, each with individual stats similar to kart racing games. In-game all the characters use pogo sticks to jump except for Suezo. The characters and stats are as follows:

Mocchi

• Speed: Low
• Acceleration: High
• Jump: Mid

Hare

• Speed: Mid
• Acceleration: Low
• Jump: High

Golem

• Speed: High
• Acceleration: Mid
• Jump: Low

Suezo

• Speed: High
• Acceleration: Low
• Jump: Mid

Tiles

All the levels in the game are comprised of tiles. There are several types of tiles, all with varying effects. All tiles which can give the player something also have variations which take the same thing from them. The tiles are as follows:

Basic

A tile with no special effects that can look like sand, brick, ground or any other texture suited for the level.

Arrows

A tile with an arrow pointing in one of the four primary directions. Jumping on it will make your character jump in said direction, and you will have very little control until their landing.

Glass

A transparent piece of glass. As you jump on it once, it breaks, so you need to keep moving if you hit one.

Speed

Changes the velocity at which the player moves through the stage.

Time

Adds or removes from the in-game timer.

Life

Gives or takes from the player's health points.

Random

A tile with a question mark, which will make you jump in a random direction, again with little control until you land.

Rocket

Ties the player down to the tile as the tile rises up from the rest and jets the player across the stage for a few seconds, giving them an admirable head-start.

Reverse

Reverses the player controls for a few seconds, causing widespread panic and confusion. Also throws your player off the tile so you can't just jump on it during the effect.

Gravity

Adds or decreases gravity, raising or lowering your character's jumping capabilities for the rest of the level.

Music

The game features music composed by Boko and Susumu Fujii, featuring prestigious instruments such as the kazoo.