Monster Meltdown Review

What happens when a janitor accidentally lets all the monsters escape in a Russian research lab? He does what any respectable janitor would do: grab a hazmat suit and a teleporter to capture them all. Created by developers behind titles like LittleBigPlanet, Burnout and Need for Speed, this game is a true gem.

The main objective behind Monster Meltdown may sound simple, but the obstacles and complex levels make it a perplexing logic-based puzzler that’s not quite like all the others in the App Store. Gamers help Yuri the janitor by tapping anywhere on the screen to teleport him. Tapping on the monster allows Yuri to switch places with it. The goal is to get the monster into the portal.

The challenge comes into play as gamers work their way through 80 levels packed into four environments. Many levels require split second timing as there are sliding doors, electricity, poisonous gas and lasers to avoid. Along with these challenges, gamers must also learn the monster’s behavior before starting because sometimes it must be facing a certain way and other times the monster chases Yuri.

The hardest part is earning all the stars on each level. Stars are based on completing the level by collecting all the energy as well as finishing in less than the given number of jumps. Levels are only unlocked when players earn enough stars, so there's plenty of replay value.

Monster Meltdown may start off with a lengthy tutorial and relatively easy gameplay, but don’t give up on playing it so soon. The levels are well-crafted and beautiful, and the gameplay is responsive and challenging. Failing a level is never frustrating because gamers will yearn to play it again to try and earn all the stars. While it could use a few improvements like more challenges, levels and twists, there’s nothing really disappointing about Monster Meltdown.

Fans of logical puzzlers and casual gamers alike will agree that Monster Meltdown is the perfect way to spend quality time with the iPad. The game has a high production value that doesn’t disappoint. Go grab a copy and help Yuri lead all the monsters to safety, and be the most awesome teleporting janitor in the process.