I somehow managed to miss every previous version of Nihon Falcom’s Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure. Which is surprising because a cute little game from Japan with "monster" in the title is right up my alley. Then suddenly, Gurumin 3D came out of nowhere, and I was excited to check it out. My first thought was: How in the world is Gurumin 3D a Nihon Falcom game? Known mostly for the long-running Y's series, this must be the most adorable game in the publisher’s history. It’s also not quite what I expected, a level-based action RPG taking pages from the book of Zelda. The 3DS version might not be the smoothest experience available, but Gurumin 3D is a fun, cute little romp that can put a smile on even the most jaded gamer's face. 

Gurumin introduces us to a little girl living in a little town full of adults. While looking for a friend she discovers a secret society of bizarre monsters, all of whom are a charming combo of goofy localization and Japanese quirkiness. Very little in Gurumin makes any sense, but it doesn’t matter because it’s silly for the sake of being silly. And that’s okay. Especially since once things get bad for the monsters, you get a sweet drill weapon and are sent on your way drilling everything in your path in hopes of finding important treasures like...furniture and stuff.

Gurumin started life as a PC game in the early aughts, so it has a low-budget look and feel, relying more on charm and creativity over polish and power. It works to an extent, but signs of age are showing. The 3D world of Gurumin is often bland and claustrophobic, betraying the strangeness of its characters and story. The camera is an issue, as well as getting a handle on how the laws of physics work. Jumping around can feel sloppy and sometimes unpredictable, especially in platforming segments. And trying to aim your attacks isn’t always the friendliest process. Plus fighting tougher enemies can be frustrating due to a distinct lack of tells before something happens.

On top of that, the framerate struggles and everyone but the player character seems to be missing several frames of animation here and there. Playing the PC version is a much smoother experience, indicating the 3DS just wasn’t quite powerful enough to really handle this game. The flow and play are not compromised, but it comes off as a square peg jammed into a round hole until it fits.

That said, I still had a lot of fun with Gurumin’s gameplay. The drill is maintained by a meter that builds based on how often you use it versus how much damage you take. Charging your attack to different levels based on this meter opens up options not only for combat but interacting with the environment. This is a key component to the game as finding all the little nooks and crannies is paramount to getting high grades and the rewards that come with them. Gurumin wants you to take your cool drill and hit everything with it, enemy or otherwise.

There are some cool ideas in the combat from different equipment-based effects to manipulating your combos based on both upgrades and even fighting game-like directional inputs. On top of that, Gurumin borrows a bit from Sonic the Hedgehog and lets you home in on enemies with a jump attack that lets you bounce in near-perpetuity. I found myself cheesing out stronger enemies with long bounce attack chains, but having fun as I launched myself around the screen like a projectile.

Gurumin comes off as an experimental title from a developer that often likes to stay in its own wheelhouse. Personally going from Ys, Legend of Heroes and Dragon Slayer-style experiences to this endearing, albeit saccharine anomaly was a fresh-feeling experience. While it shows its age and isn’t the optimal version of the game, it's still an adorable romp at a great price point. Also, the soundtrack is on Spotify; definitely give it a listen.

Hint: Bounce on everything. Seriously. Also, make sure to grind up equipment so you can cycle between neutralizing environmental hazards as necessary.

by Lucas White