Developer/Publisher: Level-5 Released: July 2013

Played on: 3DS

I did not grow up in a small Tokyo town in the 70s, yet Attack of the Friday Monsters! made me feel tremendously nostalgic. You play as 10 year old Sohta, leading him through a typical Friday afternoon where you play a collectible card game with your friends, innocently explore the outskirts of your town, and shyly muddle through conversation with that girl you like. Oh, and cower as giant monsters and superheroes fight for supremacy like they do every Friday afternoon.

This obscenely endearing game is deliberately void of action. The majority of Sohta’s time is spent running around from location to location, interacting with the residents of the town and some of the strangers on the outskirts. The naive and earnest dialogue of the children in particular rings true, allowing us a uniquely innocent view of the world coloured by over-active imaginations.

The collectible monster card mini-game fits wonderfully in the game, and becomes essential later on rather than just a shoe-horned in kid’s game. Worthy of particular note is the music, perfectly setting the tone and period, complete with a disarmingly smile-inducing opening theme song.

Attack of the Friday Monsters! never outstays its welcome, wrapping up in a well paced 3 hours, which is a pleasant change from other Japanese games that seem intent on prolonging a game’s completion no matter how repetitive it becomes.

Verdict: A joyous game, celebrating youth and Japanese town life in the 70’s. This game really stayed with me. Leave your cynicism at the door and the game is delightful.

Should Bradley play this: Probably not, but if he’s into Japanese anime or this sort of game and I just don’t know it, then this adorable title is worth checking out.