A monster-tamer with an interesting story, fresh battle/taming mechanics, and truly great character/monster designs. If you're looking for something to scratch that Pokémon itch while not just replicating the same tried and true mechanics, then Cassette Beasts is something you should give your attention to. Type-matchups don't influence damage in this game, but instead cause status conditions or stat increases/decreases. This was really neat to me, as it meant battles felt more dynamic than they have in other monster-tamer games, where maximizing damage output takes precedence. To expound on this even further, there are over 14,000 fusions in the game. Fusions combine the type of both creatures, meaning you could be facing a monster that will get both a buff and a de-buff depending on the type of attack you use. This will always keep you on your toes and wondering what the best course of action is.

In a game about cassettes and music, it's no question that the soundtrack for this game is important. Unfortunately, it's a bit underwhelming/repetitive. Despite having a good vocal performance on the tracks, there was no way I wanted to have someone singing to me for the duration of the game so I had to turn that part off.

All in all, I do highly recommend this game to fans of monster-tamers. For a completionist, this game overstays its welcome, but if you are only interested in the mechanics and playing through the story then Cassette Beasts* is well worth your time.