Monster Strike

Did You Know?

• The game was originally released in Japan in September 2013 and by November 2013 it was credited with saving Mixi under the XFLAG brand.
• A theme song for Monster Strike was performed by Hironobu Kageyama and first performed live at the game's first anniversary event on October 25, 2014.
• Mixi released an English version for North America and Australia in 2014, but marketing ceased in August 2016 and the English version shut down in August 2017.

Gameplay

Monster Strike involves battling waves of monsters to collect, fuse, and evolve them, earning gold and items to strengthen the player's roster. Unlike tile-matching games, the player aims and flicks monsters around a field like billiards, bouncing off walls and enemies to deal damage. Colliding with allied monsters triggers special attacks such as explosions, energy beams, or projectiles. Enemy monsters have countdown timers for attacks that add hazards or damage. Player monsters possess passive abilities to counter hazards or deal extra damage to certain enemy types. Some monsters have gauges that, when activated at the right moment, boost attack strength and unlock a secondary ability. Each monster also has a counter for a special attack. Boss monsters in final quest battles have a moving critical hit point. The game supports cooperative play for up to four players.

Reception

An Android Authority reviewer found the game fun but similar to other titles and expressed concerns about the tutorial length. A Pocket Gamer reviewer felt the game lacked challenge and strategy, noting that Orbs (premium currency) were easy to earn, allowing quick access to better monsters via the Hatcher, leading to a cycle of waiting for stamina and fusing until gold or Monster Box space ran out. During July–September 2014, the game grossed about 90% of Mixi's total quarterly income. It overtook Puzzle & Dragons as Japan's highest-grossing mobile app in late 2014. By March 2015, it had over 30 million downloads and daily revenues of $3.8 million. In 2016, it was the highest-grossing mobile game worldwide with $1.3 billion, surpassing Pokémon Go and Clash Royale. In 2017, it ranked third globally. By May 2018, it had over 45 million players. The game's popularity led to a partnership with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation for VISA credit cards in Japan in 2015. By October 2018, it had become the highest-grossing mobile app of all time.

Nintendo 3DS game

A more traditional role-playing version of Monster Strike was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on December 17, 2015. It includes characters and stories from the anime, as well as NPCs based on Japanese YouTubers Tomotake 'Max' Murai and beatboxer Hikakin. Before launch, XFLAG announced over one million copies shipped, making it the highest-selling Japan-only 3DS release. It debuted at No. 1 in weekly sales with 437,903 copies, dethroning Monster Hunter Generations.

Anime

A web anime adaptation of Monster Strike premiered on YouTube on October 10, 2015, with an ending theme cover of Queen's 'We Will Rock You' by Japanese vocalist Gloria. A second season premiered on April 1, 2017. By August 2016, the series had been watched 100 million times on YouTube, and over 200 million times by June 2017. A spin-off OVA, 'A Rhapsody Called Lucy -The Very First Song-', aired on May 3, 2017, leading into the mini-series 'MSonic! D'Artagnyan's Rise to Fame' on June 14, 2017, both set in a separate continuity.