Alright 2000s babies, I'm gonna need you to sit down for this one – because Moshi Monsters is BACK... well, sort of.
A possible return has been announced and it came about after the original creators received what they described as an “impassioned email from a fan asking to bring back their favourite childhood game” earlier this year.
“We asked him to jump on a call with us. He agreed and we talked through the game, what he’d loved most about it and what he’d hope to see if we brought it back today,” they said.
“After exploring game concepts and the ‘hows’ of doing it, we agreed: this is how we make it happen. The only way we could ensure that we can deliver the game that fans want is by doing it with our fans – fan-backed, fan-funded and fan-guided.”
The plan isn’t to bring back the web browser version just yet - instead, they’re working on a mobile app.
And at the time of writing, fans have already chipped in $142,882 NZD of their $559,227 target.
But, while Gen Z is getting hyped, others aren’t stoked about being asked to help fund it.
After the announcement, fans took to TikTok to vent about being hit up for cash.
Finley Charlotte wasn’t having it: “I grew up on this game, and you will not take money from me.”
“Club Penguin got enough of that from me as a kid, okay. I will not have a repeat.”
Commenters were on the same page, with one writing: “I stayed up for NOTHING 💀 I wanted a night of nostalgia, was instead given a kickstarter 😭.”
“Worst heartbreak of my life," said another.
A third added: "“Like where did all the money from the memberships, merch, etc go??????? 😭😭😭😭”
But not everyone’s mad. Others reckon the cost is fair if it means bringing the game back properly.
“Guys… I get being a lil sad… but they're trying to completely revamp the game with all the old features but on new hardware with new art…. It NEEDS money…”
If you want the game to actually run, money is needed for a full team, and if they want to be successful, mobile is the most popular market rn. But eventually, they will do a PC port. We just gotta be realistic.
Another added: “How else are they going to make a brand new game without money???”
So, what can we expect from the new app? According to the Kickstarter page: “Return to a Monstro City that lies in ruins after a mysterious asteroid strike. Beloved Moshlings have been scattered across the world, and familiar locations lie crumbling.”
“Playing as 1 of the 6 original Moshi Monsters, adopt, name and nurture your virtual pet as you bring the world of Moshi back to life, rescuing lost Moshlings and rebuilding Monstro City.”
I was personally always a Poppet rather than a Zommer or Furi… but holy heck, seeing all those faces brings back memories of rushing home from school and playing on my computer ’til dinner was called.
Tbh, this mobile app is sounding pretty tempting and similar to the OG we all know and love, but there are even bigger plans with even bigger prices.
Beyond the Kickstarter’s initial goal, they’re aiming to unlock more features, locations, and even PC and console versions once they hit a whopping $2.5 million USD ($4.1M NZD).
Moshi Monsters first launched in 2008 as a web-based game, and had over 100 million users worldwide.
But when Flash Player got shut down in 2019, the game went offline and it has stayed that way ever since, despite rewritten dupes popping up online.
So, it turns out happiness might come at a price… is it one you're willing to pay?
