DemiKids comes in two flavours, Light and Dark. Like Pokemon, the differenoces between the two games is probably negligible to most people, but there are actually many options given to you that are not available in both versions of the game. The biggest difference is the extra sidequest that’s found in the Dark version of the game, which takes place in the demon world. This scenario is not found in the Light version, and is actually quite difficult. The other differenoce is in the Fusion system, which allows you to create your own demons using Relics found in the game or strenogthen your existing demons. While the Light version only allows you to change the attributes of the guardian demon you start off with, the Dark version lets you change the attributes of everyone you have. In a sense, you can think of the Light version as being an overall easier experience, meant for players just getting into the monster breeding games, while the Dark version is more suitable to experienced players. It’s a hell of a lot better than just differing monsters between the two versions like in Nintendo’s franchise, and the choice of buying both versions is more relevant because of it.

At the heart of DemiKids is a battle system that’s not unlike the other Shin Megami games, such as Persona. All of the traditional RPG elements are intact here, such as being able to use special abilities and items to do away with your foes, but you can also use the power of persuasion to coerce a demon to your side. When it comes to the main quest, DemiKids is pretty traditional. There aren’t any earth-shattering plot twists, nor the characters particularly interesting. The sidequest entertainment is enjoyable though, such as the Casino and using the Fusion Labs to see what kind of new demons you can get, but even that can get old after a couple of hours.

The graphics, much like the gameplay doesn’t do anything new for the genre. In fact, it’s a step down from Pokemon, with little to no animations during battle. The overworld graphics are particularly plain too, although the character portraits used during cutscenes and in battle are nicely drawn.

In the end, DemiKids is good overall, but I feel that the game feels very tired and old. If this game had come out before Pokemon Sapphire/Ruby, I would be definitely singing another tune. Hardcore fans of Shin Megami or the monster breeding genre should pick this title up because it is a fun game, and it doesn’t do anything particularly wrong, but most gamers won’t have any reason to check it out when you have Pokemon available.

· · · Reno