Monster High: New Ghoul in School (3DS, Wii U, Wii, PS3, 360)
Monster High is a popular toy line of girl teen dolls who are based on monsters, and now your little monster can create her own ghoul and explore Monster High in a new game for consoles and handhelds (3DS version reviewed here). First you’ll need to create your character by choosing her monster type, hair style, skin and hair color, and outfit to wear. Then you’ll play out your first days as a new student of Monster High.
You’ll explore a 3-D version of the Monster High campus, talking to classmates and teachers, learning about and joining clubs, and running errands for people. So yeah, pretty much a bunch of fetch quests in a spooky school setting. You can view a map that tells you where to go next, or you can just follow the purple arrow that guides you where you’re supposed to go. I recommend just following that arrow, as the map can be confusing to read.
If you have to retrieve items, you can press a button that acts like a radar telling you which direction the items are. But it only works if you are in the same room, and it doesn’t work very well. In one mission I had to gather plant food for the “Biteology Envire Club” and the radar said one vial of plant food was straight above me, but I couldn’t figure out how to get to it. I saw some vines that looked like I could climb them, but the game wouldn’t let me. If I encountered a road block like this, I can’t imagine how this would stump the game’s target audience of young kids. You know how on your first day of high school when you had to figure out where the heck all your classes and locker was? Remember how much fun THAT was? (Sarcasm intended) Well that’s pretty much the whole game here. I can’t recommend this one to anyone unless you are a very dedicated Monster High fan.
Kid Factor:
While there is lots of spoken voice, reading skill is still needed for some of the text, menus, and dialogue choices. Younger gamers may get frustrated by the confusing maps, unclear goals, and annoying gameplay. Monster High: New Ghoul in School is rated E for Everyone.
December 25th, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Did you ever figure out how to get the plant food? My daughter is stuck in the exact same spot. Vines look climbable, but they aren’t.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
we’re stuck here too. any solutions?
December 26th, 2015 at 6:50 pm
found it. go up the ladder in the same room, jump backwards onto a balcony. there is a spring board mushroom. takes you to the top ceiling rafters. take this across to the other side (while collecting those skull prizes). at the end of the beam hit ‘seek’ to collect the seed which must be underneath the rafter.
January 1st, 2016 at 10:14 pm
I can get up there. But, there is no springboard. I have been all over this room for days.
January 2nd, 2016 at 8:18 am
Jeffro, thank u for posting something about this it helped thank you
January 2nd, 2016 at 8:19 am
the spring boardlooks likea mushroom
January 2nd, 2016 at 6:19 pm
No mushroom. I wonder if I have to unlock the mushroom. I even started a new player incase I missed it and no mushroom. So strange and frustrating.
February 9th, 2016 at 4:29 pm
sei
July 27th, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Is there a way to open up the barred doors?
January 2nd, 2017 at 10:21 pm
Thank you. My daughter was stuck at the vine.