monsters

Dungeon Hunter 4 (iOS|Android) is the latest installment from Gameloft's popular hack-and-slash RPG franchise, and it gets a lot of things right but may discourage some with an aggressive in-app purchase model.

All the right ingredients As hack-and-slash Diablo-like RPGs go, Dungeon Hunter is one of the best franchises in the genre for smartphones. Set in a medieval fantasy setting, you'll be charged with picking from four character classes, then fighting your way through hordes of demons. You can choose from two ranged classes that include a bow-wielding Sentinel or a spell-casting Warmage. On the melee side … Read more

Headphones like the Nokia Purity Pro Stereo Headset by Monster don't come along every day. At $349.99, this advanced pair of headphones is expensive but nets a long list of advanced mobile audio technologies. The result of a partnership between mobile phone maker Nokia and sound equipment company Monster Cable, the Purity Pro's impressive skill set includes wireless Bluetooth and active noise canceling. The device even relies on NFC hardware for effortless pairing, unique for a stereo headset. More compelling, the Purity Pro also serves up these capabilities for $50 less than the $400 Parrot Zik, another … Read more

I can hold my Facebook profile in the palm of my hand. It's shaped like a pink butternut squash with a top hat, no arms, and a bit of blood dripping from its teeth.

This strange creature came about through the Creators Project, a globe-hopping initiative from Intel and Vice that supports artists working through technology. The initiative has been around since 2010, but the Facebook 3D-printable figures project just started this year.

The 3D-printable Facebook project can take three different forms. There's Monster Me, which turns out a little monster. There's Crystallized, which interprets your social data as a pretty crystalline form. There's also Astroverb, which turns out a personalized visual horoscope. These are all pretty abstract concepts. Given the choice, I had to go with the monster.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--It seems like every audio company is putting out some sort of compact Bluetooth speaker system these days. Monster is, too, but it says its new $699 ClarityHD Katana speaker system, which is due to ship later this month in black and white versions, is a major cut above the rest.

It touts the Katana as a true "breakthrough" in wireless digital music systems. What makes it so groundbreaking? Well, according Monster, thanks to its advanced Bluetooth wireless capability featuring AAC and apt-X, "users experience a new level wireless audio performance, with the option to stream … Read more

PARIS -- The developers of the tremendously successful game Cut the Rope announced a new game today called Pudding Monsters.

In the game, the player must stick together wobbly single-eyed blobs of pudding into larger puddings, said Chief Executive Misha Lyalin. "They want to find the evil, bad man who steals their friends," plucking puddings out of the refrigerator as he walks by, he said.

He didn't announce a launch date for the game or even show how it works. But he promised that it will be slicker than Cut the Rope.

"Pudding Monsters is more … Read more

Simple controls combined with a considerably comprehensive gameplay value, Infinite Monsters brings the classic fun and feel of side-scrollers. It also offers customization options that make your alien-shooting experience much more versatile and fun.

The opening interface doesn't have a lot of options, only Game Start and More Games buttons. When you start a fresh game, it shows you a very short tutorial on its controls and game environment. But even without looking at the guide, playing should still be pretty straightforward. You'll have to advance through the stage, shooting countless alien-zombie-like creatures, while collecting cash to upgrade … Read more

Crazy Monster Truck Escape is a car race and chase game. The game is designed for Mac OS X, and the free version gives you limited gameplay. To get more, you pay for additional add-ins (three were available at press time for $1.99 each).

Crazy Monster Truck Escape lets you set the screen resolution (on some systems) and the graphics quality. Graphics quality is good at the highest levels but not stunning by any means. Gameplay is where Crazy Monster Truck Escape falls down. Essentially this is a throwback to the driving games of three decades ago. You use … Read more

While Big Bird might be feeling a bit vulnerable to winding up on a list of endangered fictional species of late, "Sesame Street" colleague Cookie Monster appears to be expanding its range by at least 48 million miles, showing up recently on Mercury.… Read more

The App Store is full of games the let you pet cute little animals, but most of them differ only by how nice the cats or dogs have been drawn. But have you heard about annolys? What about pogonips? If not, it's time to visit the Monster Pet shop. It's a well-designed game disguised as a store management simulator, with charming little monsters and onscreen tips disguised as Uncle Oscar, your guide.

It's so nice to see a good story and great drawings, even if they are monsters. Monster Pet Shop has one clear goal: to keep … Read more