Monster Pet Shop [iOS]

Looking for a light yet enjoyable iPhone app? Then you might want to check out Monster Pet Shop for the iPhone (free). As the name implies, the whole idea of the game is to run a ‘pet’ shop carrying monsters. That includes breeding them, caring for them, and fulfilling customer requests. Did I mention that these weird little creatures are super cute and funny? Well they are!

Your job is to run the monster pet shop your uncle gave you. After an egg has been incubated, you will need to raise the soon-to-hatch monster so that it can be sold in the store. Periodically the monster will need to be fed and its habitat cleaned until it reaches the next stage of maturity. Later you will need to pet the monster in it’s favorite spot (usually the belly or head). Each monster has a favorite toy that they will ask to play with too. I love how the Krakel enjoys playing with the disco wig!

In the last stage of growth the monster is finally ready to be sold. It also has the ability to reproduce a new egg before it leaves to a new home. Some customers will request certain types of monsters and/or in specific colors. This is where breeding comes in. It is not graphic at all and if the two monsters you choose to breed like each other they just smile in a heart shape and ‘poof’ they make an egg.

If you want tips or need some help, My Monster Pet Shop is a fantastic resource and I check it often.

I liked the game as soon as I began playing it. There’s no stress and tasks are fairly easy. Well, I did get frustrated at first and restarted five times. It seemed impossible to care for the ‘pets’ without running out of virtual money but then I figured out that unrequested monsters could be sold to the adoption agency. So if you get stuck at first, don’t get discouraged because you WILL like it if pass that point.

My daughter was the one that made me try the app (I already downloaded it but hadn’t tried it yet) and now I play it all the time. Both of us like to watch how each monster reacts, listen to the different sounds they make, and raise new breeds.