When looking at the fighting genre, perhaps unsurprisingly, the trajectory of its growing complexity has been a pretty slow but steady slope. Yes, there have certainly been refinements made to the core formula started back in the 90s, but for the most part the evolution has tended to be on the visual side, while the changes in the mechanics have been more subtle. With that in mind, some of the more promising new fighters on the block over the last generation or so, have tended to alter the focus of play to be more chaotic, placing an emphasis on having more fighters on the screen at a time, or playing with value added elements. Mostroscopy has instead opted to stick closer to the traditional formula, with its hook being the fact that its combatants are an unusual mix of monsters and luchador-inspired fighters… and to a degree that works just fine.

The first thing you’ll undoubtedly notice is that this is a game with a very specific visual style, both in its character design and its use of color. Depending on the stage, the game’s visauls can actually be quite striking and dramatic, at times going with a full-blown black and white look, and other times just using interesting color schemes, some of which can evoke other vintage horror vibes. While this can’t substitute for decent play, it does help act as a solid hook to get you checking out different fighters in the game’s roster, which are at least reasonably varied in how they fight. There are absolutely some brutish brawlers, but there are also a few with more unorthodox moves which can take some time to get used to, but that can certainly be fun once you get the hang of them.

Helping to further draw you in, the controls are pretty workable, at least once you get used to them. Mixing together some Mortal Kombat feels with the use of a block button, but then keeping things like your special moves on the simpler side with one-button execution, you’ll quickly be able to begin exploring different combinations to help make yourself a viable contender. You’ll be able to jump in for more straight-up action if you’d like, but by delving into the game’s Story mode you can also get to know more about each of these odd fighters and their backgrounds, which is typically fun without dragging on either.

While it obviously isn’t as polished as its veteran competitors in the genre space in the eShop, as a first step it isn’t a bad one. It’s absolutely a bit rough around the edges, and possibly more of an acquired taste, but to a degree that’s also what makes it a bit more fun as well. By opting for these pretty outlandish competitors, Mostroscopy does pretty easily set itself apart, so if you’re looking for something a bit fresh it’s a good choice. Just don’t expect it to be as refined as entries from series that have been around for a few decades.