The following is a review of the components and game play of Monsters Menace America, followed by a brief strategy section.

1. Components: The stars of the game are the monsters. (Zorb, Tomanagi, Konk, Megaclaw, Toxicor, Gargantis) The monster pieces are solid and colorful. The various military units are also solid, but some of the units are a little on the small side - specifically air units. I get the impression that if you dropped an airplane on the floor you would never find it, until you stepped on it and broke it. The board is large and is colorful and clear, divided into hexes. The artwork on the Military Research and Mutation cards is well done. Overall I would say that this game looks good and the pieces are fun to play with.

2. Set-up: Simple - delightfully. Just get the components out of the box and put them where you can reach them! Military forces can be organized by military branch cards if you like. You choose which lair to place your monster and then your ready to begin.

3. Game Play: Fun! This is a game to enjoy the theme. If you are looking for the next game to dominate your game group - this ain't it. The game is quick, I have finished most games in under an hour. the length is adjustable by setting the number of hexes to be "stomped" to a large or small number (14 to 23). I love this game between two abstract games or heavier games. If you want to, you can play this game without thinking too much.

4. Overall: A good game, worth the $15 I spent on it. A perfect compliment to a monster movie night. Not heavy, not a "Euro." This game is the poster child for theme so is "Ameri_____" (Go ahead and fill-in whatever the current PC term is for theme heavy games with cool bits at the time you're reading this.)

5. Strategy: Hmmm...Is there strategy to this game? Yes, but the game also works just fine as a fun diversion.

Selection of monster and military are very important. Don't be tempted by a high starting health, there are plenty of chances to increase your health by "stompimg" cities. Special movement is nice, but only the "flying" monsters have a significant movement advantage. The real criteria for your selection should be "Special Powers." For startegic purposes I always select Toxicor - as drawing 2 mutation card for each mutation is a huge advantage to the way I play. Megaclaw is a good choice for a high powered "infamy" monster. For military, I always go for the Army. Extra attacks by missle launchers and strong defense by the tanks makes the guys in green an actual threat at times. I would also recommend units that may mutate monsters - as long as you plan on using them to mutate yourself (which is what I do if I don't get the army.)

As I see it, mutations and infamy are the most important tools of the game. These should be your primary focus, with health increases when you can't quite make the journey to the next mutation or infamy site. A monster with 6-7 mutations is usually unbeatable do to high offensive powers and a tough defense - regardless of health. Of course, an opponent who rolls 6-6's in a row will destroy your well-crafted game, but that's life in the big city!

To use your miltary effectively you must do 2 things: 1. Draw the "Guard Commander" card from the military research deck. 2. Use the strategy of the "weighted net."

1. The "Guard Commander" card is so powerful that it is probably "broken." The card doubles your military units and denies your opponents from using the Guard units. I have never lost when I draw this card and if I were to suggest a change to the game for fairness - I would remove it. Just keep drawing Military research cards until you get it, then start deploying troops.

2. The military units are not a true threat to the monsters' health. There, I said it. However, the units are perfect for conatining the monsters and keeping them low-powered wimps. Simply place your units around opposing monsters, either by deployment or movement. In a two-player game, it is easy to completely surround a monster! On the monsters' next turn they will be forced to move around the units or have to stop after 1 or 2 hexes. After the monster is stopped, you can then slam all of the pieces in the area onto the monster's hex - forcing a retreat. A delay of one or two rounds can prove fatal to a player's chances of winning - on top of any health damage the units do.