MIMP Memorabilia:
There is so much MIMP related merchandise that I chose to add a picture gallery below. I discuss them in more detail on my Facebook site. I might add more details about them on here in the future.
There is so much MIMP related merchandise that I chose to add a picture gallery below. I discuss them in more detail on my Facebook site. I might add more details about them on here in the future.
MIMP Memorabilia Pictures
Clothing and Apparel
There were a handful of shirts and various other wearable MIMP articles back in the day, and some people still make custom MIMP shirts to this day.
MIMP T-Shirts (Vintage)
The Werewolf Shirt and the Red Shirt were both released in the US in the early 90's. As far as I know the Monster Wrestlers shirt was released in the UK (I am unsure if it was released elsewhere) in 1995 or 1996 with the toyline.
MIMP T-Shirts Modern
There are various sellers on eBay who still make MIMP T-Shirts. They often base them on the video game designs, but some are entirely new works.
Costumes
There were at least 2 Monster In My Pocket costumes made, including Tengu and Windigo. They include masks as well as a flame retardant outfit. I believe these were released in Germany and the US.
Monster Pouch
The Monster Pouch was released in the Monster Cauldron set and is perfect for your 1990's outfit. Or to carry around toys, food, cameras, or other items. Just don't wear them to school unless you want a wedgie or to be made fun of vociferously.
MIMP Makeup Set
Found this picture on eBay, but I have no other information other than it comes from Germany.
MIMP Backpack
Another filched auction pic is for a Great Beast back pack. Origins unknown.
Lunchbox and Canteen
These were sold in the early 90's in US department stores. The Lunchbox and Canteen came together. Over time the stickers on the Lunchbox tend to peel and the Canteens usually fade.
Comics and Paper Goods
Various comics were released in the US, UK and Mexico. And there are many posters and paper MIMP products released around the globe.
Harvey Comics
These were released for 4 months in the US. Reportedly the line was cancelled based on complaints about the books encouraging devil worship and the typical angsty "think of the children" comments. Nevertheless they were a fun, family friendly title. There was also a small teaser comic released in the Nabisco Shredded Wheat Cereal boxes.
Monster in My Pocket Annual
The Annual was released in stores in the US and includes the same comics as the Harvey series with some new additions in between.
Monster Wrestler Annuals
Released in 1995 and 1996 it is a comic that features stories and introductions to the different wrestlers.
Comic Advertisements
This section is to show the different advertisements featured in various comics in the US and UK.
Thanks to Al Sharpe for the Series 2 Advertisement.
Thanks to Al Sharpe for the Series 2 Advertisement.
Coloring Books
These delightful gems came from Germany, and are full of cool stylized MIMP pictures for you or your children to color in. No judgements here if you want to color it yourself...
Novel
I have confirmation from the author that this book has nothing to do with Monster in My Pocket the toyline and is not licensed for that reason. But I include it because the picture and name are too similar to be excluded. It's a fun read too.
Matchbox Catalogues
Matchbox included Monster in My Pocket in various catalogues. Much of what was in the catalogue was never released (especially playsets).
Nintendo Power Coverage
Nintendo Power, beautiful relic of the past covered Monster In My Pocket. Sadly the internet has led to the death of Nintendo Power, but it will forever live on in our memories.
Spaghetti O's Monster Mountain Advertisement
Spaghetti O's offered a mail away for a Monster Mountain in addition to the Series 2 sets. I think the Mountain was the same as the one you could buy at stores, but I used all my labels for Series 2 instead.
Series 3 Big Boys Advertisement Materials
Big Boys had various advertisements both in stores and handed out at the restaurant. I managed to get the table display off eBay and the coupon books. Each book included one red coupon and ten white coupons.
Monster in My Pocket Collector's Club Memorabilia
There are a variety of different papers and trinkets that came with being a Monster in My Pocket Collector's Club member and I am going to talk about the ones I have encountered here.
Thanks to Frank Krolicki for the Monster in my Pocket Collector Club insert pictures and some of the comic advertisements.
Thanks to Frank Krolicki for the Monster in my Pocket Collector Club insert pictures and some of the comic advertisements.
The Monster Keeper was just a normal cheap plastic bag with some neat monocolor monster images and the Monster in My Pocket Collector's Club logo. It was sent in the welcome package to any new members in addition to several different paper goodies.
I managed to score the envelope that the Collector's Club intro packet came in off Ebay. It comes complete with the logo with the Hobgoblin chewing on the pocket.
The intro packet included these cool Monster in My Pocket stickers which included colors the monsters never actually appeared in (at least in official releases).
The Monster Decoder was for use with the March of the Mini Monster Game that was included in the welcome packet (see below)
The March of the Mini Monsters was a poster-style board game that was included in the welcome pack where you used the decoder to read the spaces you land on. I tried playing it with an unwilling family member and it loses something when compared to the other Monster in My Pocket games.
The introductory letter when you became a Collector's Club member.
Included below are newsletters from the Monster in My Pocket Collector's Club courtesy of Frank Krolicki.
Included below are newsletters from the Monster in My Pocket Collector's Club courtesy of Frank Krolicki.
MIMP Ruler and Door Hanger
I was told that these were mail away rewards for being a member of the Cromy Collector's Club (in Argentina). They are listed here together.
Paper Dividers
These were offered in multiple different monsters in Argentina. They were sold by Cromy.
Custom MIMP Bags
These were made by an LRG member Nik as part of a contest that never happened.
Posters
Posters for MIMP have been found in multiple countries (each pic is marked if the location is known). In Cypress they made posters of various monsters including Hobgoblin and Great Beast.
The Nintendo MIMP poster was a custom made by an eBay seller.
Thanks to Chris Lanberg for the picture of the Peru Halloween poster.
The Nintendo MIMP poster was a custom made by an eBay seller.
Thanks to Chris Lanberg for the picture of the Peru Halloween poster.
Panini Oversized Cards
These were released in Germany by Panini the same company that released the sticker album. I am not certain, but I expect that they were released together. It includes a degree in Monsterology (in German).
Games, Playsets and Electronics
There is a plethora of board games for MIMP, and a video game (2 if you count the Batman derivation). There were many released play sets as well as several that never saw the light of day.
Monster in My Pocket Board Game
The original US Monster in My Pocket Board Game. It is made for 2-4 players and allows the players to collect cards then battle them against each other. The rules are transcribed below.
MIMP Board Game Rules Text (all grammar/spelling errors from original text will be left as they are)
Monster in My Pocket
The Legend of the Monster Code of Battle
For centuries, monsters argued about who was the most awesome monster of all. Soon it became clear a World Monster War could erupt. An emergency meeting of the World Monster Council was called. All monsters from around the globe took part in the negotiations. In the end, a Monster Code of Battle was decreed. It read as follows:
"When a monster declares war upon another monster, a single battle will decide the conflict. Each leader must send a 'chosen' warrior to a one-on-one battle. A clash of monster armies is prohibited. In this way, a World Monster War will be avoided and the Earth will not suffer the terrible destructive effects such a war would produce."
Afterwards, all monsters followed the Monster Code of Battle. But, monsters being monsters, the debate still raged. Who was the best? The strongest monsters built up their armies and increased their pool of warriors. Who will be the Supreme Leader of the Monster World. Let's play and see!
The gameboard is divided into four territories:
THE VOLCANO PIT: a hot rocky place where the sun always shines and volcanoes blow their tops!
THE SWAMP: an oozing, gas filled place with gross slime, bubbling water, creepy trees, dangling vines and moss.
THE ICE CAVE: a mammoth, frozen lair with a mile long ice bridge. The ice cave is on top of the world's highest mountain.
NEW YORK CITY: a favorite haven for monsters, the city is a huge metropolis covered with an eerie fog, with endless closets, alleyways, rooftops and sewers.
Within each territory there are three special spaces:
TUNNEL: a kind of black hole through the Earth. Land on the entrance to a tunnel, and you get sucked through to the other side! You travel over 6,000 miles in one second.
FORCE FIELD: an impenetrable shield of highly charged ions which generates its energy from the glow of victory. All victorious monsters move into a force field and are protected from being called into battle for one turn. The only time a playing piece can be on a force field is after a victory. Normally, playing pieces may move across force fields but cannot land on them.
TRANSPORTER: a super hi-tech machine that allows you to molecularly move any opponent to where you are! Transporters are used to call an opponent monster to battle (whether they are willing or not). However, transporters cannot move a monster that is being protected by a force field.
OBJECT OF THE GAME:
Collect Monster Warrior Cards to build an army and challenge other players in a series of battles. The winner of the most battles is declared Supreme Leader of the Monster World.
GETTING READY:
1. Choose a playing piece. Playing pieces are referred to as "Monster Leaders." Use any monster from your MONSTER IN MY POCKET collection or use one of the four monster figures enclosed in the game.
2. Two to four players can play. Place all playing pieces in the start space at the center of the gameboard.
3. From the deck of Monster Warrior Cards, remove the cards that match the playing pieces being used. For example, if your playing piece is the "Tengu" remove the Tengu card from the deck of cards and so on. If you have 4 players in a game, you will have 44 Monster Warrior Cards to choose from (48 - 4 = 44). Shuffle these cards. Randomly pick any 24 cards to use in this gameplay (16 cards if only two people are playing). The other cards are not used and should be returned to the box.
4. Randomly place the Monster Warrior Cards on the gameboard with the picture side up! See figure 1 for an example of 24 cards placed on the gameboard. Do not look at the back of the cards! Also do not place cards on a tunnel, transporter, or force field space.
5. You are ready to play.
PLAYING THE GAME:
1. Begin. Decide who goes first. Play will then proceed clockwise.
2. The Spinner. The first player spins the spinner. After the first player has moved, the second player will spin the spinner and so on. The arrow on the spinner can point to one of three possibilities:
a) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 - The player moves his Monster Leader playing piece around the grid of the gameboard the number of spaces indicated on the spinner. Playing pieces can move horizontally and vertically but, not diagonally.
b) GIVE A CARD TO ANOTHER PLAYER - If you have any Monster Warrior Cards, you must give one card of your choice to any other player.
c) TAKE A CARD FROM ANOTHER PLAYER - You may take one Monster Warrior Card from any other player. Select the one you want. Add the card to your Monster Warrior Cards (remember, don't look at the back of the card)!
3. Collecting Monster Warrior Cards. You will move your Monster Leader around the gameboard to collect Monster Warrior Cards to build an army of warriors. You collect cards by landing on them at the end of your move. When you land on a Monster Warrior Card, remove the card from the gameboard and place the card in front of you with the picture of the Monster face-up! The back of each card shows the Monster Warrior's strength in each of the four territories: The Volcano Pit, The Swamp, The Ice Cave and New York City. You must not look at the back of the cards until the Monster Warriors are engaged in battle. When you have collected at least one Monster Warrior, you will be able to battle other players. The object is to win as many battles as you can. You may build your army first, or you may try to battle when you have one Warrior. A battle may take place in any of the four territories on the gameboard. However, your opponent must have a Warrior for you to engage him in battle. Remember, your Warriors will have different fighting strengths in each territory so you will want to choose your Warrior carefully when you battle.
4. Starting A Battle. There are two ways to start a monster battle:
a) Land on a space occupied by another player, or
b) Land on a transporter space and immediately bring another player's Monster Leader to the same transporter space (any playing piece you want, whether they like it or not).
According to the Monster Code of Battle, when two Monster Leaders fight, they each must send a Warrior to a one-on-one battle. Choose your Monster Warrior based on how strong you think it will be in the territory where the Monster Leaders are battling. Applying logic greatly improves your chances of winning. For example, wouldn't Bigfoot get overheated in the Volcano Pit with his heavy fur coat? Or wouldn't a dinosaur like Tyrannosaurus Rex fight well in The Swamp?
5. Fighting A Battle. The two players each select one Warrior from their respective armies and throw the cards into the center of the gameboard. As you throw the cards, each player yells "(name of your Monster Warrior) will destroy you." The two Monster Warrior cards are then flipped over and compared for fighting strength in the territory where the Monster Leaders are located. The fighting strengths for Warriors, in order from lowest to highest are:
Weak, Normal, Strong and Superpower
The Warrior with the highest rating wins the battle for his Monster Leader. In a tie, the player who started the battle wins (because he had the element of surprise on his side). The player who wins the battle takes both Warrior Cards and creates a separate "victory pile" of his own to keep score. In other words, the two Warrior Cards are "retired" and are not used again in this game.
6. Immediately After A Battle. After the winning player has placed the two Monster Warrior Cards in his "victory pile," the Monster Leader playing piece of the winner is immediately moved to any force field space of his choice. The victorious Monster Leader is protected from battle for one round of play (even a transporter cannot call this Monster Leader to battle). The losing Monster Leader is left behind on the same space in defeat. The game continues with the next player.
SPECIAL SPACES ON THE GAMEBOARD:
There are three kinds of special spaces on the gameboard as follows:
Tunnel: A tunnel is an underground pipeline or black hole to another territory. There are two tunnels on the gameboard. One connects The Ice Cave to The Volcano Pit, the other connects The Swamp to New York City . A tunnel is the quickest way to move to the other side of the gameboard. When a Monster Leader playing piece lands on a tunnel entrance, it is immediately sucked to the other end of the tunnel and then continues to move. See figure 2 for an example of how to move through a tunnel. Players can actually loop through two tunnels in a single move (see if you can figure out how).
Force Field: A force field space is used to protect a Monster Leader from battle for one round. A force field is only active after a battle, and only the winning Monster Leader can move there. During the game, a force field space counted like regular spaces (because it is inactive). But no player can land on a force field. That privilege is reserved for winners of battles. Two Monster Leaders cannot occupy the same force field space at the same time.
Transporter: When your Monster Leader lands on a transporter, you immediately move an opponent's Monster Leader (of your choice) to the space with you. This starts a battle. The advantage of using transporter to start a battle is that you bring your opponent to you. If you have Warriors that you think are strong in a particular territory, you can force other Monster Leaders to fight there. However, a transporter is not powerful enough to penetrate a force field, so you cannot move a Monster Leader being protected by a force field.
ENDING THE GAME:
A player is out of the game when he is out of Monster Warrior Cards and there are no more cards on the gameboard to collect. Their Monster Leader playing piece is removed from the game. The game is over when all but one player is out of Monster Warrior Cards and there are no more cards on the gameboard to collect. The player with the most Monster Warrior Cards in their "victory pile" is the winner (any Cards that have not been in battle are not counted). The winner is declared Supreme Leader of the Monster World! All other Monster Leaders bow to the Supreme Leader - at least until the next game!
The Legend of the Monster Code of Battle
For centuries, monsters argued about who was the most awesome monster of all. Soon it became clear a World Monster War could erupt. An emergency meeting of the World Monster Council was called. All monsters from around the globe took part in the negotiations. In the end, a Monster Code of Battle was decreed. It read as follows:
"When a monster declares war upon another monster, a single battle will decide the conflict. Each leader must send a 'chosen' warrior to a one-on-one battle. A clash of monster armies is prohibited. In this way, a World Monster War will be avoided and the Earth will not suffer the terrible destructive effects such a war would produce."
Afterwards, all monsters followed the Monster Code of Battle. But, monsters being monsters, the debate still raged. Who was the best? The strongest monsters built up their armies and increased their pool of warriors. Who will be the Supreme Leader of the Monster World. Let's play and see!
The gameboard is divided into four territories:
THE VOLCANO PIT: a hot rocky place where the sun always shines and volcanoes blow their tops!
THE SWAMP: an oozing, gas filled place with gross slime, bubbling water, creepy trees, dangling vines and moss.
THE ICE CAVE: a mammoth, frozen lair with a mile long ice bridge. The ice cave is on top of the world's highest mountain.
NEW YORK CITY: a favorite haven for monsters, the city is a huge metropolis covered with an eerie fog, with endless closets, alleyways, rooftops and sewers.
Within each territory there are three special spaces:
TUNNEL: a kind of black hole through the Earth. Land on the entrance to a tunnel, and you get sucked through to the other side! You travel over 6,000 miles in one second.
FORCE FIELD: an impenetrable shield of highly charged ions which generates its energy from the glow of victory. All victorious monsters move into a force field and are protected from being called into battle for one turn. The only time a playing piece can be on a force field is after a victory. Normally, playing pieces may move across force fields but cannot land on them.
TRANSPORTER: a super hi-tech machine that allows you to molecularly move any opponent to where you are! Transporters are used to call an opponent monster to battle (whether they are willing or not). However, transporters cannot move a monster that is being protected by a force field.
OBJECT OF THE GAME:
Collect Monster Warrior Cards to build an army and challenge other players in a series of battles. The winner of the most battles is declared Supreme Leader of the Monster World.
GETTING READY:
1. Choose a playing piece. Playing pieces are referred to as "Monster Leaders." Use any monster from your MONSTER IN MY POCKET collection or use one of the four monster figures enclosed in the game.
2. Two to four players can play. Place all playing pieces in the start space at the center of the gameboard.
3. From the deck of Monster Warrior Cards, remove the cards that match the playing pieces being used. For example, if your playing piece is the "Tengu" remove the Tengu card from the deck of cards and so on. If you have 4 players in a game, you will have 44 Monster Warrior Cards to choose from (48 - 4 = 44). Shuffle these cards. Randomly pick any 24 cards to use in this gameplay (16 cards if only two people are playing). The other cards are not used and should be returned to the box.
4. Randomly place the Monster Warrior Cards on the gameboard with the picture side up! See figure 1 for an example of 24 cards placed on the gameboard. Do not look at the back of the cards! Also do not place cards on a tunnel, transporter, or force field space.
5. You are ready to play.
PLAYING THE GAME:
1. Begin. Decide who goes first. Play will then proceed clockwise.
2. The Spinner. The first player spins the spinner. After the first player has moved, the second player will spin the spinner and so on. The arrow on the spinner can point to one of three possibilities:
a) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 - The player moves his Monster Leader playing piece around the grid of the gameboard the number of spaces indicated on the spinner. Playing pieces can move horizontally and vertically but, not diagonally.
b) GIVE A CARD TO ANOTHER PLAYER - If you have any Monster Warrior Cards, you must give one card of your choice to any other player.
c) TAKE A CARD FROM ANOTHER PLAYER - You may take one Monster Warrior Card from any other player. Select the one you want. Add the card to your Monster Warrior Cards (remember, don't look at the back of the card)!
3. Collecting Monster Warrior Cards. You will move your Monster Leader around the gameboard to collect Monster Warrior Cards to build an army of warriors. You collect cards by landing on them at the end of your move. When you land on a Monster Warrior Card, remove the card from the gameboard and place the card in front of you with the picture of the Monster face-up! The back of each card shows the Monster Warrior's strength in each of the four territories: The Volcano Pit, The Swamp, The Ice Cave and New York City. You must not look at the back of the cards until the Monster Warriors are engaged in battle. When you have collected at least one Monster Warrior, you will be able to battle other players. The object is to win as many battles as you can. You may build your army first, or you may try to battle when you have one Warrior. A battle may take place in any of the four territories on the gameboard. However, your opponent must have a Warrior for you to engage him in battle. Remember, your Warriors will have different fighting strengths in each territory so you will want to choose your Warrior carefully when you battle.
4. Starting A Battle. There are two ways to start a monster battle:
a) Land on a space occupied by another player, or
b) Land on a transporter space and immediately bring another player's Monster Leader to the same transporter space (any playing piece you want, whether they like it or not).
According to the Monster Code of Battle, when two Monster Leaders fight, they each must send a Warrior to a one-on-one battle. Choose your Monster Warrior based on how strong you think it will be in the territory where the Monster Leaders are battling. Applying logic greatly improves your chances of winning. For example, wouldn't Bigfoot get overheated in the Volcano Pit with his heavy fur coat? Or wouldn't a dinosaur like Tyrannosaurus Rex fight well in The Swamp?
5. Fighting A Battle. The two players each select one Warrior from their respective armies and throw the cards into the center of the gameboard. As you throw the cards, each player yells "(name of your Monster Warrior) will destroy you." The two Monster Warrior cards are then flipped over and compared for fighting strength in the territory where the Monster Leaders are located. The fighting strengths for Warriors, in order from lowest to highest are:
Weak, Normal, Strong and Superpower
The Warrior with the highest rating wins the battle for his Monster Leader. In a tie, the player who started the battle wins (because he had the element of surprise on his side). The player who wins the battle takes both Warrior Cards and creates a separate "victory pile" of his own to keep score. In other words, the two Warrior Cards are "retired" and are not used again in this game.
6. Immediately After A Battle. After the winning player has placed the two Monster Warrior Cards in his "victory pile," the Monster Leader playing piece of the winner is immediately moved to any force field space of his choice. The victorious Monster Leader is protected from battle for one round of play (even a transporter cannot call this Monster Leader to battle). The losing Monster Leader is left behind on the same space in defeat. The game continues with the next player.
SPECIAL SPACES ON THE GAMEBOARD:
There are three kinds of special spaces on the gameboard as follows:
Tunnel: A tunnel is an underground pipeline or black hole to another territory. There are two tunnels on the gameboard. One connects The Ice Cave to The Volcano Pit, the other connects The Swamp to New York City . A tunnel is the quickest way to move to the other side of the gameboard. When a Monster Leader playing piece lands on a tunnel entrance, it is immediately sucked to the other end of the tunnel and then continues to move. See figure 2 for an example of how to move through a tunnel. Players can actually loop through two tunnels in a single move (see if you can figure out how).
Force Field: A force field space is used to protect a Monster Leader from battle for one round. A force field is only active after a battle, and only the winning Monster Leader can move there. During the game, a force field space counted like regular spaces (because it is inactive). But no player can land on a force field. That privilege is reserved for winners of battles. Two Monster Leaders cannot occupy the same force field space at the same time.
Transporter: When your Monster Leader lands on a transporter, you immediately move an opponent's Monster Leader (of your choice) to the space with you. This starts a battle. The advantage of using transporter to start a battle is that you bring your opponent to you. If you have Warriors that you think are strong in a particular territory, you can force other Monster Leaders to fight there. However, a transporter is not powerful enough to penetrate a force field, so you cannot move a Monster Leader being protected by a force field.
ENDING THE GAME:
A player is out of the game when he is out of Monster Warrior Cards and there are no more cards on the gameboard to collect. Their Monster Leader playing piece is removed from the game. The game is over when all but one player is out of Monster Warrior Cards and there are no more cards on the gameboard to collect. The player with the most Monster Warrior Cards in their "victory pile" is the winner (any Cards that have not been in battle are not counted). The winner is declared Supreme Leader of the Monster World! All other Monster Leaders bow to the Supreme Leader - at least until the next game!
Monster Clash
Monster Clash was a game where each player used cannons to knock down each others monsters until one player triumphed. The set up was a lot better than the game, as it was often difficult to hit the other monsters.
Return of the Dinosaurs Board Game
This was a Series 6 Dinosaur based game that was designed for younger children. There are actually 2 different games, The Dinosaur Dig and Escape From the Volcano.
Return of the Dinosaurs
Spear's Games No. 20005
A game for 2 to 4 players aged 4+
Contents:
Spear's Games No. 20005
A game for 2 to 4 players aged 4+
Contents:
Double-sided board
Pack of 24 'fact' cards
4 dinosaur figures
Special die
Pack of 32 'dig' cards
4 counters
The Dinosaur Dig
You will need: The playing board
4 dinosaur playing pieces
32 'dig' cards (with orange backs)
the die
Pack of 24 'fact' cards
4 dinosaur figures
Special die
Pack of 32 'dig' cards
4 counters
The Dinosaur Dig
You will need: The playing board
4 dinosaur playing pieces
32 'dig' cards (with orange backs)
the die
Aim of the game
This game is for younger players, and the aim of the game is to be the first player to collect the 4 cards that make up the picture of a whole dinosaur - head, front legs, back legs, and tail. Pieces are collected by landing on a pile of cards and 'digging'.
Preparation
Place the playing board between all the players with the 'Dig' side face up (see diagram on page 3). Take the pack of orange-backed 'dig' cards and shuffle them well. Deal them out into four piles of eight cards each and place a pile on each of the orange spaces on the board. Each player chooses a dinosaur and places it on one of the four piles. Take the die and off you go ...
Playing the game
The youngest player begins, and play continues in a clockwise direction. The first player rolls the die and moves their dinosaur round the board that number of spaces following the direction of the dinosaur footprints. Only the card piles and the craters count as spaces.
If a player lands on a pile of cards, they roll the die again and count down that number of cards to find the card that they should take. So, if a player rolls a 3, they put the top card to the bottom of the pile, and the same with the next card, and then take the third card. They put the card face up in front of them and give the die to the next player.
No player can have more than two cards of any type (head, body, tail etc.). If a player picks up a card they have two of already, the card is put back in the pile and the pile shuffled.
No more than one dinosaur can be on one space at the same time. If your move would land you on a space occupied by another dinosaur, then move to the next available space.
Winning the game
The first player to collect the four different cards that make up a complete dinosaur is the winner. For a longer game, be the first player to collect two complete dinosaurs.
This game is for younger players, and the aim of the game is to be the first player to collect the 4 cards that make up the picture of a whole dinosaur - head, front legs, back legs, and tail. Pieces are collected by landing on a pile of cards and 'digging'.
Preparation
Place the playing board between all the players with the 'Dig' side face up (see diagram on page 3). Take the pack of orange-backed 'dig' cards and shuffle them well. Deal them out into four piles of eight cards each and place a pile on each of the orange spaces on the board. Each player chooses a dinosaur and places it on one of the four piles. Take the die and off you go ...
Playing the game
The youngest player begins, and play continues in a clockwise direction. The first player rolls the die and moves their dinosaur round the board that number of spaces following the direction of the dinosaur footprints. Only the card piles and the craters count as spaces.
If a player lands on a pile of cards, they roll the die again and count down that number of cards to find the card that they should take. So, if a player rolls a 3, they put the top card to the bottom of the pile, and the same with the next card, and then take the third card. They put the card face up in front of them and give the die to the next player.
No player can have more than two cards of any type (head, body, tail etc.). If a player picks up a card they have two of already, the card is put back in the pile and the pile shuffled.
No more than one dinosaur can be on one space at the same time. If your move would land you on a space occupied by another dinosaur, then move to the next available space.
Winning the game
The first player to collect the four different cards that make up a complete dinosaur is the winner. For a longer game, be the first player to collect two complete dinosaurs.
Escape from the Volcano
You will need: the playing board
4 dinosaur figures
pack of 24 'fact' cards (blue backs)
the die
4 red counters
You will need: the playing board
4 dinosaur figures
pack of 24 'fact' cards (blue backs)
the die
4 red counters
Aim of the game
This is a game for older players, as reading is required. The aim of this game is to escape from the erupting volcano in the centre of the board. This is done by winning battles with the other dinosaurs.
Preparation
Put the playing board between all the players with the volcano side face up. (see diagram on page 3). Take the pack of blue-backed 'fact' cards and shuffle them well. Deal out six cards to each player and place any remaining cards to one side.
Each player chooses a dinosaur and takes a counter. Place the dinosaur on one of the squares with a yellow arrow and put the counter on the circular picture of your dinosaur's head, at the beginning of the volcano track. Take the die and you're off ...
About the fact cards
Battling the dinosaurs is done using the 'fact' cards. If you look at one of the cards you will see a picture of a dinosaur, and some facts about it - its name and how to pronounce it, when it lived, its age, weight, length, and ferocity, as well as some idea of what it ate.
The four categories in the middle of the card are colour coded and these colours relate to the four spaces in the corners of the board. When you land on one of these spaces you can battle all the other players using your strongest cards in that category.
Playing the game
The youngest player starts, and play continues clockwise. Roll the die and move your dinosaur that number of spaces in the direction of the arrows. When you land on one of the four corner squares you must challenge all the other players to a dinosaur battle.
Each player chooses a card from their hand and puts it face up in the centre. The player landing on the space starts. The player who wins is the one who plays the card with the highest value in the category of that corner square. They take the cards they have won, place them to one side, and move their counter one space along the volcano track. If two or more players put down a card with the same value, the hand is tied and no one wins.
No more than one dinosaur can be on one space at the same time. If a move would land a player on a space occupied by another dinosaur, then they must move to the next available space.
After six battles, the player whose turn it was on the last battle shuffles all the cards together and deals them out again. The game continues as before, starting with the player to his or her left.
Winning the game
The winner is the first player to win ten battles and therefore escape from the volcano.
This is a game for older players, as reading is required. The aim of this game is to escape from the erupting volcano in the centre of the board. This is done by winning battles with the other dinosaurs.
Preparation
Put the playing board between all the players with the volcano side face up. (see diagram on page 3). Take the pack of blue-backed 'fact' cards and shuffle them well. Deal out six cards to each player and place any remaining cards to one side.
Each player chooses a dinosaur and takes a counter. Place the dinosaur on one of the squares with a yellow arrow and put the counter on the circular picture of your dinosaur's head, at the beginning of the volcano track. Take the die and you're off ...
About the fact cards
Battling the dinosaurs is done using the 'fact' cards. If you look at one of the cards you will see a picture of a dinosaur, and some facts about it - its name and how to pronounce it, when it lived, its age, weight, length, and ferocity, as well as some idea of what it ate.
The four categories in the middle of the card are colour coded and these colours relate to the four spaces in the corners of the board. When you land on one of these spaces you can battle all the other players using your strongest cards in that category.
Playing the game
The youngest player starts, and play continues clockwise. Roll the die and move your dinosaur that number of spaces in the direction of the arrows. When you land on one of the four corner squares you must challenge all the other players to a dinosaur battle.
Each player chooses a card from their hand and puts it face up in the centre. The player landing on the space starts. The player who wins is the one who plays the card with the highest value in the category of that corner square. They take the cards they have won, place them to one side, and move their counter one space along the volcano track. If two or more players put down a card with the same value, the hand is tied and no one wins.
No more than one dinosaur can be on one space at the same time. If a move would land a player on a space occupied by another dinosaur, then they must move to the next available space.
After six battles, the player whose turn it was on the last battle shuffles all the cards together and deals them out again. The game continues as before, starting with the player to his or her left.
Winning the game
The winner is the first player to win ten battles and therefore escape from the volcano.
About the Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs lived on the Earth for around 150 million years, first appearing around 230 million years ago. It is difficult to imagine such a long period of time, but if we think of each of those years as just one hour, then the Battle of Hastings took place just over a month ago, King Tutankamen reigned in Egypt around four and a half months ago and the first real humans were living something like eleven and a half years ago. However, even on this basis, the first dinosaurs appeared over twenty six thousand years ago, and the last ones died out about seven thousand years ago.
The name 'dinosaur' come from the Greek words meaning 'terrible lizard'. The name was given to them by the paleontologist Sir Richard Owen in 1841. Owen thought that all dinosaurs were the same 'family' of reptiles, but we know now that there were actually two types - Saurischia (such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex) which had a bone structure similar to today's lizards and Ornithischia (such as the Stegosaurus) which were more closely related to today's birds !
Here are some details regarding the dinosaurs that come with your game :
Stegosaurus
This plant-eating dinosaur dates from the Upper Jurassic period, which makes it nearly 180 million years old. It was 7.5 metres long and weighed around 3.5 tonnes. The large plates sticking out of its back are thought to have helped it regulate its body temperature. The Stegosaurus is perhaps best known for having had three 'brains' - it had extra nerve ganglia at the top and bottom of its spine, which were used to control the head and the tail.
Apatosaurus
Better known as 'Brontosaurus', or 'Thunder Lizard', Apatosaurus measured an average of 21 metres, or 70 feet in length, and weighed in at 30 tonnes. A plant eater, Apatosaurus also flourished in the Jurassic period, around 140 million years ago.
Triceratops
Triceratops is from a sub-order of Ornithischia called the ceratopsians, characterised by their large, horned skulls. Triceratops was the largest of these, measuring in at 9 metres and weighing around 10 tonnes. Remains of this dinosaur have been found in sites across America and Canada dating from the Upper Cretaceous period - around 130 to 80 million years ago.
Ceratosaurus
This fearsome meat-eater stood on two legs and was around 3 metres long, but could grow larger. It lived in both America and Africa during the Upper Jurassic period. It would have preyed on slower, weaker dinosaurs and other animals.
Camarasaurus
This is the dinosaur which is pictured on the cards in the 'Dinosaur Dig' game. Camarasaurus was a massive saurapod which grew up to 17.5 metres long. A gentle plant eater, it lived in the Upper Jurassic period, around 180 to 150 million years ago.
1993 J.W. Spear and Sons PLC 20005/14
The name 'dinosaur' come from the Greek words meaning 'terrible lizard'. The name was given to them by the paleontologist Sir Richard Owen in 1841. Owen thought that all dinosaurs were the same 'family' of reptiles, but we know now that there were actually two types - Saurischia (such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex) which had a bone structure similar to today's lizards and Ornithischia (such as the Stegosaurus) which were more closely related to today's birds !
Here are some details regarding the dinosaurs that come with your game :
Stegosaurus
This plant-eating dinosaur dates from the Upper Jurassic period, which makes it nearly 180 million years old. It was 7.5 metres long and weighed around 3.5 tonnes. The large plates sticking out of its back are thought to have helped it regulate its body temperature. The Stegosaurus is perhaps best known for having had three 'brains' - it had extra nerve ganglia at the top and bottom of its spine, which were used to control the head and the tail.
Apatosaurus
Better known as 'Brontosaurus', or 'Thunder Lizard', Apatosaurus measured an average of 21 metres, or 70 feet in length, and weighed in at 30 tonnes. A plant eater, Apatosaurus also flourished in the Jurassic period, around 140 million years ago.
Triceratops
Triceratops is from a sub-order of Ornithischia called the ceratopsians, characterised by their large, horned skulls. Triceratops was the largest of these, measuring in at 9 metres and weighing around 10 tonnes. Remains of this dinosaur have been found in sites across America and Canada dating from the Upper Cretaceous period - around 130 to 80 million years ago.
Ceratosaurus
This fearsome meat-eater stood on two legs and was around 3 metres long, but could grow larger. It lived in both America and Africa during the Upper Jurassic period. It would have preyed on slower, weaker dinosaurs and other animals.
Camarasaurus
This is the dinosaur which is pictured on the cards in the 'Dinosaur Dig' game. Camarasaurus was a massive saurapod which grew up to 17.5 metres long. A gentle plant eater, it lived in the Upper Jurassic period, around 180 to 150 million years ago.
1993 J.W. Spear and Sons PLC 20005/14
2006 Monster Showdown
2006 brought back Monster In My Pocket card battling. This time we got a battle arena with a skull and two bloodshot eyes.
Italian MIMP Board Game - Terrifying Game of Moonless Night
This one is the best of the Monster in My Pocket Board Games. The game is played with the Italian MIMP and each player battle the others until one side kills all the monsters of the other.
Monster in My Pocket Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
The Monster in My Pocket NES game was based on the Monster in My Pocket comics and toyline and included mostly monsters from series 1, along with a few series 2 and made up Konami monsters. It was released in 1992 and in the US came with the Series 3 Blemmyae. In Germany it came with a sticker instead.
It was comprised of six stages each with their own boss, followed by a final boss. And in true NES tradition, stage 6 had a boss run of all the previous level's bosses. It was not a difficult game, but a fun side scroller that could be one or two players.
The original version was for the Famicom, Japan's version of the NES.
The NES version was packaged with a Blemmyae figure, but the German version included a sticker instead.
It was comprised of six stages each with their own boss, followed by a final boss. And in true NES tradition, stage 6 had a boss run of all the previous level's bosses. It was not a difficult game, but a fun side scroller that could be one or two players.
The original version was for the Famicom, Japan's version of the NES.
The NES version was packaged with a Blemmyae figure, but the German version included a sticker instead.
Famicom - Batman in My Pocket
This is the exact same game as Monster in My Pocket on NES except your sprites are Batman instead of Vampire and Flash instead of The Monster. Also there are minor changes to the colors and the number of lives/hits you can take. It is actually even easier than the American version.
Batman and Flash was released in Europe and South America for the Japanese version of the NES (the Famicom). There are many different versions of the cart, including this gem below.
Batman and Flash was released in Europe and South America for the Japanese version of the NES (the Famicom). There are many different versions of the cart, including this gem below.
NES Game Packaging and Other Contents
Pinball Hand Held
There were dozens of these released in Argentina for many different monsters. They are cheap pinball games made of plastic and cardboard.
Monster Mountains
Monster Mountains were released in the US, Italy, Mexico, and Brazil (possibly other places too). Almost all of them are flimsy, but they look great. If you want them to last with figures in them, they need to be reinforced.
2006 Playsets
There were 2 playsets made for the 2006 series: The Skull Carrying Case and the Haunted Mansion. Both were released in the UK, but may have been released in other locations.
2006 Store Display
This was used as a store display in UK and I traded for it a few years ago. There is a clear plastic portion that goes over the grey background to keep the figures in. Unlike the MIMP Mountains it is more durable and better made to display and hold the figures.
Monster Wrestler Playsets and Accessories
The wrestlers had accessory packs/play sets that included a ring, grapple board, weights and other accessories. The stretcher came in the Physio-Terrorist set.
Screaming Case
Found this one on eBay. It is a carrying case that screams when you open it. Originates from the UK and was released in 1992.
Spooky Castle Series 2 (Probably Never Released)
Found on the back of the Series 2 Packaging, this play set has never been found. Shame as a MIMP Castle would have been awesome.
The Big Scream VHS
The Big Scream was a pilot for a Monster In My Pocket TV series that was never made. It was released as a VHS in the early 90's, first as a normal tape. Then it was released packaged with a Super Scary Yama and released again. It is a typical goofy kids show that followed a similar plot as the comics.
Monster Rock Cassette
This cassette features a plethora of corny, but fun songs dedicated to Monster in My Pocket. The type of music is similar to Monster Mash. The cassette was packaged with a Light Orange Premium Hobgoblin and was not widely released as it is uncommon to find.
Howlers
There were 4 monsters released as MIMP Howlers and came out at the same time as the Super Scary. They were larger painted toys that made sounds when you pressed a button on the base. The Werewolf howled and gave the basis for the name.
Packaging and Checklists
Thanks to Lawrence for pointing out an error on one of the sealed packs.
Series 1 Packaging
The Matchbox series 1 was released all over the world including the US, UK, Hong Kong, Italy, Greece, France and likely many other countries.
Thanks to Paul Sewell for his picture showing all the known Series 1 4 Pack combinations.
Thanks to Paul Sewell for his picture showing all the known Series 1 4 Pack combinations.
Series 1 Checklists
There are just as many varied checklists as there are packaging for the Series 1 Matchbox figures. The checklist was not without controversy because Great Beast was basically the Antichrist and Kali was a god. This was just the first of many times MIMP would cause public outcry...
Series 2 Packaging
Series 2 was released in 4 packs, in Secret 12 Packs and a 24 pack. Unfortunately it was much more limited in release in the US. They were released in the UK, and Europe in much greater numbers. Many fans in the US only received Series 2 through the Spaghetti O's mail away offer.
Series 2 Checklists
The checklist was re-released in the UK after Ganesha and Herne were recalled due to offending religious folks. This is one of many times that MIMP would cause consternation, in this case because it likened gods to monsters.
Series 3 Packaging
The Big Boys came in a Secret Monster Pack with some cards and the picture from The Big Scream. The Shreddies just had a boring sealed pack that was see-through. Big Boys was released in the US, and Shreddies in Canada.
Series 4 Packaging
Series 4 was released as Series 3 in the UK, but appeared in single packs in the UK, and 6 packs and 12 packs in the UK and US. I believe it was released throughout Europe the same way.
Series 4 Checklist
The Series 4 checklists were re-released after some controversy with the names (again).
Series 5 Packaging
The Series 5 Figures were released in one packs, 6 packs and 12 packs. They were released all over Europe but never made it to the US.
Series 5 Checklist
The Series 5 Checklist was the first without controversy because the series was so goofy.
Series 6 Packaging
The Series 6 Dinosaurs were released only in the UK and other parts of Europe. They had single packs, 2 packs, 6 packs and were also cereal giveaways. The one and 2 packs came with Fact Cards.
Series 6 Checklist
Series 6 has just one checklist. No drama and no silly names. Just dinosaurs.
Series 6 Secret Skeletal Packaging
To the best of my knowledge the Secret Skeletal Dinosaurs were only released in one packs, though others were originally supposed to be released in 4 and 12 packs. They included a Fact Card with the figure. As far as I know these were released only in the UK and Europe.
Series 6 Secret Skeletal Checklist - Might Not Exist
I have not seen a checklist yet. It will be added if one is found.
Series 7 Packaging
Series 7 was released in 4 Packs and 12 Packs. I also found some released in these ziplocs that came with the cards and the age advisory and copyright details. It was a full set from the UK and I do not know the story behind it.
Series 7 Checklist
I don't have one and do not know if it exists.
Later Dinosaurs Packaging - Dinosaur Holo Watch
The Later Dinosaurs were sold with a Dinosaur Hologram Watch in the UK. It is not clear if they were available in any other promotions. Released in 1994.
Hardees Packaging
Hardee's Dinosaurs were released as part of the kid's meal at Hardee's Restaurants in the US. They came in a cool dinosaur bag and sealed with a fact card.
Monster Wrestlers Packaging
The Monster Wrestlers were released in Europe as part of 2 waves single packs, as well as several playsets/accessory packs. They were also released in Kellogg's Frosties Cereal.
Monster Wrestlers Checklist
The Monster Wrestlers included a pamphlet rather than a checklist that detailed the playset/accessory packs.
Ninja Warriors Checklist
The Ninja Warriors Checklist is simply called the Ninja File and details the skills of each warrior and details about the play sets.
Sonrics Packaging
Sonrics figures came packaged in a MIMP box with Sonrics candies. The boxes are difficult to find intact.
Italian Packaging
The 2003 Series was released in single packs in a really cool dispenser
Peru Series 1 Packaging
Like the Sonrics the Peru figures came with candy. This time they had a simple wrapper and came in a neat blue box. I believe the wrapper included the paper cards as well.
Thanks to Chris Lanberg for the pics of the box.
Thanks to Chris Lanberg for the pics of the box.
Peru Halloween Packaging
The Peru came in cooler packaging than the original Peru and were packed with chocolate. Many of them retain that delicious aroma long afterwards, like chocolate air fresheners. There are 4 different packages all of which are shown below.
Monstruos Mutante Packaging
The Monstruos Mutante were sold in single packs.
Thanks to David Fernando Caldua Rivera for pictures of the packs.
Thanks to David Fernando Caldua Rivera for pictures of the packs.
2006 Series Packaging
2006 figures were released with decoders, games, and in 4 packs. The packaging for the 4 packs differ based on whether it was released in the UK, South Africa or Australian.
2006 Series Checklist
The 2006 checklist is less about points or numbers and more about classes of figures. On the plus side it does have pretty colors in the background.
Halloween Coffin Surprise Packaging
The HCF figures were originally released in this delightful coffin packaging. They were later re-released in other packaging that is more typical blue with stylized lettering. But the original coffin box is the best.
Topps Matchbox Cards Packaging
These cards were released in the US and UK (and adapted versions elsewhere) in many different packages. But they are all the same cards inside. Much like people. Just don't open any people up who are alive. The legal system frowns on that.
Battle Cards Packaging
Battle Cards were released in the US and South America (and probably other places). The US version was packaged with dice and 2 5 point figures. The Cromy Battle Cards (which are the same in other respects) were released as seen below.
Italian Cards Packaging
The Italian 2003 cards were released with the figures and in their own separate packaging.
Unknown Monster Box
I found a picture of this online, but have no other details about it. If anyone knows anything about it please message me.
Cromy Sticker Album
Cromy released a sticker album in South America during the era of the N64. The stickers included monsters from series 1, 2 and 3 including the "Lost Monsters" that were never released. Also there are dinosaurs so that is good too.
Panini Sticker Album
Panini released the stickers for the European Sticker Album. I got mine from Germany, though the sticker pack pictures are from the net.
French Sticker Sheet
I obtained these from France via eBay but no other details are known about its origins.
MIMP Stickers (Kalkers)
These were produced by Cromy and released in Argentina. There are at least 4 different sets, 3 of which are shown below.
Pins and Magnets
Pins were most popular in Mexico, but there were a few released in the US and for the Dinosaurs series in the UK.
MIMP Pin
This is the only pin I know was released in the US. It was a mail away exclusive for UPC's. It was also given away at trade shows according to the seller I bought it from.
Thanks to Liam Gray for the mail away info. Nice South Park profile picture too.
Thanks to Liam Gray for the mail away info. Nice South Park profile picture too.
Guess What's In My Pocket Pin
Possibly my favorite piece of MIMP memorabilia. A Double Entendre and a cool picture? Sign me up. I believe this one was a US release, but I don't know how it was originally obtained. Mine came from eBay.
Series 6 Brooch Pins
In the UK there were two sets of pins. One was the Brooch Pins below that were made in the shape of the Dinosaur sculpts. I was told this is the complete set which means only half the sculpts were made in pin form. These are minty mint on card.
Series 6 Button Pins
The other Series 6 UK pin release are the more typical button pins. I don't know if they were made for each dinosaur, but I hope to acquire more of these in time.
Sonrics Pins
In Mexico, Sonrics released pins of all the Series 1, 2 and 3 MIMP including the Lost Monsters.
I can't remember where I got the picture for the pins display, so if it belongs to anyone let me know and I will credit or remove it on request.
I can't remember where I got the picture for the pins display, so if it belongs to anyone let me know and I will credit or remove it on request.
Magnets
Both of these were custom made on eBay. One based on the NES cover and the other based on the Panini sticker packs.
Custom Key Chains
The Yellow Alu was made into a key chain by drilling a hole in its head and gluing the end in. It keeps falling off more than your drunk uncle falls off the wagon. The NES key chain is a little better, and falls off a few times a year, like a respectable key chain.