On the faraway island of the Kaiji, the peaceful Maboo tribe once lived in harmony with mystical monsters. All was as it should be until the brutish "Black Evil" took control of the pristine island and ruined everything. It is now up to you to win back the island for the Maboo tribe: breed your own mystical Kaiji monster, compete in a series of challenges, and if you are skillful enough, win the eight magical orbs, whose combined power will win back the island.

Next month, the orbs can be yours when Sega brings the recently released Japanese title Kaiju no Shima to the Gamecube in America, as Amazing Island. This game manages to combine the fun of a party game with the all the addiction that comes with custom character creation.

The "Monster Editing System" provides the greatest charm. Your first pass at creating a monster is very simple. Your answers to a series of simple questions (for example, "What do you drink when you are thirsty?" and "What's the best part of going on a trip?") determine which monster you are given first. As you progress through the courses, accumulate points and win competitions, you will be able to create new monsters and save them to enter into future competitions. Winning competitions unlocks new monster skeletons and accessories. You can customize your monster by actually drawing the body on top of the skeleton in a free-hand drawing style interface. After adding the body to the monster's frame, you can paint your new friend with colorful textures such as zebra stripes, or even make your monster appear transparent. If you want to make your monster fly, then try adding butterfly wings, dragonfly wings, fairy wings, or even Da Vinci wings. In this game, your imagination is the limit.

Eight portions of the body are customizable with accessories that are unlocked throughout your progress in the game. Each of these items adds to the strength, speed, intelligence, or dexterity of the monster, and are essential to give your monster an edge in battle (if you need to pack an even bigger punch, check out the potions before beginning your match). Our favorite monster feature is a set of alien mouths we attached to the monster ears. As you win more challenges, you can access new skeletons and accessories, and can even compare your monster with ones created by the game's developers!

The 30 different competitions, set on seven courses, challenge your monster's unique abilities, testing them in timing, speed, and head-to-head combat. Try your hand at water-skipping competitions, basket barrage, and fireball volley. This is where your skill as a breeder is put to the test. The size, features, and accessories you've selected for your monster directly affect its ability to win the competition.

With this game, you also have the ability to connect your GBA to your Gamecube and download your monster to compete in mini-card games, show off your monster's photos, and trade with your friends.

While the simplicity and style target the game to younger audiences, the infinite creative options make Amazing Island a game with excellent replay value that will attract gamers of all ages. Amazing Island is schedule to ship at the end of August. Check back for a full review as the title ships.