It may have been a long time coming, but Nexon's MapleStory M is finally here. For those that don't know, this is a mobile interpretation of the mainline PC MMORPG. In the past, we had received a few different mobile versions of MapleStory on Android, but they never quite stacked up to the original PC release and were subsequently shut down. MapleStory M is supposed to wipe the mobile slate clean by offering something a little more familiar to longtime fans.

For starters, this is a slightly demanding game despite its simplistic and cartoony look. I spent some time playing it back when there was an open beta, and it would seem its requirements haven't changed in the six months that have passed. You will need a device on Android 4.4 or higher, a dual-core CPU, and 1.5GB of RAM. Once installed it only takes up 214MB of storage, but there may be further downloads past where I am in the game, so that may increase.

The gameplay isn't quite what you would remember of classic MapleStory, so if you are an older player, be prepared for a few free-to-play shenanigans. Now, it's not like MapleStory has ever been known for fair monetization, and of course, this isn't going to change for a mobile release. So yes, you can expect an auto-questing system along with an auto-battle system (that's unlocked at level 20), and you better believe the in-app purchases range as high as a $89.99 per item. This is a Nexon title after all, so it's kind of expected.

Depending on how you view mobile MMOs, that auto-questing system may be a negative or positive. Questing is as simple as tapping on the screen so that your character will continue along its endless grind. This may be great for those of you who hate wasting time grinding manually, but it's also a cheap trick to keep people addicted to the positive gameplay loop when things move along so quickly.

Currently, the servers are not up yet, but there is a post on the official MapleStory M Facebook page that states they should be up by 7/24 10 pm EDT. So it looks like there is one more hour to wait until you can actually play. At the very least you can preload the client in the next hour to make sure you are ready.

The funny thing to me is that despite what many would view as negative additions to the classic grindy gameplay, I'm still eager to jump into MapleStory M. Maybe that's just my nostalgia talking, or perhaps this is one of the first MMORPGs on mobile that makes me feel like I'm playing on PC. Sure, the recent beta release of Old School Runescape may be a better nostalgia trip thanks to its subscription fee and non-reliance on IAPs, but something about the adorable 2D graphics of MapleStory keeps me coming back for more despite its blatant money-grubbing issues.

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