<s>
Mail	B-Application
Order	I-Application
Monsters	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-strategy	O
computer	O
game	O
created	O
by	O
Paul	O
Reiche	O
III	O
,	O
Evan	O
Robinson	O
,	O
and	O
Nicky	O
Robinson	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
(	O
Ariolasoft	O
in	O
Europe	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
Commodore	O
64	O
in	O
1985	O
,	O
then	O
released	O
for	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
in	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
players	O
can	O
fight	O
against	O
each	O
other	O
,	O
play	O
capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
flag	I-Application
,	O
or	O
compete	O
for	O
a	O
high	O
score	O
against	O
a	O
computer-controlled	O
horde	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Monsters	O
can	O
be	O
stored	O
on	O
diskette	B-Device
and	O
can	O
be	O
upgraded	O
by	O
victories	O
against	O
other	O
monsters	O
or	O
computer	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
with	O
designers	O
Jon	O
Freeman	O
and	O
Anne	O
Westfall	O
of	O
Free	O
Fall	O
Associates	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
Archon	B-Application
for	O
EA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
development	O
,	O
Reiche	O
became	O
fascinated	O
with	O
his	O
friend	O
Greg	O
Johnson	O
's	O
development	O
on	O
Starflight	B-Application
,	O
and	O
spent	O
a	O
few	O
weeks	O
consulting	O
on	O
it	O
before	O
he	O
realized	O
he	O
was	O
"	O
supposed	O
to	O
be	O
working	O
on	O
Mail	B-Application
Order	I-Application
Monsters	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
stated	O
that	O
Mail	B-Application
Order	I-Application
Monsters	I-Application
was	O
a	O
"	O
very	O
good	O
game	O
"	O
that	O
did	O
not	O
reach	O
"	O
true	O
excellence	O
"	O
because	O
of	O
insufficient	O
combat	O
tactics	O
,	O
and	O
suggested	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
best	O
for	O
younger	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Writing	O
in	O
Vintage	O
Games	O
,	O
Bill	O
Loguidice	O
and	O
Matt	O
Barton	O
identify	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
precursor	O
to	O
the	O
Pokémon	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
