One of the more interesting genre-bending games I saw at this year’s E3 was the DS game that combined virtual-pets and action games, with a dash of RPGs thrown in for good measure.

Monster Tale puts you in control of an unlikely pair. Your main character is the little girl Ellie who will hack and slash her way through the game’s levels, but while she does, she will uncover various pickups that can be used by her partner. This second character is named Chomp, and while he starts off as a little thing floating around the bottom screen of your DS, he will evolve and grow based on what type of items you send his way.

So how can Chomp help you? For one, you can summon him to the top screen (where all the action is) and he can help defend Ellie in some of the tighter spots in the game. Another big benefit to the creature is the ability to use his various powers to get into otherwise inaccessible parts of the game. With 30 or so different forms, Chomp becomes akin to the ultimate Pokemon and all you have to do is send down the various books, armor, weapons and foods in order to alter his stats and make him grow.

You will be able to take Ellie and Chomp through her five magical and dark kingdoms this holiday season. At this point, it looks like Monster Tale is going to be one of those quirky titles that might not sell well immediately, but if done right, can definitely develop a cult following.