monsterrancher
Latest
Monster Rancher DS returns for another season
We never heard much about Monster Farm DS (or Monster Rancher DS, as it would have been known in the west, had it ever come out over here). We knew about the wacky new yelling-based, touchscreen-based, and GBA-cartridge-based monster creation systems that were added ... and that's about it. For whatever reason, the import never got much attention, and it was never released outside of Japan. For a popular series like that on the most popular console, that's kind of a bad sign.Still, Tecmo must have done okay in Japan, because they've announced another one for this August. Monster Farm DS 2 keeps the same input systems as before, but adds a character input system of some kind, that will allow players to write Japanese or Chinese characters in order to generate monsters. That's neat and all, but having gameplay be so dependent on kanji just makes it even harder to localize.
Monster Rancher makes with the battling
Besides wacky Japanese promotion, the upcoming Monster Rancher DS has a lot going for it. It's got Wi-Fi, so multiplayer enthusiasts have that. Those sadistic psychos who crave the feeling that comes from creating life and forcing it into a life-and-death battle can enjoy that. And you would, you evil evil person, you.If you dig the battle aspect, then we've got a nice trailer for you past the break.
Monster Rancher DS and some guy in a puffy suit
We may love Monster Rancher like ice cream, but we totally draw the line at donning a huge, unwieldy Mocchi suit. In other words, we don't envy this guy's (gal's?) job one bit, but we still love the idea of a Monster Rancher event. Especially since attendees learned an interesting tidbit of information -- when the shop that hosted the event's name was spoken into the DS, the sounds produced a special monster. Considering preorder copies also come with a unique monster, Tecmo is starting gamers out right with the franchise's latest version. We'll have to give the phrase GAMES Maya a go when we pick up the localized version ... just in case. The event also featured quality time with the Mocchi-suited mascot and a quiz about the Monster Rancher series, as well as a chance to try out the new monster creation features. Sounds like a good time was had by all! For those of you lucky enough to be around a Japanese download station, you can snag a Monster Rancher demo right now, as well.
Monster Rancher DS Japanese box art
It's no secret around here that we love Monster Rancher, but the latest version headed to the DS has us a little wary, and the box art isn't making anything better. Is it just us, or does it seem like this image is striving for more of a Pokémon style? With the shift to RPG, we can't say we're surprised by that.The classic Playstation games (hailed by us many as the best in the franchise) were focused on the monsters themselves, and that focus was reflected in the box art. Here, the focus seems to be equally on the childlike trainers and the monsters both ... and that, combined with the cartoony style shown here, is what makes us begin to doubt the potential for awesome in this game. When the series moved to the Playstation 2 and took on a cel-shaded design, the games suffered both graphically and content-wise. This box doesn't give us much hope that we'll see the series returning to its (incredible) roots.But we're still willing to wait and see, with fingers crossed and fervent hopes.
Virtually Overlooked Week: Alisha's picks
Virtually Overlooked has taken over Wii Fanboy! All this week, members of the staff will be outlining their personal picks for future Virtual Console releases.My path through gaming history is very haphazard and filled with missed turns. Somehow, I managed to skip several really amazing titles that I probably would have played for hours and hours, until they were imprinted in the deeper layers of my brain. I guess I just got really attached to the games that I played and loved, and as a kid with limited resources, I couldn't or wouldn't go hunting for new games. Even so, looking back at the avalanche of titles that shaped my early gaming "career," I can't help but think -- could anyone have played everything? Who were those people, and why wasn't I borrowing all their games?But I didn't miss everything, and the games I played were games I loved. I swear, after I finally put it aside, I could have probably played the original Legend of Zelda using only my toes and a half-working controller. Well, through the Octoroks and Tektites near the beginning screens, at least. Even now, the sight of those guys makes me smile. And did anyone else have one of those awesome Zelda watches? During school hours, those things were a lifesaver. But we've already got the inaugural Zelda on the VC -- so let's look at a few of my loves that are as-yet unavailable.
Preorder Monster Rancher, get a unique monster
Monster Rancher is looking more and more like a fantastic example of the way the unique features of the DS should be used. The latest word is that gamers who preorder a copy of the anniversary game Monster Rancher Jamboree will receive a punch card with a special monster encoded within, much like the cards for Spectrobes. From the look of the design, the cards are in keeping with the tablets that carry the monsters' genetic codes.Now let's just hope someone doesn't decide that this is a gold mine in the making -- if these cards were packaged and sold, things could be bad. Our bank accounts just shuddered at the mere thought. We'd much rather stick to GBA carts and holding the DS mic up to the stereo speakers. We do hope, however, that this preorder bonus makes it to US gamers, because we're all about free monsters.
Monster Rancher DS gets the scan treatment
As promised, if the tiniest scraps of Monster Rancher Jamboree information fall from the heavens, we're going to scoop them up and cradle them like tiny baby monsters. You were warned. In keeping with that, here's the latest from Famitsu, showing off plans for the upcoming title, which will celebrate a decade of the Monster Rancher franchise. That's ten years of awesome. Well, several years of awesome and then a few we're not sure about, but hey, close enough. Check out both the scanned pages after the jump for all the monstrous cuteness you could possibly shake a stick at. Oh, to be able to read Japanese ....
Friday Video: Ranching, now with monsters
There's something you guys will figure out in the coming months, so you might as well just accept it now: a certain girl-type blogger around these parts loves Monster Rancher. So get ready for random odes to the art of ranching, like today's featured video. Some people call it an ad. We call it art. Someone bring over a countdown timer, please. The time cannot pass quickly enough.(Someday, someone's going to make a video mashup of Castlevania, Final Fantasy, and Monster Rancher, and I'm simply going to die.)
Monster Rancher DS has a surprising developer
We've been keeping a close eye on Monster Rancher DS (or, to use the more exciting! Japanese name, Kaite, Shabette, Hajimeyou! Monster Farm DS). Now we have more reason to be excited, we think. Who has Tecmo "farmed" (heh, heh) the development of this title out to?Cing, for some reason! Cing, who is responsible for Trace Memory and Hotel Dusk, both of which were fairly well-received and high-profile. We aren't sure how their adventure-game development skills will transfer into monster-training, but we're optimistic. Cing at least knows a lot about making good use of DS features. What do you think about the news? Is there another DS-centric developer you'd rather see on the Ranch?
DS Daily: Cartridge rancher
Yesterday we mentioned that Monster Rancher was going to be ranchin' up some monsters on the DS. One of the most notable features of the new version is that it uses GBA games to generate monsters, in the same way that previous Monster Ranchers used CDs, or the Barcode Battler used dog food labels, or Treasure Gaust uses magnetic fields. There have been a few games that give GBA bonuses, like Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, which rewarded Aria of Sorrow owners with an extra item, but this is different. To some extent, your success in Rancher is contingent on your GBA game ownership.How does that strike you? Is it cool to be rewarded for having access to a nice GBA collection, or do you feel like you're being punished for not buying enough cartridges? Or has this news got you out searching for cheapo cartridges?
Monster Rancher DS sneaks past the Ninja Gaiden hype
With the whole gaming press freaking out about the new Ninja Gaiden game, another Tecmo franchise announcement has gone virtually ignored. And, like Ninja Gaiden, it uses the DS's unique features in surprising and possibly inappropriate ways.Monster Rancher DS goes back to the Playstation-era art style of Ranchers 1 and 2. Like other games in the series, it makes use of data on other media to generate creatures. However, instead of random CDs like in the previous version, this one makes use of the GBA slot. Shapes drawn with the stylus also figure into the gameplay in ... some way.We've rounded up some screens after the break. Get it-- "rounded up" because it's a "ranch" game, and... we're sorry.
