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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.
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 ....
Rune Factory opening movie
Fighting, farming, and ... uh. Young love. Yeah. Sounds like the makings of an epic!While this may not be the best of all movies on YouTube (it's a little on the jiggly side), it's still a love peek into the new Rune Factory releasing in Japan this week.
