Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is a role-playing simulation game published and developed by Koei Tecmo Games. Monster Rancher is celebrating its 25th anniversary by delivering to hardcore fans of the franchise re-releases of their two classics on the Nintendo console. This newest port provides some small improvements to the original while still providing the same aesthetic to players who want to relive their past.
The Monster Rancher universe is inhabited by strange creatures that have all been sealed by an ancient god in stone discs. After the discovery of one of these discs, humanity found the means of opening them and freeing the monsters from within. In both games, you are a new breeder who is taking their first steps in becoming a master breeder by raising and training your own monsters so that they can compete in the different battling tournaments.
For those of you unfamiliar with the franchise, you most likely are hit with Pokémon vibes with the game’s overall premise. However, there are a few key differences that set this game apart. As the breeder, you’re responsible for planning out the schedule for each week to efficiently raise your monster the best it can be. The main ways to do that are accepting jobs, training courses, giving your monsters items, and allowing them to rest after a hard day’s work. After a task is completed, your monster’s stats will slightly increase in the area you’ve trained them in.
Once you’re confident in their abilities, it’s time to register them into the Official Cup, which is a series of arena battles that pit your monster against others. There are six cups in total, with Grade S being the last and most challenging. Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX’s battle system is semi-turned based with you controlling the movement of your monster and selecting a specific attack against your opponent. Each of these attacks consumes your Guts meter (or Will in Monster Rancher 1) and once it’s depleted, your monster won’t be able to attack until it recharges. There’s also a Hit Gauge that helps to give a good idea of which attack will land successfully as well. After either winning or losing the Cup, your monster will be rewarded with fame points, which will help in your journey towards master breeder.
On the surface, Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is simplistic with its gameplay and what your ultimate goal is. Even so, it’s that simplicity that makes it addicting. I was obsessed with finding out the best training regimen for my monsters while having trouble deciding which food to give them at the beginning of the week. It’s a good feeling to see all your hard work planning pay off during the tournaments and, depending on your results, it will motivate you to keep growing your monster in areas they need to improve in.
However, there are a few flaws that sour the experience at times. First off, newcomers to the series might have trouble adjusting at the start as each game throws you straight into it after a very brief tutorial. This could easily confuse new players and cause them to make mistakes that can cost you in the long run. Coming from a newcomer myself, it took me a while to get the hang of things, which led me to lose almost all my money and receive a scolding from my assistant, Holly. It only got worse when it came to the combat. Not only did it feel sluggish and outdated, but the enemy seemed to always get the upper hand before I could even figure out how to control my monster. Because of all these frustrating issues, it could alienate new players who want to try the franchise out for the first time.
Another problem I have is that a big contrast between Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX and Pokémon is that your monster can die after a certain number of years. That’s right, don’t get too attached, because you’ll be surprised one day when your favorite beast has keeled over. Now, this wouldn’t be such a terrible thing since they give a few years to work with, except time moves very fast while training your monster to be ready for the next tournament. One way to fix this is breeding them another monster so that the offspring has the same traits as its parents. However, the problem is that you’ve dedicated so much time to training one monster that it’ll sometimes be a chore to start all over from the beginning. Because of this, I think there should’ve been a way for you to control by either switching off this monster permadeath setting or managing how many years they have left. While I understand this is the appeal of the game, having the power to choose your gameplay experience wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX still excels at combining the nostalgic look and sounds of an original classic while ironing out a few areas with some quality-of-life changes. While it shows its age in a lot of places with its repetitive gameplay and clunky fighting, it still can draw you in by its charm. One thing that stood out to me to from the start was its quirky, text-based conversation, especially with your assistants. These RPG elements got me invested, however, these moments are very limited, making me wish these games capitalized on that aspect more. This game moves at a slower pace than something like Pokémon, so it’s probably not for everyone. But for those of you who are into that, Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is worth your time.
7.5/10
For more information on Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX, check out the official website.
I've loved playing video games ever since I first played Battletoads on the NES when I was a kid. Since then, I've played a wide variety of games on different systems, including Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and have mostly gravitated towards open-world RPGs and action-adventure games with amazing storylines and character arcs. I'm passionate when comes to writing and interested in working as a narrative designer.
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