Return to the ranch this winter with Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX for Steam and Nintendo Switch. 90s kids will remember the fun and excitement of going through their collection of game and music CDs to see which monsters were waiting inside. That system has been replaced with a new in-game music database where users can generate monsters by searching CD titles.
That’s not the only change in store for those returning to this series after 16 years since the last entry in the Monster Rancher world. A lot of exciting new enhancements have been added to make your stay on the ranch easier and more enjoyable.
Players can now freeze up to 20 monsters at one time. With online play, users can battle or even download monsters created by other ranchers. A new random encounter feature has been added to increase the number of ranked battles. There’s also a fast forward feature to help speedup gameplay. New music has been added to the soundtrack of Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX. Most exciting of all, new monsters have been added that previously were only available in specific countries.
For those not familiar with Monster Rancher, it’s a game series that spawned a successful anime series. It never reached the heights of fandom as Pokemon or Digimon, but it was successful in its own right.
Gameplay focuses on raising, battling, and exploring with your monsters. Monster Rancher also differentiates itself from similar monster raising games by using permadeath. This means someday you will have to part ways with your beloved monster and start anew with a new recruit.
Yes, that’s right. Monsters will die, whether from old age or sickness or injury, making Monster Rancher a bit more intense than your typical Pokemon or Digimon style monster raising game. It also creates an emotional bond between players and their monsters. Your time with your monster is precious indeed, but, if you take good care of your monsters, they will stay by your side for a long time. It’s never easy to say goodbye to your favorite monsters, but your next monster is just one CD away.
Monster Rancher is what could best be described as a stat-raising simulation or time management game. Players assign various tasks for their monsters to complete each day which will raise or lower some statistics. You can also feed or give special items to your monster to further change his stats. These stats will largely determine the outcomes of battles or explorations. It’s not as focused on giving direct commands in battle, and monster’s stats have a huge influence on almost every aspect of these games.
The story is nonlinear and triggered by events and choices that you make in the game. While story is not the primary focus of the Monster Rancher series, especially the earlier games in the series, there is enough story to keep you moving forward.
As the game progresses, players move through a tier ranked competition system, aiming for championship status. With the new online play features, players can also expect to see online rankings.
Monster Rancher DX takes what made the original great and expands on it by adding new features and online play. Get ready to return to the Ranch on December 9th, 2021.