I was given a chance to review a game that I never once in my entire life thought I would have the opportunity to; that game for those unaware is Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX, which for those of us who grew up playing video games back in the 90s, this is a niche game that brings back some joyful memories and surprises. I will explain about the surprises later but for now, all I can say is when I was checking this game out, I just kept smiling and just felt so happy to play a game that was part of my childhood but this time on the Nintendo Switch.
Also, on top of that, I remember watching the Monster Rancher anime and I loved it so much. Just to let people know the anime and the game are disconnected; there isn’t a mainline story that ties into the anime, but there are a few backstories of how the world came to be and why these monsters were created.
Game Direction
Monster Rancher is a game that we haven’t heard of in a long time; it was a game that gives players a chance to tame a monster and send them to battle, similar to Pokémon. When the game was released back in 1997 for the PlayStation, Monster Rancher was a bit different from the other Monster taming games during that time; one unique feature of the game was how to gain a new monster. That unique method was the game allowed players to use CDs/DVDs to generate random monsters to obtain them. Of course, this method won’t work with the Nintendo Switch, so Koei Tecmo had to take a different approach.
The main plot of Monster Hunter is that you are a monster breeder and you have an assistant who is the trainer for the monster. You go around competing in tournaments and trying to become the champion. Monster Rancher 1 and 2 do take place at the same time, but on two different continents, the first one takes place in the FIMBA area and the second one takes place in the IMA area, but there is a point in the game where they will eventually clash with each other.
Gameplay
One thing to understand is, Monster Rancher 1 and 2 DX is a straight port from how the game looked back in the 90s’ based on the visual playstyle. So when you do play this game, you will be playing in a 4:3 aspect ratio display, rather than a widescreen display format that we are used to. With the combination of both Monster Rancher 1 and 2 in one package for the Switch, there are a few new features that make the game more fun. For the DX part of the game, players will have access to all the save slots available, you can freeze up to 20 monsters, exclusive monsters from different countries have been added to the game (Monster Rancher 2), and a “Fast Forward” option allows you to skip certain scenes.
The new Monster generating system for the Switch is a huge upgrade from the days of playing this on PlayStation where we had to find CDs to import data files to get monsters, but now there is a music database search system where we can search any CD title to acquire new monsters. Throughout the game, you will learn that time management plays a major factor, where you will decide what kind of jobs your monsters undertake and plan their training schedules. Take a week to rest your monsters because you want your monsters to be ready for the tournaments. A tired monster won’t do a good job in the tournament.
Graphics/Audio/Controller
In terms of how the game looks, it has slight enhancements like sharper resolution and color, but other than that, it looks almost identical to what the game looked like back when it came out on PlayStation. Even with these, fans would still enjoy the game because it sticks close to how the original looked.
The controls for the battle systems remain untouched, which players can execute attacks that are determined by distance; it is a great system that requires a lot of decision making and quick reflexes, so if you played the original game back on the PlayStation, the commands and functions are still the same. I believe the developers did a great job porting the battle system over to the Nintendo switch. With that, not only the controllers were the same but also the audio as well.
There was plenty of old tracks, music, and of course new ones for new monsters that were added. I love the music whenever I am training my monster at the ranch because it feels aesthetic. Monster Rancher 2 gives players the option to play the game with a remastered soundtrack, however, you won’t notice it unless you have a really good speaker or headphones.
Replay Value
This is a game that never ends because there is no official storyline to the game. You raise your monster, train, and compete in the tournaments. One thing is raising your monster is a challenge; this will require lots of patience because it is a long process. With the fast forward feature, the game moves a bit faster, but it is for sure a game that you can keep playing and playing because you never know what monster you might get from the disc stone generator and the possibilities are endless. On top of that, it is two different games that take place at the same time, so you can have a variety of paths.
Conclusion
This is a real gem that brings me back that feeling of first loving video games with monster taming. I enjoyed the original on my PlayStation and now I am happy that I get to enjoy this game as well on my Nintendo Switch. I can take my monster anywhere and raise them whenever I am not home.
This is a game that will be enjoyable for all players both old and new because it was created to rekindle our love of taming games like Pokémon and Digimon. So seeing this game on the Nintendo Switch makes it feel that more and more gamers will get to enjoy playing this no matter where they are in the world. The beauty of what makes Monster Rancher such a great game is the attention to detail that they have for the monsters. Depending on how much care we put into them, they can grow strong and become Monster Champion.
Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is available now on the Nintendo Switch
A digital copy of the game was provided for review.
