Well, you are reading a review by one of Monster Rancher's biggest fans! The replay value of the first four installments are superior, as the possibilities are virtually endless, and these rank among the best games I have ever played. Unfortunately, this installment in the "series" has really disappointed me, and I have barely gotten into the game. I am only at the beginning, and already have problems. Monster Rancher has never been one of those games that rely on eye-hand coordination abilities, but this one does. In order to get the best performances from your monster, you have to "perform" well yourself on tests that require you to be very coordinated - you must press the button at precise times to match and catch items. If you fail or do poorly, so does your monster. Most of the fun elements are still there...you can spend hours just going through your CDs and DVDs getting cool monsters from them. There are still battles, and you can now battle with teams of monsters. It is the performances in the circus that you (as the trainer) live in that are an annoyance. In truth, I am very non-motivated to dive into this game - not at all like how I used to get up early just to have extra time to play with, train and go on adventures with my monsters in the other games. I remember getting so involved with the first installment, for example, that after working soooo hard to finally get a Dragon unlocked, and mistakenly then saving another started game over it, I had nightmares about killing my poor monsters I had worked so lovingly with to develop, LOL. Though I am just starting this one, I am not all that thrilled that I will now have to be so coordinated on mini-games to help my monsters grow and succeed. One reason I prefer RPGs (and this can be considered an RPG), is that I do not have to worry about accuracy, as with this installment. It has it's good points, like the way you can interact with characters as in traditional RPGS, and go into dungeons, and you can still make choices that affect everything about your monsters. It also has a huge variety of monsters to choose from. It also, however, has monsters that I could do without ever seeing again, and does not have some of the great monsters from the earlier games, though you can choose to work only with the monsters you like, of course. Getting the hang of all the stat screens and even just finding out how to save were challenging. The directions are poor on these points. There is too much frustration and confusion right from the start to really get me to dive into this game. I'm not sure I am going to like this one nearly as much as the first four, and that is a disappointment. Perhaps, as I get further in, it will be easier and more enjoyable, but I am doubting that at this point. But, I will try - just to get a chance to see all my favorite monsters, and try out some new ones!Read full review
No issues, game is in great shape. Have to dig out my PS2 to test it out
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Arrived safely, but disc was just loosely moving around inside case. I’d recommend placing a piece of masking tape to keep it secure during transit please or using a better quality case to ship with. Thank you
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I bought this product because I liked the older Monster Rancher series. I liked the fact it was more RPGish than the others, and your character actually walks around in the towns. The bad thing is, is that the mini-games can get annoying and old quick. There is little to no monster breeding like in the others. I prefer the original Monster Rancher games over this one. I'm not saying it is a bad game, just could have been a bit beter.
This was bought as a gift from an 18 year old boy, through his dad, as a gift for his 11 year old younger sister. In this case the smile was worth much more than the price of the game. It is a game both boys an grils of all ages can enjoy an play together with both positive an joyful fun.
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