pokemon ranger game review

Pokémon ranger is a new and exciting experience to other Pokémon games it lets you capture Pokémon in a whole new way.
The good parts:
A new way of capturing, great use of the touch screen, quests that will keep player occupied for days, different 2D graphics make characters come to life.
The bad parts:
Excess spinning of the stylus may scratch the screen and games explorations are basic
A great new feature is that players can really put the DS screen to a better use that previous Pokémon games for the DS such as ‘Pokémon mystery dungeon.’ Could not. Pokémon ranger requires a hand on approach to capturing them all in this new spin off of the original games. The game has some role-playing elements the same as other Pokémon titles, rather than facing off against a trainer and their Pokémon you only face off against just the Pokémon and capture or defeat them by drawing circles around them as they walk and attack on screen. This new way of capturing Pokémon is better than the traditional throwing poke-balls. Pokémon ranger’s unique touch screen use, bright and colourful 2D graphics, long missions and new use of WI-FI will keep players busy for days.
At the beginning of the game you are asked to be a boy or a girl who reams of becoming a top Pokémon ranger who is admitted into a top ranger academy who keep the peace between Pokémon and humans. At the academy you are given a ‘styler’ the device that you will use to capture Pokémon and temporarily recruit them to your team and use their special abilities in side and out side of battle. During the training you will be shown the ropes by doing small missions. But along the way you’ll be hearing about the no-good go-rock squad they are a rival organisation that are looking for a way exploit the powers of Pokémon by using a machine that is similar to the rangers styler. And like in every Pokémon you will get caught up in their plan and be the one to take them down. Also in every Pokémon game there is plenty to do after players finish the main story.
Completing missions allows players to rise in rank and allow players to have more Pokémon on their team and use their special abilities more often. The games ‘combat’ can’t really be called a fight or a battle but more of a mini game instead because the Pokémon runs around the screen while the player runs rings around it but its easy said than done. There are challenges to it such as weak Pokémon will only need two or three rings where as stronger Pokémon will need more than a dozen rings, players will sometimes need to face several Pokémon at once and Pokémon will try and break the styler’s line while no attack is being made. This can make players scribble at the screen and scratch it in the process all this makes it a solid game.
The idea is to draw circles as fast as possible. As Pokémon bumps the capture line it breaks, the capture will fail and the player will have to try again. As a Pokémon attacks the capture line it breaks and the styler’s energy goes down if the energy goes down to zero then its game over. The styler’s energy level will increase as you capture Pokémon, like health points would in a typical role-playing game. Pokémon ranger is a typical role-playing game by starting off easy and gets harder as the player advances. Players can quickly swirl around a Pokémon and capture them is seconds but others will need patience and skill.
Because of the variety of Pokémon and the variety of different ways of using Pokémon and the capture styler the game stays interesting. The sequences of field-exploration are the same basic types that you see in every Pokémon game caves, forests, rivers seas and lakes. Most if the time the player will need to capture a certain type of Pokémon to get to the next area. Some Pokémon can cut through gates, swim across rivers or even burn down logs. The areas are not bad but not very imaginative and the towns, city’s and buildings are simple.
During the story you’ll travel with a partner Pokémon that will vary if you choose to be a boy your partner will be a Minun if you’re a girl it will be a Plusle these will be with you at all times and help you be stunning a Pokémon. Pokémon ranger is a single-player game offering 15 hours plus of game-play but means that players can’t challenge friends. Some extra missions such as finding every last Pokémon and ranger net offers extra game-play time. Pokémon ranger’s bright and attractive effects bring all characters to life. The graphics are not 3D but the characters are 2D and are nicely animated. Because most Pokémon games use static images the Pokémon all look the same size but in Pokémon ranger Pokémon are shown to scale size like a Pichu would be tiny and a Charazard would be large, also Pokémon in original games did not move around the screen much like in Pokémon ranger the Pokémon are free to move where they like so players can really interact with them and watch them breath fire or shoot electricity. Every Pokémon has a unique sound but the sound effects are not very impressive and its audio is basic like the audio out of the game boy games. As for replay ability I would say maybe but the story does not change and the challenges are all the same.
The capturing of different Pokémon requires different strategies it’s easier said than done. Once you have caught a Pokémon and used its abilities you have to let it go meaning its not as involving as other games and you don’t keep a large collection of Pokémon like in traditional games. The theme to the game is different because instead of the original fight gym leaders and get badges to be the best Pokémon master you are more of a nature loving peacekeeper.
In conclusion I think that Pokémon ranger is a unique spin off with plenty of challenges and a chance for a sequel its defiantly worth a pick up.