Monster Rancher

"Pokemon with a twist"

I bought this title, having never played it(I rarely do that unless it's an FF game), and I must tell you, I was not the least but disappointed. I got everything I expected and a tad more. What did I expect? A fun, innovative game that was repetitive and challenging(to a degree). What I didn't expect were the endless hours of fun you would get from playing this game. Heed the warning: this game is extremely time-consuming. In what seemed like an hour or two worth of play, I glanced at my clock and discovered I had been playing 8 hours straight! Monster Rancher screams innovation from one side of the CD to the other. You are a breeder whose goal is too become a master breeder. To do this, you must win an official tournament, in which you actually control your monster in a series of 3-D fighting matchups. To make your monster stronger, you must make him do work or send him off to train. You choose whether to spoil your monster or tobe a cruel master, all with the push of a button. Being cruel results in a short life span but makes him a hard worker. Spoiling results in a long life but a lazy worker. Some types need more discipline than others, it all depends on the monster(i.e. Nagas and Pixies need more discipline than Dinos or Tigers). There are over 200 different monsters to create. Either get a basic type from the market, combine two at the lab, or, my preference, create some using your CDs. I found the best part of the game was getting the numerous monsters from my PC, PSX, and Music CDs. Some of the better: Final Fantsay VII disc 1 will get you a Pixie, disc 3 will get you a worm. NFL Gameday '98 will get you a Trident. Interactive sample CD version 3.5 will get you a Grape. Magic Carpet for the PC will get you a Naga. I could go on, but for lack of time, I won't. Some of the best combinations in the lab: Worm and Naga(Wing Worm), Suezo and Naga(Noro), Pixie and Gali(Angel), and Tiger and Naga(Striker). The only downsides to this game are the adventure parts(although there is an occasional spiffy item), music, and repitition. Don't worry though, those CDs will keep you going for hours. Once you get the perfect monster, you won't wanna stop beating up those guys. Good luck, and, as always, have fun!

Graphics-No real flaws, the opening sequence is great use of FMV. Could be a little better. 8.5

Sound-Only major problem. Music is too mediocre to keep on. Battle music, however, can pump you up a bit. 6.0

Fun Factor-Very fun game, gets extra brownie points for innovation, but can get repetitive after a while. 9.0

Replay Value-Pretty good here, endless CD collections will consume your time. Like I said, it does get repetitive. 9.0

Control-No problems here. It's basically flawless. 10.0

Total Score- 8.5

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99