My Pokemon Ranch

"Disappointing storage software"

My Pokemon Ranch is a digital download to store digital creatures called Pokemon. It does contain Mii support, and implements the Miis really well. My Pokemon Ranch, sadly, is only compatible with Pokemons Diamond and Pearl. I have Pokemon Platinum. As of this review, this isn't compatible with Platinum in the US, though it is in Japan. My score isn't based on this, however, because I had rented Pearl for a while because My Pokemon Ranch offers unlockables---like a Mew!

Graphically, the game ranges from dull to hideous, with the exception of the Miis which look fine. The Pokemon themselves are just polygonal mess with no respect to their actual design or size. The backgrounds are dull and lifeless and the "ranch" consists of nothing more than a barn in the background and a boring rectangular fence. You start off with 10 Pokemon from the ranch lady, and she expects you to bring your own. Each day she'll bring another Pokemon from her own collection (none of which are actually yours) and she'll post requests for you to bring certain ones, or you can just dump off whatever. If you bring certain ones, she may trade with you. As the ranch populates with her and your Pokemon, the ranch will expand, allowing you to bring more. Max it out by adding 1000 Pokemon and you get the Mew.

I never got the Mew.

Other in-game 'ranchers' will visit your 'ranch' and ask for you to come visit their equally dull ranch populated with a single type or theme of Pokemon. In fact, had the storage software let you design your own ranch and sort the Pokemon accordingly, instead of just dumping off your Pokemon, then it could have added to the experience. You can take pictures of your Pokemon as they harass each other or use randomly generated toys from boxes that the rancher lady drops off. Though I refer to the Pokemon as "polygonal mess", they still have a charm to them as they "play". It is hardly a substitute to just playing the DS games or even a worthy substitute for Pokemon storage---the DS games may not let you 'interact', but it does let you sort your Pokemon across various bins.

A further disappointment of this storage software is that the Pokemon are tied to the Diamond or Pearl game save from which they originate. Not just the DS cart, but the particular trainer. So, if something happens to your Diamond or Pearl save, My Pokemon Ranch becomes My Pokemon Prison. The Pokemon are stuck there. They cannot be transferred to any other save file. This is a limitation that baffles me--- I can go buy an extra DS and another copy of Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum and I can trade all I want (after satisfying the in-game requirements for each save file, admittedly). However, buying a more expensive Wii and this overpriced storage software fails to allow me to move my Pokemon between games.

To sum it up, Nintendo could add Platinum support... I'd still prefer to have my money back (the equivalent of $10). Unless you really want a Mew and have 1000 Pokemon to deposit, this storage software is NOT recommended.

Rating score--- 1

Reviewer's Score: 1/10, Originally Posted: 08/17/09

Game Release: My Pokemon Ranch (US, 06/09/08)