Typically, I tend to review games that I’ve either been playing recently, am playing at the moment, or find notable in my mind for some reason. Today’s no different! I’m being a little predictable and going for another Pokémon game, but it’s not in the main series line (and it’s not mystery dungeon!). This time I’m looking at the first installment of Pokémon Ranger (typically overshadowed by the second installment, Shadows of Almia), a game that until a few months ago I hadn’t played since 2008. In this game, you play as a ranger who captures and releases pokémon instead of battling with them (although you do get a Plusle or a Minun, depending on your selected character gender! Plusle was my favorite growing up, and I was and still am delighted to have it along with me). You capture them by drawing loops around them, and the difficulty varies with the movement of the pokémon and the number of loops you have to draw around them.
FUN RATING: 2/5. I hate to say it, but gameplay is pretty uninteresting in terms of plot. Capturing the mons is decent, but it’s not particularly challenging. There have been a couple of puzzles I’ve had to work my way through, though. I also enjoyed the aspect of interacting with the world of Fiore and its towns and areas (plus, the Ringtown music is incredible). You can also do timed races capturing pokémon, which is pretty fun and similar to the Safari Zone in the mainline games.
EASE RATING: 3/5. I’m giving it a 3 because I’m stuck between a 5 and a 2 for difficulty, and I don’t want to do halves. The area I’ve been stuck in for a week is apparently the hardest part of the game and it’s getting more frustrating. Bias, I know. Everything up to this point, however, has been incredibly simple. The difficulty spike is the issue that this game faces- either it’s too easy or it’s too hard. There’s not a lot of middle ground to feel things out. I’ve gone through so many tutorials and explanations, and I keep catching it and then it breaks my line right after I get the “OK” symbol for a completed capture. I am descending into hell carrying Ls.
REPLAYABILITY RATING: 2/5. I don’t want to rate this a 1, because I did end up replaying it from my 2008 save file. However, I’m gonna be honest- I’m doing this for the Manaphy egg you get at the end. Thank god for those people who put the codes up online so everyone can get it, because I don’t know if I would do this otherwise. That said, I’m enjoying my playthrough so far.
OVERALL: If you really want a Ranger game, probably try Shadows of Almia. I haven’t played it myself yet, but apparently it’s really good (and you can get a Manaphy egg you can transfer to Platinum directly, rather than trading it through Diamond and Pearl and then to Platinum later). This is kind of a nostalgia trip, and the music is pretty fantastic. I know the Pokémon Ranger audience is kind of niche, and it’s been kind of fun playing a different style of Pokémon. However, I don’t think I would recommend this game with glowing reviews outright. Again, if you want a Ranger experience, this would probably not be my first choice. That said, it’s pretty good for what it is- a spinoff Pokémon game. It doesn’t really pretend to be more than it is, and it’s a decent way to pass the time. I really wish I could give this a higher review, but it is what it is. Maybe I’ll update this when I finally get through the Flygon challenge. As an aside, DO NOT play this or any other Ranger game without a stylus. You will wreck your lower screen.
I’ve genuinely never heard of this game, so your review was really helpful in helping me understand the objectives of Pokemon Ranger and I enjoy your humorous take and in-depth opinions!
I’ve never heard of Pokemon Ranger, and I guess that there’s a reason for that, considering the poorer ratings you gave the game. I do appreciate how detailed you get in reviewing it, and how you’re willing to rate both great and less-great games (as opposed to only doing really good ones)!