Monster Rancher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monster Rancher |
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The Monster Rancher logo of Monster Rancher 4, the eighth game in the series. Most titles use a similar logo.
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| Genres | Life simulation role-playing game |
| Developers | Tecmo GRC (secondary) |
| Publishers | Tecmo UFO Interactive (secondary) |
| Platforms | PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS |
| First release | Monster Rancher November 30, 1997 |
| Latest release | Monster Rancher 1 million July 15, 2012 |
Monster Rancher is a cool video game series from Japan. In Japan, it's known as Monster Farm. These games are about raising and training monsters. They are a mix of life simulation and role-playing fun.
The series was created by a company called Tecmo (now Koei Tecmo). There are fourteen games in the series, available on many different game systems. Monster Rancher also became an anime TV show. By 2007, the games had sold over 4 million copies worldwide!
Contents
Discovering the Monsters' World
Long ago, a huge disaster happened in the world. People asked for help, and a god created new life forms. But these new creatures caused more problems. So, the god sealed them away in special "disc stones."
Many years later, humans found out about these disc stones. People started searching for them to unlock the creatures inside. It was very hard to find these stones in ancient ruins. Each stone was said to hold one monster.
One day, some workers found a disc stone. They took it to the Monsters' Temple. Priests there used old methods to release the monster. Soon, monster battles became very popular. Raising monsters became a common hobby. Disc stones were found everywhere. Now, monster ranchers from all over the world gather to battle their trained monsters!
Playing the Monster Rancher Games
Monster Rancher games are often compared to Pokémon. But they are actually quite different! Pokémon games are mostly about collecting many creatures. Monster Rancher games focus on raising and training just a few. It's more like a virtual pet game.
In these games, you play as a monster breeder. Your main goal is to raise monsters for tournaments. You must take care of your monster throughout its life. This includes training it, keeping it healthy, and making a good exercise plan. You try to make your monster as strong as possible.
Monsters can have good or bad feelings depending on how you treat them. Happy monsters are more likely to fight well. They might even land special attacks! Unhappy monsters might not listen to you or refuse to fight. When a monster gets old, it can retire. You can even combine retired monsters to create new, stronger ones!
How Monsters Are Born
A unique part of Monster Rancher is how you get new monsters. In some games, like Monster Rancher and Monster Rancher 2, you can put any music CD into your game system. The game then "reads" the CD to create a new monster!
The game uses information from the CD to decide what kind of monster you get. This includes its type, strengths, and special traits. It's like the CD has a secret code for a monster!
Some CDs are known to create specific monsters. For example, in Monster Rancher 4, the Harry Potter DVD can create a special owl monster. Also, a game called Dead or Alive can create a Pixie monster named Kasumi in Monster Rancher 2. Some special CDs, called pandora discs, can even make many different monsters. Often, the Monster Rancher game disc itself is a pandora disc!
On handheld systems like the Game Boy Advance, you can't use CDs. So, Monster Rancher Advance and Monster Rancher Advance 2 use character codes instead. You type in certain letters and numbers to create a monster. You can find special codes in the game to get rare monsters.
For the Nintendo DS games, Monster Rancher DS uses new ways to create monsters. You can speak into the microphone or draw shapes on the touch screen. You can also insert a Game Boy Advance game cartridge into the DS.
In the online game, Monster Farm Online, you choose a monster type you know. Then, you use a CD or DVD to give it special traits. This helps players get rare monsters without needing specific discs from certain places.
Monster Rancher Game Releases
PlayStation Games
- Monster Rancher
- Monster Rancher 2
- Monster Rancher: Hop-A-Bout
- Monster Rancher Battle Card Episode II
Game Boy Color Games
- Monster Rancher Battle Card GB
- Monster Rancher Explorer
PlayStation 2 Games
Game Boy Advance Games
- Monster Rancher Advance
- Monster Rancher Advance 2
Nintendo DS Games
- Kaite Shabette Hajimeyou!: Monster Farm DS (Japan only)
- Monster Rancher DS (known as Monster Farm DS 2: Yomigaeru! Master Breeder Densetsu in Japan)
Microsoft Windows Games
- Monster Farm Online (Japan only)
Android and iOS Phone Games
- My Monster Rancher
- Monster Rancher 1 Million
- Monster Farm POP (Japan only)
- Monster Farm POP 2 (Japan only)
The Monster Rancher Anime Show
Monster Rancher also became an anime TV series. It was based on the video games. The show first aired in Japan. In the US, you could watch it on Fox Kids. In the United Kingdom, it was on Fox Kids and CBBC. In Canada, it aired on YTV.
The show had 73 episodes in total, split into two seasons. For the English version, these were divided into three seasons. The anime was also dubbed into Tagalog and released in the Philippines starting in 2000.
