Pokémon Ranger
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| Pokémon Ranger | |
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| Developer(s) | HAL Laboratory, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Release date(s) |  March 23, 2006  October 30, 2006 December 7, 2006 Q1 2007 (TBA) |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | CERO: All Ages ESRB: Everyone |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS/DS Lite |
Pokémon Ranger (ポケモンレンジャー Pokemon Renjā?) is an action/role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. It was released in Japan on March 22, 2006, and was released in North America on October 30, 2006, in Nintendo World two days in advance. It will also be released in Australia on December 7, 2006 and in Europe in 2007. It is compatible with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, also for the Nintendo DS. Some websites listed the title of this game as, Pokemon Ranger: The Road to Diamond and Pearl
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[edit] Gameplay mechanics
Pokémon Ranger is a role-playing game where the player controls a Pokémon Ranger. This game is designed in a format radically different than that of traditional Pokémon RPGs. Rangers are often older than the trainers of the conventional Pokémon role-playing games. The player would use an object called the Capture Styler to create revolutions around a Pokémon by circling the stylus around the Pokémon a pre-determined number of times while avoiding the pokemon's attacks. This is necessary to complete missions. If you catch certain Pokémon, you can use special Poke Assists. For example, if you catch Torchic, you can use the fire type Poke assists, which work well against ice and grass types. This method of capturing pokemon only allows you to use them for one mission and then they are automatically released. Additionally, each new Pokémon you capture is automatically registered in the Ranger Browser, which is the Pokédex for this game. There is a total of 213 Pokémon available in Ranger, including three Pokémon that can only be in obtained in Ranger Net missions (they are not needed to complete the Browser).
This game is also compatible with the upcoming Nintendo DS games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in that players can transfer the egg of the legendary Pokémon Manaphy over to Diamond or Pearl to hatch in those games.
[edit] Capture Styler
This is the newest way to catch a Pokémon seen only in Pokémon Ranger. The device is established as a remote-controlled machine that circles the Pokémon creating beams, that, when formed into a loop, transmit one's feelings, sense of justice, and other comforting feelings to the Pokémon one is trying to capture, to make it accepting of its capture. This completely replaces all standard battle and capture systems from all other Pokémon games. This device is seen as a more humane way to capturing Pokémon than the old Poké Ball system, as Pokémon join one more by choice than force, and walk around freely rather than being locked away in a tiny ball. The Styler also does nothing to hurt the Pokémon. Not only does this device capture Pokémon and have them join one's party, but should a Pokémon be angered or hurt, this device calms the Pokémon down. This method of capturing requires skill and speed as the beams can be broken by a Pokémon attack, or even should the Pokémon walk into the beams, it will be broken. Pokémon attacks drain energy from the Styler, and should Steel-type Pokémon simply walk into the beam, the Styler's energy will be drained. Once the Styler's energy reaches zero, it breaks and one must restart from one's last save point. Electric Pokémon one has captured can recharge one's Styler. Higher-level electric Pokémon give better recharges. Level 3 electric Pokémon, such as Electabuzz or Raichu, will always give one's Styler a full recharge. Also, when the Styler levels up, it will fully recharge as well as gain more energy. The maximum level of the Styler is twenty, and it will have sixty energy points.
[edit] Characters
The storyline revolves around a single Pokémon Ranger — Lunick (Kazuki) or Solana (Hinata), depending on the player's choice. In addition to the male, female and professor protagonist characters in the game, several other Pokémon Rangers are part of the Ranger Union. Each ranger presumably holds domain over a certain area. These rangers are named Cameron (カムリ Kamuri), Elita (エリダ Erida), Joel (ジョウ Joe), Aria (アリア Aria) and Spenser (ハヤテ Hayate). A professor named Professor Hastings also plays a significant role in the game. He is the Chief of Technology for the Ranger Union.
The new group, Go-Rock Squad (Team Go-Go (ゴーゴー団 Go-Go dan?)), has four sub-leaders called the Go-Rock Quads. Similar to Jessie and James from Team Rocket, the Quads have a motto they repeat every time you meet up with them. Their names are Garret (ヤライ Yarai), Billy (ヨウジ Yōji), Clyde (ユウキ Yūki) and Tiffany (ミライ Mirai). The supreme leader is called Gordor (Ragō).
Additionally, the Manaphy egg from Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea makes an appearance in a special mission.
[edit] Legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Ranger
Although they take a great effort to capture, one cannot keep the legendary Pokémon as they are automatically released immediately after you capture them (with the exception of the three Regis, who will accompany one's character until their powers are used or you release them yourself).
The legendary Pokémon that appear in this game are as follows:
Ranger Net Mission Legends
[edit] The Manaphy egg
One quest in Ranger (downloadable by reserving a ticket in Japan for the 9th Pokémon movie, Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy) involves saving an egg from the Go-Rock Squad, which happens to be a Manaphy egg. Once the quest is complete, the player is told that the egg cannot be hatched in Fiore, but it must be transferred to Sinnoh, or, in other words, a Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl game. The player must have two Nintendo DS systems, one containing the Diamond or Pearl cartridge, and the other containing the Pokémon Ranger cartridge. The Manaphy egg will be transferred to the Diamond or Pearl file, allowing the player to hatch the egg and receive Manaphy at level 1. A video of this mission is available at PokéWiki (German). This mission may be available in the English version by inputting a password into password mode in Ranger Net, although this is unconfirmed as the password is unknown.
[edit] Development
Information regarding Pokémon Ranger was first published in July 2005’s issue of CoroCoro Comic Magazine. As expected, vague details were told (mostly hinting that it was a game and a movie). The “official” Pokémon Ranger announcement came on as a short teaser at the end of the 8th Pokémon movie. Little information was known beyond the fact that it was a game and a movie. This game's development was confused for being the same game as Pokemon Mystery Dungeon.
[edit] Promotion in the Pokémon anime
A few episodes of the Pokémon series have included Pokémon Rangers. They seem to go on special missions to help preserve Pokémon-human relations and they are closely related to Pokémon breeders. They also have a device that allows them to temporarily control wild Pokémon; this device also allows them to scan Pokémon, check how healthy they are, and make sure that they are not being interfered with by outside forces.
[edit] Merchandise
A game watch has been manufactured in the theme of Pokémon Ranger. The watch is designed to look like the Pokémon Rangers' Capture Styler used for capturing Pokémon. [1]
[edit] Sales information
Pokémon Ranger sold 193,337 copies in Japan on its release week. [2]
[edit] External links
- Pokémon Ranger at Nintendo.com
- Serebii.net, a resource for many Pokémon-related topics
- (JP) Official Site
- (DE) Has a lot of scans
- Review of Pokémon Ranger on Green Hill Zone.
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