First 'Ranger' Details Emerge :: News

Reported by Psythor on Fri 21 Oct 2005 19:16:56 UTC
Last updated by Psythor on Fri 21 Oct 2005 19:16:56 UTC
Section: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum

IGN, the internet company now owned by Rupert Murdoch have got some information on the movie tie-in "Pokémon Ranger" game for the Nintendo DS.

This news item is more than 45 days old. Updates are unlikely and newer information may already be available.

These games, in case you've missed out on the preliminary stuff that you might have read on PUK a couple of months back, the game is a little different to the "traditional" Pokémon stuff- rather than train your monsters to fight against its peers in needless battles, you're a "Pokémon Ranger", perhaps from the Safari Zone, and you've got to use Pokémon to "protect nature".

The IGN article claims you get to play as two characters- a "boy and a girl"- although we have to wonder whether or not they mean "or a girl"- as that's more like the Pokémon we know.

The interesting thing is that to coincide with the games, there is a Pokémon Ranger film being made too- surely this is just asking for a free wireless download of *something* when you go to see it?

To shamelessly quote IGN:

"The two characters hold a device in their hands that has an antenna. The nature of this device is unknown at this time, but it looks like it will play a key role in the game."

In terms of what you see when you stare a your DS, apart from your big fat sausage fingers fumbling about with the small buttons and blocking the lower screen, you'll see all of the action taking place on the lower touch screen. The top screen is used exclusively for a radar showing you where the different Pokémon you've apparently made friends with are.

IGN claim upto seven of your "friends" can be seen on the radar- an odd number considering the traditional Pokénumber is six.

IGN, now step-brother to the bastion of truth that is Fox News promise "Advanced Visuals" compared to other Pokémon games- are they in the "no spin zone" when saying this?