Monster Rancher 2

Monster Rancher 2, known in Japan as Monster Farm 2 (モンスターファーム２, Monsutā Fāmu Tsū), is a 1999 PlayStation video game, and the second installment in the Monster Rancher series. It is the first game in the franchise to be released in Europe and PAL region, where it was published in October 2000 under the name Monster Rancher.[3]

Monster Rancher 2
Developer(s)Tecmo
Publisher(s)Tecmo
SeriesMonster Rancher
Platform(s)
Release
February 25, 1999
  • PlayStation
    • JP: February 25, 1999
    • NA: August 31, 1999[1]
    • EU: October 20, 2000[2]
    PlayStation Network
    • JP: December 3, 2014
    Android
    • JP: September 17, 2020
    iOS, Nintendo Switch
    • JP: September 17, 2020
    • WW: December 9, 2021
    Microsoft Windows
    • WW: December 9, 2021
Genre(s)Life simulation game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

A port for Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android has been released in Japan on September 17, 2020.[4][5][6] An updated version for iOS, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows via Steam was released worldwide on December 9, 2021 as part of the compilation titled Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX along with Monster Rancher.[7]

Gameplay

This game involves raising, fighting, and breeding monsters. The main character is never seen on screen and never talks to anyone directly. Instead, all of the dialog and action is done by the trainer's assistant Colt and her toucan Joy. The player chooses their actions and choices through menu options.

Tournaments, from which money, items, and fame can be earned, are held throughout the year. However, only by winning an IMa Official Cup, four of which are held each year, can breeders and monsters earn higher ranks. As a monster's rank increases, it gains access to higher level tournaments.

Monsters begin life knowing a small number of moves that can be used in battle, with more learned through training. To perform a move, a monster must expend some “guts,” which regenerate constantly during battle. Each move can only be performed while within a particular range of an opponent, and from close range monsters can knock opponents back.

Besides the monster types the player can unlock from the beginning, there are many more which the player can raise. There are three different ways in which to unlock new monster types for raising: plot events, expedition, and errantry. The most common way these new monsters are given to the player is by the gain of an item, which when used to combine monsters, will produce this new type. After that happens, CDs will now be allowed to produce monsters of that type.

Story

The story of Monster Rancher 2 is largely non-linear with story events happening only after certain requirements are met (winning a battle, reaching a certain rank, etc.). The story begins with the main character going to register to become a trainer, it is there when Colt appears as the trainer's new official assistant. The "end" of the game is when a monster is able to beat the Big Four (the four highest ranked battles in the game) when this happens a video about the history of the monsters is shown. A monster who has beaten all four of the S class tournaments can then go on to compete in a special match for champion monsters like itself.

It is important to note that Monster Rancher 2 happens in close time proximity to Monster Rancher 1, but on a different continent (MR2 being set in the IMA area, and MR1 set in the FIMBA area), because of this there is a special battle between the player and the assistant from the first game, Holly. This event takes place every four years, much like the Summer Olympics, and the player's monster has to be of certain rank to gain entry to. The event is called the IMA vs. FIMBA meet and always takes place in the last week of August. The player must win the preceding entry tournament first, which always takes place in the last week of July, respectively.

Defeating the Major 4 tournaments and the Legend Cup does not unlock all of the monsters in the game. There are different steps to take to unlock each main breed monster.

Reception

The game received "generally favorable reviews", albeit slightly less than the original game, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 32 out of 40.[11]

References
  1. "Monster Rancher 2". IGN. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  2. "Monster Rancher (PAL)". PlayStation DataCenter. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  3. "Monster Rancher - Walkthrough/FAQ". IGN. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  4. "Monster Rancher 2 Gets Port for Switch, Smartphones This Fall". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  5. "Monster Rancher 2 for Switch, iOS, and Android launches September 17 in Japan". Gematsu. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  6. "Japanese Nintendo Eshop". Nintendo.
  7. Mateo, Alex (August 26, 2021). "Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX Launches on Switch, PC, iOS on December 9 in the West". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  8. "Monster Rancher 2 for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  9. Miller, Skyler. "Monster Rancher 2 - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  10. EGM staff (December 1999). "Monster Rancher 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 125. Ziff Davis.
  11. "プレイステーション - モンスターファーム2". Famitsu (in Japanese). Vol. 915. Enterbrain. June 30, 2006. p. 6.
  12. Fitzloff, Jay; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (October 1999). "Monster Rancher 2". Game Informer. No. 78. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on March 1, 2000. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  13. Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Chau, Anthony "Dangohead"; Higgins, Geoff "The Judge" (October 1999). "Monster Rancher 2". GameFan. Vol. 7, no. 10. Shinno Media. p. 16. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  14. Van Stone, Matt "Kodomo" (October 6, 1999). "REVIEW for Monster Rancher 2". GameFan. Shinno Media. Archived from the original on June 15, 2000. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  15. Clint (January 2000). "Monster Rancher 2 Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  16. Stahl, Ben (September 27, 1999). "Monster Rancher 2 Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  17. Loro, Robin; Perry, Douglass C. (October 7, 1999). "Monster Rancher 2". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  18. Maruyama, Wataru (November 1999). "Monster Rancher 2". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 3, no. 2. Ziff Davis. p. 141. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  19. "Review: Monster Rancher 2". PSM. Imagine Media. November 1999.
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