Monster Rancher
Encyclopedia
Monster Rancher, known in Japan
as , is a series of life simulation
role-playing video game
s created by Tecmo (now Tecmo Koei
). The series currently consists of fourteen games across different video game platforms, and future titles are planned. In addition, the series has been adapted into an anime
, which ran for three seasons.
The rename of the franchise was probably done to avoid confusion with the short lived Saban
series Monster Farm
, which aired around the same time as the Monster Rancher anime.
It is said that the "disc stones" are almost impossible to find among the ancient ruins. It is said that one monster is trapped inside each one. One day a group of workers excavating the ancient ruins happened to dig up one of these mythical disc stones. The worker who first discovered a disc stone took the disc to the Monsters' Temple. There the priests, using the ancient methods, unlocked the monster inside the disc stone. In a place where ranchers and monsters coexisted peacefully, the battle of the monsters began. As time passed these monster battles became extremely popular, and monster breeding became the standard pastime of the land. Eventually disc stones were found around the entire world. Now ranchers across the globe come together and enter unto battle.
even though the two series play very differently. While the Pokémon games are traditionally collection-based RPGs, Monster Rancher games tend to be simulated animal breeding
games. The genre
Monster Rancher occupies is shared by other simulation virtual pet games such as Digimon
and games based on raising horses for racing, like in the Gallop Racer
series also by Tecmo.
In the games, one takes the role of a monster breeder
whose goal is to raise monsters to fight in tournaments. The breeder must take it in hand to raise the monster throughout its life, training it, keeping it healthy, making an exercise schedule, and trying to maximize its abilities before it dies of old age or is retired
. Monsters have good or bad morale depending on how they are raised; loyal monsters are more likely to perform critical hit
s, while disloyal monsters might refuse to obey commands or not fight at all. Retired monsters can be combined to create more powerful monsters.
, mostly because of the games' innovative "unlocking" aspect. In Monster Rancher
, Monster Rancher 2
, Monster Rancher 3
, Monster Rancher 4
, and Monster Rancher EVO
, monsters can be generated by inserting any CD into the game system. Monster Rancher 3
, Monster Rancher 4
, and Monster Rancher EVO
can also use DVDs.
The characteristics of the monster (such as stats, breed, and traits) are determined by various integers stored in the game. To generate a monster, a random number generator is needed to define what characteristics the monster will have. However, because random number generators are only pseudo-random, the entropy of possible monsters would be limited by the pseudo-random seed. To resolve this, TECMO created a CD reading system that would generate unique random number seeds and, consequently, a large variety of random monsters. Discs contain digital information with a different sequence of values. When the game reads this information, the values found within the discs data are mapped
to the range of integers in the game.
Some CDs and DVDs can be specialized to produce rare monsters. For instance, in Monster Rancher 4
the Harry Potter
DVD generates a unique owl monster, and in Monster Rancher 2
and Monster Rancher 4
TECMO's Dead or Alive
game creates a Pixie named Kasumi
. In Monster Rancher 2, the Lost in Translation
DVD generates a unique squid-like creature. Special CDs called pandora discs can produce multiple monsters. Often, the Monster Rancher game CD itself is a pandora disc.
In Monster Rancher Advance
and Monster Rancher Advance 2
, the system generates random monsters by using character sequences rather than CDs, due to the limitations of the Game Boy Advance
game cartridges. Certain combinations of characters will determine the monster's breed, sub-breed, stats, and traits. Password
s found in-game can be used to generate rare monsters.
In Monster Rancher DS
and Monster Rancher DS 2, the system is revised to take advantage of the Nintendo DS
's input devices. Monsters can be generated by speaking into the microphone, drawing figures on the drawing tablet, or inserting a Game Boy Advance
game cartridge into the second slot.
For Monster Farm Online, the unlocking system is changed entirely. Players select a monster species they have some knowledge of, with the basic purebreeds automatically available, and insert a CD or DVD to create their traits. This is so that players do not need to find a disc that is unique to one particular territory to get the rarest monsters.
series based on the Monster Rancher video games. It originally aired in Japan on TBS
, while it aired in the US
on BKN
normally known as UPN
, Fox
, Fox Family Channel, and the Sci-fi Channel
, and on Fox Kids
in the United Kingdom
, as well as YTV in Canada. A total of 73 episodes were produced over 3 seasons.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is a series of life simulation
Life simulation game
Life simulation games is a sub-genre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more virtual lifeforms...
role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s created by Tecmo (now Tecmo Koei
Tecmo Koei
Tecmo Koei Holdings Co., Ltd. , is a holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Japanese video game developers and publishers Koei and Tecmo....
). The series currently consists of fourteen games across different video game platforms, and future titles are planned. In addition, the series has been adapted into an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, which ran for three seasons.
The rename of the franchise was probably done to avoid confusion with the short lived Saban
Saban Capital Group
Saban Capital Group is a global private investment firm based in Los Angeles, California focused on media, entertainment, and communications investments. Formed in 2001 by Haim Saban, Saban Capital Group owns Saban Brands, part of Univision Communications, and part of Tiger Gate Entertainment...
series Monster Farm
Monster Farm
Monster Farm was a short-lived animated series from Saban that aired on the now-defunct Fox Family animation block for one season, from 1998 to 1999.-Plot:...
, which aired around the same time as the Monster Rancher anime.
Story
Before the world's continents broke up into pieces, a huge disaster hit the world. People prayed to God for help, and God created new life forms. However, new life forms brought new troubles, so God became exasperated and sealed them in "disc stones". Many years have passed since then and God entrusted the humans with the secret of "disc stones". Today people still continue searching for these missing "disc stones" to unlock the lifeforms within.It is said that the "disc stones" are almost impossible to find among the ancient ruins. It is said that one monster is trapped inside each one. One day a group of workers excavating the ancient ruins happened to dig up one of these mythical disc stones. The worker who first discovered a disc stone took the disc to the Monsters' Temple. There the priests, using the ancient methods, unlocked the monster inside the disc stone. In a place where ranchers and monsters coexisted peacefully, the battle of the monsters began. As time passed these monster battles became extremely popular, and monster breeding became the standard pastime of the land. Eventually disc stones were found around the entire world. Now ranchers across the globe come together and enter unto battle.
Games
Monster Rancher is often compared to PokémonPokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
even though the two series play very differently. While the Pokémon games are traditionally collection-based RPGs, Monster Rancher games tend to be simulated animal breeding
Animal breeding
Animal breeding is a branch of animal science that addresses the evaluation of the genetic value of domestic livestock...
games. The genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
Monster Rancher occupies is shared by other simulation virtual pet games such as Digimon
Digimon
, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
and games based on raising horses for racing, like in the Gallop Racer
Gallop Racer
is a horse racing video game, created by Tecmo. Originally for the arcades, it is available on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PC platforms. Thus far, there have been eight editions released in Japan, and five in North America...
series also by Tecmo.
In the games, one takes the role of a monster breeder
Breeder
A breeder is a person who practices the vocation of mating carefully selected specimens of the same breed to reproduce specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics....
whose goal is to raise monsters to fight in tournaments. The breeder must take it in hand to raise the monster throughout its life, training it, keeping it healthy, making an exercise schedule, and trying to maximize its abilities before it dies of old age or is retired
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
. Monsters have good or bad morale depending on how they are raised; loyal monsters are more likely to perform critical hit
Critical hit
In many role-playing games and video games, a critical hit is a successful attack that deals more damage than a normal blow.-Origin:The 1975 role-playing game Empire of the Petal Throne introduced the concept of critical hits...
s, while disloyal monsters might refuse to obey commands or not fight at all. Retired monsters can be combined to create more powerful monsters.
Monster Generation
Although not widely popular, the games do have a loyal cult followingCult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
, mostly because of the games' innovative "unlocking" aspect. In Monster Rancher
Monster Rancher (video game)
Monster Rancher, known in Japan as , is a console game released in North America on November 24, 1997, for the PlayStation system. It is the first game in Tecmo's Monster Rancher series, featuring the raising, fighting, and breeding of monsters.-Gameplay:...
, Monster Rancher 2
Monster Rancher 2
Monster Rancher 2 is a video game and the second North American and Japanese installment in the Monster Rancher series. In Europe Monster Rancher 2 is the first release in the series and is thus named Monster Rancher.-Gameplay:This game involves raising, fighting, and breeding monsters...
, Monster Rancher 3
Monster Rancher 3
This article contains few references. Please help Wikipedia by adding reliable sources.Monster Rancher 3 is the third game in Tecmo's Monster Rancher series. It is the first game in the Monster Rancher series for the PlayStation 2.Differences=...
, Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4 is a monster breeding and management game that was released by Tecmo for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.-Gameplay:Like the previous installments, this game involves the raising, breeding, and fighting of monsters. Monsters are created via a "Saucer Stone" regeneration system...
, and Monster Rancher EVO
Monster Rancher EVO
Monster Rancher EVO is a PlayStation 2 game in the Monster Rancher series. It was released in Japan on December 8, 2005, and in America on April 11, 2006. The game was not released in PAL territories....
, monsters can be generated by inserting any CD into the game system. Monster Rancher 3
Monster Rancher 3
This article contains few references. Please help Wikipedia by adding reliable sources.Monster Rancher 3 is the third game in Tecmo's Monster Rancher series. It is the first game in the Monster Rancher series for the PlayStation 2.Differences=...
, Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4 is a monster breeding and management game that was released by Tecmo for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.-Gameplay:Like the previous installments, this game involves the raising, breeding, and fighting of monsters. Monsters are created via a "Saucer Stone" regeneration system...
, and Monster Rancher EVO
Monster Rancher EVO
Monster Rancher EVO is a PlayStation 2 game in the Monster Rancher series. It was released in Japan on December 8, 2005, and in America on April 11, 2006. The game was not released in PAL territories....
can also use DVDs.
The characteristics of the monster (such as stats, breed, and traits) are determined by various integers stored in the game. To generate a monster, a random number generator is needed to define what characteristics the monster will have. However, because random number generators are only pseudo-random, the entropy of possible monsters would be limited by the pseudo-random seed. To resolve this, TECMO created a CD reading system that would generate unique random number seeds and, consequently, a large variety of random monsters. Discs contain digital information with a different sequence of values. When the game reads this information, the values found within the discs data are mapped
Map (mathematics)
In most of mathematics and in some related technical fields, the term mapping, usually shortened to map, is either a synonym for function, or denotes a particular kind of function which is important in that branch, or denotes something conceptually similar to a function.In graph theory, a map is a...
to the range of integers in the game.
Some CDs and DVDs can be specialized to produce rare monsters. For instance, in Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4 is a monster breeding and management game that was released by Tecmo for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.-Gameplay:Like the previous installments, this game involves the raising, breeding, and fighting of monsters. Monsters are created via a "Saucer Stone" regeneration system...
the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
DVD generates a unique owl monster, and in Monster Rancher 2
Monster Rancher 2
Monster Rancher 2 is a video game and the second North American and Japanese installment in the Monster Rancher series. In Europe Monster Rancher 2 is the first release in the series and is thus named Monster Rancher.-Gameplay:This game involves raising, fighting, and breeding monsters...
and Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4
Monster Rancher 4 is a monster breeding and management game that was released by Tecmo for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.-Gameplay:Like the previous installments, this game involves the raising, breeding, and fighting of monsters. Monsters are created via a "Saucer Stone" regeneration system...
TECMO's Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive (arcade game)
Dead or Alive is a fighting game and the first entry in the long-running Dead or Alive series. It was released in 1996 in arcades, followed by home ports for Sega Saturn in 1997 and Sony PlayStation in 1998 .-Gameplay:Dead or Alive was unique in its debut that featured fairly different choices in...
game creates a Pixie named Kasumi
Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
is a player character in Dead or Alive fighting game series by Team Ninja and Tecmo. Kasumi has served as the main character of the Dead or Alive franchise since its beginning in 1996, being the official protagonist in the first two main games in the series, and playing very important roles in the...
. In Monster Rancher 2, the Lost in Translation
Lost in Translation (film)
Lost in Translation is a 2003 American film written and directed by Sofia Coppola; her second feature film after The Virgin Suicides and it stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson...
DVD generates a unique squid-like creature. Special CDs called pandora discs can produce multiple monsters. Often, the Monster Rancher game CD itself is a pandora disc.
In Monster Rancher Advance
Monster Rancher Advance
Monster Rancher Advance is the first of the Monster Rancher games to be released on Game Boy Advance.-Gameplay:Similar to the other Monster Rancher games, gameplay revolves around creating, raising, and fighting monsters. Due to the Game Boy Advance's limitations, players do not generate monsters...
and Monster Rancher Advance 2
Monster Rancher Advance 2
Monster Rancher Advance 2 is the second of the Monster Rancher games to be released on Game Boy Advance. It is the sequel to Monster Rancher Advance.-Gameplay:...
, the system generates random monsters by using character sequences rather than CDs, due to the limitations of the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
game cartridges. Certain combinations of characters will determine the monster's breed, sub-breed, stats, and traits. Password
Password
A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource . The password should be kept secret from those not allowed access....
s found in-game can be used to generate rare monsters.
In Monster Rancher DS
Monster Rancher DS
Monster Rancher DS, known as Monster Farm DS 2: Yomigaeru! Master Breeder Densetsu in Japan, is a Life Simulation video game developed by Cing and published by UFO Interactive Games for the Nintendo DS...
and Monster Rancher DS 2, the system is revised to take advantage of the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
's input devices. Monsters can be generated by speaking into the microphone, drawing figures on the drawing tablet, or inserting a Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
game cartridge into the second slot.
For Monster Farm Online, the unlocking system is changed entirely. Players select a monster species they have some knowledge of, with the basic purebreeds automatically available, and insert a CD or DVD to create their traits. This is so that players do not need to find a disc that is unique to one particular territory to get the rarest monsters.
PlayStation
- Monster RancherMonster Rancher (video game)Monster Rancher, known in Japan as , is a console game released in North America on November 24, 1997, for the PlayStation system. It is the first game in Tecmo's Monster Rancher series, featuring the raising, fighting, and breeding of monsters.-Gameplay:...
- Monster Rancher 2Monster Rancher 2Monster Rancher 2 is a video game and the second North American and Japanese installment in the Monster Rancher series. In Europe Monster Rancher 2 is the first release in the series and is thus named Monster Rancher.-Gameplay:This game involves raising, fighting, and breeding monsters...
- Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout
- Monster Rancher Battle Card: Episode II
PlayStation 2
- Monster Rancher 3Monster Rancher 3This article contains few references. Please help Wikipedia by adding reliable sources.Monster Rancher 3 is the third game in Tecmo's Monster Rancher series. It is the first game in the Monster Rancher series for the PlayStation 2.Differences=...
- Monster Rancher 4Monster Rancher 4Monster Rancher 4 is a monster breeding and management game that was released by Tecmo for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.-Gameplay:Like the previous installments, this game involves the raising, breeding, and fighting of monsters. Monsters are created via a "Saucer Stone" regeneration system...
- Monster Rancher EVOMonster Rancher EVOMonster Rancher EVO is a PlayStation 2 game in the Monster Rancher series. It was released in Japan on December 8, 2005, and in America on April 11, 2006. The game was not released in PAL territories....
Nintendo DS
- Kaite Shabette Hajimeyou!: Monster Farm DS
- Monster Rancher DSMonster Rancher DSMonster Rancher DS, known as Monster Farm DS 2: Yomigaeru! Master Breeder Densetsu in Japan, is a Life Simulation video game developed by Cing and published by UFO Interactive Games for the Nintendo DS...
(known as Monster Farm DS 2: Yomigaeru! Master Breeder Densetsu in Japan)
Anime
Monster Rancher was an animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series based on the Monster Rancher video games. It originally aired in Japan on TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
, while it aired in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on BKN
BKN
Bohbot Kids Network was a syndicated animation block created and distributed by Bohbot Entertainment, an animation production company founded by Allen J...
normally known as UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, Fox Family Channel, and the Sci-fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, and on Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as well as YTV in Canada. A total of 73 episodes were produced over 3 seasons.
Reception
The Monster Rancher series has received overall positive reviews, however the most recent title, Monster Rancher EVO was met with mediocre reviews and much criticism.External links
- Tecmo US
- Monster Rancher Metropolis, game researchBlack box testingBlack-box testing is a method of software testing that tests the functionality of an application as opposed to its internal structures or workings . Specific knowledge of the application's code/internal structure and programming knowledge in general is not required...
conducts and archivesStrategy guideStrategy guides are instruction books that contain hints or complete solutions to specific video games. The line between strategy guides and walkthroughs is somewhat blurred, with the former often containing or being written around the latter. Strategy guides are often published in print, both in... - Legend Cup, images and information