My Pokemon Ranch - WiiWare review

Branding not an option, it seems

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Great to see 'Mon in 3D

  • +

    Trading Pokemon

  • +

    Unlockable poke-toys

Cons

  • -

    Ugly art style

  • -

    Limited sharing

  • -

    More watching than playing

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We often find ourselves staring mournfully at our 2D Pokemon in Diamond and Pearl, wishing they’d sprout that third dimension. So imagine our beaming faces as My Pokemon Ranch loaded up. Here, as in the GameCube’s Pokemon Box, is a chance to free your ’Mon from the confines of a DS cart and let them loose on Wii, all under the watchful eye of Ranch owner Hayley.

Alas, somewhere between DS and Wii, the Pokemon have been turned into origami. They’re so jerkily angular they appear to be in pain as they gambol around. We were also transfixed by Hayley’s nose – a black triangle that makes it look like there’s a gaping hole in the middle of her face. Was she savaged by a Larvitar?

If you don’t have Diamond or Pearl, the game gives you six Pokemon to start with, adding a further monster to your brood every day you ‘play’ the game. We used the inverted commas there, because this isn’t a game as such. Once you’ve loaded up your Pokemon, there’s not a lot you can do with them. You can take photos and send them to a mate’s Wii, or organise a parade where your ’Mon troop past as C64-o-vision tickertape rains down. Friends can add Pokemon to your collection as well – but monsters can only be downloaded back into the cart they came from, which spoils plans to create an Insta-Pokedex in Diamond/Pearl. You can also eventually unlock toys for your ‘Mon to play with, but the initial boredom of just watching your monsters in a field is likely to be a turn-off.

Jul 8, 2008

More info

GenreOther Games/Compilations
DescriptionWhile it's nice to see our Pokemon friends from Diamond and Pearl in three-dimensional form, My Pokemon Ranch isn't a game you play so much as one you watch. Which kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
Franchise namePokemon
UK franchise namePokemon
Platform"Wii"
US censor rating"Everyone"
UK censor rating"3+"
Alternative names"Pokemon Farm","Everyone's Pokemon Ranch"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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