Ah, this is a bit more niche. Monster Rancher 2 is a PSX game released 1999, and was actually critically acclaimed, getting a 8,7 from Gamespot. However, it didn't become as popular as it should have been, and therefore isn't very prominent when people talk about good PSX games. So this is not just an entry in my blog about awesome things in video gaming. This is also me informing you of the game's existence, and hoping you will someday experience the joy of playing this superb game. My new icon is from the game, if you were wondering.
-See that armored pink ball and triceratops? Yeah, they're not in the game at all.
Anyway, on to the real point of this blog! Breeding monsters, of course, became mainstream with Pokémon, which everyone should recognize as one of the best handheld series out there. The Monster Rancher series shares many common aspects with the famous breeding series, but lays interesting twist and turns to it. You start off as a young breeder with nothing to your name except a little money and a farm. You then slowly build up your reputation until you become a monster breeder with dignity. You can get monsters either by buying them at the market, getting them off discs (to be explained) or by combining two monsters. There is a large variety of monsters, which can all combine with other monsters to create sub-breeds.
-Four ways to see information about your monster.
The disc system is very interesting. You pop a disc into the PS and let the console read it. Then you put the MR2 disc back in and voila, monster. You then take a monster home and start training it. You can choose from a number of drills which train various aspects of your monster (see picture above). Youwill also have to feed your monster,make it rest and see to itthat iffeels well at all times. You can go onerrantries to make your monster learn new abilities or go on expeditions to find rare andexotic items.Once your stats are sufficient enough, you can enter your monster into battle. There, you will fight other monsters and reap awards if you win.
-A typical battle in MR2 (if you can actually see anything).
This sounds simple, but there is an underlying complexity to it, and it ultimately makes MR2 one of the most fun and addictive games on the Playstation. Everything about it reeks of charm and personality, and MR2 is the record-holder for the most time I've spent on a game, reaching about 300 hours. I love Monster Rancher 2, I really do, and that is why it more than deserves a spot in my ongoing list of awesome things in video gaming.