Monster Rancher 3
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| Monster Rancher 3 | |
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| Developer(s) | Tecmo |
| Publisher(s) | Tecmo |
| Series | Monster Rancher |
| Release date(s) | ? (Japan)
Sep 24, 2001 (U.S.) |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player, or two players versus |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Input | Controller, CD-ROM, DVD |
Monster Rancher 3 is the third game in Tecmo's Monster Rancher series.
Contents |
[edit] Differences
This game uses cel-shaded graphics to give the game a more cartoon-like feel. This game also no longer has the ability to combine monsters. However, the player may still generate monsters by inserting a disc into the PS2. Furthermore, Monster Rancher 3 is the first series in the game to allow players the ability to generate monsters based on past discs, as well as monsters already bred. As an example, once a monster has been bred, from that point on one can simply generate them from their Monster Encyclopedia, saving the gamer unnecessary time and trouble having to remember and find discs that generated various monsters.
[edit] Characters
This section lists and describes the main characters of the game.
[edit] Fleria
A young Tochikan girl who serves as your guide throughout the story. Never leaving your side, she acts as though you couldn't possibly survive without her help, but it is revealed that she needed your help to become a breeder in the first place. She is somewhat bossy, but is kind nonetheless.
[edit] Bragma
An old man who runs the Monster Shrine. He is slightly stubborn, but wise. He has a past which he seems a little embarrassed by.
[edit] Gadamon
Fleria's rival. Very arrogant, and often shows up merely to antagonise the two of you. She is a breeder also, and so challenges you to fights every so often.
[edit] Adaptation and Region
Making up for the loss of the combination system is the ability of monsters to adapt to their surroundings. Though only one is available at the start of the game, the five different homes that you can raise your monster in represent five climates, each with its own training regimes, features, and food.
Morx, the first region you will train in, is a clearing in a forest centered around a gargantuan tree. The grassy area is covered with mushrooms, allowing the monster to train by interacting with the tree and the fungi.
Takrama, an oasis in the middle of a barren desert, features rocky terrain, cacti, and dust storms with which to test your monster. It is noted that this is the harshest environment for monsters.
Brillia, a frozen tundra, is filled with snow, seals, and icicles. A lone tree sits near the end of the area.
Kalaragi, a bright rainforest, centers around a giant waterfall (known in-game as Umbagi, but rarely referred to by its name). A cliff path leads behind the waterfall Umbagi up to a ledge, and there is a giant lilypad accompanied by a similarly large lotus flower. Crocodiles inhabit the water.
Goat, the oddly named underwater sanctuary, allows you to raise your monster underwater. The waters of Goat are extremely high in oxygen, explaining why and how you and your monsters have no trouble living under the sea.
Each monster is affiliated with one of these regions, and has subspecies corresponding to each climate and area. For instance, the Suezo - a monster normally inclined to Takrama - also has a subspecies for Goat, the sharklike Fukazo.
When a monster of one subspecies is raised in another area, after a time, they will mature. If they have been fed with enough of the regional food, they will adapt to their surroundings and change subspecies. For example, if a Morx Mocchi is raised in Brillia, and fed enough of Brillia's local food, the Mocchi will adapt to its surroundings, turning blue and white to blend in with its now home, and become a Brillian Mocchi.
[edit] The Dodorin Fruit glitch
In the game, when the player has reached Kalaragi, one of the game's story arcs has a potentially game-damaging glitch. A young thief named Jimsey is stealing your money. After fighting him a couple times, your rival Gadamon appears at Kalaragi, declaring that she has kidnapped Jimsey, and that she will now battle you for him. She announces that should you lose, you will have to give her a Dodorin fruit. This battle must be won or the game's story will be unable to proceed. If you do indeed lose, you will be forced to search for a Dodorin fruit for the rest of the game - when you search the place where the Dodorin fruit is supposed to be, you instead encounter a repeat message from Fleria, saying that you must look for the Dodorin fruit. Even if you move to a different region, the story will never proceed. However, if you win, Jimsey is returned to you, the story arc is completed, the game continues as normal, and you receive a Dodorin fruit from the repentant Jimsey.
