Pokemon Ranger

Pokemon veterans will also breeze through the comparatively light challenge Ranger provides, but newcomers to the franchise will enjoy the challenge. [Dec. 2006, p.112]

The dull, simplistic puzzle-solving relies on a gimmicky control scheme to distract you from the fact that it’s barely a game in any sense of the word.

An interesting diversion from the usual adventure but it needs a bit more freedom. [May 2007, p.70]

It's a meaty, albeit linear, adventure with some cool DS mechanics...it's just nothing earth shattering or classic.

Pokemon Ranger is definitely a game for pokemanicas looking for a fix until the next true chapters in the series are finally released in N. America.

As was the case in Mystery Dungeon, it's nice to take another trip though this monster-infested world in a game that doesn't play like, well, 90% of the other Pokémon titles. I just wish that Ranger's gameplay didn't grow old so quickly.

Pokemon Ranger is an enjoyable marketing sidequest, despite lacking depth or challenge. Pokemon fans will find it a satisfactory appetizer to tide them over until the main course arrives next year.

Pokemon Ranger is worth a try, but like the gameplay, it ends up going around in circles.

This game is the best Pokemon spinoff I have ever played, and I dare tread into volatile territory and say this is the best Pokemon game I have ever played. It was fun every step of the way, even if I lost at times. I was always motivated to have “just one more crack" at catching the tricky ones, especially the ones at the Jungle Relic dungeon.

Narrow-minded and frustrating, but Pokemon Ranger demands genuine skill. It gets so many things right that the RPGs get wrong. Give it a whirl. [May 2007, p.67]

It’s simple without being easy, and it’s fun without being frustrating.

Pokemon Ranger has a similar look and feel to all the other lighthearted Pokemon games, but invites you to capture all those critters in a rather exciting new way.

It’s good to see Nintendo keep trying new things to refresh an aging title, and taking advantage of the unique opportunities the DS offers. But by putting a little bit more thought into the music and graphics, they could have made a pretty good game, instead of one that is merely okay.

It may be no substitute for the real thing, but is by far and away the best stop-gap we’ve seen so far.

Despite being loveable and well-made, Pokémon Ranger's combat system is too shallow to grip your attention.

The new hands-on capture system is not enough to make this an essential Pokemon adventure.

The real disappointment, aside from the painful hand-holding of the main storyline, is the glint of true potential the game's main mechanic shows at times.

Pokémon Ranger is one of the big misses in this franchise’s history. It can be entertaining for a short time, but uninteresting game mechanics and utter lack of difficulty will result in most players putting this game aside for good even before the relatively short story is completed.

Pokemon Ranger isn't as deep and involving as the main Pokemon adventures, but as far as spin-offs go this is one of the best. A simple but fun adventure. [Apr 2007, p.85]