Monster Rancher Advance 2 (2002)

Developer: Tecmo
Platforms: Game Boy Advance
Genres: Simulator

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A whimsical monster-breeding sim built around playful experimentation with phrases and combinations.

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About

Monster Rancher Advance 2 lets players create, train, and fight with monsters of their own choosing. Monsters are generated by inputting key phrases to create different monsters. Each phrase entered will create a unique monster, which will always appear when that specific phrase is entered. Players can experiment with many different phrases for unexpected results. Two separate monsters can also be combined with special items to form an entirely new monster. Certain combinations will lead to hidden, rare monsters which can not be obtained through the normal monster generation process. The Coaching System from Monster Rancher Advance has been dramatically improved for added depth in the sequel. Depending on the monster type, certain coaches will offer unique training sessions which other monster coaches will not be able to provide. These special training sessions can be very difficult and dangerous, yet have potential to yield major results. A monster's charisma and skills will also be crucial factors in deciding whether it is suitable to be a good coach or not. Coaches will now recognize and alert you to certain warnings which your breeding assistant may not notice.

Screenshots

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More by Tecmo

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.