There is a sub-genre of games that involves catching or rearing monsters, and using them for battle. The most famous franchise is, of course, Pokémon. Then, there is Digimon, Shin Megami Tensei, Monster Hunter Stories, and many more. There is an innate appeal to the monster-catcher genre, and Koei Tecmo’s Monster Rancher is another franchise that scratches that itch.
The franchise’s first game was released back in 1997 for the PlayStation, and focuses more on breeding monsters rather than catching them. It thus has a stronger virtual pet aspect, which is one of the aspects that sets it apart from Pokémon. The first two games were also ported to PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS in December 2021, making the franchise much more accessible to modern players.
Now, LINE Corporation and Koei Tecmo are working together to bring LINE: Monster Rancher to iOS and Android in Japan in 2022. This will be a new title for the franchise, and information is scarce, but it seems like all the familiar monsters will be featured, along with a ranked battle system for those who enjoy competition. There will also be a new method to generate monsters exclusive to LINE (hopefully it’s not paid gacha), though details about that will be announced at a later date.
LINE: Monster Rancher is definitely a game for the monster-breeding genre fans to keep a lookout for!
Brandon shapeshifts between being a nerd and a geek like Mystique, but with fewer options. He reads an unhealthy amount of comics and manga, while playing a healthy amount of board games and video games.
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