Pokemon Ranger Guardian Signs :: DS Game Review

Ranger Rescue

Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs for Nintendo DS is the newest game in the Pokémon Rangers video game series. The story takes place in the Oblivia Region, which features a small cluster of islands. The area has been invaded by Pokémon Pinchers, who are kidnapping all of the Pokémon on the islands. The player must stop the kidnappers before all of the Pokémon are gone.

Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs

Pokémon Friends

Players get to choose between two Pokémon Rangers: Summer and Sam. They will encounter various characters throughout the game who will guide the player and offer them hints. Players will need to venture to all of the islands in the Oblivia Region in order to complete the game.

As the game goes on, players must befriend Pokémon in order to get their help. To befriend or “capture” a Pokémon, one needs to draw circles around the desired Pokémon until it is full of friendly feelings. Each Pokémon the player befriends will be able to help them in its own way – some can cut logs, others can push boats. As the player comes across different challenges, they must select the right Pokémon for the task.

Frustrating Gameplay

The worst aspect of the game is the overwhelmingly large amount of video clips. For every one minute of gameplay there is at least three to five minutes of video and the story is bogged down with unnecessary dialogue. Even worse, once you enter a tutorial it is impossible to exit before completing the video, which can take up to a few minutes. Another troublesome area is the way in which Pokémon are befriended. The task is simple and becomes very repetitive, as the player will need to capture as many as three or four Pokémon in one minute. Overall, unless you enjoy drawing circle after circle, your time and money could be better spent elsewhere.

Rating:

Price: $29.99

ESRB Rating:E for Everyone (mild cartoon violence)

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