While theMonster Rancherseries isn’t as well known as other virtual monster raising franchises likePokemonorDigimon, it still has quite the cult following. The franchise has been mostly exclusive to Japan, though Western fans may have memories of some older games and its anime adaptation.Koei Tecmo’s monster series has been making a bit of a comeback recently, with the next entry beingUltra Kaiju Monster Rancher.
Monster Rancher’s first two games were re-releasedon modern platforms near the end of 2021, just in time for the series' 25th anniversary. This bundled package came complete with visual upgrades and updated game mechanics. To continue the series' comeback,Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancheris a collaboration with theUltramanfranchise, where instead of raising original monsters like Suezo, players will get the chance to raise monsters like Alien Baltan, Gomora, and more.
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Bandai Namco revealed that it will be publishing this newMonster Ranchergame as an exclusive on the Nintendo Switch with a new trailer that was shown at Anime Expo. Much like the other entries, players can create monsters from CDs, which in this case can help generate any of the game’s Kaiju monsters. The trailer also notes that this game also supports NFC technology, where Kaijus can be created when a player taps an NFC-compatible card to the Switch controller.
Once a player has obtained their favorite Kaiju from the CDs, they are tasked with raising and training them to be the best. This involves competing with rival Kaiju monsters fromtheUltramanfranchisein activities like races or exploring areas to discover secrets. The player can also have their Kaiju train in a variety of ways such as stomping a lake to water plants or having them build a snow sculpture in the shape of Ultraman himself. Once these monsters have been trained up, they can participate in tournament events where players can put their skills to the test in turn-based RPG combat. Players can even fuse the Kaiju they’ve raised to form the ultimate Ultra Kaiju.
This game will be getting both physical and digital releases, with the game slated to come out later this year. Many fans were under the assumption that sinceMonster Rancherwould be collaboratingUltraman, a series more beloved in Japan and has a more niche audience in the West, it wouldn’t be getting a localized release. However, Bandai Namco confirmed it would be bringing thisKaiju-themed gameto other regions.
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancherwill launch for Nintendo Switch in 2022.
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