Who would have thought that a collaboration with Monster Rancher would bring out the best of Ultra Kaiju’s long history and potential as a video game? It utilizes Monster Rancher’s unique systems to show sides of kaiju you would have never imagined. For the Monster Rancher series this is a major comeback. It learns from past mistakes to create a system that matches modern standards.
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher surprised me by its addictive nature. Who knew raising Kaiju could be so engaging? This simulation title makes giant creatures loveable companions, with plenty to keep you busy. I enjoyed this guilty pleasure.
I was fortunate to have found a physical copy in our local game store, as I think this will become rare. As soon I've seen it on the shelves I have grabbed it, for this is a kind of game that brings back all those great playstation one memories playing the old Monster Rancher games and now with the best feature, and that is bringing classic Kaiju monsters from Ultraman universe.
This is a monster trainer game where you obtain a Kaiju monster and develop it to be the best fighting Kaiju within its lifetime. The game mechanics were never changed and to my delight, as I enjoyed the old games exactly as they were. The battle system while a little bit weird, just think of it like you were on the coach's side shouting towards your Kaiju on what to do next. Of course when a Kaiju fails to respond to your commands it means it still low dependency to your coaching, and this evident on earlier stages of training your Kaiju. The game does not force your Kaiju to upgrade ranks for every win, you can grind training your Kaiju until it stats are enough to compete higher ranks, of course there are many ways how to speed up the growth of your Kaiju but that is for you to find out.
The audio and graphics is good, The models are sharp even on my 60" 4k TV, frame rate goes down a bit but not something serious to be picky about. It did a great job presenting the Kaiju monsters, you would really feel how enormous these beings are as the POV is always looking up. Music is always on point with what kind of mood it wants the players to feel. It is definitely a huge improvement over the Monster Rancher remasters on Nintendo Switch.
I couldn't really complain for any downsides on this game, I think it's great as it is. I would wish though to include Kaiju from other universes, e.g. Godzilla.
This game is a gem, and highly recommended especially for those who played the original Monster Rancher games of the old.
Takes Monster Rancher 2 and adds tons of improvements to the systems to make the experience more varied, complex and satisfying. If you liked Monster Rancher 2 you'll love this, give the Kaiju a chance even if you're not familiar with them. You don't need to know anything about the Ultraman series to enjoy the game, and the game's story is firmly set in the previously established Monster Rancher universe and a number of familiar faces make appearances.
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is a pleasant surprise that was extremely unexpected. From the recent revival of the Monster Rancher titles to Ultraman finally making an impact overseas, it’s a delight. It’s worth noting that this title is aiming to appeal to fans of the Ultraman franchise first and foremost, but there’s tons for those who have never experienced it before to love. Even the ugliest or creepiest kaiju can become endearing and lovable after spending time training them long and hard to be their absolute best. It’s a title that’s easy to get into and doesn’t require a ton of trial and error to figure everything out. Fans of giant monsters will want to consider picking up Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher, especially if it’s always been their dream to raise them and fight against other massive and iconic kaiju.
In spite of the numerous small tweaks to the Monster Rancher formula, it’s difficult to see this Ultra Kaiju entry as a breakthrough for the series. The inclusion of NFC technology is hobbled by the lack of amiibo support, and the Adventures continue to feel like a relic from the beginning of 3D gaming in the ‘90s. That said, seeing familiar kaiju–Gomora, Bemstar, and Sevinger (which was the first kaiju I raised)–and even Ultraman himself will definitely hit home for a certain audience. After playing around with the remastered first two Monster Rancher games, there wasn’t enough in this release to keep my attention, but its updated graphics and presentation could make it a decent place for newcomers to the franchise. Here’s hoping that the next time we see Monster Rancher on a Nintendo platform, it takes some kaiju-sized risks in order to offer a fresher experience overall.
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher sticks very close to the original Monster Rancher concept, perhaps too close. Adding in giant monsters and Ultraman appearances provides a bit of spice, but it would have been nice if there were more of an effect on the gameplay just to liven things up a bit for veterans. As is, it’s another Monster Rancher, albeit one with a little more charm than usual for fans of large rubber-suit creatures.
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is the quintessential Monster Rancher experience, just bigger, louder, and more polished looking. The mechanics of the combat and training cycle will be familiar to long-time fans while the new larger scale of the creatures lends itself to the scale of Ultraman and his monstrous foes. Scanning every electronic device in your house to see what monster pops out is satisfying even if the actual gameplay gets stale over time.
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is a very specific title that is going to appeal to a specific audience. What it does it does very well with heaps of charm, but that is counterbalanced by repetition and not a lot of challenge. Much of the dialogue eventually becomes superficial, training animations wear out their welcome rather quickly, making the 'fast forward' option a required feature, and there aren't quite enough monster variations or tournament types to keep it all from blending into the same thing. Despite this, it is still likable, and seems like it would be very much at home on mobile devices. Regardless, it's always going to be a kick to see Ultraman show up to keep a rampaging monster in check.
It's been 16 years since the last time I played Monster Rancher. While I don't know too much about the recent Kaiju the game really hit the nostalgia spot with Eleking, Alien Baltan :'). I can feel the developer love when they're making this game. Currently playing for total of 26 hours, it's really a good game!
SummaryUltra Kaiju Monster Rancher is a brand-new collaboration between Ultraman, a famous Japanese Tokusatsu work, and Monster Rancher, a popular role-playing simulation series.
This new game introduces the iconic "Ultra Kaiju" such as Alien Baltan, Zetton, and Gomora to the popular gameplay mechanics of raising and battling monsters from the...