New Monster Rancher 2 gameplay info

[02.28.99] » Now available in Japan, Monster Rancher 2 resurfaces with new gameplay features.

   The sequel to Monster Farm (known as Monster Rancher in North America) is now in Japanese stores, and with its release has come a better look at the workings of the game.

   The most striking change from the original Monster Rancher is the elimination of the odd jobs you could take to earn money. Now, you must earn money by entering tournaments, or by downloading your monster into the PocketStation and playing mini-games on the portable device. The other major change is that each monster now has several different personality traits (rather than just one) that change depending on how you raise it. These traits will affect the monster's fighting style during combat.

   Aside from those two changes, the basic formula has remained the same -- the goal is still to raise monsters until they are strong enough to win all the tournaments. The graphics have obviously been upgraded, and the animation is much more fluid. Additionally, there are now over 300 monsters, compared to 215 in the original Monster Rancher.

   No North American release has been announced yet, but since the first game in the series was reasonably succesful, it's certainly logical to expect its sequel to cross the Pacific too.