Classic PS1 Series Monster Rancher Is Coming Back

The classic PlayStation game Monster Rancher is coming back this year, according to publisher Koei Tecmo. The Japanese company tweeted an announcement of the rerelease (via Gematsu). It also opened a teaser site under its Japanese name, Monster Farm.

The phrasing implies that this will be a digital-only release, and no release plans have been announced outside Japan.

Monster Rancher first released in 1997, and shares some similarities with Pokemon in that you collect monsters to battle each other. However, Monster Rancher puts much more emphasis on monster husbandry your creatures, as you selectively breed and then raise your creatures to make stronger and stronger iterations of them. One twist was that you could load data to generate a monster from any CD you might have laying around, but that aspect probably won't be present in this digital version.

In GameSpot's original review, Jeff Gerstmann said the game is one of those few per year that "defy classification" and could be a sleeper hit.

"Monster Rancher isn't for everyone," Gerstmann wrote. "If you've got a large collection of CDs, and the patience to sift through them, trying to find a worthy beast, then run out and buy MR right this second. If you like a little more action in your gaming, then you might want to skip Monster Rancher."