Quick Review - Monster Rancher Explorer

Monster Rancher Explorer
for the Game Boy Color

A nice change of pace after RPG Monster Rancher of one kind on the PS2 to the other kind on the Game Boy Color, plunking down a little time on classic old school puzzling was a nice change of pace and while it has its flaws overall it is still a pretty fun batch of retro.

A rare game based on the game mechanics of Solomon`s Key, a pretty fun old school NES slash Famicom era game, your tasked with climbing a 100 floor tower. Each floor is a puzzle room you solve by using your character with this magical ability to create and break blocks. Using this skill you can traverse levels using that skill figuring out how to open the exit and move on to the next floor, facing a sub boss every 10 levels. Simple enough, right? Yes, and yet it is also a pretty decent bite of micro puzzling that challenges you a bit, and gives you a bit of a workout... but then we roll into the big flaw in this game, a nd that is this game has absolutely nothing to do with Monster Rancher!

For its good point this game has about as much in common with Monster Rancher as broccoli does with cheesecake... absolutely nothing. It is Monster Rancher in name only, and while it has visual and maybe story elements in common, this game is completely alien in comparison to other Monster Rancher games. Also without a randomizer to shake things up the game is a bit of a one trick pony. Worst, the big gimmick, the level creator, would be a better gimmick if this was a downloadable game off the 3DS or Wii slash Wii U Store, and utilized the online capacity of each system in full.

Still, for an old school puzzler it is pretty nifty and worth a play through if you ever get a hold of some old school Monster Rancher in handheld form. A 3 out of 5.

Top 10 Nintendo Podcasts of August

Top 10 Nintendo podcasts of August...

10th - 3DS Life Episode 19 and 14 and DS Life Episode 3

9th - 3DS Life Episode 13

8th - 3DS Life Episode 6

7th - 3DS Life Episode 4, 10 and 15

6th - 3DS Life Episode 3, 5, 7 and 12

5th - The Game Boy Show Episode 1

4th - 3DS Life Episode 2

3rd - 3DS Life Episode Zero

2nd - 3DS Life Episode 1 and DS Life Episode 1

1st - DS Life Episode 2

Download count? Hmm... over 600 downloads. Hope to go over a thousand by the end of the year... knock on wood... but if not at least we did pretty well for the year. Stay tuned.

Podcast Update August 30th

Wii Life Episode 2 is finally out and available for download. New demo pre reviews and review of Harvest Moon Tree of Tranquility (part 1 of a 2 part Harvest Moon Wii review).

Presently planning out 3DS Life Ep 21 and Game Boy Show Ep 4. Stay tuned for updates.

3DS Life Ep 19 now available

3DS Life Episode 19 (E3 2012 Part 1) is now available for download.

Upcoming Nintendo casts and progress
3DS Life Episode 20 - 0%
E3 2012 Part 2

Game Boy Show Mini 3 - Review
Movie themed reviews. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Aliens and Predator... oh my.

N4GR Ep 1 - Review
Golf Mario, PGA and Hawaiian

Wii Life Ep 1 - 0%
Premiere

Stay tuned for updates.

Podcast Update May 19th

Sorry for the long delay since last update.

3DS Life Episode 18 - 40%
Was in the middle of the cast when I ran out of content. Presently looking at Rayman Origins Demo for added content but still need more before I can wrap up... stay tuned.

Game Boy Show Mini 3
Reviewing Aliens vs Predator GB, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets GBC and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone GBA.

N5GR Ep 1
Still a work in progress despite being 60% completed. Progress report coming soon.

Versus Ep 2
SEGA Genesis vs Super Nintendo continues with Bram Stoker's Dracula and Jurassic Park

Working on a Nintendo Hawaiiana piece for June, should be turned in shortly (I need to take some images for it).

Stay tuned for updates.

Summer Schedule 2012

The problem with summer is usually maintaining reviewing stock. The schedule for Thursdays I have planned though will hopefully cover it just fine.

3DS Life
Switched to monthly for the summer.

DS Life
Switched to a 30 minute special... or 2... during the summer.

Forest Crossing Home Companion
Maintaining its BiMonthly release schedule.

Game Boy Show
Same as DS Life, 1 or 2 specials.

Nintendo Summer Slam
Summer only series (May to August) covering the SNES, N64 and GameCube.

Wii Life
If I can get ahold of a used Wii before or by May? Bringing the series back.

Wii U Life
Monthly continuing to count down to Holiday 2012.

And that's the summer schedule, stay tuned for updates as summer draws near.

Podcast Updates March 9th

The Game Boy Show Mini 2 is now available for download.

Spring break is here, and it caughr me off guard. So what am I working on this coming week?

3DS Life Ep 16
Starting off by reviewing Box Pusher and Plants vs Zombies. Hope to have 40% of the cast done by weekend's end.

DS Life Mini 4

Wii U Life Ep -3
Hope to put the first 40% to bed this weekend.

Stay tuned for updates.

3DS Life Episode 15 now available

This cast we're reviewing Dillon's Rolling Western, iSpot Japan and Pushmo while previewing the Nintendo Network and Crush3D.

Next up is The Game Boy Show Mini 2, coming tomorrow knock on wood. Stay tuned for updates.

Post Office delivered LEGO Star Wars III one day late... so it'll be reviewed in 3DS Life Episode 16 along with Plants vs Zombies, Box Pusher and more.

Podcast Reviews March 7th

Got a couple of Nintendo casts coming out this week or starting up development wise...

3DS Life Episode 15
80% Completed
Almost done, just wrapping up with a review of iSpot Japan.

DS Life Mini 4
Development
Starting to work on this shortly. April hope to have a Pokemon cast coming up... once I finish this trade...

The Game Boy Show Mini 2
60% Completed
New opening, and wrapping up by reviewing Tonka Raceway (Game Boy Color).

Hope to have a classic Pokemon cast in April (just need to write it up).

Wii U Life Episode -3
Assembling this week, but not official yet... waiting to see how much content I got so far, and planning a new opening.

Stay tuned for updates.

Podcast Updates February 23rd

The Game Boy Show Mini 1 now out and available.

Other updates

Dillon's Rolling Western (3DS)
Reviewing it for Nintendo Hawaiiana (March 2012) and 3DS Life Episode 15.

Wii U Life Episode Minus Three
Finished the opening intro, working now on the first gen game list commentary.

Stay tuned for updates.

Podcast Updates February 20th

The first week of minis is about to be wrapped up. Tuesday is Retro Gaming Life Mini 1 (putting it up here since Nintendo reviews appear in the series, starting with Robocop NES in Mini 1 and Total Recall NES in Mini 2) and Thursday is The Game Boy Show Mini 1.

Next up is work on Wii U Life Episode Minus Three, now in the scripting process.

Stay tuned for updates.

Podcast Updates January 31st 2012

Thanks to everyone for downloading and listening! Downloads are doing really well! Thanks!

Several hours to work today so lets get to it!

3DS Life Episode 13
Peogress : Working on it today
Status : 40% Completed

The Game Boy Show Episode 1
Progress : Cleaning off the shelves and putting as much as I can up for trade to get casts moving again Game Boy wise. First episode is spring cleaning.
Status : Scripting

Wii U Life Episode Zero
Progress : First cast may focus on the newly anmounced Nintendo Network once more info comes in on it.
Status : Development

Nintendo Podcast Update for August 23rd 2011

Starting today with one cast underway, and another soliciting for requests.

3DS Life Episode 5
Premise - Random Reviews Day.
Progress - First 10 minutes put to bed.
Status - 40% Complete

Arcade Jukebox Episode 3
Premise - Kingdom Hearts cast
Progress - Soliciting requests for cast (post requests in comments section)
Status - Pre-Production

Retro Game Boy Life Episode 2
Premise - Zeldathon
Progress - Planning/Scripting
Status - Pre-Production

Updates as progress is made, so stay tuned.

Nintendo Podcasts Now Available

All of my Nintendo Podcasts are now available here!

- 3DS Life Episode Zero to 4.
3DS Life Episode 5 is in production right now, should be out at the end of the new week.

- Retro Game Boy Life Episode 1

- Wii U Life Episode 1
Hope to have Wii Life launched by November 2011.

Stay tuned for new podcast news as ww release them.