Might be a hard sell
Recently, Square Enix launched Final Fantasy VIII Remastered for modern consoles. The game was highly anticipated, though the end product hasn’t quite met the expectations of some players. While some characters were treated to new models, most everything else in the game retains the pixelated look of the original release. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, but it’s noticeable.
Perhaps more noticeable, however, is the lack of updated graphics in the Monster Rancher port for Nintendo Switch. In fact, that seems to be a selling point according to Nintendo. A recently released trailer showcases what it’ll look like on Switch and it’s pretty much the same game I remember playing 22 years ago when I was seeing what monsters my parents’ Garth Brooks CDs would generate.
Now, it would be hypocritical of me to disparage Koei Tecmo for not graphically overhauling the game when just a few days ago I was singing the praises of Onion Games’ Moon port. But, it would be nice to see what the developer could create using the technology we have available today.
If you are wondering how the key feature of Monster Rancher — getting new monsters from your CD collection — will work on a device without a CD drive, apparently you’ll use the internet. According to a probably-not-100%-correct translation by Google, “you can create a monster from a CD by accessing the database from the game via the Internet and performing ‘music search.'”
Your guess is as good as mine on that one. Players will also be able to download monsters raised by other Monster Rancher owners. Monster Farm, as it is known in Japan, will launch later this year for Nintendo Switch as a download-only title.
“Monster Farm” is back on Nintendo Switch [Nintendo]
