Monster Rancher Evo

by Tecmo

Product Features

• Work your way up the ladder, as you travel to 7 towns with your circus & meet all kinds of new people
• Each week, you'll face new challenges - Traveling, performing, training, adventuring, exploring, interacting with locals -- and of course, raising monsters
• All-new two-phase training system for better monster training
• Multi-monster combat with 3-on-3 battles

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000EGELOQ
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches ; 1 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 8, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,248 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Monster Rancher EVO delivers more of the classic role-playing and strategy action that fans of the series have come to love. You'll try to guide young Julio on his new path in life, as he goes from a simple circus performer to a famous monster breeder!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new and different turn in the series..., May 3, 2006

By 

J. Ensign "spirit80420" (High Country, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Monster Rancher Evo (Video Game)

I've loved many Monster Rancher games in the past... this one is fun, but different than the others. You have to run around a world that reminds me a little of ffx... which is an interesting turn, it makes me a little motion sick, but adds a little depth to the game... the raising seems to take a while to get used to, but I WAS used to the other games, it is still similar and fun, once you get the hang of it. There are also 3 main mini games, which test YOUR speed, accuracy, and timing, if you are not a big fan of mini-games, or you liked the previous games, where your MONSTER had to do the preforming, you may have a problem with this, but if you like to see changes, you'll appreciate this one. The monsters are nicely rendered, the breeds are fun, even if they don't have ALL your old favorites, they have mine, so it's ok...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a good installation of the Monster Rancher Series, December 3, 2008

By 

N "N" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

= Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monster Rancher Evo (Video Game)

Monster Rancher Evo is an abomination in the Monster Rancher series. The game is filled with annoying twitch mini-games for circus, and you can't really progress in the story line or with your monsters unless you do them. I bought the game because I loved Monster Rancher, Monster Rancher 2, Monster Rancher 3 and Monster Rancher 4. I like raising my monsters, breeding them, exploring with them, and battling with them, etc. I do not like twitch games. While the rpg aspects of this game in the walk around portion was fun, it really lacked the fun of the previous 4 games because it didn't focus enough on the strengths of the previous games. This game was such a disappointment to me. I would have given it no stars, but amazon doesn't have that option. If you're buying this because you liked the previous 4 games, or you like simulation games, you will be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasant Surprise, January 19, 2008

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Monster Rancher Evo (Video Game)

This review was written by James Shea, my son.

The fifth game in the Monster Rancher series, Monster Rancher EVO takes the series in a bit of a new direction. While it includes many of the gameplay features used in other Monster Rancher games (raising and battling monsters), EVO also introduces a new one: the main character of the story is a performer in a circus, and his monsters are used in his act.

The main character is Julio, who plays an accordion to accompany the acrobatic act of his monsters in the circus. His original monster runs away, but luckily a magic-using girl with the ability to make monsters out of magical disks appears and joins the circus. She gives him a new monster, and the setting for the game is set - getting more disks to make better monsters, and raising up the ones that are born. Julio also takes missions in towns, moving ahead as the circus progresses. On a week-to-week basis, Julio must decide what the circus will do, which monsters to train, and so on. Monsters can become overworked if trained too much, but won't be as motivated or capable if not trained enough.

The circus shows are the main mode of gameplay. There are three different minigames within the circus - one where you hit colors as they fall, one where you pick out the different colors, and one where you press buttons in the right order. Depending on how well you do on these, your monster will grow more capable and powerful. This leads into the monster battling part of the game; the stats accumulated through training and circus shows are also used for monster battles. The battles are fairly simple; each monster has attacks for both close-range and long-range. Attacks also carry status effects.

One of the other neat things to do with the game is use CDs or DVDs to create monsters. You can generate a new monster by talking to the magic woman who creates monsters and asking her to make one from a CD/DVD. Put any CD or DVD into the PS2 when instructed; the PS2 will scan the disc. Replace the Monster Rancher EVO CD when prompted and you will be given a brand new monster.

The graphics are decent; there's a really wide variety of monsters and monster-types to get. The characters and art are all pretty high end, and the only thing that gets kind of boring is the backgrounds. The music is bright and energetic, with a lot of circus-like themes.

This game was a pleasant surprise, a departure from the usual fight-breed-fight theme of the old Monster Ranchers. The circus aspect was definitely welcome and unusual.

Rating: 8/10.