Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher, a Kaiju-themed simulation title from Koei Tecmo and Bandai Namco, has officially scheduled a launch date for the West on October 20th, 2022. It will be available on the Nintendo Switch. Here’s the full release date trailer from Bandai Namco’s YouTube channel:
The Monster Rancher series has actually been around since the 90’s, and it started off with almost unanimous praise thanks to its originality and flexibility. If you’re a 90’s kid, you might remember the anime. It was a brilliant little show, which was actually based on the video games, as opposed to the other way around. So, it’s clear that Monster Rancher made a genuine impact.
Now, simulation games have caught up to the classic series, and the genre has offered just about every kind of approach. New mechanics have been introduced, and the likes of Wandering Village have become highly successful.
So, it’ll be tougher for Monster Rancher to compete. And despite the familiar IP, some newer Western audiences may be totally oblivious. Nostalgia likely won’t be enough for this one.
Strangely, there hasn’t been nearly enough marketing for this title, as the series ought to be pioneering the genre instead of simply passing through. The Kaiju concept is fine enough, but it does seem to be a broad gesture to attract more mainstream audiences.
The original announcement trailer from July definitely nods to more popular Kaiju, and there have been some apparent references to fan favorite Ultraman:
Today’s trailer strategically adds a footnote that the visuals are still considered “under development”. Unfortunately, the new release date suggests that the graphics won’t look much better within a couple of weeks. Ideally, Monster Rancher will find an audience on the Nintendo Switch. The foundation of this franchise still has the potential to deliver something special.
You can read more about Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher and other simulation games by following our news section!
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