Monster Rancher Switch port details, screenshots

Koei Tecmo has provided the first official details and screenshots for its new Monster Rancher port, which is planned for Switch.

Here’s the full roundup, courtesy of Gematsu:

1. Enjoy everything from the original release without change, from monster generation to breeding and battles.

The monster generation, breeding, and battles that are the defining traits of the Monster Rancher series reappear without change in today’s environment. With your smartphone or Switch, you can generate monsters anywhere, anytime. Monster generation and battles can even be enjoyed in a way that utilizes an online environment.

2. Raise generated monsters and battle against other players’ monsters.

You can download and battle against the monsters raised by other players. Additionally, the Switch version allows two players to battle against each other by splitting the Joy-Cons. The Monster Rancher port reproduces the way players can battle the monsters raised between them.

3. A new method of “monster generation” introduced.

The Monster Rancher series’ biggest feature is the ability to generate monsters from CDs, but CD playback is not supported on smartphones or Switch, so in order to replicate this feature, you can generate monsters by searching for CD names and artists from a custom database via the network.

A rare monster generated from a certain CD from 20 years ago. “If I use this CD, or this artist, then that rare monster will be born.” “What sort of monster will this CD bring to life?” It is that sort of fun and nostalgia that will be properly reproduced in this port. The range of that fun will be expanded to music that has been released in the last 20 years.

Monster Rancher’s new website can be accessed here.