Sequel to Pokemon Ranger announced
Pokemon Ranger: Battonage to hit Japan in March
The latest issue of Japanese manga magazine CoroCora has spilt the news that... well all Pokémon Ranger fans have been waiting for - there will be a DS sequel to Pokémon Ranger and it'll be released in Japan in March 2008. It'll also go by the somewhat strange name of Pokémon Ranger: Battonage. Whatever happened to just sticking a number '2' after the title, eh?
While the game's title and its status as 'in development' by Pokémon Ranger makers HAL Laboratory have been revealed, precious few details about how it will differ to the previous game have emerged with them.
The game is said to be set in the new region of Arumia where many fourth generation Pokemon reside - as in, those from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Once again, it's an action/role playing game and - playing as either a male or female ranger - you'll be travelling around, talking to townspeople and trying to help them via a series of side quests, as well as obviously trapping those pesky Pokémon by drawing circles around them with the DS stylus (see our review of the original Pokémon Ranger if this is beginning to sound like jibberish).
Wi-fi will be used in some way, but Nintendo has yet to say exactly how - so its inclusion might mean the game features the multiplayer mode absent from the original, or it might not.
Pokémon Ranger: Battonage will be released in Japan on March 20th, but it's still too early for news on when we can expect it here. Oh, and the word 'battonage', in case you were wondering, has something to do with stirring wine. We sense a change of name is on the cards for the Euro release.
