Hands on with Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl have proven to be gold on DS, so it's only natural for Nintendo to keep minting new Poke-experiences - and Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia does precisely that. In this second instalment of the single-player adventure spin-off, you take the role of a newly minted park ranger in the Almia region. Your job is to protect the wild creatures roaming the park and dealing with any situations that pop up. Of course, all this work contributes to your rise as a top ranger. We got a taste of exactly what it takes to become a renowned ranger in our effort to put out a fire in the local Vien Forest.

Getting anything done in Almia requires the help of Pokemon and their wide-ranging abilities. Since we needed to put out a fire, it's only natural to track down a water elemental creature to douse the flames. Capturing Pokemon is done by first locating a creature, then wrangling it in using the stylus. On the exploration screen you can pinpoint Pokemon and then run into them to switch to the capture scene. Your stylus creates a capture line that ropes in a creature when moved in a circle; however, if the Pokemon moves through the line, it breaks. The goal is to draw circles as quickly as possible to prevent the Pokemon from escaping.

By incorporating varieties from both Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Shadows of Almia packs in a ton of creatures each with distinct abilities. Figuring out which Pokemon you need to complete your objectives is half the battle. Often, the Pokemon needed to complete a task requires several steps to capture. For instance, reaching the Blastoise possessing the rain dance ability needed to put out the Vien Forest fire requires cutting through a fallen log. Only by grabbing a Kricketune first and using its field move can you reach the Blastoise.

Capturing a Pokemon isn't always as easy as drawing a bunch of circles. As in the case with the Kricketune, you occasionally need to commission the help of another creature. Poke-assists call-in another creature to bypass a Pokemon's defences and make it possible to wrangle it in. A partner Pokemon can be kept at your side for this very purpose, with well over a dozen to choose from through the course of the game.

Tending to the park gives Shadows of Almia an open-ended structure that grants enormous freedom in play. The game allows for backtracking through previously played areas to access new Pokemon or reach items unavailable earlier in the game. Of course, much of this is optional and accounts for a near-doubling of the amount of gameplay packed into this sequel. Downloadable mssions via Nintendo WiFi Connection promise to extend the game even further.

Approximately a month separates us from the game's US release on November 10. We will have a review shortlly thereafter.