Pokemon Mystery Dungeon vs Pokemon Ranger!

Battle of the spin-offs! It’s the popular Pokemon Mystery Dungeon against the interestingly thought-out Pokemon Ranger! So, today we’ll see which is superior in terms of graphics, sound, presentation, gameplay, and uniqueness!

So, just to refresh memories, or to introduce these two games, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is … well, a dungeon crawler. You are a Pokemon for starters, after you take a personality test that is … interestingly written. There are some strange questions in there… Anyway, you play it out in a central hub where you buy stuff/sell stuff/store stuff/train/link moves/similar thingy. Then you go do missions in dungeons. That’s kind of it. I'll be using Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky as a reference.

Pokemon Ranger, however, is a completely new take on this world. Well, to be blunt, the gameplay consists of drawing a circle. Yes, you heard me. A circle. Well, lots of ‘em. You loop and loop them like a lasso, and then it equates to throwing a Pokeball. That, and some adventuring and some generic action-adventure stuff. And I'll be using Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs as a reference. So, let's begin!

Graphics

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

Can I just note that the graphics are ... well, exactly the same as the first Mystery Dungeon game? Seriously, I'll give you a comparison! Look below! Anyway, Mystery Dungeon has some rather sub-par graphics, still stuck in the Gameboy Advance world. Quite a pity. Well, that's usually in the dungeons, but in the overworld, it's rather cutesy and lovely, but ... could be better.


Pokemon Ranger

Unlike a certain other game, (*looks up at Mystery Dungeon*) Pokemon Ranger has actually gone in leaps and bounds with it's graphics, especially with Guardian Signs. Seriously, these are some beautiful backdrops, with all these pretty effects, and in general, it's just a joy to see everything in the latest in Pokemon Ranger. Well, apart from the pixelated characters/Pokemon. But you hardly ever notice because you're too busy looking at everything else.

Sound

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

As with any Pokemon spin-off game, there are some great tracks in here! The sounds are groovy and very nice to just listen to, and they always fit the occasion, whether it's an epic battle, a carefree environment, or the dangerous depths of a dungeon. Sound effects are alright, and mostly comprise of battle noises, and they fit the situation mostly. So yeah, overall, pretty damn good sound!

Pokemon Ranger

Meh... It's ok, it fits the mood ... but sometimes there's just not enough variety. There are some cool tunes in there, but they're mostly forgettable. Mehhh....

Presentation

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

Overall, the feel and look of Mystery Dungeon is quite nice - the menu screens are quite cute and the presentation of things is usually cutesy and anime-like, so it's actually quite appealing to the eye. In general, it's a nice game. Very nice.

Pokemon Ranger



In comparison to Mystery Dungeon, I reckon that they're both at the same level. Pokemon Ranger has a fairly sleek feel about it, with some pretty good presentation in storytelling and pacing and all that. Not bad. A tie with Mystery Dungeon!

Gameplay

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

The above is pretty much the gameplay. That's it. And it's incredibly addicting. Once you start playing ... you can't stop. It's just amazing to see how they managed to make dungeon crawling so fun!

Pokemon Ranger

Well, the basic gameplay is ... well, drawing a circle. Drawing lots of 'em. Around a Pokemon. And that's a capture. Then you repeat that for the rest of the game. Oh, and did I mention there's adventure-type stuff too? To be exact, Pokemon Ranger is actually quite diverse in gameplay, as of Guardian Signs - jumping around, swimming, diving, running around, flying, all sorts of adventure-ish stuff. It's fun. Very fun. Just ... not as fun or addicting as Mystery Dungeon. 

Uniqueness

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

Dungeon crawlers? Yep, that's normal. Dungeon crawlers + Pokemon? That's ... a different look at it. Mystery Dungeon does do a few new things, like actually BEING a Pokemon, in a Pokemon world where they talk, and trade, and do missions. The general backstory is also quite nice - it's got a great feel to it.

Pokemon Ranger

Loopy looping? That's new... Anyway, Pokemon Ranger is a literally, COMPLETELY different look at Pokemon. Mystery Dungeon may have taken it one step, but Pokemon Ranger takes it to the top of the stairs. Another layer of dimension to the Pokemon world, you are a guardian of nature, protecting and preserving. It's a totally different view, and even the gameplay is quite unique ... albeit simple. Overall, it's a very unique look on Pokemon.

Results:

- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - 2 points
- Pokemon Ranger - 2 points

IT'S A DRAW! Personally, these two are actually really even. They both specialise in totally different areas ... and they perform just as well as each other. So, it really depends on preference. Both are nice games though!

Tails vs Yoshi!

Sidekicks always have to be there. Whenever there’s a popular character out there, he/she/it always (or at least, most of the time) has a sidekick. This time, we’ll be covering a battle between Tails and Yoshi – Sega’s kid fox and Mario’s dinosaur friend!

Cuteness:

Tails:

Cuteness level x 99999999!

So adorable, it makes you sick! Nah, jokes. Tails just has this really cute look that'll make any cute-fan scream. I mean, you can't go wrong with a two tailed fox, with the cutest eyes and colour scheme.

Yoshi:

Yes! Cute indeed! Just not sickeningly cute like Tails. Sorry Yoshi.

Voice Acting

Tails:

Oh god. What is wrong with you, Tails?! Every game or so, Tails gets a new voice actor, most of which are whiny, annoying, and don't have feeling. Sure, it sounds kinda cute at first, but trust me, you'll start puking sooner or later. Your ears will bleed, and you'll pretend you don't know who Tails is. There, a long rant about Tails' lack of good voice acting.

Yoshi:

Yoshi!~

YES! Awesomest sound effects/voice! Gotta love the cute noises he makes! YOSHIII! ... Anyway, it sounds natural and adorable, so it's all good. There might not be voice acting, but I think Nintendo knows that voice acting usually ruins most games' sound in general.

Personality:

Tails:

A two tailed fox with a heart of gold! Anyway, Tails is a sweet character and aspires to be like Sonic. Tails has that trait where you always try hard, blah blah blah, and all that nicety stuff. Personally, I think he's got a very nice overall personality!

Yoshi:

Well... There's not quite enough chances to show Yoshi's personality ... so... Um, it's a bit hard. 

Uniqueness:

Tails:

Design-wise, Tails has a pretty unique look to him. I mean, how many two-tailed foxes are there anyway? Unfortunately, personality-wise, ol' Tails is just another character based on a frequently-used archetype.

Yoshi:

It's a fricking dinosaur/dragon/Nintendo idea! Seriously, the idea for Yoshi was indeed clever. As always, Nintendo comes up with the best of ideas; Yoshi just has a truly unique thing about him, and it's proven by how many people know who Yoshi is.

Usefulness:

Tails:

Uhh... Well, as much as I like Tails, he does get a bit on your nerves sometimes, even if he's not meant to serve any sort of purpose in one of the games. Overall, when you think of using Tails, it's not exactly exciting. 

Yoshi:

I cannot describe it. Yoshi is usefulness in a character; whenever you get to use him, it's as fun as can be. Just look it up on Wikipedia or something. Seriously, Yoshi can do soo much...

Yoshi!~~~~

And now, the results!

Tails = 2 points!
Yoshi = 3 points!

YAY! Yoshi won! Insert winning quote from Mario Kart for Yoshi! Now let me say this, I like Tails a lot, but Yoshi in general has just been designed and polished a quite a bit better; after all, it is Nintendo. Not being gamist (it's a word I made up; being biased against gaming companies) at all, of course.

Peach vs Zelda!

It’s the battle of the princesses! Today, we have Princess Peach, of the Mario series, battling against Princess Zelda, of The Legend of Zelda! I’ll be comparing the princesses against each other, and we’ll see who is more princess-ish in the gaming world! And as a special honour to our lovely ladies, they get their own special layout! And of course, as a tribute to Peach, I’ve made it all pink. And for Zelda … well, she should be glad I put it in a table format. But let’s get to it now!

Criteria	Peach	Zelda
Name	Is she … a fruit? Nah, kidding. It's fitting, but ... I wish it sounded better.	Sounds awesome! Zelda really is an original and magical sounding name, and it just has this nice ring to it, no?
Screentime	Well, half the time, Bowser’s got her locked up or something like that … But there’s still Super Princess Peach...	Pretty much Peach’s story, except in Spirit Tracks. Zelda actually becomes your companion, like Midna and Navi.
Strength	… A frypan? Really? At least she slaps hard in Super Smash Bros. Seriously, being kidnapped in every game isn't a good show of strength.	Apparently, she’s good at archery, and in Super Smash Bros, she’s got the power to put Ganondorf back in his place.
Coolness	A bit on the cartoony side… Peach is more of a ditzy kind of character so ... yeah. She does have moments, but not quite the same grandeur as Zelda.	In most games, there's always this sense of grandness and coolness when you hear "Princess Zelda." Excepting Skyward Sword.
Personality	While she looks a bit ... nyeh, Peach actually has a beautiful personality; kindly, noble, and sweet. And unlike Zelda, Peach has had many many moments where she's shown great personality.	Well, most of the time, Zelda is locked up or simply not there, but some games show her as this kind, honourable spirit, who does everything good. Unfortunately, there's not enough of that.

Here are the results!

Peach – 2 point

Zelda – 3 points

Zelda wins! Personally, I like Zelda a bit better, but Peach isn't bad either. They're both good examples of benevolent rulers of their kingdoms, and they're just great characters in general. It was a pretty good idea for a post, right?

Fi vs Siri!

Out of all of my posts, this has got to be the most random; it’s Fi (as in, the sword spirit who plays the “robotic servant” act in Zelda: Skyward Sword) pitted against a very … interesting application known as Siri! Only on iPhone 4S and iPad 3^rd Generation, unfortunately.

Anyway, seeing how they are both robotic servants, (well, one’s a magical spirit residing in a sword, and the other is a series of knowledge navigation and language interface, blah blah blah) I thought, why not see who’s better? Now, I know, it’s not your normal post; this is quite a special article here, as an apology for not posting in a while!

So, it’s a random battle between the graceful and useful Fi, against the lovely and fun-to-talk-to Siri!

Usefulness

Fi:

Remember Midna from Twilight Princess? Well, as interesting and deep as she was, she wasn’t exactly the most helpful companion really. Fi fixes that bit. No, seriously, there are about a billion options you can select with Fi, it’s like working with a robot or something. Which Fi kinda is … but yeah, whatever. Her advice is always helpful, except when you’re in boss battles and she just repeats what she says. Which does get annoying. But her advice is always useful. Yup. And it’s designed to be perfectly balanced too; it doesn’t give everything away, but it helps too. Fi is really useful in general!

Siri:

The technology in Siri is really quite amazing … but then again, this isn’t a tech blog, so I won’t go off on a tangent here. But you can do quite a lot of interesting stuff with Siri, like setting reminders, calling people, playing music, etc (all this kinda stuff you’ve heard before), and even killing boredom. (only works once or twice before it gets old though.) Useful, but we kinda never use it anyway. Unfortunately, it is just a robot thingy, so it won’t be able to process everything and anything…

Personality

Fi:

Uh… There’s about zero moments where Fi shows a personality. I think Nintendo wasted all of their personality juices when they were designing Midna. And yes, I reference a lot to past games. But yeah … Fi is a robot. In the literal sense. Well, besides the fact she’s a magical sword spirit, but let’s not worry about details, yeah?

Siri:

Gotta love it when you ask dumb questions with Siri; she’s such a charmer. Just saying, she won’t ever accept marriage proposals; she’s like that. She’s just got this undeniable charisma about her, especially if you talk to her a lot. She’s cool, and never seems to be flustered. But then again, she’s a phone. It’s a bit hard to explain through words, but if you talk to her … you’ll see. It’s quite a subtle thing.

Funnyness

Fi:

Er… this is like saying Fi’s got a great personality. As she (read: it) would say, “According to my calculations, there is 90% chance that you will not be interested in what I say.” That’s how it goes. There’s about one funny moment where another robot falls in love with Fi. I don’t see what’s good in Fi … but yeah, whatever. Not saying that Fi’s bad though. Just … without a personality.

Siri:

Read the picture. It’s more than enough.

Coolness

Fi:

Well, Fi does do random dances … on walls, when you receive magical songs ... that’s cool, right? Nah, jokes. Anyway, her overall concept is pretty cool in general, and she looks damn good without arms. Oh, and the endgame. Fi has some fantastic moments. Really, she does.

Siri:

Well, you ARE talking to your iPhone. That’s pretty neat, yeah? Anyway, Siri is cool. Everything about her is cold and calculated. Even her great sense of humour. Only problem is, I want to know what she looks like… but Siri’s not answering. Boo! Hiss!

Interestingness

Fi:

There is some amount of interest you’ll get by obtaining a sword spirit. Fi does have a backstory in all of this, but you get over it. She’s not extremely deep, but there is a bit on how “she’s learning emotions” instead of being Miss Calculator of Obviousness. But still, not much.

Siri:

Well… kinda like Fi. Siri isn’t a human/robotical sword spirit so she isn’t meant to be really deep; she has some interesting statements to make … but neither one wins this section.

So … here we are!

Fi = 2 points

Siri = 2 points

It’s a draw! First time too! The two characters are pretty similar, so not surprising. Personally, I kinda like Siri more … but yeah, whatever.

Z-Target vs Free Camera

Remember Ocarina of Time, where it introduced the awesomely useful Z-Target? And I’m pretty sure everyone’s played a game where the camera is adjustable. Now, a couple of days ago, I had a little argument with my brother on how the Z-Target is better.

And he didn’t quite agree.

Apparently, the Z-Target was just plain annoying, and kept snapping back to bad places, and you had to go through a whole lot of trouble to use it.

So, I thought, IT'S ON!

Me:

Z-Target was possibly one of the most revolutionary concepts in all of gaming – introduced by Zelda: Ocarina of Time, it was part of the reason why the combat in Ocarina of Time worked out so well. And then, after Ocarina of Time, people actually got a better idea of how combat in games like Zelda should work – they’re all variations of the Z-Target!

Onto explaining how it works – basically, you hold Z … and that’s it. It targets the enemy just like that. You can strafe around the enemy with ease, simply by pushing the Control Stick in a direction and pressing A. Just repeat that, and you’ll be sitting pretty in all Zelda battles, making stuff a lot less complicated, compared to games where you run and the camera snaps to bad positions. Also, the camera is always focused on the enemy, so the before mentioned dodging is easy to do. Basically, every aspect of combat is streamlined so everything comes out naturally and intuitively – that’s what Z-Target is all about.

Brother:

How the hell is Z-Target useful? It might have been great ten years ago, but face it, it’s problematic. Even if you are Z-Targeting, the targeting will drop out when you need to be further away from the enemy. And what happened to the skill and prowess you had to master Free Camera battle systems? Z-Target can be a starter for casual gamers, but the true skill lies in Free Camera, where everything isn’t done for you.

Free Camera is also pretty explanatory – you can adjust the camera as you like it to be, and that’s it. It’s complete freedom in how you use it – not like the Z-Target, where it’s strictly set out for you to use it in one particular way. Also, with Z-Target, when you want to sprint away, (in Skyward Sword) the camera moves awkwardly between sprinting and Z-Targeting. Z-Target is for beginners – Free Camera systems are for the truly skilled, and it’s just better.


So who do you think is right?

Theresa vs Kreia

It’s the battle of creepy creepy (blind) mentors! In case you don’t know, I’ll fill you in on the case.

Know Fable? Well, if you don’t, it’s a game franchise with a character named Theresa as your mentor. But only in Fable II and III. Look it up. Anyway, she’s a Hero, and can use magic to see the future. You could call her the right hand woman of fate itself. Oh, and she had her eyes gouged out by bandits. So she’s a “blind seer” which fits her role as a mentor. Plus, she has her own tower to lock herself into to “look into the future.”She’s a bit mystical and cryptic, and she knows everything, but at the same time, she’s pretty damn cool.

And then we come to Kreia, hailing from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Man, that title was long. Anyway, you might’ve heard of Star Wars: The Old Republic, which is sorta the sequel to KOTOR II (this’ to shorten up the name). But still, KOTOR II is better. Anyway, Kreia is complex. Seriously, there is so much stuff surrounding her, I could make a post dedicated to the complexity of Kreia. Actually, good thought there… She is a very deep character. And she’s creepy. Her eyeballs are just … ewww. Anyway, she is very darkside. Well, at least that’s what we assume anyway. She’s also called Darth Traya too, and she gets creepier. Basically, she acts as your mentor, and has very controversial agendas to uphold, and she manipulates people from the shadows. Very … creepy. She’s powerful in the Force too, and has some seriously mind-blowing knowledge; she also has the power to predict the future when she’s at a special (read: evil) place called the Traya Academy.

Anyway, let’s pit these two creepy old women against each other!

Who’s Creepier?

Theresa:

Hmm… As much as her lack of eyeballs freaks me out … Well, she’s definitely creepy, and she has a habit of teleporting to you at random and inconvenient times. Plus, half the time, you have no idea why she’s doing something, or why she manipulated people to do things, and used them like puppets. But then again, if Theresa is creepy, then Kreia must make you scarred for life!

Kreia:

Creeped out yet?

Seriously, there’s creepy, then there’s Kreia. The entire game, you have no idea why she does things, and you can’t even tell if she’s evil or not; she’s just … mysterious. Really mysterious. Her motives are, even after her explanation at the endgame, unclear, and she’s just presented as a manipulative, cold witch. Even the characters pick up on this. They’re just as freaked out as the player.

Who’s Stronger?

Theresa:

Prophetic abilities, check. Can kill people using magic, check. Typical. Theresa is magically gifted, but she rarely ever uses magic to harm or beat up baddies. I’d love to know her full extent of magical warfare, but unfortunately, not possible.

She does has some cool magic though. Like teleporting at moments she shouldn’t.

Kreia:

Apparently, Kreia once held the universe by the throat...

Umm… You actually get to level her up in the game so … You could just leave her at Level 1 forever, but you’d be dumb. Seriously, as the last boss, she is strong. Every single dark side power. She also has incredible insight, and her use of the Force makes Yoda look like a real noob. She also has prophetic ability, and is just … powerful. She’s just made to look invincible. Except when you kill her. Even then, she has great endurance; she lived through the entire game without her left hand. No blood or anything, she just bears with it. Plus, she can really take a beating. As shown in multiple cutscenes.

Who’s Awesomer?

Theresa:

Style.

Well, when I say awesomer, it’s a bit vague. I’m talking in a very general tone, so basically, Theresa is pretty awesome. She’s presented as this all-knowing, and manipulative figure, who thinks only of the greater good. Neither good nor evil. Plus, the way she stands is cool. And I love her name. She also acts as a pretty good mentor in general, and it’s like she’s a real teacher. Oh, and she’s immortal. Pretty damn cool.

Kreia:


What can I say? Wields the Force, wears Jedi robes (sort of), and uses a lightsaber! I like it! Kreia’s just a really impactful character in general, mostly because of her murky motives, and just the presentation of her actions and dialogue. Oh, the dialogue. It’d be a shame if Kreia was mute, and note blind … but then again, she’s telepathic. Derp face. Anyway, she’s got a lot of interesting stuff to say, and it really relates to the player. And she’s a frickin’ Jedi/Sith.

Who’s Deeper?

Theresa:

We haven’t explored all of her character in the games, but Theresa’s pretty much the most complex character in Fable. Her motives in general, are pretty questionable, and she’s got a rich history and connections in Fable.

Deep indeed...

Kreia:

If you thought Theresa was deep, look at Kreia. I cannot describe it. I just can’t. She wins the “Character with Most Depth” award. There is so much history, tales, philosophical ideals, and motives with Kreia. It is unbelievable.

Who’s Got The Better Outfit?

Theresa:

For some reason, I reaaalllyy like her outfit. It’s like a gypsy witch, or something; I’ve got a picture. It gives you a slight chill. It’s like a dress, sort of thing, with a hood, with bangles, and rings, and beads. Like a soothsayer.

Kreia:

As much as the brown robes fit her, they’re not quite as epic as Theresa’s. They look mysterious, but not awesome. They look … alright.

Results

Kreia: 4 Points

Theresa: 1 Point

So Kreia is the winner!

Excellent...

Bad luck Theresa…. But then again, you’re pretty much just a copy of Kreia anyway. I’m pretty sure Fable II came out after KOTOR II anyway.