With a release date of November 10, 2008 the second installment in the Pokemon Ranger series of DS games is generating excitement all over. Rumors have surfaced of special Pokemon you can acquire and then transfer to your Diamond and/or Pearl games. Screen shots have graced many websites but what about video footage of the game? You can always find a terrible low quality YouTube video but here at the PokeFarm we strive to bring you only the best.

I present to you the latest video sneak peek of the new Pokemon Ranger Shadows of Alma game!

download video (35MB)

Yes, you read the title of this article right, there is another Pokemon Ranger game on the way.

Nintendo has not revealed much about this new title but from what I have been able to gather this game takes place in another new region of the Pokemon world: Arumia.

Starting Partners
• Pachirisu
• Munchlax
• Starly
• Turtwig
• Chimchar
• Piplup
• Misdreavus
• Snover
• Mime Jr.
• Gible
• Croagunk
• Kricketot
• Sneasel
• Cranidos
• Hippopotas
• Machop
• Shieldon

Fans of the first Pokemon Ranger game may recall that there were only two starting Pokemon you could get and they were based on what gender your character was. No details on how the starting partner is generated, perhaps something as was done with the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series?

Screen Shots

Ah, Phione, the complicated result of breeding the legendary Manaphy. You can get the pretty awesome Manaphy from a Pokemon Ranger game, and thats the only place you’ll get it. Put your Manaphy egg in the Daycare with a Ditto and you get Phione. But, Phione will never, ever evolve back into Manaphy. And poor Phione has much lower stats and does not learn some moves its parent learns, like Heart Swap and Tail Glow. Regardless, it is still very usable, just not a powerful as its parent.

To get a Phione, there is no other way to get it if you don’t have Manaphy than trading. Don’t have a Manaphy? Have one, but you don’t want send it to daycare? Good, because tonight I’m handing out Phiones for all to enjoy and fill up their Pokedexs!

Tonights crop is all named after Cheeses! It seemed appropriate. Want one?

• Comment with your Name and Friend Code
  • **READ THIS**–> Even if we have traded before, I need your information again! I had to clean out my palpad, I had no room for new trades. I have to make room for all this trading! If you don’t give me this information, I CAN NOT trade with you!
• Get something (preferably non-sinnoh, though I will take anything, items are always appreciated)
• Be in the Wi-Fi zone between 6:30pm-7:30pm EDT on August 7 (Tuesday)
• Make yourself available to Trade (Invite–>Trade) I will come to you when I’m ready.

My Information:
Trainer name: God

Friend Code:5369 6895 7194

Surprise! I’ll be on early to check up on my WiFi, to see if it is up to par. Come early if you please!

-Farmer Tot

The Feb 2007 issue of Nintendo Power magazine mentions a special Egg you can get in Pokemon Ranger. An egg that has a use in… Pokemon Diamond and Pearl!

From the magazine:

Get your egg on

If you’ve played through Pokemon Ranger, you’re probably aware of the bonus missions. Information about how to access one of the missions, the Manaphy Egg mission, has yet to be revealed – keep your eyes on Pokemon.com in the near future. While the Manaphy Egg may seem a little useless in Pokemon Ranger, it does have a specific use in Pokemon diamond and Pearl, and it can be…

Nintendo Power also states that diamond and Pearl will use the “dual slot” feature to transfer Pokemon from the GBA games and that you will be able to link up with Pokemon Ranger to access more special content!

From Pokemon.com:

The newest Pokemon to make a splash is Manaphy, star of the upcoming movie, Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, which is scheduled for release this spring! We don’t have a lot of information about Manaphy just yet, but we can tell you this – you won’t be able to get it by just playing through Pokemon Diamond and Pearl!

First you have to access a special Ranger Net mission in Pokemon Ranger. This special mission will send you on a quest to search for the Manaphy Egg. Once you clear this mission, you’ll be asked to guard the Manaphy Egg. You cannot hatch or raise Manaphy in Pokemon Ranger! You can send the egg to Pokemon Diamond and/or Pearl, where you can then hatch and raise Manaphy!

Check back later this month for more details on the Manaphy Egg mission, including the secret code needed to unlock the special Manaphy mission!

When the code comes out I will publish it here.

UPDATE 1

This mission will be available in the English version by inputting a password in the password mode of Ranger Net. The password mode is acquired by pressing R, X and left on the D-pad at the same time on the Ranger Net screen.

UPDATE 2

pokemon.com is now reporting that the Manaphy code will be revealed on Jan 20, 2007. the following information is also provided:

1) You must have successfully completed Pokemon Ranger to the very end of story mode. After the story mode is over, the game will save, and from the main menu you will see a new option – Ranger Net.

2) Ranger Net is where you enter the code, which is an alphanumeric code that we will reveal in pieces until the final code reveal on January 20th, 2007.

3) You have to complete the three extra missions that will have you face off against Deoxys, Celebi and Mew. Check this website for tips on completing the Deoxys and Mew missions. Celebi is to easy to require tips.

UPDATE 3
For those who thought they could be clever and simply change the clock on their PC… The timer may count down to Zero, and it will say “Manaphy has hatched!” but, you still will not get the code!

THE CODE IS: P8M2-9D6F-43H7

UPDATE 4

For those in the UK who have been coming here and wondering why the code does not work:

The UK code is: Mg35-Cpb8-4FW8

I’m going to take a few minutes to review this game and give you my opinion as to how good the game is. I will also go over a few points that make the game different than the Pokémon games that have been released thus far.

Overview:

You take on the role of a Pokémon Ranger in the Fiore Region. Unlike in previous games there are no Pokéballs in this game. Instead you will be using a stylus to temporarily capture Pokémon.

As a low level Pokémon Ranger you will have access to stylus that gets more powerful as you gain in experience. Your Ranger level will slowly rise as you complete missions. As your level increases you will be able to capture more Pokémon and use more powerful Poké assist powers.

The game has a linear story path that you must complete before the game is considered complete.

You will be able to capture and interact with more than 200 Pokémon. Because you are a ranger and not a trainer, after you use a Pokémon’s power you must release it.

This is what I really like about Pokémon Ranger; it’s more in tune with the idea of Pokémon as you are not simply building a battle squad but are instead befriending Pokémon who then assist you and leave.

Stylus:

No Pokéballs in this game, instead you use the stylus on the DS touch screen to capture Pokémon.

I have to admit, when I first heard about that I thought it was crazy! Draw a line around a Pokémon until they get dizzy and then you capture them?

Have no fear, the system does work and it works well.

When you walk into a wild Pokémon (or an antagonist battle) you go into capture mode. Yes, evn battles are a capture as you are freeing the Pokémon from the bad guys!

You have to draw a line around the Pokémon a set number of times that varies by the power of the Pokémon. i.e. a weak Pokémon such as Magnamite can be captured with as few as three circles while a more powerful Pokémon such as Salamence may take 15+ circles to capture!

If your stylus hits the Pokémon while capturing your line is broken and your stylus takes damage. If the Pokémon attacks or walks into your circle it is also broken and you have to start over again.

Electric Pokémon can be used to recharge your stylus.

Poké Assists:

Sometimes a Pokémon is so powerful that you need a little bit of help to capture them, this is where the Poké Assist powers come in.

When capturing a Pokémon you can use the power of any Pokémon on your team to help.

For example: IF you were trying to capture a water Pokémon you could use a grass Pokémon to assist you. Because of the type advantage it’s Poké Assist power would be even more potent!

Once you use a Pokémon in this manner it is set free, unless it is your main Pokémon Plusle or Minun.

There are many different Poké Assist powers available in the game and the key to wining the story mode is to pay attention and use the appropriate Poké Assist power at the right time.

Field Moves:

As well as the Poké Assist powers many Pokémon also have Field Moves.

These range from basic things such as fire Pokémon being able to burn down obstacles and others having cut to knock down fences.

All Pokémon who have Field Moves have them at one of three power levels: one, two or three. Some obstacles are easy to pass and only require a level one Field Move while more difficult ones require a level three Field Move. No, you can not use three Pokémon with level one Field Moves to pass a level three obstacle.

Conclusion:

Unlike the prior offering of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, I find Pokémon Ranger to be a very enjoyable game. It’s not overly difficult and there is nothing random about it.

It is enjoable to capture the Pokémon with the stylus and knowing that they will be set free after you use them it forces you to better think out your strategies.

Even though the storyline is linear I have no problem with it. I have not yet completed the game but there is something after that called “Ranger Net” which will allow you to take on missions to capture legendary Pokémon such as Kyogre, Groudon and even Mew!

If you are looking for something to while away the hours until April when Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are released then you should pick this game up, it is worth it.

The only bad thing about this game is the lack of a multi-player aspect. Then again, I don’t know how you would have multi-player in this game!

For more information check out the Official Website.

UPDATE 1
I have now completed the game. Though Pokemon Ranger does not track amount of time played the following is now known to me:
No. of Steps Walked: 16990
No. of Conversations: 126
Targets Schecked: 201
Capture Attempts: 348
Pokemon Captured: 468
Abandoned Attempts (Fled): 6
Capture Line Length: 2300 feet
No. of Loops: 5667
Poke Assists Used: 179
No. of Times Minun Helped: 60
No. of Times the Styler Broke: 3
No. of Saves: 133
Current Exp. Points: 23795
Total Play Time: 9:21

Ranger Net is now available to me and… I now have the power to take Pokemon out of their natural environments! This means I can catch a Pokemon in the woods and then go to the jungle and they will not have to leave me.