The Pokémon Ranger games have always been a joy to play. Taking the essence of the main Pokémon role-playing games, but putting the characters into a different environment where you capture Pokémon using the ingenious Nintendo DS touch screen and stylus, the Pokémon Ranger series has been revolutionary. In this third game of the series, Pokémon Ranger Guardian Signs, all the elements that have made Ranger so much fun are intact, but the game’s creators – HAL Laboratory, Creatures Inc and Nintendo – have added in some new bits and pieces to make it even more fun to play!

If you have played a Pokémon Ranger game before, you will no doubt have already mastered the art of using the Capture Styler – you have to draw circles around the Pokémon you are after to capture them. The stronger they are, the more circles are needed to bring them in, and of course they can always smash through your line and spoil your hard work! This game adds a new dimension to the Capture Styler – drawing Ranger Signs! If you need a certain Pokémon to help you out of a tricky situation, you draw their sign on the ground. A Poké beast will come bounding to your rescue – all you’ve got to do is remember what each Ranger Sign looks like, or you might end up with the wrong monster!

As you progress through the new adventure you will come across characters from the previous Ranger games. Professor Hastings, the Ranger Union’s Chief of Technology, and Murph from the Ringtown Ranger base are just two that we have bumped into.  Murph has much more to do this time around too… he’s commanding a ship and has a message from Hastings.

Some of the obstacles you come across on your missions will now require more than one Pokémon Field Move to sort out. You call up the monsters with the new Ranger Sign system, then you get to watch them appear in front of you and work together to fix the problem. This isn’t the only collaborative element in Guardian Signs, though: you can play special missions with up to four players, working together for the greater good! If you don’t have enough mates then you can still enjoy these missions, with computer players making up the numbers!

As ever, the new Ranger game is all about completing missions to earn Ranger Points. With a few of these in your pocket, you can spend them to level up your partner Pokémon. They can be enhanced in the areas of Assist Level, Healing and Power. Doing this increases their defence and strength so they are better able to cope with attacks, and their Poké Assist can last longer. The maximum level of each rating is five – and partners from the past can be brought into the future with Ranger Signs!

To gain lots of extra experience points once you have bagged the bosses, you can play a rematch against each of them on Boss Island. There’s a girl scientist called Panema who will heal your Pokémon after each battle. If you encounter a character with a speech bubble above their head as you wander around, they will have a quest for your Pokémon Ranger skills! These can be anything from a simple delivery job to capturing a Pokémon for them or helping out some other monster. There are 52 quests in total with names like Herbie’s Grass Research, Electric Energy for Panema, and The Mysterious Rock of Milonda Island. Wow, we just can’t wait to get started!

The Perfect Pichu Partner…

From the start of the game, the Pokémon you are partnered with is a special ukulele-playing Pichu! This Pokémon is of course incredibly cute, but he also has his uses in your missions. There are various ways Pichu can help out…

We first discover this musical Pichu at home with all his friends on Drop Island. You wash up on this island after crashing into the West Sea. You will have to return here later in the game to fix poor Pichu’s ukulele that has broken. Ah, they’re so cute!

With that ukulele in his paws, of course the Poké Assist from this Pokémon is musical! Little yellow notes of music float out from Pichu as he plays – if any of these hit another Pokémon, they will do a little bit of damage. But just as you think it’s all over, Pichu sends out a massive electrical shock wave!

The one thing Ukulele Pichu can’t do is travel back in time with you on special missions. He has to stay behind in the present. When you arrive, you will be given a new partner Pokémon for that mission. Your faithful Pichu will be waiting for you when you return to the present day triumphant!

Call Up a Boss Pokémon…

So, what are these Ranger Signs all about, eh? Well, you make these rune symbols on the touch screen with your stylus, and this summons that Pokémon to help you in your mission. You can even super-charge the Pokémon by holding down the stylus, similar to the way you can charge up the Capture Styler. Oh, and don’t worry… if you forget the sign you can guess it, but there’s a handy menu showing all the ones you have collected!

Raikou
You’ll find Raikou at the Wireless Base on Rainbow Island. With it captured, you can summon the Pokémon up and ride on its back to jump over large gaps in the terrain. Its roar is also very useful for scaring lots of Pokémon out of hiding so you can grab them!

Entei
Found in the Asahi Ruins on Milonda Island, Entei also has a loud roar that will send all the hiding Pokémon scattering. The big advantage of having this Legendary Pokémon on your side though is that it can crash through rocks blocking the way.

Suicune
On Sobiana Island, head to the Kanal Ruins and you will find Suicune. With this Pokémon added to your roster, you can jump onto its back and then leap into the water to get to previously inaccessible places. It also does a great roar!

Latios/Latias
Found by activating beacons around Oblivia, you will get either Latios or Latias depending on whether you chose to play as the boy or girl Ranger. With one of these captured, you can summon them and take a flight through the skies of Oblivia!

Ho-Oh
Picked up at the West Pillar in the West Sea, this phoenix Pokémon is needed for a specific storyline later in the game when the Air Fortress is crashing into the sea. Make sure you don’t start that one without this Ranger Sign in your pocket!

We go Up, up, up… We go Down, down, down…

In this new Pokémon Ranger, you won’t only be traipsing around on foot, oh no! You will also get to fly on the back of a Staraptor, capturing Pokémon as you glide along. Then you will get to dive down into the water to explore the depths!

Learning to fly…
You can choose to fly instantly to a new location or, if you prefer, make some fun out of it! While sitting on the back of a Staraptor, you get to control the action, chasing after the dastardly Pokémon Nappers and avoiding being hit by large green energy balls. Later on in the game you will get to fly with Latios and Latias!

Swimming lessons…
Ah, the beautiful Coral Sea, the Kanal Ruins and the Seafloor Cave – these are the locations you get to explore underwater in the new game. Of course you will only find Water-type Pokémon down here, and there’s a new gameplay element to enjoy too: underwater chases where you will have to rotate your DS around to play!

Wi-Fi Event: Investigate the Mysterious Eruption
You get a message that large volcanic eruptions in Oblivia have been upsetting the tourists; upon investigation you discover a Heatran! This big beast is spurting out lava and fireballs and must be stopped!

Wi-Fi Event: Deoxys and the Mysterious Temple
You will get to travel into the past and visit the Extra Temple in this mission, and you will need a friend with you to help out as there are multiple switches to trigger at once! You will need to capture five Ninetales.

Mission: Graveler’s Rock Trap
You will need to capture a raging Tyranitar to complete the Fire Temple missions. You only have to capture eight Pokémon here to reach Tyranitar, but this Rock/Dark boss Pokémon is a tough one to beat!

While Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs was released on 6 March over in Japan, we still don’t know exactly when we will be enjoying an official English version of the game, but our best guess is September.

Title: Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
Platform: Nintendo DS Family
Genre: Action Adventure
Players: 1 – 4
Rating: RP (Rating Pending)
Release: Fall 2010 (USA)
Developer: Creatures Inc. / The Pokémon Company
URL: www.pokemon.com

OFFICIAL NINTENDO PRESS RELEASE:

Features

• As a Pokémon Ranger, players set out to stop the Pokémon Pinchers with the help of their partner, Ukulele Pichu™ (an energetic Pichu that always carries a ukulele).
• Players use the Capture Styler to circle Pokémon on the touch screen. The further in the story players progress, the more powers and abilities their Capture Styler gains.
• By drawing special Ranger Signs on the touch screen, players can summon powerful Pokémon that they have befriended to help them progress in the game. Legendary Pokémon like Raikou™, Entei™ and Suicune™ can be summoned by drawing their Ranger Signs.
• Up to four players can play together on certain missions using the Nintendo DS Local Wireless Connection, and discover more about the history of the Oblivia region.

Helping Pokémon Get Out of a Pinch

The third installment in the action-packed Pokémon Ranger™ series lets players take on the role of a Pokémon Ranger tasked with protecting Pokémon, people and nature in the Oblivia region. As a Pokémon Ranger, players investigate the nefarious actions of the Pokémon Pinchers, who have been disrupting the peace by chasing and catching Pokémon.

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Chiramii

Type: Normal
Classification: Chinchilla Pokémon
Height: 0.4m
Weight: 5.8kg
Ability: Cute Charm, Technician

Munna

Type: Psychic
Classification: Dream Eater Pokémon
Height: 0.6m
Weight: 23.3kg
Ability: Synchronize, Forewarn

Gear

Type: Steel
Classification: Gear Pokémon
Height: 0.3m
Weight: 23.3kg
Ability: Plus, Minus

Mamepato

Type: Normal/Flying
Classification: Baby Pigeon Pokémon
Height: 0.3m
Weight: 2.1kg
Ability: Super Luck, Pigeon Heart

Hihidaruma

Type: Fire
Classification: Flaming Pokémon
Height: 1.3m
Weight: 92.9kg
Ability: Encourage

Shimama

Type: Electric
Classification: Charged Pokémon
Height: 0.8m
Weight: 29.8kg
Ability: Lightning Rod, Motor Drive

Meguroko

Type: Ground/Dark
Classification: Desert Crocodile Pokémon
Height: 0.7m
Weight: 15.2kg
Ability: Intimidate, Earthquake Spiral

In this video we get to see some of Hiun City in action, with its 3D spinning look. Apparently, as you enter the streets and alleyways in the city, the viewpoint zooms in to follow you, and then zooms out again when you come back into an open space. These graphical enhancements will give the Pokémon adventure a whole new dimension, and are most welcomed. Then we get to see Tsutaja, Pokabu and Migumaru in action, using some of their special moves. Enjoy!

New Legendary Pokémon Reshiram and Zekrom Grace Covers of All-New Releases

OFFICIAL NINTENDO PRESS RELEASE: May 28, 2010 — The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo revealed today that Pokémon™ Black Version and Pokémon White Version, featuring the next generation of all-new Pokémon, will be released for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems in spring 2011 in Europe and North America. Additionally, the companies divulged that new Legendary Pokémon Reshiram™ (Pokémon Black Version) and Zekrom™ (Pokémon White Version) will be featured on the covers of the all-new releases worldwide.

“It’s rare to find a franchise with such worldwide appeal and dedicated fans as Pokémon.” said Laurent Fischer, Managing Director Marketing and PR, Nintendo of Europe. “We’re excited to inform our fans that this eagerly anticipated adventure, featuring an all-new generation of Pokémon, will be available in Europe in spring 2011.”

The launch of Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version follows on from the popular Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, which have sold more than 8.4 million copies worldwide to date. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions return players to the scenic Johto region, first introduced in Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version, launched nearly ten years ago. The Pokémon video game series has sold more than 207 million units worldwide since its inception 14 years ago.

-END-
Visit www.pokemon.com

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website.  Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.

About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.3 billion video games and more than 558 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems.  It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in Europe.
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OFFICIAL NINTENDO PRESS RELEASE: 28th May 2010: Get ready to run, jump, and smash your way through Pikachu’s latest action-packed adventure for all ages when PokéPark™ Wii: Pikachu‘s Adventure launches on Wii on 9th July.

Playing as Pikachu, you must solve the crisis that has befallen a strange new place, the PokéPark.  Along the way, you’ll befriend key Pokémon as you take part in Skill Games and the many challenging Attractions to be found in the PokéPark.

Up until recently, the PokéPark was protected by an item called the Sky Prism. But the Sky Prism shattered, and its pieces were spread all across the PokéPark. In order to save this magical place, you, as Pikachu, will need to explore the PokéPark and collect all of the Sky Prism Pieces.

PokéPark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure is the first Pokémon adventure title for Wii.  As well as pulling you into a deep and engaging action adventure story, you will meet and talk to a wide variety of Pokémon.

As you work your way through the story, you’ll explore various zones within the PokéPark, each very different to the last.  Whether in Beach Zone, Iceberg Zone, Lava Zone or Haunted Zone, you’ll find various Attractions, which comprise the main challenges in the game.

Each Attraction is a mini-game, such as a footrace, a test of strength or an obstacle course, designed to test your skills to the max. Beating the high score in an Attraction is often a way of receiving a Sky Prism Piece. Shake and tilt the Wii Remote to fly, swim and skate your way through a whole host of fun Attractions, such as:
Rhyperior’s Bumper Burn – Pokémon fight on a stage. You have to try to push opponent Pokémon off the stage!
Bulbasaur’s Daring Dash – What could be better than a Pokémon footrace! Shake the Wii Remote to accelerate.
Salamence’s Air Ace – Shoot airborne targets while flying high in the sky during this intense shooting game! Hitting targets while controlling the Pokémon is a serious test of your skills.
Venusaur’s Vine Swing – Timing is everything in this test of your vine-swinging skills.  Get the momentum right if you want to achieve a long jump.
Gyarados’ Aqua Dash – Race against the clock, avoiding obstacles and using boosts to set the fastest time you can on this aquatic course!

But Pikachu isn’t the only one who can challenge the Attractions! As Pikachu befriends other Pokémon, some will become playable in different Attractions, opening up a wealth of possibilities to make strategic use of different Pokémon’s specific strengths.

Many of these Pokémon will also challenge Pikachu to a Skill Game, such as a simple Battle, a game of Hide-and-Seek, or a Chase – all games that will allow you to build friendships with the challenger by defeating them!

Zip across land, sea, and sky to show off your speed and skill in the first ever Pokémon action adventure title for all ages on Wii when PokéPark™ Wii: Pikachu‘s Adventure launches on 9th July 2010.

-Ends-

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems.  It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in Europe.

About Pokémon:
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website.  Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world.

Video ©2010 Pokémon. ©1995-2010 Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc.

Video ©2010 Pokémon. ©1995-2010 Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc.

These three are added to Zoroark and Zorua as the new fifth generation Pokémon you will be playing with in the upcoming Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version. These are the starter Pokémon and you will explore Isshu and Hiun City with them by your side.

Tsutaja is the green, Grass-type Pokémon. It’s actually a Grass Snake Pokémon, 0.6m tall and weighing 8.1kg. It’s ability is Overgrow.

Pokabu is a Fire Pig Pokémon of Fire-type. It’s brown, 0.6m tall and weighs 9.9kg. This Pokémon’s ability is Blaze.

Then there’s blue and white Mijumaru, a Sea Otter Pokémon. It is Water-type and weighs 5.9kg and is 0.5m tall. It has Torrent as its ability.

Nintendo of Japan has just released the artwork of these Pokémon, along with artwork of the male and female main characters of Pokémon Black and White, looking much more grown up than they have done in previous games. The official website has also been updated with some new screenshots, although they are very tiny! Here’s a look at what’s new…

The PokéPark is a bit like a theme park for Pokémon, and is usually a place of fun and frolics, but one day Pikachu gets a visit from Mew who tells him that all is not right at the PokéPark. Everyone’s favourite electric mouse rushes off to see if he can help. It turns out there are problems with the attractions and so Pikachu sets to work to solve them. The Pokémon’s Pika-abilities aren’t enough to solve some problems though, so he has to befriend other Pokémon and get them to use their abilities to help out.

The key to getting on in the game is to make friends with as many Pokémon as you can. This is through taking part in a Trial of Strength. Beat the Pokémon and they will join your ranks of pocket monsters! You need them on your side, as Pikachu can’t solve all of the park’s problems on his own – the other Pokémon each bring with them certain strengths and weaknesses that will make some of the tasks much easier to complete.

The locations in the game are varied in both terrain and look. There are large expanses of park to explore, filled with trees and rock formations; then there are enclosed locations like volcanoes and battle rings. All the Pokémon have been modelled in detailed 3D, so Pokémon fans are going to get a real kick out of seeing their favourites in the park!

While there are reportedly 193 Pokémon in the game, it’s a real shame that Game Freak couldn’t fit all 495 known Pokémon onto the Wii disc. Everyone has their own favourite Pokémon, and there will always be fans who will be disappointed that theirs has not made it into the ranks in the PokéPark.

The game is split into a selection of ‘zones’ for Pikachu to explore. There’s the Green Zone we see here with forest and a river running through it, the Gathering Place has gates and connects to the other areas of the park, the Beach Zone has a bridge you can access once you have completed certain tasks, then on to the Ice Zone with a ski lift and icy mountain, the Mine Zone with mine cart tracks, Magma Zone set inside a volcano, House Zone that you access from a hole in a hot air balloon and is full of ghosts, Stone Zone where Pikachu must deal with an earthquake, the Flower Zone where you get to meet Shaymin, and finally the Sky Garden where you meet a Piplup – but all is not as it seems!

The are lots of extra features in the game that can be accessed by entering a password… Things like a surfboard for Pikachu to ride on, balloons, snowboards and appearances from the Pokémon Celebi, Groudon, Darkrai and Jirachi, and all unlockable through secret passwords. These will soon be hot property at school breaktimes we wager!

One of the main moves that will keep Pikachu moving through the game is the Thunderbolt. Pikachu’s powers do decrease over time, but the plucky Pokémon can visit Electabuzz in The Gathering Place to recharge his special move. It costs 350 Pokédollars each time.

Getting about the PokéPark quickly is achieved by standing by a kind of bus stop and calling a Drifblim. At first the Pokémon will charge you 20 Pokédollars for a ride to another part of the park, but once you have made it your friend, the price goes down to 10 Pokédollars! Visit Misdreavus at his stall and you will get a camera to take photos of your adventures around the park. You simply hit the ‘-’ button on the Wii Remote to take a shot!

All the Fun of the Fair…

There are so many cool attractions in the PokéPark, you’re going to be spoilt for choice! From sliding to flying to smashing to targets to batting balls – you will need to make friends with a lot of Pokémon, as some are better than others at each attraction.

Bastiodon’s Panel Crash

Empoleon’s Snow Slider

Rhyperior’s Heat Up Fight

Salamence’s Super Sky Race

Venusaur’s Rope Swinging

A Trial of Strength!

As Pikachu wanders around the PokéPark he will come across 193 Pokémon. You can make these Pokémon join you if you beat them in a Trial of Strength. There are five trials in all, and each one offers some radically different gameplay to master. If you beat the Pokémon, you can then challenge them over and over again for fun!

Battles
This is the main trial and sees Pikachu battling against all kinds of Pokémon with various health bars and moves. Pikachu will always start off with a Thunderbolt, stunning the opponent so you can follow up with a Quick Attack or Iron Tail!

Tag Race
You’ve got to catch up with another Pokémon in this trial, which can be quite tricky when they are Ghost-types and disappear, or Flying-types and take off so you can’t touch them! Some Pokémon will also use attacks on Pikachu to make the trial even tougher.

Hide & Seek
Some Pokémon just love to play Hide & Seek! Accept a game and they will run off to hide. You have simply got to find them – sometimes they are easy to find, other times they will be behind objects, but listen out as you will be able to hear their cries.

Quizzes
Some Pokémon will join you if you answer a quiz question from them. Most Pokémon Trainers will know the answers to their Pokémon questions, but if you get one wrong, they will tell you the answer afterwards so you can remember it for next time.

Jump Challenge
This is the most tricky, and rarest, trial in the game. You have 99 seconds to jump across a series of platforms. There’s plenty of time, so take it slowly and get it right first time. If you fall, you will start again with the timer continuing to count down.