Monster Rancher 3

Differences

This game uses cel-shaded graphics to give the game a more cartoon-like feel. However, the player may still generate monsters by inserting a disc into the PS2. Furthermore, Monster Rancher 3 is the first game in the series to allow players the ability to generate monsters based on past discs, as well as monsters already bred. As an example, once a monster has been bred, from that point on one can simply generate them from their Monster Encyclopedia, saving the gamer unnecessary time and trouble having to remember and find discs that generated various monsters. Also, Monster Rancher 3 is the first, and only to allow you to trade monster data. For example, let's say you have a monster your friend wants, you can simply plug both memory cards in, and you can transfer the monster you have in your Monster Encyclopedia to his file.

Fleria

A young Tochikan girl who serves as your guide throughout the story. Never leaving your side, she acts as though you couldn't possibly survive without her help, but it is revealed that she needed your help to become a breeder in the first place. She is somewhat bossy, but is kind nonetheless. She harbors a dislike for Gadamon and was mentored by "Ms." Jenna.

Bragma

Bragma is Fleria's grandfather who runs the Monster Shrine. He is slightly stubborn, but wise. He has a past which he seems a little embarrassed by.

Mucchi

A peddler. He sells various items and is the messenger to tell the player about regions which he/she has unlocked.

Gadamon

Fleria's rival. Very arrogant, and often shows up merely to antagonise the two of you. She is a breeder also, and so challenges you to fights every so often.

Rip and Rap

Two young sisters whom Fleria used to be friends with. They have held a grudge against her for years about various types of food.

Date

A rich, spoiled, slightly arrogant man who offers to buy land from the player for 10,000 g. Despite his arrogance, he does turn out to be a good man.

Mitia

A young breeder who considers the player and Fleria worthy rivals. Despite her politeness, Fleria seems to dislike her.

Mosha

An experienced breeder who knows the area well. She appears very elderly and has a somewhat romantic past with Bragma. Her nephew is Taz.

Taz

A seemingly cocky yet decent young male breeder. He is particularly fond of Beaklons, which causes problems for Fleria and the player. He is Mosha's nephew.

Yukiyo

A very uncofident new female breeder whom Fleria dislikes, claiming that she makes her "tired."

Lek

A laidback male breeder whom Fleria appears to like. Despite his laidback nature, he gets very upset about losing. He appears to have some sort of connection with Jimsey.

Sansha

Sansha is a young female breeder who uses the area used by the player as a fishing area. She seems to pay more attention to fishing than to breeding. Her monster names generally only have two letters (i.e. Mo).

Jimsey

A strange and sneaky boy who loves money. At a point in the game, he steals from the player, but he turns out to be decent.

Haz

A very serious male breeder who is very fond of Fleria. He is pursuing a "bad monster trainer." He was mentored by Lus.

Shimuka

A laidback yet feisty female breeder. She, like Haz, is pursuing a "bad monster trainer," which makes her attack the player and Fleria, but she makes amends with them.

Lus

An old man and native of Takrama. Haz's mentor. He is originally thought to be the bad monster trainer, but the accusation is false. He seems to like golems.

Maya

A good-natured and generous young female breeder. Taya's older sister. Her family owns the land that the player uses to train. She was attacked by the "modified monster."

Taya

Originally an extremely shy young boy, after battling with the player and Fleria, he becomes more outgoing. He is Maya's younger brother. He was attacked by the modified monster.

Nahze

A scientist in the field of monster modification. He created a mysterious Zan monster, which causes people trouble. He appears to be a bit naive.

Burn

Burn, also known as Lord Burn, is a somewhat arrogant yet decent breeder who has some connection with Jenna.

Jenna

An experienced breeder who was Fleria's mentor. She appears protective of Fleria, though she is not afraid to start a fight.

Kai

A bad character who is connected to a "Joker" monster. Jenna cautions against him, though Fleria doesn't listen.

Dagga

An unknown man who is strongly connected to the monster, Joker. He is some kind of a friend to Kai.

Adaptation and region

Making up for the loss of the combination system is the ability of monsters to adapt to their surroundings. Though only one is available at the start of the game, the five different homes that you can raise your monster in represent five climates, each with its own training regimes, features, and food.

Morx, the first region you will train in, is a clearing in a forest centered around a gargantuan tree. The grassy area is covered with mushrooms, allowing the monster to train by interacting with the tree and the fungi.

Takrama, an oasis in the middle of a barren desert, features rocky terrain, cacti, and dust storms with which to test your monster. It is noted that this is the harshest environment for monsters.

Brillia, a frozen tundra, is filled with snow, seals, and icicles. A lone tree sits near the end of the area.

Kalaragi, a bright rainforest, centers around a giant waterfall (known in-game as Umbagi, but rarely referred to by its name). A cliff path leads behind the waterfall Umbagi up to a ledge, and there is a giant lilypad accompanied by a similarly large lotus flower. Crocodiles inhabit the water. *Note: There is a bug in Kalaragi. If you lose to Gadamon, Sansha will direct you to a place near the "Lord" Monster. If you search the area, Fleria will direct you to another spot, and the storyline will halt.

Goat, the oddly named underwater sanctuary, allows you to raise your monster underwater. The waters of Goat are extremely high in oxygen, explaining why and how you and your monsters have no trouble living under the sea.

Each monster is affiliated with one of these regions, and has subspecies corresponding to each climate and area. For instance, the Suezo - a monster normally inclined to Takrama – also has a subspecies for Goat, the sharklike Fukazo.

When a monster of one subspecies is raised in another area, after a time, they will mature. If they have been fed with enough of the regional food, they will adapt to their surroundings and change subspecies. For example, if a Morx Mocchi is raised in Brillia, and fed enough of Brillia's local food, the Mocchi will adapt to its surroundings, turning blue and white to blend in with its new home, and become a Brillian Mocchi.

Reception

The game received "generally favorable reviews", albeit less than the previous two games in the series, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.