Monster Rancher is often compared to Pokémon even though the two series play very differently. While the Pokémon games are traditionally collection-based role-playing video games, Monster Rancher games tend to be simulated animal breeding games. The genre Monster Rancher occupies is shared by other simulation virtual pet games such as Digimon and games based on raising horses for racing, like in the Gallop Racer series also by Tecmo.In the games, one takes the role of a monster breeder whose goal is to raise monsters to fight in tournaments. The breeder must take it in hand to raise the monster throughout its life, training it, keeping it healthy, making an exercise schedule, and trying to maximize its abilities before it dies of old age or is retired. Monsters have good or bad morale depending on how they are raised; loyal monsters are more likely to perform critical hits, while disloyal monsters might refuse to obey commands or not fight at all. Retired monsters can be combined to create more powerful monsters.Although not widely popular, the games do have a loyal cult following, mostly because of the games' innovative "unlocking" aspect. In Monster Rancher, Monster Rancher 2, Monster Rancher 3, Monster Rancher 4, and Monster Rancher EVO, monsters can be generated by inserting any CD into the game system. Monster Rancher 3, Monster Rancher 4, and Monster Rancher EVO can also use DVDs.The characteristics of the monster (such as stats, breed, and traits) are determined by various integers stored in the game. To generate a monster, a random number generator is needed to define what characteristics the monster will have. However, because random number generators are only pseudo-random, the entropy of possible monsters would be limited by the pseudo-random seed. To resolve this, TECMO created a CD reading system that would generate unique random number seeds and, consequently, a large variety of random monsters. Discs contain digital information with a different sequence of values. When the game reads this information, the values found within the discs data are mapped to the range of integers in the game.Some CDs and DVDs can be specialized to produce rare monsters. For instance, in Monster Rancher 4 the Harry Potter DVD generates a unique owl monster, and in Monster Rancher 2 and Monster Rancher 4 TECMO's Dead or Alive game creates a Pixie named Kasumi. In Monster Rancher 2, the Lost in Translation DVD generates a unique squid-like creature. Special CDs called pandora discs can produce multiple monsters. Often, the Monster Rancher game CD itself is a pandora disc.Screenshoots :
