Remember My Pokémon Ranch? How Can It Be Remade?

About two years ago, I had a dream about playing a brand new interpretation of a game exclusively for a Nintendo Wii at a bungalow hotel with my family. That game was no other than My Pokémon Ranch, a spin-off of the Pokémon franchise for WiiWare [7] [22]. I adored tuning into it on my Wii back when I was just a preteen in Summer 2008. I just loved getting new Pokémon for my ranch every single day with quite a lot of patience when it came to wanting the ranch to keep expanding, although part of me misses the simplicity of only six Pokémon in a small ranch. Since it has been fourteen years since the game’s release, I am suddenly motivated into discussing what should be taken into consideration if there ought to be an HD remake of it for the Nintendo Switch that could bring a small Sinnoh vibe into the next generation. I am not saying that it will definitely be proposed, but I am more than delighted to express what such a concept can excel in a time when Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have swapped home companies with the Master Chief from the Halo franchise [2] [30].

What? You thought I was dreaming about climbing a huge tower of blocks with ram horns on my head? As much as I wonder if a PlayStation 5 port of Catherine: Full Body will feature about ten different English voices for the titular bombshell and a new sauna in the Stay Sheep [38] [39], I just wonder how a dream I had almost two years ago could become a reality. [7]

A nice update on the graphics would at least make a remake of My Pokémon Ranch still familiar to us players from the late 2000s and quite fresh to new and younger players. In my dream, Hayley, the protagonist of My Pokémon Ranch wore ripped jeans, but I do not think that style would be necessary for re-establishing the scenario…or will they? Since I have been a Mii maker ever since I was a preteen, I would be delighted to see a more polished version of the art style from the original My Pokémon Ranch that especially jazzes up the Pokémon [7]. I would also suggest making the gender differences a lot more noticeable, not just for the two Nidorans [5]. It would be refreshing to see Miis in ranch attire with the newer hairstyles and facial features that debuted in the Mii Maker application on the Nintendo 3DS [26]. Perhaps some new detail can be some apple trees at the sides of the barn. There has to be a reason for the endless supply of apples in Pokémon Snap, right [26] [37] [38]? There is nothing like a highly faithful rehash of an old game that at least consists of newer aspects to be fresh to new players.

The graphics in a remake of My Pokémon Ranch ought to be as adorable as Hello Kitty White cosplaying as Pusheen the Cat [32]. [7]

Since we are currently in the eighth generation of Pokémon and celebrating the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus [25], the newest Pokémon from Galar and Hisui ought to be featured in a remake of My Pokémon Ranch [25], even though the premise of Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set in the past [8], thanks to Arceus’ time travelling ability [3]. The original game featured Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. There will also need to be the Pokémon from Unova, Kalos and Alola for fans of the generations during the early and mid-2010s. Lastly, let us not forget to feature the Pokémon welcomed in the yet-to-be seen ninth generation in the mid-2020s. The much higher amount of Pokémon included in an HD remake of My Pokémon Ranch may seem like a bit too much, but it can provide a lot of daily play value. Besides, there can always be updates and DLC packs featuring certain Pokémon from certain previous generations released later after the remake’s initial release. After all, the amount of ambition in Animal Crossing: New Horizons increased gradually within seasonally established updates, so that the replay value of the game would constantly seem immortalised [28].

Since Voltorb’s Hisuian counterpart recently made an appearance in Pokémon GO [29], letting all the Hisuian Pokémon from Pokémon Legend: Arceus would be a great way to bring the ranch life back into relevancy [8] [22]. I also believe there can be Shiny Pokémon welcomed to the ranch on rare occasions [9], just like how Pokémon that were not taken into the ranch by Hayley can be shiny [7]. Their rarity ought to be highly noticeable, like the rare fish in Fish With Attitude [15]. [29]

Remember the members of Club Look-See? Their goals were to serve some inspiration for a Poké player’s ranch [22]. Some of their names were:

• Todd [4]
• Julie [4]
• Sunny [4]
• Wanda [4]
• Tanner [4]
• Spencer [4]
• Bobbie [4]
• Cherry [4]
• Webb [4]
• Trevour [4]

For each member’s ranch, there was a different flock of Pokémon that hints what specific interests and traits they have. For example, Pikabo owned a ranch full of the three evolutionary stages of a Pikachu. Leah’s ranch was blooming with mostly Bellossoms. Nita’s ranch consisted of many dragon-like Pokémon. To be honest, none of the members really inspired me when it came to my own ranch as I wanted to make it diverse, but they all meant well and I could not refuse to enter their ranches. I suppose there can be about ten or twenty new members of Club Look-Side with new ranches featuring Pokémon from the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth in an HD remake of My Pokémon Ranch. One example could be a new female ranch owner owning a ranch full of Pokémon from the Hisui region in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Pikabo’s ranch might as well consist of a detective voiced by Ryan Reynolds [11].

Here is Penny, another one of the members of Club Look-See. [7]

Speaking of Sinnoh, there was an update for My Pokémon Ranch that allowed communication with Pokémon Platinum and was only available in Japan [7]. I would like the content of the Platinum update to be available in a remake of My Pokémon Ranch, so that many Western Pokémon trainers will be given a chance to see what they missed. Furthermore, the exclusive members of the Platinum update can finally have official English names, including:

• Rot [4]
• Mimi [4]
• Gonsuke [4]

How about some compatibility with the data if a copy of Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, along with the option to own more than one ranch to bring back the familiarity of bringing levelled up Pokémon from the original Diamond and Pearl games to the original My Pokémon Ranch [22] [24]? Who knows what the remake of Pokémon Platinum will be named, just as long as it consists of the word “platinum”? Or better yet, feature the option to transfer captured and trained Pokémon from Pokémon GO as Nintendo has been occasionally going mobile since the release of Miitomo back in 2016 [21]. Oh, how I miss that app [34] [35]! Oh! And do not forget to include the option to visit other Poké players’ ranches [22]. These features can help a community of My Pokémon Ranch players flourish worldwide.

I would have loved to see the Platinum update of the original My Pokémon Ranch occur on my copy back in the day. Too bad it was only available in Japan. [7]

What other new features can be there for an HD remake of My Pokémon Ranch? How about some new toys for Pokémon and Miis to interact with too, such as a bubble blower, quite like the one in Nintendogs [23]? The list of toys ought to include the toys that were included in the Japan-exclusive Platinum update for the original My Pokémon Ranch, including the birthday cake for celebrating a Mii’s birthday and the beautiful flower [7]. Additionally, there can be the option to change a Mii’s outfit [27], such as letting Hayley wear a lovely red summer dress in the Summer. Speaking of Summer, there can be different seasons that allow the greenery across the ranch to change colour, such as orangey-brown for Autumn and frosted white for Winter, highly similar to seasons in the Animal Crossing series [18] [19] [20]. As for the option to take photographs of events in the ranch with no reference to My Pokémon Snap intended [26], there can also be a range of options for editing them, such as adding a filter and decorating them with little stickers, such as one that strongly resembles Pokémon ball. New features in the remake can increase the likeliness of its reception being better than the original.

To make alternative costumes for Hayley and the other Miis excel, perhaps refrain from combining spots with stripes. So sorry, Minnie Mouse and Stella McCartney [12]. Eh, how about the ripped jeans I mentioned earlier? [6]

I am aware that the reception of My Pokémon Ranch was not all sunshine and rainbows [33]. I will admit that I did not like how I could not zoom in and out and move around freely until there was a certain amount of Pokémon in the ranch. Getting a copy of Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl for My Pokémon Ranch was the only way to access much more features, making it seem more like an everlasting advent calendar. The base game of an HD remake ought to provide a lot more interaction, such as allowing the player to control a Mii’s interactions with a Pokémon, quite similar to the freely controllable bonding between a sim and a cat or a dog in The Sims 2 Pets and The Sims Pet Stories [1] [13] [14]. Reflecting on my suggestions for an upgraded art style, I understand how plenty of critics found the original game’s art style to be quite unappealing [7], although I personally found it cute when I was younger. Hopefully, with some improvements, such as more interaction and much cuter visuals can be a big upgrade. I strongly believe My Pokémon Ranch deserves a second chance [31].

Maybe trading Pokémon with Hayley can be a little more rewarding in a certain way. Other than that, I still stand by including a lot more interaction between the player and the game’s AI to prevent the experience from quickly going stale and rather uninspiring. [6]

In conclusion, an HD remake of My Pokémon Ranch for the Nintendo Switch with possibly some improvements would be an interesting combination of some late 2000s preteens’ nostalgia and expanding on the current generation of Pokémon [7] [22]. As previously stated, the original My Pokémon Ranch has not been considered one of the best side games [7] [33], but I believe that it deserves another chance by being remade with various improvements [31], such as more appealing graphics and a lot more interaction. Regardless of the amount of verbal bullying I would receive for writing articles related to gaming and such [10] [36]; I would be thrilled to witness such a concept brought into action, even though I know it might not definitely happen, as previously stated. In addition, whether our dear Poké players will agree with this idea or not, I am just happy to try and bring up fair and valid points [16] [17]. I would also like to witness a third chapter of the Tomodachi Collection franchise for the Switch that features same-sex marriage and some more music genres for customisable songs [27], along with a gorgeous HD remake of Tomb Raider Legend for the Xbox Series and the PlayStation 5 [40] [41]. Look-See ya!

Are you all enjoying the link to the past in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Poké players [25]? I do not doubt that you are. Keep catching as many as you can! [8]

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