Pokemon Ranger: The Road to Diamond and Pearl review

Another month, another Pokemon spin-off. Yes, the Pokemon money-making machine is full effect on the DS now, building speed in anticipation for next year's Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Pokemon Ranger is relatively insubstantial and ultimately forgettable, but remains an amusing dual-screen diversion until the next real Pokemon adventures arrive.

So what exactly is a Pokemon Ranger? Unlike a Pokemon trainer, Pokemon Rangers watch over a specific area, its people and its Pokemon. They try to help out the humans with the help of Pokemon, but aren't allowed to remove Pokemon from their natural habitats. As a rookie Ranger in the Fiore region, you'll help the populace and scribble away at injustice with the help of the adorable Plusle or Minun.

To recruit Pokemon, they employ a device not unlike a radio-controlled top, called a "Capture Styler," to lasso the target Pokemon with positive vibes... after which the Pokemon will happily follow them. Of course, all of this is just a poorly-veiled reference to the DS stylus and the miles of furious scribbling you'll do with it over the course of the game. Once captured, the Ranger can use the Pokemon's abilities to clear obstacles or help with subsequent captures, requiring Rangers to resourcefully make do with the Pokemon in their current environment.