History VideoGame / PokemonRanger

[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pokemonrangerlogo.png]]

* NintendoHard: The past missions in ''Guardian Signs'', especially in single-player. Enough so as to make you hurl your DS against the wall. The Deoxys one can't even be done in single-player.
** Much of the first game qualifies as well, especially towards the end; whereas the second and third games end up losing much of their challenge towards the end, unless the player is trying to do a [[SelfImposedChallenge Low Level Run]].

* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: The Dark type assist in the first game is generally regarded as a Joke ability; it takes half of your Styler's current energy in exchange for doubling the length of your capture line. Almost every other assist immobilizes the Pokémon for a time, which is generally regarded as a better perk.[[note]]The only exceptions are Fighting, which instead makes each loop count as two, and Electric, which recharges the Styler.[[/note]] The ''only'' time that the Dark assist is considered useful is against Steelix; Steelix is the only Pokéemon to deal contact damage, but otherwise can't attack the capture line. This makes "energy for length" a worthy trade-off, as a long enough capture line can avoid damage altogether.

Instead of the series's norm of becoming a Pokémon "Trainer" who collects and battles the {{Mons}}, the player becomes a Pokémon "Ranger", a defender of the natural environment, [[FriendToAllLivingThings friend to Mons and people everywhere]]. Rangers are armed with "Capture Stylers" rather than Poké Balls, and the player subdues Pokémon by drawing loops around it with the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS's stylus and touch screen. Subdued ("friend") Pokémon can't be taken out of their natural environment (i.e. the area they were found in), but may be called upon (usually once) to clear obstacles in the level or to assist in capturing another Pokémon before being released. (The exception is the player's one "partner" Pokémon, who remains with them the entire game. Also, the former restriction is lifted after the end of the main storyline in the first game, and is completely dropped starting with the second game.)

* AsskickingPose: Most villains will strike their own before siccing their Pokémon on you. Summer and Ben in Guardian Signs have a downplayed version when confronted with mandatory captures.

* BrokenBridge: Subverted in Guardian Signs, where Red Eyes literally breaks a bridge, and you can simply ride Raikou over it a very short time later.

* ContinuityNod: At one point in Guardian Signs, Murph attempts to do a human "target clear" to bust open a locked gate. (He fails.) Afterwards, he says he knows a ranger who can do that (Barlow).

** The Go-Rock Quads appear a few times in Shadows of Almia, following the goal they set of becoming musicians. Apparently they achieved this goal by Guardian Signs, as they are touring in Oblivia in the last quest of the game.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: the first game had a couple of missions situated in a Lethal Lava Land.

* DiscOneNuke: In Guardian Signs, [[GameBreaker Ursaring]], obtainable during ''the tutorial'', is pretty much the only Pokémon you'll need for captures up until [[ThatOneBoss Metagross.]]

** In Guardian Signs, it's stated that Ranger uniforms are made out of a special, very durable fabric that's capable of taking whatever the elements throw at it and has very good insulation. Still, not only do Ranger uniforms not cover ''all'' of a Ranger's skin, anything that traps in enough heat to allow someone to survive on a perpetually frozen mountain peak would probably roast them alive in the volcano parts that every game also has.
* ExpositionFairy: Ben or Summer in Guardian Signs - whichever one you don't pick. Once rescued, they happily follow along, [[TheLoad not contributing anything]], but mainly interacting with the cast in place of the character, who by Pokémon law must remain a SilentProtagonist.
* FakeDifficulty: Attempting to play Guardian Signs' multiplayer mode alone (Which you likely will have to unless you know more people with the game) is just brutal, but not in a way that's fun or challenging. There's simply not enough time to deplete the boss's massive health reserves unless you grind a ton, and even at max level it can be too difficult. If you have friends to play with it can be a blast, though.

** Spoofed in Guardian Signs: [[spoiler:After you fall out of a window in the Sky Fortress, you eventually rejoin your friend, who proceeds to spring a couple of spike traps and push you onto a switch that brings down a wall that must be smashed to proceed. Turns out the whole thing was Kasa in disguise trying to hinder you; your actual partner was trapped after you fell... by Kasa disguising herself as you. Needless to say, this almost leads to a LetsYouAndHimFight situation, averted only by Kasa's Ditto picking an extremely inopportune moment to reveal its true identity.]]

* IAlwaysWantedToSayThat: Early in Guardian Signs, when Booker is about to take you to Renbow Island:

* NintendoHard: The past missions in Guardian Signs, especially in single-player. Enough so as to make you hurl your DS against the wall. The Deoxys one can't even be done in single-player.

--> Female Student: My name is "Female Student." I think not!

* NonstandardGameOver: In ''Shadows of Almia'', failing to stop the sinking of the Cargo Ship results in the player character's death.
* ObviouslyEvil: Gordor from the first game can't stop laughing maniacally when he's posing as a perfectly good person, and Blake Hall in Shadows of Almia is pretty much ''instantly'' recognizable as a villain as soon as you set eyes on him (evil shiny sunglasses, all black suit, evil mustache, and a businessman). To a lesser extent, [[spoiler:Dr. Edward will probably set off alarm bells players as soon as you meet him for having a unique sprite and name but no early plot importance, as well as a hairstyle that can only be described as "Mad scientist hair", plus a creepy facial expression.]]

* PrisonerExchange: [[spoiler:Blue Eyes for your friend in Guardian Signs.]]

* ShoutOut: In Shadows of Almia Hastings comments: "Technology is incredible!"

** Likewise, Guardian Signs' normal Poké Assists cause the Pokémon to appear in battle and perform its attack rather than the StatusBuff effect they had in the previous two games.

* WolverinePublicity: Pikachu on the cover of Shadows of Almia. While there are actual Pikachus in the game, they are merely a regular Pokémon, and get outclassed by both Raichu and Magneton in effectiveness.

* AutoPilotTutorial: Unfortunately present in all three games, and worse, if you accidentally hit the wrong button, you have to sit through explanations more than once.
** Or if your styler breaks!
** In the third game, though, you are allowed to skip any tutorials that would have appeared in the first two games. But only those ones.

* ButThouMust: This is used in the first and second games to the point where virtually any decision that is in any way plot-crucial (basically anything that isn't saving the game or releasing Pokémon) refuses to let you go on until you say Yes. Less so in the third, where there are fewer yes/no questions, and most of them simply give you [[WhatTheHellHero different dialogue]] for choosing a "wrong" answer.

** [[spoiler:And also, you get knocked out by a big chunk of debris falling on your head for a moment, too]]. And it's not played for laughs.

* HostageForMacGuffin: [[spoiler:In exchange for your [[WhatAnIdiot rival]] in the second game.]] The hostage taker [[ButThouMust won't take no for an answer]], the douche, even as the hostage ''tells you not to make the trade''.