Pokémon Ranger is one of those DS games that actually makes the stylus feel essential—none of that half-baked touchscreen gimmickry. Instead of throwing Poké Balls, you’re sketching loops around wild Pokémon with the Capture Styler to calm them down, which starts simple but gets surprisingly intense when a Pidgeot decides it’d rather not cooperate. The whole ranger angle gives it a different vibe from the main series—you’re not just collecting monsters, you’re borrowing their help for puzzles and taking down shady poacher groups.

Early on, you’ll get thrown into these chaotic multi-Pokémon chases where timing your loops matters way more than you’d think. And yeah, the touchscreen takes a beating—hope you’ve got a screen protector. It’s got that classic DS-era charm where the mechanics actually justify the hardware instead of just tacking them on. If you ever wanted to feel like a park ranger who solves problems by aggressively circling creatures with a stick, this is your game.