A stylus looping around a wild Pokémon, and the bottom screen turning into a capture arena.

On instinct, Pokémon Ranger lands right in the middle. But look at the detail and a spike appears: fun puts it ahead of 97% of games, the classic title you fire up for one session and put down far too late. Attachment follows, a little above the halfway mark. Then the drop. Art direction only edges out 2% of titles, and the soundtrack sits at the very bottom, just about last. Desert island and rediscovery stay low too. There's the tension: it's hugely entertaining, it builds a real bond, yet nothing it shows or plays sticks with you. A lukewarm gut-level appeal hiding genuine playing pleasure.

Within Pokémon, it's a spin-off apart. No trainer, no turn-based battles, a stylus capture mechanic designed for the DS and nothing else. Against newer and lusher games, a 2006 DS title inevitably pays a heavy price on image and sound, and that takes nothing away from its original idea.

So, who is it for? For you if you love spin-offs that dare a strange mechanic, and if capturing a different way appeals to you. Much less so if you expect the depth of the mainline Pokémon games or a visual knockout.