We still fondly remember the wild heyday of the Pokémon craze - indeed, we've still got our Pikachu bobble hats and cuddly Jigglypuffs hidden safely under our beds. Now though, after several slightly muted years, Nintendo's set to release its DS precursor to forthcoming 'proper' entries in the Pokémon RPG series, in the form of Pokémon Ranger: The Road to Diamond and Pearl.
Pokémon Ranger is an action take on the traditional Pokémon RPG, seeing you play as a - you've guessed it - Pokémon Ranger. These differ from your bog-standard Pokémon Trainers insofar as they're tasked with travelling the land, preserving nature and protecting the Pokémon from strife.
One interesting new feature of Pokémon Ranger emerges in the way you catch the game's bountiful critters. Each Ranger is equipped with a 'Capture Styler', which means you're going to have to snatch the little blighters on the DS's second screen using the stylus. Beats PokéBalls anyday.
Pokémon Ranger hits Japan on March 23, with a European realise currently unconfirmed.