Tecmo released a Monster Rancher 2 Switch port, and I’ve been playing a bit of OG Monster Rancher 2 with the Hard Mode patch, which attempts to balance the monsters out and updates techs a bit since some monsters just have shitty tech trees, so I figured I’d make a thread.
I’ve uploaded the Hard Mode patch along with my rip of the Monster Farm 3 Pandora Disc, which will create a Balon in Monster Rancher 2 (my favorite monster in MR2). The point of including that, though, is so you can use the IMG file as a dummy and just perpetually copy over the CCD file with whatever monster you want.
If you need CCD files to generate specific monsters, you can find some at this Github or at the archive of Monster Rancher Metropolis. Just copy the subcode data and paste it into the Monster Farm 3 Pandora Disc CCD file, but make absolutely sure you have something like 2 to 4 blank lines at the end (four always worked for me). Retroarch will crash otherwise. That was a fucking headache to figure out. Alternatively, you can just use the CUE and ISO files you may already have. It works just fine – I got a Phoenix from Culdcept for the PSX (which is what it gives in the Japanese version, too, which is a bit strange because the U.S. version seems to read a different area of the subcode data, but then again, Revelations: Persona and one of the many releases of the Japanese version give the same monster but with different stats, so 
)
Anyway, here’s a guide to generating monsters using CUE and CCD files in Retroarch. This takes advantage of the Legacy disc-swapping mode in Retroarch.
Step 0
Toggle into the Menu, go to “Options”, and scroll down to “Shared Memcards,” and make sure that’s turned On. This is going to save you a lot of headache if you slip up.
Step 1
Go to the Shrine, select Disc Stone, and when the game asks you to insert a CD, toggle back into the emulator Menu.
Step 2
Scroll down to “Disc Control”, then “Eject disc”, then “Load new disc”.
Step 3
Navigate to the directory containing the CCD/CUE, select it, then “Insert Disc”.
Step 4
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the Monster Rancher 2 CUE when it asks you re-insert the Monster Rancher 2 disc. Don’t select from the Index it’s generating, Retroarch will treat it as if you’re still using the CUE or CCD you properly loaded, and you’ll wind up wondering where the fuck your save states have gone (they’ll be under another filename). This is also why I mentioned to use shared memcards, just in case you slip up and load from the Index and then wonder where the fuck your saves have gone (they’re under another filename).
If you get a lot of Hachiros, it probably means the game can’t read the subcode data, this can also be an issue with loading from the generated Disc Index. I want to say DVDs will give you a lot of Hachiros. Blue bottom games should be OK, though.
If you encounter an issue with the game acting like the disc has been removed (I.E., when you select something from the menu, the menu disappears, and just shows your monster chilling), then just perform the same method you would if you were re-inserting the Monster Rancher 2 disc at the Shrine, and you’ll be fine.
Alternatively, you can just play the GameBoy Advance games. They use a password system, which is kind of lame, especially at first since you can only use four characters (but they can be whatever you want, so nobody is stopping you from creating something from BUTT or FUCK), but this is affected by your breeder rank, so the higher your rank, the more characters you can input for monster regeneration.
I’ve been playing Monster Rancher Advance 2. It’s a bit more difficult than MR2 since they balanced things out a bit more. You can’t do the Nuts Oil/Mint Leaf method to never/rarely ever have to rest anymore, but there are a lot more passive items that will decrease your monster’s stress or fatigue every week, as well. Also, your monsters don’t die, instead, they just have to retire, but they can be made into Coaches for training new monsters which increases the stat gains they get but can also pass on traits that the coach has (for example, there’s a trait that increases Int-based attack power and accuracy).
You can also become “Soulmates” with monsters you encounter on expeditions or certain battles, which will give your monster a special move that can be used in battle. You can get multiple Soulmate techs, but I believe you can only assign one at a time. It’s still pretty cool.
Unfortunately, all of the monsters in MRA are palette swaps, and a bunch of the cooler monsters from MR2 (Wracky, Zilla, Mock, etc) were excluded in favor of including monsters that were introduced in 3 (I love 3, but its monster line-up is pretty lame). There are still a ton of monsters, though, over 400.
Why don’t you go get bent, Holly. You know I spend all of my time training with you and my one-eyed pink monster.
