My Pokemon Ranch (WiiWare)

Titles	My Pokémon Ranch みんなのポケモン牧場 (Minna no Pokémon Bokujō) みんなのポケモン牧場 プラチナ対応版 (Minna no Pokémon Bokujō Purachina Taiō-ban, the Platinum-compatible version)
Platform	WiiWare (Wii), 1,000 Wii Points · links wirelessly with a Nintendo DS
Developer	Ambrella
Publisher	Nintendo (The Pokémon Company in Japan)
Directors	Muneaki Ozawa (general director) · Yoshihiro Hatta (project director)
Producers	Hiroyuki Jinnai · Shusaku Egami · Hiroaki Tsuru
Sound	Miki Obata
Players	Single player
Genre	Virtual pet / Pokémon storage
Storage	1,000 Pokémon from up to eight Diamond or Pearl saves (1,500 in Japan’s Platinum version)
The ranch	25 Ranch Levels · 16 events · 23 toys · 37 Club Look-See members
Released	25 March 2008 (Japan) · 9 June 2008 (North America) · 4 July 2008 (Europe, Australia)
Updates	Platinum-compatible version, 5 November 2008 (Japan only, free for owners) · text fix, 18 June 2008 (North America)
Rating	ESRB E · PEGI 3 · CERO A · ACB G
Predecessor	Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire (GameCube) – the previous storage add-on
Successor	Pokémon Bank (Nintendo 3DS, 2013) – the next storage service
Sales	No official figures (WiiWare downloads were never charted)

Overview · Quick Answers · The Ranch · Characters · Features · Transferring from D&P · Ranch Levels · Trading Pokémon · Events · Toys · Platinum Update · Regional Variations · Glitches · Videos · Trivia · Legacy · Sales & Reviews · Media

Overview

Released on the Wii as a WiiWare download, My Pokémon Ranch is mostly seen as a companion tool for Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl. Similarly to Pokémon Box for Ruby & Sapphire, the game lets the player transfer Pokémon to and from the fourth-generation games, while offering the possibility to store a large number of Pokémon on the farm: up to 1,000, from as many as eight save files.

The stored Pokémon will be displayed on the ranch as 3D models, each having their own animations and sounds. The player, too, will have a 3D avatar (a Mii) they can use to interact with the different Pokémon in there.

Although the graphics aren’t that great, the music is still enjoyable, and the various game features make the game an interesting choice. While My Pokémon Ranch is considered a complementary tool to Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, it can be a standalone game that can still be played without having either of the two games. In fact, the ranch manager Hayley starts the ranch off with six of her own Pokémon, and brings a different one to the ranch on a daily basis. The first time the player quits to the Wii Menu each day, she will ask them the type of Pokémon she should bring the next day.

Additionally, she’s also willing to trade some of the Pokémon in her possession (including the Mythical Pokémon Mew and Phione) for specific ones. Last but not least, Hayley also gives very useful information about Pokémon that is different from the Diamond and Pearl Pokédex entries, since she gives hints on where to find them in the Sinnoh region. The game received an update enabling it to interact with Pokémon Platinum on 5 November 2008, adding new features to the game. Sadly, the update was only released in Japan.

Quick Answers

The questions people ask about My Pokémon Ranch, answered first and explained further down the page.

How do you get Mew in My Pokémon Ranch?

Fill the ranch to Ranch Level 25 by depositing 999 Pokémon. Hayley then asks for any Pokémon Egg, and trading her one gets you her Level 50 Mew, which knows Synthesis, Return, Hypnosis and Teleport. It can then be withdrawn to Diamond or Pearl like any of her other trades. More →

How do you get Phione in My Pokémon Ranch?

Reach Ranch Level 15 by depositing 250 Pokémon, then wait for Hayley to ask for a Leafeon. Bring one over from Diamond or Pearl and she trades you her Level 50 Phione, which knows Grass Knot, Rain Dance, Rest and Surf. Like all her trades, it carries the trainer name Hayley and ID 01000. More →

Can you still buy or play My Pokémon Ranch?

It can no longer be bought. It was a download-only WiiWare title: Wii Points could no longer be added from 26 March 2018 and the Wii Shop Channel closed on 30 January 2019, although earlier buyers could still re-download it. It has never been re-released and is not on Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Online. More →

Does My Pokémon Ranch work with Pokémon Platinum or HeartGold and SoulSilver?

Only in Japan, and only with Platinum. The Japanese Platinum-compatible version released on 5 November 2008 added the link, but the English and European versions were never updated, so they only connect to Diamond and Pearl. No version of the game works with HeartGold or SoulSilver. More →

How many Pokémon can the ranch hold?

Up to 1,000, from as many as eight Diamond or Pearl save files. The ranch starts with room for 20 and grows through 25 Ranch Levels as you deposit more; Hayley’s own Pokémon stop counting towards the limit at Level 20. The Japanese Platinum-compatible version adds a 26th level that raises the limit to 1,500. More →

How do you transfer Pokémon between Diamond and Pearl and the ranch?

Set the ranch to transfer mode on the Wii, then start Diamond or Pearl on a DS: a new option on the game’s start-up menu links the two systems wirelessly, with no internet needed. Whole Boxes can be deposited at once, and each Pokémon can only go back to the save file that sent it. More →

The Ranch

The game mainly takes place on a large farm, with no known location in the Pokémon world. It is composed of a wide, grassy green land, surrounded by a white fence. The farm also contains a barn, where Hayley’s own Pokémon move once the ranch reaches Ranch Level 20, and is managed by Hayley.

• 1,000Pokémon at most
• 25Ranch Levels
• 37Club Look-See members
• 23toys to collect

Pokémon on the ranch

Any Pokémon that can sit in a Diamond or Pearl Box can live on the ranch, Eggs included, and each appears as a 3D model with its own cry and animations. The ranch starts with six of Hayley’s Pokémon and she adds one a day. Some species trigger group events when enough of them gather, from a Pikachu Party to a keyboard made of all 28 Unown. Hayley trades 22 Pokémon, two of them Mythical, and the Japanese Platinum-compatible version keeps Platinum’s new forms on the ranch.

• Mewfor any Egg, Level 25
• Phionefor a Leafeon, Level 15
• LeafeonHayley’s price for Phione
• Unownall 28: the Keyboard
• Zigzagoontwo dance events
• Spoink800 on Spencer’s ranch
• Weezingits gas clears a space

Characters

There are many different characters within the game, but the most important of all would be Hayley. All the characters, though, appear as Miis created through the Wii’s avatar system.

Hayley

She’s the host of My Pokémon Ranch. The region Hayley comes from is unknown, but presumed mostly to be Sinnoh, as she seems to have a good knowledge of where Pokémon can be found across that region. All we know about her is that she’s a friend of Bebe (the inventor of Sinnoh’s storage system). Hayley is a devoted Pokémon breeder and yearns to create the biggest ranch in the world. To do so, she requires the player’s help to collect Pokémon and data on them. Within the game, she takes care of the player’s Pokémon, brings a new one to the ranch each day and trades her own.

• The Player: The player’s character is a custom-made Mii, created with Wii’s Mii avatar system. There are different facial traits available for selection, enabling the player to have a unique character. Other Miis from the Mii Channel can wander the ranch too: five at first, rising to twenty by Ranch Level 11.

Club Look-See

Club Look-See Miis: They are mainly secondary characters that appear on the player’s ranch and invite them to visit theirs. What’s special about them is that they look similar to the Pokémon they raise, and their ranches have specific themes. Each person has a number, and they appear in a linear order following these numbers. There are 37 members, with three more in the Japanese Platinum-compatible version (see Regional Variations), and after the first round of visits they drop in at intervals.

Bobbie, No. 1

Bobbie (Taruo in Japan) is a Bibarel lookalike who runs the Bidoof Ranch, home to 100 Bidoof and 20 Bibarel. As the first member of Club Look-See he is always the first visitor to call at the player’s ranch, and his invitation is the one the player cannot turn down. Later members can be declined.

Features

My Pokémon Ranch offers a variety of fun features:

• Pokémon Storage: As a game conceived to be mainly a storage tool, it lets the players transfer up to 1,000 Pokémon from Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, from as many as eight save files, and store them on the farm (1,500 in the Japanese Platinum-compatible version). The stored Pokémon are displayed as mini 3D models and can be organised on the farm from the DS screen according to a few criteria, like level, type, weight, height, etc.
• Miis and Pokémon Interactions: Using their Miis (the custom-created characters), the players can interact with the environment and the Pokémon present in it. They can run away from Pokémon or even dance with them, and they can interact with the farm by tending to it and adding decorative items. The Pokémon, too, interact among themselves by greeting or attacking each other.
• Screenshots: Pictures can be taken at any given moment in the game. The Focus Lock of the camera helps take better images of Pokémon and objects, and the camera angle can also be rotated at the player’s will. Additionally, the player could share these pictures with their friends using WiiConnect24, until the service closed on 28 June 2013 (27 June in North America). Photos can still be saved to the Wii Message Board or an SD card.

Camera and photo albumFree Mode, unlocked at Ranch Level 5, adds a free-roaming camera. The photo album holds 20 photos, or 30 in the Japanese Platinum-compatible version, which also moves photos to an SD card in bulk.

Wii Remote tricksShaking the Wii Remote sets off a random disturbance on the ranch, such as an earthquake, an explosion or a tornado. The same shake can also open every Toy Box at once instead of one at a time. Toys arrive in the Toy Boxes daily from Ranch Level 4, and the ranch’s toy allowance rises from one at Level 4 to six at Level 25. The Nunchuk, meanwhile, swings the camera around the field.

Transferring from Diamond & Pearl

My Pokémon Ranch only comes alive when Pokémon arrive from a Nintendo DS. The Wii and the DS talk to each other over a short-range wireless link, so no internet connection or Friend Code is needed, and the ranch can serve a whole household: up to eight Diamond or Pearl save files can share one ranch. The link has a few strict rules, though, and they decide which Pokémon can ever go home again.

Making the link

1. Transfer mode: Choose the transfer option on the ranch menu and the Wii waits for a DS. Start Diamond or Pearl and a new option appears on the game’s start-up menu; selecting it links the two.
2. Whole Boxes at once: Pokémon are deposited a full Box at a time rather than one by one, as long as the ranch has room under its current limit. Once they land, their DS sprites turn into 3D models wandering the field.
3. Sorting from the DS: While the DS is connected, its screen can be used to line up and arrange the ranch’s Pokémon by criteria such as level, stats, type, weight, height and markings.

• 8Diamond or Pearl saves per ranch
• 1,000Pokémon at most (1,500 in Japan’s Platinum version)
• 01000the ID on every one of Hayley’s trades
• 22Hayley trades to bring home

The rules of the link

Moving them on today

The ranch itself only ever talks to Generation IV games, but the Pokémon that leave it can still travel on. Withdrawn Pokémon follow the usual Generation IV route forwards: Poké Transfer to Black or White, then Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank on 3DS, and finally Pokémon HOME.

Ranch Levels

My Pokémon Ranch actually features a ranch level system. In order to gain a level and expand your ranch, some requirements must be met. Passing certain levels adds new stuff to the game.

Hayley’s Wanted Pokémon and Trading

Upon transferring the first Pokémon to My Pokémon Ranch, Hayley will get data on the player’s Pokédex and ask daily that they bring a specific Pokémon. She gives information about the Pokémon’s location, or what items are needed for its evolution and where to find them if it’s a specially evolved one. Upon bringing the wanted Pokémon, she’ll offer one of her own to trade for it, or one of those she brought to the ranch. Hayley’s Pokémon are special, since they either know an Egg Move, have already learned a TM or hold a special item. These are the Pokémon that Hayley trades:

Pokémon	Nature	Ability	Holds	Moves
Pikachu ♂	Jolly	Static	Shuca Berry	Grass Knot, Thunderbolt, Flash, Double Team
Vulpix ♂	Naive	Flash Fire	Fire Stone	Energy Ball, Confuse Ray, Flamethrower, Safeguard
Ponyta ♂	Naughty	Flash Fire	Passho Berry	Take Down, Tackle, Tail Whip, Ember
Lickitung ♂	Naive	Own Tempo	TM44	SolarBeam, Defense Curl, Swords Dance, Rollout
Tangela ♀	Naughty	Leaf Guard	Coba Berry	Leaf Storm, Power Whip, Sleep Powder, AncientPower
Eevee ♂	Hardy	Adaptability	Haban Berry	Natural Gift, Helping Hand, Quick Attack, Shadow Ball
Aerodactyl ♂	Jolly	Rock Head	Kasib Berry	Natural Gift, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Aerial Ace
Yanma ♂	Naughty	Speed Boost	Charti Berry	Silver Wind, Hypnosis, AncientPower, Dream Eater
Miltank ♀	Calm	Thick Fat	MooMoo Milk	Milk Drink, Heal Bell, Hammer Arm and a TM move
Shroomish ♂	Jolly	Poison Heal	Kebia Berry	Seed Bomb, Spore, False Swipe, Stun Spore
Wailmer ♂	Lax	Oblivious	Tanga Berry	Rest, Water Spout, Amnesia, Ice Beam
Wynaut ♂	Relaxed	Shadow Tag	Colbur Berry	Charm, Splash, Encore
Staravia ♂	Jolly	Intimidate	Yache Berry	Roost, Wing Attack, Endeavor, Whirlwind
Combee ♀	Lax	Honey Gather	Occa Berry	Sweet Scent, Gust
Pachirisu ♀	Naive	Pickup	Chilan Berry	Grass Knot, Growl, Quick Attack and an Electric-type move
Shellos ♂	Relaxed	Storm Drain	Rindo Berry	Natural Gift, Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Double Team
Buneary ♀	Mild	Run Away	Chople Berry	Charm, Foresight, Drain Punch, Quick Attack
Croagunk ♂	Naughty	Dry Skin	Payapa Berry	Astonish, Swagger, Mud Bomb, Sucker Punch
Finneon ♀	Mild	Swift Swim	Wacan Berry	Attract, Water Pulse, Safeguard, Aqua Ring
Snover ♂	Relaxed	Snow Warning	Babiri Berry	Wood Hammer, Ice Shard, Ingrain, Blizzard
Phione for a Leafeon, Ranch Level 15 · Lv. 50	Random	Hydration	–	Grass Knot, Rain Dance, Rest, Surf
Mew for any Egg, Ranch Level 25 · Lv. 50	Random	Synchronize	–	Synthesis, Return, Hypnosis, Teleport

Each of her trade Pokémon has a set nature, gender and ability (only Mew’s and Phione’s natures are random), none of them can be Shiny, and she trades only one of each species.

Wanted postsAfter the first deposit, Hayley reads the player’s Pokédex and starts putting up Wanted posts for Pokémon that are still missing from it, with a rough hint about where each one lives. Every post stays up for ten days and is not tied to one particular cartridge. When all of them have expired she asks the player to connect a DS again so she can write new ones, and she never asks for a Pokémon that evolves by trading.

Hayley’s daily PokémonHayley brings one Pokémon to the ranch each day, plus an extra of the same species whenever the ranch goes up a level. The first time each day that the player quits to the Wii Menu, she asks what kind of Pokémon she should bring next; answering no to both of her questions can lead her to bring one of her special trade Pokémon instead. Her Pokémon move into a separate barn at Ranch Level 20.

Events

Within the ranch, several events happen, making the farm lively and seemingly more realistic and fun. These events can be divided into random events that occur every 15 minutes, and specific ones that happen after reaching a certain condition.

• Random events: They are mainly interactions between Pokémon. The Pokémon would be greeting or attacking each other. The attacks used by the Pokémon will depend on their type, and will be generic attacks, like a Fire-type Pokémon breathing fire or an Electric-type Pokémon electrocuting another.
• A list of specific events and when they occur:

These 16 events are in every version of the game. The Japanese Platinum-compatible version adds 13 more, listed under The Platinum Update.

Toys

Throughout the game, from Ranch Level 4 onwards, various toys will be delivered to the Toy Box on a daily basis. Toys can be placed on the ranch, so that Pokémon and Miis can interact with them.

The Toy	Description
Training Bag	A training bag on which Pokémon can practise their attacks.
Stinky Ball	A ball that releases a stench repelling both Pokémon and Miis from the Mii that picks it up. The Mii carrying it gets anxious and ends up throwing it away.
Spring Stand	It lets Pokémon jump very high.
Spin Ride	If a Mii or Pokémon steps on it, they’ll spin quickly. When spinning, some Miis get confused.
Snowman	A snowman that freezes all Miis and Pokémon nearby. Pokémon vulnerable to Ice attacks do not approach it. It is vulnerable to Fire-type attacks and depletes with time.
Slippery Peel	It trips Miis and Pokémon that step on it.
Round Rock	A rock that moves when attacked by Pokémon. If a Pokémon fails to avoid it, it gets flattened into the grass.
Poké Rocket	A cannon that launches Pokémon far away.
Poké Pendulum	It hypnotises Pokémon, confusing them or putting them to sleep.
Poké Palette	It appears from Ranch Level 20 and gathers all the ranch’s Pokémon, forming a giant mosaic of a Pokémon.
Poké Microphone	Pokémon can cry through the microphone, resulting in their voices being heard through the Wii Remote’s speaker.
Poké Cushion	It can be placed on a Mii’s head, and Pokémon tend to jump on it. If the Pokémon is too heavy, the Mii will be unable to move.
Poké Bell	If a Mii uses it, it will attract Pokémon towards it. Pokémon can ring it too, by tackling it.
Poké Balloons	If attached to a Pokémon or a Mii, they will let them fly away.
Pitfall	A small hole into which Pokémon and Miis can fall. After they jump into it, they’ll reappear falling from the sky. If the Pokémon is too big, like Onix, it won’t fall.
Parade Drum	Used by Miis to form a parade of Pokémon.
Leader Flag	Used by Miis to lead a parade of Pokémon.
Fountain	Can be used by both Miis and Pokémon, giving them a brief lift on its jet.
Challenger	A dummy toy that trains Pokémon by attacking them. Avoiding the attack will result in the toy starting a sort of celebration.
Burst Ball	An explosive ball that detonates upon contact.
Bounce-Back Ball	A super-bouncy ball that throws away any Miis or Pokémon it contacts. The faster the ball, the further the victims are thrown.
Bonfire	Both Pokémon and Miis can watch it, although it sometimes burns some Pokémon. Water Pokémon can douse the flames a bit.
Attractor	A weird device that attracts Pokémon to the Miis that use it.

The Platinum Update

An update, みんなのポケモン牧場 プラチナ対応版 (Minna no Pokémon Bokujō Purachina Taiō-ban, the Platinum-compatible version), was released in Japan on 5 November 2008, enabling the link between Pokémon Platinum and My Pokémon Ranch. It was free for existing owners and cost 1,000 Wii Points for new buyers. The update also added several features to the game, including:

• Raising the ranch level to 26, which allows storing up to 1,500 Pokémon.
• Eleven new toys with new fun mechanics.
• Three new Club Look-See members, along with their ranches.
• Twelve new animations for several Pokémon.
• The ability to change the soundtrack or song being played.
• The option to go back and visit any Club Look-See ranch already seen.
• New sorting filters by type, colour, Original Trainer and marking, and a 30-photo album.
• Platinum’s new forms on the ranch: Giratina keeps its Origin Forme if it arrives holding the Griseous Orb, and Shaymin turns into its Sky Forme when it touches the new Flower toy.

New events:

• Battle between Dialga and Palkia (one of 15 rival pairs in the Showdown event).
• Battle between Seviper and Zangoose (another Showdown pair).
• Wrestling contest between Makuhita and Hariyama (the Sumo Parade).
• Water Pokémon using Surf on the water, all while swimming and jumping (the Surfing Jump).
• New Rotom forms (all six together set off Rotom Roulette).

All 13 new events

The version never came out in English, so the event and toy names below are translations.

The new toys

The Toy	Notes
Box	Also comes in a large size
Birthday Cake	Only appears on a Mii’s birthday
Bounce Pad	–
Dice	–
Flower	A Gracidea flower that turns Shaymin into its Sky Forme
Lamp	–
Magnet	–
Picture Frame	Also comes in a large size
Ranch Tree	–
Twirler	–

Platinum’s forms on the ranch

• Giratinakeeps its Origin Forme
• ShayminSky Forme at the Flower
• Rotomsix forms: Rotom Roulette

Regional Variations

Japan had the ranch more than two months before anyone else, and it was the only country where the ranch ever grew beyond its launch version:

• The Japanese title is Minna no Pokémon Bokujō (“Everyone’s Pokémon Ranch”). Every Western release, including the French, German, Italian and Spanish ones, is called My Pokémon Ranch.
• Only Japan received the Platinum-compatible version (5 November 2008), a free upgrade for existing owners and 1,000 Wii Points for new buyers. English and European copies connect only to Diamond and Pearl, so Platinum players outside Japan cannot use the ranch at all.
• The Platinum-compatible version also rebuilt several existing Club Look-See ranches: Mirabel’s Miltank go from 40 to 80, Tanner’s Tauros from 60 to 120 and Pikabo’s Pikachu from 20 to 100, Bobbie’s Bibarel rise to 30, Douglas’s Spiritomb to 20 and Grace’s Eevee to 10 with five of each evolution, and Martha’s Wormadam rise to 10 of each cloak. Raby’s and Pattie’s ranches take in many new species, Pattie’s gaining all three Sinnoh starter lines.
• An update released on 18 June 2008, shortly after the North American launch, corrected text in which Hayley called the Tangela she trades a Tangrowth.
• Hayley is Yukari in Japanese, and her friend Bebe is Mizuki; the Club Look-See members also have different Japanese names, such as Taruo for Bobbie and Kairi for Nita.

Club Look-See Nos. 38–40 (Japan only)

The Platinum-compatible version adds three members to Club Look-See, each with a ranch of their own: Rot’s ranch is full of red Pokémon, from Scizor and Ledian to five Rotom; Gonsuke’s houses hungry Pokémon led by Munchlax and Snorlax; and Mimi’s bounces with Buneary, Lopunny and other hoppers.

WiiConnect24 guests (Japan only)

Between May 2008 and February 2009, five special guest Miis visited Japanese ranches through WiiConnect24, each staying for about two weeks. Every guest brought a Pokémon to trade for a common one, much like Hayley’s own trades. No such guests were ever sent to Western ranches.

Glitches, exploits and oddities

A misnamed Tangela and a save-file trap:

Tangela or Tangrowth?

In the launch version of the North American release, Hayley’s dialogue about the Tangela she offers in trade called it a Tangrowth, the Pokémon it evolves into. The Pokémon itself was a normal Tangela, a female holding a Coba Berry and knowing Leaf Storm, Power Whip, Sleep Powder and AncientPower, but the text gave the wrong name. An update made available on 18 June 2008 corrected the wording so that the text names Tangela properly.

Pokémon stranded by a restarted save

Every deposited Pokémon is tied to the save file that sent it, and only that save can withdraw it. If a player deletes or restarts their Diamond or Pearl game, the ranch treats the new save as a stranger, and anything the old save deposited can never be taken back to a DS. The ranch also has room for only eight trainers, so a new one cannot be added until an existing trainer withdraws every Pokémon they left behind.

Videos & media

Check out these videos from My Pokémon Ranch, including the Japanese and Western trailers and the first episode of a decent Let’s Play.

The Japanese trailer for My Pokémon Ranch.

The USA trailer for My Pokémon Ranch, which gives a good overview of the game.

Join Trey on a relaxing getaway as he runs his very own Pokémon Ranch in this Let’s Play episode.

Trivia & facts

• Level 100 Pokémon or Pokémon found in special places (or received in a fateful encounter) will emit sparkles in orange and yellow or blue and green respectively, or both if the Pokémon meets both conditions.
• Everyone’s Pokémon Ranch (Minna no Pokémon Bokujō) was the original game title, but it was changed for the West, possibly because Western cultures are more individually oriented.
• Certain Pokémon have unique species characteristics, like Weezing emitting a stinky yellow gas that repels other Pokémon, or Mankey often being angry.

Further trivia

• Hayley’s Mii was designed by Ken Sugimori, the Pokémon series’ lead character designer, who is credited for her in the staff roll.
• Hayley’s Japanese name, Yukari, comes from yūkari, the Japanese word for eucalyptus.
• An airship sails on to the ranch every time a DS connects. It is purely for show.

Legacy

What came after

• Announced as Pokémon Bokujō Channel (working title) – 10 October 2007. Shown at Nintendo Conference 2007 Autumn at Makuhari Messe as one of the first WiiWare titles
• Japanese release (Minna no Pokémon Bokujō) – 25 March 2008. WiiWare, 1,000 Wii Points; links with Diamond and Pearl
• North American release – 9 June 2008. Released as My Pokémon Ranch
• Text update – 18 June 2008. Corrected Hayley calling her Tangela a Tangrowth
• European and Australian release – 4 July 2008. Same day in both regions
• Platinum-compatible version (Japan only) – 5 November 2008. Free for owners, 1,000 Wii Points for new buyers; adds Platinum support, 1,500-Pokémon storage, new events, toys and members
• WiiConnect24 shut down – 28 June 2013. Ends photo sending and inviting Wii Friends to visit the ranch; 27 June in North America
• Wii Points no longer sold – 26 March 2018. Points can no longer be added; existing balances can be spent until the shop closes
• Wii Shop Channel closes – 30 January 2019. The game can no longer be bought, although earlier buyers could still re-download it after the closure; 31 January in Japan

Where to play it today

As of October 2026 My Pokémon Ranch cannot be bought anywhere: it was only ever sold as a WiiWare download, and the Wii Shop Channel closed in January 2019. Anyone who bought it before then can still play it on a Wii with a DS and a copy of Diamond or Pearl. WiiConnect24 photo sharing has been gone since 2013, and the game has never been re-released on later Nintendo systems or Nintendo Switch Online.

How it was made

My Pokémon Ranch was made by Ambrella, the studio behind Hey You, Pikachu! and Pokémon Channel, and published by The Pokémon Company in Japan and Nintendo everywhere else. Muneaki Ozawa was general director and Yoshihiro Hatta project director, with Hiroyuki Jinnai, Shusaku Egami and Hiroaki Tsuru producing for executive producers Satoru Iwata and Tsunekazu Ishihara. Miki Obata handled the sound, Ken Sugimori designed Hayley’s Mii, and Junichi Masuda and Tetsuya Watanabe advised on the game design. The game was revealed on 10 October 2007 at Nintendo Conference 2007 Autumn at Makuhari Messe, as one of the first WiiWare titles, under the working name Pokémon Bokujō Channel. It reached Japan on 25 March 2008 as Minna no Pokémon Bokujō, and Media Factory published an official Japanese guidebook that June.

My Pokémon Ranch elsewhere

Pokémon AdventuresHayley appears in the Pokémon Adventures manga in the chapter Double Trouble with Dialga and Palkia V, alongside her friend Bebe. In the story, the space-time distortion caused by Dialga and Palkia’s clash shifts Bebe’s house so that it ends up next to Hayley’s ranch.

Official guidebookMedia Factory published Minna no Pokémon Bokujō Kōshiki Asobikata Guide (Everyone’s Pokémon Ranch Official Guide to Playing) in Japan on 13 June 2008 (ISBN 978-4-8401-2329-7). It was written by Shusuke Motomiya and ONEUP as part of Media Factory’s line of official Pokémon guides.

Sales & reviews

Sales figures

No official sales numbers have been released for My Pokémon Ranch, but one thing is for sure: the game was one of the worst-received Pokémon titles to be released, and probably had poor sales as a result of it.

Nintendo has never published download figures for the game, and Japan’s Media Create and Famitsu charts didn’t track WiiWare downloads, so there is no reliable sales number for any region. What is known is the price: 1,000 Wii Points everywhere, and the same again for new buyers of the Japanese Platinum-compatible version, which existing owners got for free.

• 1,000Wii Points to download
• 47Metacritic, from 10 critics
• 46%GameRankings (closed 2019)
• 1/10Eurogamer, the lowest score

Review scores

My Pokémon Ranch was generally considered one of the worst Pokémon games to be released. Overall, the game was badly received and got below-average scores on major game review websites. Let’s take a look at these scores:

• Craig Harris from IGN was really annoyed by the Miis’ character models, referring to the game as “the ugliest Pokémon game — to hit any videogame system” and rated it 4/10, the equivalent of ‘Bad’ on their scale.
• Alex Knox from Nintendo Life (then called WiiWare World) also thought that the game missed a lot of potential and could’ve been way better if more effort had been invested in it. He rated it 4/10, which equates to ‘Poor’ on Nintendo Life’s scale.
• On GameRankings (which closed in 2019), My Pokémon Ranch was also given a bad score of 46%, and it holds 47 on Metacritic, from 10 critics.
• In spite of all this, I personally didn’t mind it. It’s nice to have a change of pace from hardcore battling to be the very best, and to see your Pokémon from Diamond and Pearl in a 3D environment, even if it’s a bit of a questionable one 😉

Critics were mostly unimpressed, and the game holds a Metacritic score of 47 from ten reviews, none of them positive. Most reviewers saw it as a storage add-on for Diamond and Pearl rather than a game, with little to do beyond watching Pokémon wander about and hardly any real interaction. The blocky Pokémon models drew particular scorn, and several reviews questioned paying 1,000 Wii Points for something so slight. Eurogamer was the harshest, calling it a brazen insult to fans, and GamesMaster thought it flimsy even as an application. The kinder verdicts from GamePro, NGamer and Nintendo World Report found it a pleasant enough channel for devoted fans that did what it promised, and Nintendo Life felt young newcomers might be charmed despite its missed potential.

Media & artwork

• Official artwork gallery from My Pokémon Ranch (WiiWare), featuring Pokémon and characters from the game
• Screenshots from My Pokémon Ranch (WiiWare)

Further reading

More Wii, storage and Sinnoh links on the site: