A game so underappreciated in the fanbase that I would have been under-appreciating it too if I didn't happen to have $30 when I walked into Gamestop one summer. The plot of Guardian Signs is as close as it comes to where I want the plot of mainline Pokemon to be - full of rising action, interesting twists and memorable characters, without becoming too showy or edgy. The tropical setting is intriguing and each location feels important in the grand scheme of things. Guardian Signs gives the player a sense of free will that the Gen 7 games set in Alola seemed to promise but never delivered on. This game had Pokeride before Pokeride, Soaring before Soaring; there was a certain connection with your Pokemon bros that you captured and it came the closest of the 3 games in the Ranger subseries to really capturing that flash of immersion to make the player feel like a Pokemon Ranger. OST is also pretty damn good and the sound team seems to have gotten a sense of mastery over the soundfont they used.

9/10 would destroy my DS screen again.