Nintendo's holiday push for the DS Lite has officially begun, and a big part of this campaign will no doubt be the company's Pokemon games, which have garnered quite a following over the game franchise's 10 year history. Its latest release, Pokemon Ranger, there are no turn-based gym battles to speak of, only an exploration type game with an innovative system that makes good use of the system's touch screen.

In the game, players take control of an up-and-coming Pokemon Ranger, part of a team that's assigned to keep the balance of the Pokemon world in order. This includes maintaining control of wily Pokemon that cause fights or misunderstandings. As this Ranger moves about the Fiore Region, he or she can form a team of Pokemon, four main ones and an interactive partner, to help them complete mission objectives and tasks. The Pokemon can be changed by either helping the Ranger access a new area, or manually by going up and gaining their trust.

Where the game differs from other Pokemon games is how It uses the Nintendo DS touch screen. When a Ranger finds a new Pokemon, they're plunged into a battle in which they try to gain its trust. Using attacks on occasion and moving about, and the player engages in a battle with the Pokemon by madly drawing circles around it. As circles are drawn, the Pokemon loses energy. Once enough circles have been completed, the Pokemon becomes an ally. Some Pokemon are tougher than others, but a player can also call upon their partner Pokemon to distract and stun them.

If it sounds like fun, it is. The quest is also moderately strategic, as players must select the right Pokemon for the job and help worried townsfolk through a series of dilemmas. Sometimes a little backtracking is required once a Pokemon is dropped, leading players to an area they've visited before. But thankfully, the world is easy to access and the control isn't a chore. Players can either move around with the D-pad and touch items on the screen, or use the touch screen entirely.