Category Archives: Pokemon
Obtain Cinderace for Free in Pokemon Unite (Day 8 Log In Reward)!
Cinderace is an all out attacker in Pokemon Unite. Technically, as Cinderace is the day 8 reward, you could have got Cinderace yesterday, Thursday July 29th. However, I wanted to spotlight Zeraora and Gardevoir.
I played a few rounds with Cinderace and enjoyed him way more than I thought I would. I found him to have a little more health than Zaraora. However, in the two rounds I got to play with him both rounds were lopsided. One time my Cinderace didnt die until 30 seconds left and I easily won MVP scoring over 200 points. The second time my team was destroyed and struggled to get any momentum going.
So be sure you’ve logged in 8 times and claim your free fighter ASAP! Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!
Gardevoir is now on Pokemon Unite!
It’s been a very exciting week for Pokemon fans on Nintendo Switch! Pokemon Unite just got its first major DLC in the form of a new character, Gardevoir!
I have many mixed thoughts about this addition. First, I love Gardevoir. Her design is very majestic and intriguing. She was catapulted in popularity by the fact one of your rival’s, Wally, in Gen 3’s Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire uses her as his signature Pokemon. This helped her stand out as an iconic member of Hoenn’s cast.
Now let’s look at her stats.
Gardevoir is a ranged attacker with a difficulty ranking of intermediate. Her offense is off the charts. I’m not sure if she is the strongest character in the game but she is close. Sadly, the rest of her stats are abysmal. Players will have to truly maximize her ranged attacks and fleeing battle items to prolong her longevity.
It’s true her Pokemon Unite stats closely mirror her in game stats. Her special attack is massive and her HP is brittle. However, I really wanted them to lean into her high special defense and access to her psychic movepool to make her a support role. Her HP (in the mainline games) is probably too low to make her a defensive role. And Mr. Mime already exist as a psychic support character. And well, Gardevoir is just not good enough to be a speedster or all around character.
This has me a little split on how to feel. My initial thought was I wanted Gallade or Alakazam as a the psychic attacker. I think we can still get Alakazam as a speedster but I’m not sure about Gallade. Maybe Gallade can be an all around character? Though I really wanted Mewtwo as an all around psychic type.
Either way, Gardevoir is a welcome addition to the roster. Though I do wonder if her inclusion automatically rules out other psychic attackers. I dont have the coins to buy her yet and also theres other fighters I want more currently. But I’m interested to see how people build her over time.
Blastoise and Blissey will be added at later dates so stay tuned! Thank you guys so much for reading. Have a great day!
Unlock Zeraora in Pokemon Unite! Early Access Bonus! Dont Wait!(Nintendo Switch)
Hey everybody. Pokemon Unite released Free to Play for Nintendo Switch owners last week! We discussed our early thoughts in a previous blog post. Be sure to check that out here.
Now it is important to make sure everyone knows Zeraora, one of currently 20 playable characters, is free for a limited time as an early adopter bonus. If you love Pokemon, MOBAs, or are just looking for something different to play, there is no reason to miss out on this electric heavy hitter.
Zeraora’s Pokemon Unite stats mimic his in game stats. He is a powerful mix sweeper with nice speed. However he is fragile. This why pairing him with a support Pokemon or the eject button battle item can go a long way in providing longevity to the electric glass cannon.
I’ve used Zeaora early on with a sub optimal build , but he is still nonetheless very fun to play with.
Let me know if you’ve taken advantage of this deal and scored the Sun and Moon legendary for free! Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Early Thoughts on Pokemon Unite on Nintendo Switch!
Pokemon Unite came out earlier this week and Jessica and I played a few rounds with it. When I wrote this article, I was Lv. 7 and only had played a few Ranked Matches. Meaning, some of my early gripes are remedied (but definitely not all.). Any text in italics are current me adding in new thoughts to the article I wrote 2 days ago.
Let’s start with the first thing I noticed. The roster. The roster is loaded for a new game but is shallow compared to the franchise as a whole. Pokemon Unite starts off with 20 Pokemons available to unlock through a various amount of methods. The player gets to choose 1 of 5 Pokemons to stat with. That selection is comprised of: Charizard, Pikachu, Talonflame, Eldegoss and Snorlax. (1 Pokemon for each of the 5 roles.) I chose Talonflame and have enjoyed him. Charizard is by far the least seen Pokemon from this list, surprisingly. Snorlax has impressed me a lot from what I have seen other people do. Apparently Pikachu is really good. I never run against the same teams in ranked, which is great. The roster seems nice and diverse for now. This is good because it leaves room for the game to receive plenty of updates to keep the game alive.
At first glance, I thought most of the Pokemons were from Gen 1 and 8 exclusively. Though I found a few exceptions such as Absol and Talonflame. Type diversity is also great but as a result, no one type has a lot of variety. Most types have at most 2 Pokemons (i.e. Flying has Talonflame and Charizard. Fighting has Lucario and Machamp.). As new Pokemons roll out into the game I hope they don’t oversaturate any one type. I could see Psychic or Fighting or something similar really getting favored with the addition of more Pokemons as the game goes on.
The Map is something my opinion has improved on but is still not completely changed on. The Map is extremely restricted to Remoat Stadium and the training stage. (After unlocking quick matches you can access to a new stage). Still even with the addition of the second stage, there’s a lot to be desired. For starters, each map is only accessible in one game mode. So Remoat Stadium is only playable in regular 5 v 5. While the second stage is reserved solely for 4 v 4 quick match. Give us a few more stages for each mode and this game will truly start to shine. This is another area the game can be improved on with future updates.
Their ideas for move learning is really great here. It works on a branching path system akin to Bloon Tower Defense. I found the branching path in move selection to be sweet initially. However, after playing multiple rounds, its another area I hope the game can improve upon. If not, this is the area of the game I feel needs the least improvements (as there’s a lot to like about it as is). Your Pokemon can learn 4 moves. 2 of which have split pathways we discussed earlier. This provides plenty of mix and match flexibility to keep the game feeling fresh. It’s not the format I’d like to see updated. Its more so maybe adding in another possible learn set for each Pokemon. This probably wont be necessary with the addition of future characters. But for example, giving Slowbro access to Recovery or Confusion/Confuse Wave. With this pathway you could select a tanky role or a defensive role. This gives Slowbro a nice change of pace each time you use them. I find myself playing multiple different roles as a Slowbro main. I can help clear up weakened Pokes our offensive teammates didn’t finish off. I can guard a base when they make a push. Or if they lack a real threatening presence, I can use utility moves to actually be offensive.
To continue an earlier point. A better representation of types is needed. Water only has Greninja and Crawbird(I could not remember Cramorant’s name when I first wrote this. haha). While Greninja is great, the inclusion of Blastoise or Milotic would be nice. Gyarados seems like a rather obvious inclusion eventually. Ground has no representation at all. Steel is only featured as Lucario’s secondary typing. Crustle as the sole Bug/Rock Pokemon is offensively bad. Adding in Scyther and Scizor would help on both fronts. Ariados could be a support Pokemon if it could set up speed traps with webbings and have access to Poisoning effects. I could understand them not wanting an annoyingly sturdy Steel type, so maybe add in Excadrill? He is not pure Steel or even primarily Steel but he is a great Pokemon from Gen 5. Donphan would be another interesting ground Pokemon. Also, both Donphan and Scizor would help address the fact that there are no Johto Pokemons at all on the roster…
Now on to the cosmetic aspects. Pokemon has always struggled with this. The characters lack anything really separating them from other trainers. The Pokemons can have awesome themed outfits unlocked for them but I dont yet understand the in-game currency (I do a little better now. There’s three types of currency, each with their own usage). There’s a lot of content here while also feeling like there isn’t any. It is kind of weird. I’ve mostly been playing through the battles, occasionally checking out some of the other menus. Admittedly, I dont get everything. As an update to this, there’s so many Pokemon’s, Outfit’s, battle items, and currencies, you’ll almost always be unlocking something after each battle. However, you will, in reality, use very little of these unlockables. I am glad they are there. Don’t get me wrong. However, most of the time it just feels like you are clicking through pop up windows.
There’s a battle pass area where you can complete challenges for rewards, daily missions you can complete for rewards and daily log on bonuses that can be turned in for rewards. There’s even stage specific challenges, too! But again, this mostly a second language to me now. You are able to obtain 2 or 3 more Pokemon this way including Venusaur (As well as Slowbro!). So that is pretty cool.
All in all this is my first foray into a game like this and I am enjoying it. Of course, it being based off Pokemon and my ability to play with my wife help. The Pros here are plenty. Lots of challenges, awesome Pokemon and simple gameplay make it easy to jump into. The cons are that while it is a team based game, your fun can be hindered if you or your teammates arent great at the game (I still very much feel this way). Character customization isn’t great and the lack of stage selections is lame (Also, still very much feel this way.)
So, after playing with the game another day, my issues are still the same. However, my biggest issue is the lack of a second, at least, stage on 5 v 5. However, this still may be my favorite release of the year. Not bad at all for a Free to Play MOBA!
However, I think this was a strong launch and I look forward to playing more!
Favorite Pokemon: Slowbro (10 Battles 5 Wins), Talonflame (3 Battles 2 Wins), Zeraora (3 Battles 1 Win)
My Trainer ID: 2YPR4TT
Jessica’s ID: A8263QE
That’s all. Thank you guys so much for reading. Leave your thoughts down below! Thank you again for reading and have a great day!
Reacting to My Super Smash Brother’s Ultimate Character Speculation Video!
This blog post is a companion piece to my video that just aired on my YouTube channel. I’ll list my 5 guesses from before the game comes out and give a slight comment about it. If you want to watch my original video, watch it here! If you want to watch the companion video, watch it here!
#5 Wonderful Red
Odds he makes it in: 4/10.
Pros: I think the pros for him are Platinum Games and Nintendo’s good and healthy working relationship. I think it also helps that Wonderful 101 has been ported to the Switch. He has a very awesome design that lends itself to a fighting game.
Cons: The port happened forever ago. It is not a huge, groundbreaking reveal. Platinum games has already released a new game, Astral Chain. Meaning I think the protagonist in it is a stronger candidate. I give it a 4/10 because I feel the cons overweigh the pros, making his path tough.
#4 Pokemon (Dragonite)
Odds Dragonite Makes it in: 1/10
Pros: Vintage Pokemon is still relevant. Pokemon in general is still very relevant. The Dragon typing is heavily underrepresented. Awesome design.
Cons: There’s no telling which of the original 151 would make it in, if any. Gen 8 is relevant as well, meaning they could go with a new Pokémon. Pokemon is kind of in that second party area, meaning they may want to go with a more first party character to end it off with.
Odds a new Pokemon makes it in: 7/10.
Pokemon is still one of Nintendo’s biggest properties. However, I’m not sure it would be the most impactful pick.
#3 Funky Kong
Odds he makes it in: 2/10
Pros: Has a sleek, awesome design. DK Tropical Freeze has been ported over to Switch.
Cons: Some time has gone by since the port. He is such a side character when I feel the last roster spot will go to a main character. I feel like both of those reasons are pretty big hold backs.
#2 The Champions
Odds they make it in: 0/10
Pros: Best case scenarios , as spirits or trophies.
Cons: I feel like their time has passed.
#1 Hat Kid
Odds they make it in: 1/10
Pros: She pays homage to Mario and plenty of the other franchises in the game. Her move set writes itself. It would be massive for an indie games.
Cons: There’s such a low chance an indie character makes it in. Again, she would not be a ground breaking announcement. Sans got in as a mii fighter so I feel like that’s the ceiling for her.
So that was my list before the game released. I think all these guesses were okay picks back in 2018 leading up to the game’s launch. However, for most of them I feel like the window has closed. Which is why I’m going to do an updated list soon!
Thank you guys so much for reading! Have a great day!
Top Five Best Designed Pokemons from Gen 3 (Top 5 Friday)
When analyzing Generation 3’s Pokemons, one thing became clear. This Gen is top loaded and well balanced. This is kind of problematic for this list. Let’s break it down. First, the top loaded. This list, like all my others of this type, exclude legendaries and starters. As a result, Hoenn loses what it did so well. Blaziken, Sceptile, Swampert, Deoxy, Rayquaza I could go on and on about how well designed this subset of Pokemons are. They are some of the best in the entire series of starters and legendaries, and none of them will be on this list. I like to spotlight some of the lesser known Pokemons. However that gets us to the second issue.
It’s well balanced. In most other Pokemon games, if you remove legendaries and starters, the top 5 are obvious. However, very little separates these Pokemons. I think the top 3 are obvious, I think theres about 10 Pokemons that could be battling for the 4th and 5th spot. I wouldn’t blame anyone for moving Pokemons on this list or having ones I didnt even mention. In fact, my list might change next week if you ask me. Anyway, let’s get on with the list.
#5 Aggron- When you see what misses the list, you’ll see what I mean. I actually never got to use Aggron. Aron is so bad, I haven’t been able to evolve it. I’m trying to fix that with my current playthrough of Emerald, but he is still my weakest mon. All that aside, Aggro is ferocious, well designed, on the champions team and represents a new type. All things that give him a lot of street cred.
#4 Altaria- I was going to give Altaria the 3 spot, but on second thought, I feel like my new #3 is more iconic. Something Altaria has in common with the top 2 Pokemons on this list is that they got a Mega form when ORAS came out. Altaria loses a little bit of its charm when you realize this Generation gave us, I think 4 Dragon types. Generation 1 just had Dragonite’s line. I dont believe Johto gave us a single Dragon. Hoenn gave us at least 4 dragon lines. She is awesome, a gym leader used her and she got a Mega. Again, it was tough separating these early entry Pokemons but I think Altaria did enough to crack the list.
#3 Breloom- I actually think solely from a design perspective struggles to make into the top 5. However, I think it was the first grass fighting Pokemon to exist and in the competitive scene it was a beast. It was able to set up substitute and barrage its enemies with focus punch. I can completely see someone wanting a different Pokemon in this spot but I feel he was an iconic strong gen 3 Pokemon with a unique typing that is awesome and hasn’t happened a lot, and it had a clear defined role in the meta. I think all these characteristics are enough to find a spot on this list.
#2 Salamence- I could see some people wanting this at #1, but I’ll explain. When Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire came out, he was undoubtedly one of the coolest Pokemons ever, including legendaries and starters. However, as time gas moved on, I think he has lost a lot of his luster. I think design wise he is one of the coolest dragons in the game, but he wasn’t the original (that honor goes to Dragonite) and he has to compete with all the other dragons in just this generation, namely Rayquaza. Still there is no denying how epic he was in his debut. He was featured on Drake’s Elite Four team, is a dragon type, was a clear OU in the metagame, and his design is just so hard to beat.
#1 Metagross- Metagross is a very interesting Pokemon. He takes the top spot in my list for several reasons. Steel was still (hehe) a new type. Prior to this generation, only the magnemite line, Skarmory and Steexlix had the distinction of the type. Gen 3 did add a handful of new steels including Registeel, Mawile and the aforementioned Aggron, but unlike Salamance, Metagross is the coolest steel type this generation. He also was a nondragon pseudo legendary. Something only himself and Tyrantiar can say. As the series would go exclusively Dragons for the pseudos as the series progressed into newer regions. He was the iconic Pokemon on Champion Steven’s team. He was powerful and had a clear role in the competitive scene. He checks off every box needed to be #1. I could see people rooting for the giant flying dragon, but I’m giving the nod to Metagross today.
So there’s my list. I think generation 3 was summed up by Metagross and Salamence (excluding starters and legends) and my list reflects that. However there were so many great Pokemons that just did not separate from the pack like Gardevoir and Miltoic. I think Gen 3 might have the best roster top to bottom because it does not have many dud Pokemons. Theres still the arbitrary early bugs, but every gen has that. Some Pokemons like Linoone and Kecleon can get lost in the shuffle but they’re never really bad. So this was a tough top 5.
Let me know what 5 Pokemon would have made your list. Thank you guys for reading and have a great day!
Top Five Pokemon Designs From Generation 2 (Johto)
Generation 2 is one of my favorite in the long running franchise. This isn’t a facts based list, it is more opinionated in nature so you’re list my vary. Now, to keep it from being obvious I will exclude starters and legendaries. Here we go!
#5 Gligar- Okay, this is my shameless pick (admittedly, some of these are.). The Pokemon anime has influenced my love for certain Pokemons. This is no doubt one of those times. Gligarman was an awesome part of the anime mimicking Batman. In Gen 4, Gligar would get an evolution which makes him even more awesome. In all honesty, there are plenty of worthy Pokemon for this spot such as Steelix, Donphan, Slowking, but I got to go with my homeboy here. (Even if he wasn’t great in this generation, he got better as the game series evolved.
#4 Crobat- My second favorite Pokemon in the series is admittedly not the coolest Pokemon from this generation. I went through a phase (If you ask my mom anyway) of liking poison Pokemons. During this time Pokemons like Arbok and Weezing soared up my favorites list, but the Pokemon who moved the highest was Crobat. He has a very sleek design, he single handily saved one of the worst evolution lines in Pokemon. He becomes really sweet in Gen 4 when his movepool catches up to his design. He is one of the fastest Pokemons in the game too which is nice bonus!
#3 Heracross/Scizor- Yes, I could have these guys as separate entries and avoided the who Gligar entry, but I tend to wrap up these early Bug Pokemons at times like these. I never used Scizor but his design was incredible. I found him to have the better design over Heracross but there’s a few reasons I like Heracross better. For starters, Ash had a Heracross in the anime. Again this is always a plus (except it made me dislike Charizard haha). Secondly, Heracross was easier and earlier to obtain. Heracross could be found near the start of the game by headbutting trees. For Scizor, you needed a Scyther and then trade that Scyther to a friend while it held a metal coat. (and who has friends, amirite?). Though I prefer Heracross, I’ll give the edge here to Scizor.
![Pokemon - The Johto Journeys - Crimson Warrior (Vol. 46) [VHS]: Unshô Ishizuka, Rica Matsumoto, Ikue Ôtani, Megumi Hayashibara, Mayumi Iizuka, Inuko Inuyama, Shin'ichirô Miki, Yûji Ueda, Satomi Kôrogi, Kôichi Sakaguchi, Rikako Aikawa ... - Amazon.com](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VX6HB0MAL._AC_.jpg)
#2 Tyranitar- When you remove starters and legendaries, I thought for sure this would be #1. He is the pseudo legendary for the generation one of the few pseudos, if not the only one, that isn’t Dragon type. He was used to show off the power of the newly introduced Dark type. It follows the traditional Pseudo evolution line design. Adorable baby form, begrudgingly horribly designed middle stage, and finally a kick butt ultimate form. Removing personal bias, Tyranitar my be the best designed Pokemon in the generation, but he’s my number #2
![Post [185565903094] - jasonstarr-x44.tumblr.com - Tumbex](https://64.media.tumblr.com/5a61110cbd308c828e832ffa4cec1f16/tumblr_pbpj0nna0a1sgge6vo1_640.gifv)
Let’s breakdown the honorable mentions! I already name dropped Slowking, Skarmory and Steelix. Ampharos is another great Pokemon. Then there’s Donphan, Ursaring, Sneasal, Espeon, Umbreon and Hitmontop. This generation only introduced about 100 new Pokemons but they made it count. There were a few duds like Dunsparce, Jumpluff and Qwilfish along the way. But the cream of the crop sure did rise to the occasion!
#1 Houndoom- Odds are, you did not guess this. But Dark types were rolling in this generation (as I also like Murkrow.). Houndoom combined two awesome types in dark and fire. Dogs are by far my favorite animal so I do tend to like the dog based Pokemons (I love Snubbull too). I actually like his design more than Arcanine who is another epic dog Pokemon. Of course he would go on to get better moves in later games and even a mega which was awesome. I am fully aware this is a bias pick but I think, under these restrictions, Houndoom could make a lot of people’s top 5 coolest designed Pokemon of this generation.
So there you have it. Certainly some favoritism thrown in there as I’m sure Steelix would probably make a lot of people’s list. Gen 2 has really cool looking Pokemons. Be sure to let me know your favorites down in the comments below!
![Reacting to the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Trailer[Pokemon Week]](https://dahubbz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pokemonlegendsarceus_feb_en_us.jpg?w=90&h=70&crop=1 "Reacting to the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Trailer[Pokemon Week]")
Reacting to the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Trailer[Pokemon Week]
Pokemon Week, and the 25th Anniversary of Pokemon, continues!
I watched this trailer last weekend and was really enthralled with it at first. My brother asked me if I watched the two reveals for Pokemon yet. My first question was, “Wait, two reveals?”. I knew about the Gen 4 remakes but what was this second reveal? He pulled out his phone and I heard the opening that talks about the early days of Sinnoh and thought this was the Gen 4 Remakes. I was blown away!
I was a big advocate that Gen 8 was not going to be groundbreaking. I started saying that following GameFreak announcing they were done with the 3DS and moving on to the Switch. Not to use that as an excuse, I just knew Gamefreak would play it relatively safe. So I wasn’t surprised SwSh felt like DLC to Sun and Moon. But seeing this open world, BOTW inspired level design had me hyped for the remakes. Obviously, I found out this was a spin off or something. I’m not even sure, honestly.
I’ve watched the trailer about 2 or 3 times since Sunday and I’ve been gradually getting less and less impressed. Now, that is not to say I am not hyped (is this a double negative? Either way, I am still hyped). Gamefreak is trying to reinvent the wheel and do something pretty unique for the Pokemon franchise. Though, still, the flaws are glaring.
The frame rate is horrible for the wild Pokemons, the battles look like they will take some getting use to (as no battle interface was shown.), and graphics still aren’t knocking anyone dead.
Some of this can be fixed, of course. But the release date is relatively close for how unfinished this looked. Now, I’m not a game developer, but there is a worry, with Gamefreak’s recent reputation, that the quality isn’t going to improve between now and the release. I think that is a bit overblown but probably not wildly inaccurate.
I think Gamefreak could have something special on their hands. The hype for this Pokemon format is there. They need to not mess this up. So, at the end of the day, this is the same as the Gen 4 remakes. The hype machine is ringing off the hook. Now the ball is in GameFreak’s court to really blow us away.
Here’s to hoping!
Thanks for reading and have a great day.
![Reacting to the Pokemon Gen 4 Remakes (Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl ) [Pokemon Week]](https://dahubbz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/return-to-the-sinnoh-region-in-pokemon-brilliant-diamond-and-pokemon-shining-pearlmp400004319still002-1614353238385.jpg?w=90&h=70&crop=1 "Reacting to the Pokemon Gen 4 Remakes (Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl ) [Pokemon Week]")
Reacting to the Pokemon Gen 4 Remakes (Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl ) [Pokemon Week]
Pokemon week rolls on with a double header. This morning we will be reacting to the Pokemon Gen 4 remakes, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Link to the trailer on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pDI8Scph44
Pokemon Generation 4 is arguably my favorite generation, with Platinum as possibly the best Pokemon game of all time. This remake has been a storm brewing in the background. Pokemon set a new growing standard in 2004 with the Generation 1 remakes, Fire Read and Leaf Green. This series of remakes continued with HeartGold and Soul Silver. Finally, Generation 3 got its day in the sun with OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire. That was in 2014. That gets us to now, Generation 4. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Needless to say, the wait has been long.
I think this game is receiving harsh criticism already. The hate is mostly directed at the art style. They went with a more Pokemon Go (Some would say even worse) art style than Pokemon Sword and Shield. Which is drawing comparison to other remakes. With that, a few things need to be broken down first.
A. Nintendo Games Will Never Be Sony Games. At least not in the immediate future. What were people expecting anyway? I actually saw someone say this is bad because it does not look like the Final Fantasy 7 remakes… I’m not justifying Pokemon games still looking like DS games or how they are lagging behind the industry standard games of today. But comparing these remakes to Final Fantasy 7 is just a mistake. I think the Pokemon models look fine. I even think the characters in the battle scenes look fine. What loses me a bit is the character’s faces during the overworld. It is not perfect but than again there’s always the fact that…
B. Generation 4 Wasn’t Amazing Because of Graphics. Generation 4 was amazing because the Pokemons were great, the villains were cool, the legendaries of the game were peak, the post game story added plenty of content, the region was fun to explore, Pokemon Wifi Battles were all the rage, the writing was solid enough for a kids RPG, they advanced the series in cool ways such as the moves being physical or special instead of just the typing. The starters were all great. Yes, even you Turtwig. So many Let’s Players got their start playing these games. You could probably go on and on. Yet, as you can see, I didn’t mention graphics. I think the graphics were fine but were quickly outdated by the design and sleekness or HeartGold and SoulSilver.
C. If They Capture the Feels, All is Forgiven. Pokemon cast a wide net these days- grown mean in their 30’s down to kids experiencing the franchise for the first time. I think Pokemon players are jaded and complain about way too much. Like we didn’t survive the Wii and the Wii U era. Eras I personally am fond of, but still. Nintendo’s imagine was terrible during these times. You couldn’t admit you liked Nintendo or Pokemon during these days because they were not shiny like the 360 and PS3. Of course I continued to enjoy the series, but fans started to disconnect from the series at this point. Pokemon Go and Pokemon Let’s Go brought a lot of old fans and new fans and people who do not even care about Pokemon together. But they set some new trends people were afraid of. The art style, the no wild battles and the ease of the games. Gen 8 did a lot to remedy this. It changed the art style some, gave us wild battles but did not help much in the difficulty department. As a result, I’ve heard a lot of people question their belief in GameFreak. While the trailer did not leave a good taste in many fans mouth, if they capture the old school feels of being on a Pokemon adventure, I think all is well again. I just do not know if this will climb that insurmountable wall.
However, I’ve watched the Pokemon community continously fell to realize Pokemon is not Final Fantasy 7 or any other RPG. But following the harsh reviews Pokemon Sword and Shield got, combined with the long awaited expectations of Pokemon Gen 4 remakes, they cannot afford to mess this up. This was their perfect chance to get back in Player’s graces. I think they will ultimately fall short to the general audience. Personally, I think it looks fine and I cannot wait to revisit one of my favorite regions. The remake does have me hyped and I am looking forward to it. It is worth noting these games are being developed by ILCA and not Gamefreak. Gamefreak is busy overseeing tonight’s blog post, Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
That will do it for now. Here’s to hoping the games turn out okay. I work until 9pm tonight but I am planning to blog again tonight!
Thanks for reading and have a great day.
Pokemon Pocket Monster’s Volume #1 Chapter #1 Review (Pokemon Week)
Full Disclosure: This is just a review of chapter #1 of the Pokemon manga, not the full volume. I could not find the book before Pokemon Week started and as you guys can see, I’m still running behind. So yeah, I found the first chapter online.
Throw out a lot of what you thought you knew about the Pokemon anime when you read this book. A lot of the characters, Pokemon and people, look really different than their anime counterpart. The manga also seems more gag dependent than plot or even character centric. All in all, from what I’ve read these seem to be concerns, not sure if criticism is the right word or not, for the manga. Personally, I don’t really mind it. It is almost like waking up in an alternative universe.
Here’s a picture that sums up the point about art.
I don’t mind the art being different, but the art is also simply bad.
It is also worth noting that every Pokemon can talk. Quite the deviation from where only Meowth can talk in the animes. Again, I do not mind this either. It gives the Pokemons some added personalities which is nice.
This chapter is so weird when compared to the anime, games or any other form of Pokemon media, but being a reader of late 80’s and into the 90’s manga, this didn’t feel thaaat weird. I’ve read some of Dragon Ball, Seven Deadly Sins, Naruto and plenty of other gag influenced manga. So, I quite enjoyed this for what it is. I love 90’s Pokemon. I will definitely being exploring this manga more. Apparently the books have been translated to English but were not released in the U.S. So I will have to resort to online means if I cannot find these bad boys out in the wild.
Either way, I enjoyed my time with this chapter and look forward to more. I cannot recommend this to kids or parents with little kids as it is probably too much for younger viewers. So bare that in mind if you find a way to read this.
Da_Hubbz 