Category Archives: Video Game

Super Mario 64 Remake Want List! (Super Mario 35th Anniversary Rumor)

Hey guys, The Nintendo Direct may have been a little lackluster if you wanted more Mario. However, on my Youtube channel, I took the time to make a want list for Super Mario 64 Remake. Below are 5 things I want added to the eventual Super Mario 64 Remake!

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P.S. Dont have time to read or just prefer a video format? Here’s the link to my video: Super Mario 64 Remake Want List!

#5 Better Mechanics and Controls: Come on. This is almost a no brainer. The only way this isn’t implemented into the game is if we get a basic bare bones port. Anything above that should bring Super Mario 64 into the modern generation including an actually useful camera, tighter controls, and improved movement. Regardless of what artistic approach they take with the remake/port, better mechanics and controls is an absolute must.

#4 Better graphics- duh. Yet, there’s a sliver of a chance the game doesn’t get any graphical oomph. Honestly, I’m not the most technical savvy person so I’m  not going to rabble on and on about video outputting and other jargon, I’m just going to say, I hope this is an HD remastering and not just simple porting.

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(I do not own this picture)

#3  2 Player Co-OP- Mario hacks have existed for a while now that have enabled a co-op mode, so in 2020, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to enable a co-op mode in a home console release of Super Mario 64. Something Nintendo has been pretty stingy about. Mario 64 and Sunshine have no co-op mode to speak of. Galaxy 1 and 2 have extremely lack luster co-op functions allowing the 2nd player to play a disembodied pointer grabbing star bits using the Wii remote. Odyssey features the best co-op to date if we aren’t including 3D World. The 2nd player assumes the role of Cappy and can greatly help or hinder Mario on his quest for endless moons. As stated, people have pushed the boundaries of Super Mario 64 via rom hacks, meaning I’m sure Nintendo has the tools needed to do the same, but do they have the guts to utilize it?

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(I do not own this picture)

#2 New Hat or Mario Powers- Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 gave us plenty of new power ups which would be cool to see here. I think an obvious power up to include would be the fire flower or ice flower. This could introduce new puzzles such as torches, water walking, enemies that can only be killed by fire, burning down bushes, etc. etc. I wouldn’t mind Boo Mario or Bee Mario but the cap power probably would make it redundant. Giant Mario could be another viable option. Giant Mario has been a staple of Mario since the very beginning, however, on the DS Mario was made ginormous. Wario even got in on the giant action in Mario 64 DS.

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(Duh)

#1 New Stars in each level – Blame Odyssey if you must, blame not wanting a standard port or even blame the DS remake, but its time to start adding new content to the game. Super Mario DS added 30 new stars (I think). Odyssey allows the player to nearly double the number of moons found in each kingdom. I think implementing some system like this would be genius. These additional stars could be sprinkled in the game after beating Bowser. This way old school players can still enjoy the game the way God intended while players like myself who want a little more oomph in their remakes can get that added content. This could be done by adding some remixes of old stars such creating 5 new secret spots, making the Koopa race harder or a different route altogether, modifying existing stars in the same manner that comets did in Galaxy. The Mario team is normally pretty darn creative so I know if they tried they could come up with something good that also fits Mario 64.

So there you have it. I have a few more items on this want list. If I can come up with five more, I’ll make a follow up to this post. If you want to see what those items are now though, you can check the video in the link above!

Thanks again for reading guys! If you are excited for the remakes, leave a comment down below and let me know what you would add.

Continued Reading:

Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 1 Review!
Manga Monday: Clay Lord Master of Golems
The Mandalorian Review
Girlish Number- Random Wednesday Number 1

Reacting to the PS5 Announcement Stream!

If you’re like me, you recently watched the latest PS5 announcement stream. Admitted, I was busy editing and babysitting among other things to focus on every single game. However, if a game caught my interest I tried to pause what I was doing to check it out. Today, I am going to be discussing the 5 PS5 games revealed today or June 11th, not sure when Ill actually get this out. This means while Last of Us 2 is in my top 5 most anticipated PS5 games, it wont make this list in particular. 

Haven’t seen the video in question? Check it here!

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Let’s go ahead and get the honorable mentions out of the way. There’s plenty and plenty of honorable mentions. In fact of the 26 or so games, well over 20 of them interested me. However, I am going to take a minute just to discuss a few. I’ll lead off with Horizon Zero Dawn West. What, PS5’s big system seller is only an honorable mention? Well, that’s mostly because I did not play the first one. I’m one of those people who tries to play the first one when available even if you dont have too. This is one reason I am not far into the Mass Effect or Dragon Age trilogies. I understand this game is going to be groundbreaking. I am sure I’ll get around to it. But for today, it is a spectacle I marvel at in the distance.

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Next, Kena: Bridge of Spirits. This one did not catch my attention during the stream. Honestly, I mostly only learned about it recently. However, what I learned about it and from the few seconds I actually saw of it, it has me interested enough to keep up with it.

 

Lastly for mentions is Sackboy: A Big Adventure. This game from what I saw looks similar to New Super Lucky Tales. It looks like it might switch between 3D and 2D levels. Honestly, I am fan. Not sure its a 60 dollar title for me, but we will see.

 

Let’s get started with #5 

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#5 Astro’s Playroom. I don’t have a great bit to say. People are going to see this game made my top 5 and then they will see what games didn’t and they will be confused. But, simply put, this is my style of game. A nice, colorful 3D platformer. If it controls well, I will certainly be picking this up. If I get it day 1 or not depends entirely on price vs length of the game. It didn’t look like a 60 dollar game to me. Still, something I cannot wait to play.

 

#4 Death Loop

deathloop_01The set up is fine. As indicated by the name, you play a man stuck in a time loop. I’m not going to delve much into any one thing here with this top five, but its the gameplay not the story that really has me. This looks like Bioshock meets Dishonored. I am here for it.

 

#3 Resident Evill 8

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Really, the only survival horror I even care about. I missed 7. So, I am not sure how dependent this one’s story will be on 7. Even though it looks like a prequel, the text leads me to believe it is set in the present. I could be wrong there. It also looks like it is building on the atmosphere and game play style of 7 from what I could tell.

 

#2 Spider-Man: Miles Morales

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Considering the only PS4 game I’ve played is Spider-man, you can bet I am hyped for the sequel. Personally, I really loved the first one and I am big collector of comics, so this game is a no brainer for me. Insomniac is one of my favorite video game studios so this is a must pick up for me.

 

#1 Ratchet and Clank

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Duh. This was easily the best looking game. Maybe not as epic in scale as Horizon Zero Dawn, but again, Insomniac are professionals. They have mastered the Ratchet and Clank games and I expect this to be a total return to form from the PS2 days. I have big hopes for this game. If I could only preorder one title, this would be it. I hope this is a launch title. I dont have much more too add. I think this game will be a slam dunk and easily be remembered as one of the better PS5 early games.

Well that’s it for me. Let me know what games you enjoyed discovering here recently. As always thanks for watching. Have a great day!

Ranking Super Mario 64 Levels (Top Five Friday) Part 1

Super Mario 64 was one my favorite games as a kid. Now, I still love the game even if it’s super dated (evidenced by the fact two of my last LPs were versions of Super Mario 64 [Green Comet 64 and Odyssey 64]). The graphics are ancient and the movement is either buttery smooth or miserably debilitating. However, the courses in the game are so iconic almost every square inch of that game is ingrained in my memories, burned into my eyelids, and replicated in my dreams. In other words, I like the levels. Some are annoying, some the design doesn’t really make sense. However, most are charming and memorable in their own way.

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Now there’s 15 courses so we’re going to break it down into 3 top five posts. Today’s post will cover entries 15-11 and will move on from there. So, lets get on with the list.

15. Dire, Dire Docks

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This course scores last place not due to difficulty or being cheap as much as being boring. The stars are either super quick or super tedious. The 8 red coins may be one of the worst missions in the game. The sting ray mission is cool but makes no sense. The level does make use of two hats in at least a neat way. The atmosphere here is still solid. This means that even if this is the worst level in the game, it is still far from terrible.

14. Jolly Roger Bay

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To be fair, I think the drop off from Dire, Dire Docks to the next worst level is so extreme I am not sure officially what the 2nd worst level even is. Jolly Roger Bay simply scores this low because the exploration just isn’t that great. The level is mostly underwater. This level is cool yet still relatively boring. I definitely do not hate it. It is a very chill level, but aside from being peaceful I cannot think of too many reasons to go exploring it. I eels are some of the worst things in this game.

13 Wet-Dry World

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Let’s just finish off the water levels. This level certainly steps up the exploration but is still pretty annoying to traverse. The missions in this level are all pretty solid (though I know some will mention the secret stars. I don’t hate those.). However, it seems they fall into the “fun in theory, not so great in execution”. The level feels huge while also being pretty empty. The gimmick revolves around adjusting the water (everyone’s favorite mechanic from everyone’s favorite Legend of Zelda dungeon.). In other words, they compromise a lot of this level just to force the water mechanic. It can be seen as a nice change of pace, but means it scores pretty low. Also, the hidden town just leaves so much to be desired I just wish it didn’t exist. There’s no notable NPCs, no interior houses, nothing. Just more water adjusting and red coin collecting. It could have been something cool, but instead its just useless potential.

12 Snowman’s Land

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Anyone who knows me knows this might be a top 3 level for me personally, but I have to admit that could be personal bias. The level is relatively squared off and the exploration is very limited. You are mostly climbing a snowman. There’s some cool elements to mention like an awesome cannon that cannot kill you and a koopa shell to cruise around the level. I love this level but I have to score it lower. Sorry, Snowman’s Land.

For the record, this is where the list has gotten really hard to narrow down.

11 Rainbow Ride

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There’s no way this would normally score 11 if I wasn’t overthinking every little thing but here we are. It is by far one of the best levels to explore. However, the theme, outside of the carpet ride, is just random. I cannot tell if I love that aspect or hate it. No mission even makes sense. From the shifting triangles to the floating house. Seriously, do any of these have a rhyme or reason? As a kid I hated falling levels, so naturally I was scared of this level. In my teenage years I didn’t like the randomness of this level. As a Lets Player I hate the unforgivable nature of this course. For one reason or another, I’ve always had something to complain about. Regardless, this course is awesome for being so unique. I definitely do not hate it. It is probably just the most frustrating level left to talk about.

Well, that’ll do it for this list so far. It is very hard to rank levels past the worst two. Each level has something charming or redeeming. Despite not being the biggest fan of Rainbow Road, I can definitely appreciate its brilliant randomness and insanity. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend the next week torturing myself about the next wave.

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Thank you guys so much for reading this. Feel free to rank the levels down below or leave suggestions for future top 5s!

Have a great day.

Games that COULD come to the Nintendo Switch this year! (2020)

Real quick. Dont feel like reading a long article? This discussion exist in video form too on my Youtube channel.

Here: Wii u Ports Video!

Okay so 2020 has kicked off and people are already speculating on if some Wii U games will be ported to the Switch.  So let’s have some fun and look at games that might be coming to the Switch. 

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Now believe it or not I actually tried to use some logic with this list. I looked at what people were wanting ported over so I knew there was at least interest in these games, plus the likelihood and how easy it was to port over these games were. Did Nintendo stand to gain anything from the effort,  how would they control on the Switch and so on and so forth. Now here’s the tricky thing. I dont think the Switch needs a whole lot of Wii U ports, so while I’ll be making a case for I’ll have arguments against most of these games. So let’s take a look at my list.

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#1 This, in my opinion, is easily the strongest candidate of them all. Super Mario 3D World. What? Super Mario 3D World is a gem. I got it basically when I got my Wii U and I wont go too much into detail in this blog but I do have a new found appreciation for this game. Correct me if I am wrong but i don’t believe Nintendo has any Mario games lined up the Switch right now which blows my mind. We’ve carved through the Tennis Mario, the Rabbid Mario, The Odyssey Mario, The New Super Mario Bros, The Party Mario and the Kart Mario so now are waiting for Odyssey 2. This would be a great holdover. I’ve heard people mention Color Splash but A, that game is dependent on the Gamepad (after talking to myself, I dont think it relies on the Gamepad) and B. I thought people didnt like it? I could be wrong there.

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#2. Nintendo Land. Okay, Okay. I have officially lost my mind. This goes against all my rules. But hey, It’s a great game. And if I hadnt lost you already, I just did. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Nintendo Land but again, Nintendo, I believes, wants to give you the option to play in handheld mode exclusively which, just wouldnt work for Nintendo Land. It’s too dependant on the Gamepad and probably wont happen. The game may need some reworking around the need for the Gamepad, but I wouldnt be opposed to picking it up again on the Switch if it retailed for say 20 bucks and featured new Minigames and such. Maybe to reflect Bayonetta and Astral Chain, Wonderful 101, Tokyo Mirage Sessions as well as Splatoon.

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#3 Wonderful 101- Again you’re going to see a constant theme of games needing to be reworked. I think Nintendo and Platinum have something to gain from this release and honestly, maybe it should be my number 2 instead but oh well, the script as already been created. Either way, Wonderful 101 is beloved but it is also stuck on the Wii U which just had such a lower install base. Now, to my knowledge, Platinum Games has been hard at work on Bayonetta 3 following Astral Chain. So I’m not sure if Platinum games would be over seeing the port or how that works. If that’s the case, I’m not sure how badly Platinum would want to allocate resources to porting it over. However, it did sale well, a new age of fans would be crying for Wonderful 102 or whatever they decide to call it.

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4. Pikmin 3. The first game on the list I have never played. So I cannot speak to how dependent on the Gamepad this game is. Regardless, I kind of disregarded this port considering all of the talk about Pikmin 4. Also, Ive heard people say they would prefer a Trilogy much in the way Metroid Fans are clamoring for. However, if we dont get the trilogy the more and more I write this the more I think this could be a solid port. Pikmin 4 looks like it is taking longer than expected so giving us Pikmin 3 remastered could solve a lot of issues. A. it would tide over Pikmin fans while finishing up Pikmin 4. B. It would introduce a new generation to Pikmin. Pikmin 1 and 2 came out on the Gamecube and a lot of hardcore players jumped off the Nintendo bandwagon with the Wii meaning plenty of people could have missed the 3rd installment after loving the first 2.

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#5. Star Fox. What can I say? I enjoy Star Fox even if I’ve never been into shoot em ups. Again, how dependent are you on the Gamepad? For Star Fox. Entirely. The Wii U Gamepad provides a cockpit view. There’s no way to have the Switch provide the same view while also being docked. This game needs a remaster, desperately, but it probably needs to be reworked. If they do it right this could spark interest in a new Star Fox sequel which is never a bad thing. 

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So there’s my list. Trust me I know there’s better games. Splatoon for example is not very dependent on the Gamepad as it just serves as a map. Move that up to the TV screen or do away with it entirely and you’re golden. Just not sure if they do this since we already have Splatoon 2 and I think most would prefer Splatoon 3 over a remake of the first. Its the same problem with the other 2 Zelda games. Who wants to re-buy those games for a 3rd time when Skyward Sword is still trapped on the Wii? So I think Mario 3D World and Pikmin have the most realistic shot even if I didnt order them that way. Either way, let me know what games you guys want to see ported over. I really dont think the Switch needs anymore, but they’re probably coming none the less.

Latest Pokemon Sword and Shield Update.

Back in the earlier days of the blog, doing updates on Sun and Moon were some of my favorite post. Discovering more about the regions, learning of new Pokemons, it sure was a Poke-Good time. Well, today we got some news so lets look at it, shall we?

Galar form pokemons.

By my research, I’ve seen three old Pokemons receive Galar forms. Check em out!

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If I am being completely honest here, I didnt care for any of these Pokemons. Of their base forms, Weezing is my favorite. Of the Galar forms, Weezing is still my favorite for the steam punk vibe. Some interesting takeaways here are so far no koffin though it is probably implied. Secondly, Weezing’s second ability is hidden

New Pokemons
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These two guys are Morpeko and Obstagoon respectively. Morpeko is clearly just a Pikachu knockoff. Now, while this is not a bad thing, I haven’t truly cared for a  Pikachu inspired Pokemon since Pichu (so basically none this century). But this doesnt mean Morpeko is bad as much as it means it is underwhelming. The type change is really neat and I’ll give them credit for experimenting some. Obstagoon is awesome. Not much more too say since not that much was revealed.

Rivals

See the source imageAs far as rivals go, I was bit underwhelmed. Bede has potential to be one of those classic rivals but I’m not holding my breath. They will probably be a better rival than Hau, but that is not saying much (if anything, really.) Than there’s Marnie and Team Yell. I get it from a world prospective since competition seems to be a big aspect its only natural for their to be fans, but I hope these aren’t the bad guys of this region.See the source image

Well, it was a small update, but I may do more as they happen. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Super Smash Bros Ultimate(And more Switch games!)

Hey guys. If you head to my youtube channel you can watch some content of Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and Let’s Go Eevee (Premiering today!) Here’s some links!

Let’s Go Eevee Episode #1

Wes Vs Jess Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Let’s Go Eevee is an LP while SSBU is us testing out the game.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for watching.

Have a great day!

A Hat in Time DLC comes out Thursday!

If you haven’t heard, A Hat in Time DLC comes out Thursday. Here’s some of the highlights:

A New Chapter- Of course one of the highlights is the addition of the latest chapter, Arctic Cruise. It is a brand new world to explore, which is always exciting. With that, comes brand new characters, time pieces, and hours to sink into the game.

A hat in Time Arctic Cruise

New Game Mode “Death Wish”– I will be honest. This one is a little less obvious. It seems as if this mode wants you to play old levels with a twist or it will create small levels with challenges. These twist come in form of challenges. The one challenge seen on camera is beat the level in 8 minutes. If this is the case, than Gears for Breakfast added a whole new level of replayability.

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A Hat in Time is Coming to the Switch– This is exciting for future me as I do not currently own a switch. I dont believe the release date has been announced, so keep an eye peeled.

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Co-op is coming to A Hat In Time

Split screen co-op will be added for free to A Hat in Time come September 13th. This is amazing. This is coming at a time when Super Mario 64 online taught us these old retro games can be just as fun with multiplayer as singleplayer. From the trailer, it looks like they are opting for a vertical screen (line going up and down) instead of horizontal. This again, is just one of the many ways Gears added not only replayability, but a fresh spin on the original game. The best part is that this will always be free.

Important Takeaways:
The DLC launches September 13th.
The DLC will be free for 24 hours
$499 USD after 24 hours.
The Co-op feature is free anytime
Brand new stage and game mode.
Yes. I am very pumped.

Per usual, you can watch my channel for more updates and gameplay footage of A Hat in Time.

Here’s some of my recent A Hat in Time videos.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day.

A Hat in Time is apart of the Humble Monthly (3 games for $12)!

Been on the fence about A Hat in Time? For the next 17 days A Hat in Time will be included in the Humble Monthly. For $12 you will get A Hat in Time, Conan Exile, and the Escapist 2.

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They are also running a deal called Pixel Perfect Platformer. Other games included in this sale are Yooka-Laylee, Rayman Origins, Limbo, and Cuphead.

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Episode #1 of blind LP for Yooka-Laylee is on Youtube now!

Hey everyone. If you enjoy the video be sure to like, comment, and subscribe! Please, that would be so awesome! If you really enjoy it, try to share it on twitter, facebook, and any other forum you can think of. I’d really appreciate it and it would mean a lot to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and watch my video. You rock. Thank you for any help you can provide in advance! Have a great day everyone!

Top 5 Changes in Pokemon from Gen 1 to 2

Today, we will be diving into changes and additions made between the first 2 generations of Pokemon. This list is of my opinions and Id love to hear what you guys think are the best additions.

HM New Pokeballs. The Gen 2 Pokeballs have been the focal point of a past blog post. They are coming in as an Honorable Mention because, at the end of the day, they sadly were not that great. I watched a video discussing how half of these Pokeballs did not alter the catch rate like they claimed. Despite not living up to their hype, it was still Gamefreak flexing some creative muscles and trying to add some depth to a simple concept like the Pokeball. I still to this day have fond memories of this addition from the days of the anime.

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#5 Making Legendary Pokemons apart of the story- Do not get me wrong, Mewtwo is awesome and is still the Macdaddy of legendary Pokemons. However, he is barely mentioned at all through the main story. In Gen 2, Suicune, Ho-oh, Lugia, and even Celebi come up in dialogue quite often. Ecruteak City is one of the more memorable towns in all of the Pokemon regions due to it being a big central location of the story. While I think legendaries did not hit their stride unto Hoenn, Gen 2 set a precedent for making the legendary Pokemon more of point to the story.

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#4 Rematches- The deeper I get into this, the more I realize a “Features Generation 3 expanded on” is going to be an easy blog. Rematches were sorely missing from Generation 1. The reason this is a big deal is because it limited experience and money the player could earn. Beating other trainers dishes out the most experience and cash flow. Generation 2 introduced rematches. Thanks to the Pokegear, the player could receive random phone calls from trainers they have beaten in the past.

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#3  Held Items- Pokemons holding items seems like a concept as old as the game itself. However, this feature was an addition added in Johto. They showcased this by having your starter hold a berry. Which was a nice touch in the early stages of the game. But this is not even the best example nor does it illustrate the role items have had. From using the experience share to help aid you in leveling up, to the choice items (scarf, band, sash). Later generations have even added Mega Stones, Z moves, and evolites. Needless to say, held items have become such a crucial part of the game.

#2 Genders- This extends to pokemons and trainers. In the Kanto days there was just one trainer Red. Also pokemons were genderless. In Generation 2 the world was introduced to a female trainer. While I am a Male Pokemon trainer, it would be foolish to not recognize the growing number of female trainers playing this awesome game. It’s only natural Pokemon would evolve to the point where we had female trainers represented in the game. Still, good on you Gamefreak for making this simple but much needed addition. As for pokemon’s gender, well we will get to that in the next point.
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#1 Breeding- Breeding is and was the definition of a game changer! It introduced baby forms (Pichu, Magby, Elekid to name a few). Which was really it’s claim to fame in Gen 2. When later games added natures, evs, and ivs, breeding became paramount. It was at the forefront of any serious competitive team. Generation 2 also saw egg moves become a part of the game thanks to breeding. Some Pokemons could only learn a move by having that move passed down from the parent Pokemon. With different egg groups, exclusive egg moves, competitive breeding for perfect ivs and nature, and the introduction of baby Pokemons, I would have to give Breeding the number 1 spot on Top changes and additions from Gen 1 to 2!

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Thanks for reading everybody!

Have a great day!