That dumb joke aside, you probably heard of the new Pokémon games coming out for the Switch. Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee is a creative take on Pokémon Yellow and launches this fall. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you check out the trailer:
I totally understand if you need tissues -- I was crying too. Ever since promotion for the 20th anniversary, Pokémon's been on their A-game with trailers! It's all about adding that human element, you know? Anyways, how do I feel about Let's Go? It's a mixed bag.
Let's start off with the good! I've been playing Pokémon Go since it first came out and consistently do so. It's a great way to spend time while commuting to and from work, and there are a few people I know who still play. My collection of creatures has gotten pretty big since, so I'm excited transfer them over to Let's Go. Apparently, you can't send them back to Go, but that doesn't bother me.
The new artstyle for Kanto is also adorable! It might be the big eyes of the trainers or the more brighter tones, but gosh darn it, it works! Almost reminds me of a Kirby game with how happy-go-lucky the setting is.
And, probably my favorite feature, following Pokémon returns! I loved this feature in Yellow, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, so it's great that it's back -- makes you feel more connected with your partner. Plus, the fact you can dress up your partner Pikachu or Eevee. I'm going to burn all my in-game money on that.
Darn it, I want this outfit!
While I wish I only had good things to say, there are a few gripes I have. No, I'm not a vengeful Gengar using Grudge, but some features just don't click with me. For instance, battling is only reserved for trainer battles. The Pokémon Go gameplay of catching Pokémon is fine, but it's not as engaging as traditional battles. I understand the reasoning behind it (to appeal to more casual players), but I feel this was a step back from previously established mechanics that are easy enough to grasp.
Furthermore, mechanics for training are said to be kept more simple. This is disappointing, since variety in Pokémon battles comes from not only movepool diversity, but also how you train a Pokémon. An Arcanine could be physically bulky, mixed attacking, physically attacking, specially attacking, doubles support, the list goes on. Its stats could be further customized by EVs, giving more depth in how you train your Arcanine. A simplified training system would mean that Arcanine's versatility drops -- if there's no way to specifically train in Defense, it'll be harder to be physically bulky. We don't have full details yet, but elimination of generation mainstays like Abilities also takes away a Pokémon's uniqueness in battle style.
Probably the biggest offender for me is that Let's Go will only be limited to Generation 1 Pokémon. I wrote about this back in 2012, but Pokémon's strength is their huge catalogue of creatures they've made throughout the years. Limiting us to the original 151 takes away fan favorites from later games. What's more, apparently you can't transfer newer Pokémon to Let's Go! Hopefully, they're taking a page from FireRed and not letting you use newer Pokémon until after you defeat the Elite Four. But if that's not the case, it's a move that takes away from the inclusiveness and spirit of Pokémon games.
So yeah, a lot of thoughts with the new games. We still haven't scratched the surface with 2 player co-op, the Pokéball accessory, and the new Pokémon you can transfer to Go. Sure, there are some things holding me back from being all in with these titles, but I'm optimistic it'll all work out for the best. For now, let's go!
Right before I started typing, a Clefairy popped up on my radar. Good news, I caught it.
As you can tell, Pokémon Go has been pretty much been top of mind as of late. Not just in my life -- the whole world seems to be playing! I remember when it was first announced and knew Pokémon fans would be all over it. But never would I imagine Pokémon Go would have this much of an impact in little over a week.
Y'all have seen the news coverage, the promotions from small businesses and big corporations, and the Snapchat stories of people ranting and raving. But what really inspires me is how much appeal this game has for fans and non-fans alike. The day right after Go came out, I got in the office pretty early -- two of my coworkers walked over to show me their collection. One of them had never played a Pokémon game before, so it was really cool to relive the sheer joy of discovering Pokémon through a new player's perspective. Soon, the office started a chat group and organizing Pokémon hunts during our lunch break. Pretty much everyone got into it -- even my manager! Even if she didn't know its name, she was pretty pumped to catch a Weezing.
You hear that, Weezing? Someone likes you!
Pokémon Go honestly brought me back to my VGC days. Oftentimes, you'll start chatting up with random strangers on these Pokémon hunts. On our second visit to the Capital, we helped a couple of trainers find a Pikachu. A few days later, I talked to a gentleman about a Squirtle he caught, gave some tips to a lady about what to do with all her Zubat candy, and pointed a couple to a Bulbasaur at Walmart. These are people who, under any other circumstance, I might have not said hi to. There's something magical about how a simple game can bring so many people together.
You can talk about the cool AR features and how revolutionary this game is -- it's all good. But the appeal of Pokémon Go for me is the same appeal as any other Pokémon game. It's a shared experience -- something that breaks down barriers and can be understood in any language. Pokémon Go just breaks down that barrier even further. So whether repping Team Mystic (like your boy Smiles), Valor, or Instinct, go out there and make new friends! After all, that's what Pokémon's about.
Yeah, I know it's been two weeks since Pokkén's been out and I'm very late on this. What can you do when the real world beckons you? It's crazy -- I remember writing about this two years back when it was first announced. I never would have imagined it ending up like this. Pokkén in a sense is an attempt to create live-action Pokémon battles. Or, that's what I thought at first.
To put it simply, Pokkén's chaotic. The core gameplay switches between two phases: Field and Duel Phase. Field Phase has you fight in a 3rd-person view while Duel pits you in a more traditional fighter like Street Fighter. It's not time or rounds that switch you between the two phases -- it's by hitting your opponent with certain moves. Crazy right? This was the first time I had to sit through the tutorial before I could grasp the gameplay!
Changing between Field and Duel Phase becomes easier over time.
Once you get the hang of things though, the gameplay's pretty simple. Similar to Smash Bros, attacks are usually a button inputted with a direction, so there's no real complex combo system.
This simplicity translates to the overall gameplay. My girl Chandelure pretty much crushed the competition by just barraging the opponent with a flurry of attacks. Early on, you'll realize that the best strategy is to wail on the opponent until you win.
Of course, what's a game without customizable outfits! I look pretty spiffy if I do say so myself.
Back at it again with the white vest!
I enjoy that Pokkén doesn't take itself seriously. Like I mentioned, you mash buttons to win. But the battle animations -- they're absolutely ridiculous! Just witness all the anime flair!
Anime!
ANIME!!
ANIME x 1,000!!!!
Even the assists are crazy. Farfetch'd didn't make it in as I hoped, but he shares the same honor of being an assist like Reshiram and Yveltal. And a clever nod to Sejun Park -- Pachirisu knows Follow Me!
Pokémon legends.
When Pokkén was first announced, I thought of it as a serious game. Instead, we got a goofy, over-the-top fighter, and I couldn't be happier! Many games, especially fighting games, try to take themselves seriously. Pokkén Tournament is a breath of fresh air for those who want to, well, just have fun!
After school, my friends and I would take our Pokémon
binders up to my treehouse and marvel at our collection. Mainly buying packs to
look at the pretty pictures, we hadn’t the faintest idea how to actually play
the Pokémon Trading Card game. Usually we’d put down cards and yell out attacks
without any regard to energy costs, evolutions, or prize cards. For years, I’d
continue to buy packs just to look at the pretty pictures until Pokémon
released TCG Online back in the Black and White era. Realizing how much fun the
actual game was, I quickly gathered my stockpile of old cards to build decks.
Needless to say, there aren’t many players that stick to the old base set. The
best place to get my old-school fix was with the Gameboy Pokémon TCG game, but
was more elusive than Mew thanks to its rarity and unusually high price. That
is, until now thanks to its release on the 3DS Virtual Console this past week.
Pikachu, the Science Pokémon.
The story of the Pokémon TCG game is pretty simple. You’re a
card player sent on a journey to collect the 8 medals from club leaders to
challenge the 4 grandmasters and eventually defeat your rival to inherit the
legendary cards and become the champion. Wait…isn’t this basically the same
story as Red and Blue? At least there’s no evil team trying to steal people’s
cards, but Imakuni’s creepy enough to be considered evil in my opinion. And
what the heck is up with the Science Club? Every other club is based on a
Pokémon type, but I can’t wrap my head around why they would have a
science-themed club. Don’t tell me they plan to release a new Science-Type
Pokémon.
Navigating the menus takes some getting used to.
The Pokémon TCG game serves as a decent intro for the card
game. At the beginning, Sam the lab assistant plays a practice duel with you.
The practice duel goes through the basic steps of how to win, but since I
played the card game before I just breezed through it. One thing I noticed was
that the tutorial wasn’t as thorough as I’d expect. For instance, the practice
duel doesn’t go into details about special conditions like paralysis and
poison. There are some guides outside the practice duel that you can read
in-game, but who wants to do that! The practice duel is mainly handy to
familiarize yourself with the interface. The Gameboy can’t fit the entire play
area onscreen, so it’s somewhat harrowing to navigate through menus without
some practice.
Like my adventure in Pokémon Red, I started my journey by
picking Bulbasaur…or in this case the Bulbasaur and Friends deck. Fun fact,
this deck contained Venusaur, my all-time favorite card. I mentioned it on a
past post but I have a Base Set Venusaur in real life that I got from the same friend I use to have treehouse battles with. Originally, the idea was to get
Venusaur out as quickly as possible and abuse Energy Trans to switch Grass
energies around. Unfortunately, evolution wasn’t the solution as setting up
took way too much time. I’d find myself on the receiving end of Blastoise’s
Rain Dance infused shenanigans before I could even evolve to Ivysaur. I’d have
to adopt a new deck, and that meant abandoning Venusaur.
It's not me, it's you. Sorry buddy.
You can't escape my Special Punch!
A while back, I remember reading about a “Haymaker” deck and
thought about building one for myself. Basically, Haymaker decks consist of big
basic Pokémon like Scyther, Electabuzz and Hitmonchan. While it might seem like
an odd combination with no real type synergy, a Haymaker deck is quite
devastating thanks to its quick setup time. Pokémon in a Haymaker deck feature
strong attacks with very little energy cost, so Hitmonchan can start hitting
right off the bat for 20 damage. While that might not sound as impressive as
Charizard’s Fire Spin for 100, keep in mind it takes a minimum of 2 turns if
you got all the right cards in hand. By the time your first Charizard is ready
to go, Hitmonchan knocked out 3 other Pokémon and you now trail significantly
behind in the prize card count. Because of their aggressive playstyle, Haymaker
decks pretty much shut down
every other strategy. The early metagame of the TCG was dominated by big
basics, which is kind of a reflection of today’s metagame with cards like
Mewtwo-EX. While there are better cards and new rules to help counter big basics, the early
metagame certainly wasn’t balanced. Pretty much every Pokémon was Hitmonchan’s
punching bag. And to think, back in the day I had every card needed to make a
formidable Haymaker deck in real life!
You're lucky you have a good theme, jerk!
After cutting the competition with Scyther, clobbering my
way to the top with Hitmonchan, and (insert dumb electric pun) with Electabuzz,
I managed to beat the 4 Grandmasters when SURPRISE SURPRISE, my rival Ronald
already beat them and I have to defeat him to inherit the legendary cards. I used to think Gary was a jerk, but this guy takes it to a whole new level. Seriously
dude we’re playing a children’s card game, no need for the smack talk. I kicked
his sorry butt anyways thanks in part to his wide array of Normal-Types that
are extremely weak to Hitmonchan. After about 10 hours of my weekend, I claim
the overhyped legendary cards for myself and my journey is over.
Looking back, Pokémon TCG felt a little too easy. Granted, a
Haymaker deck really is overpowered, but I just didn’t feel satisfied with my
victory. With Virtual Console titles on the 3DS, a lack of multiplayer features means you’re stuck challenging the
same computers so there’s not much variety in battles. Still, it was a joy to visit this blast from the past. I gained an appreciation for the fun, albeit broken, origin of the Pokémon TCG.
My doctor warned me about taking in too much info about the next Smash Brothers game. Not one to heed advice from a medical professional, I watched the Smash Bros Direct anyways. A heart attack, trip to the hospital and transplant later, I'm back and fully recovered. While there was a good amount of general information revealed, Pokémon received generous attention and it all started with this cleverly teased picture.
Presents for all the good Pokémon fanboys and girls
In addition to the usual Pokeball item, Master Balls were introduced. Master Balls contain legendary Pokémon such as Arceus, Palkia and Xerneas. They might have a limitation similar to Assist Trophies where only one legendary Pokémon can be out at a time, but there hasn't been any word on
that yet.
Go Gogoat, Go!
Many Pokémon were recently revealed as Pokeball items. Out of the newly revealed ones, Gogoat is my favorite. As the goat that goes, Gogoat lets you ride on it as it rams into opponents. I was the guy who spammed Wario's bike, so this will be quite fun to exploit. Returning Pokémon like Snorlax, Entei and Metagross don't change from past iterations.
Imagine Shadow Lugia as a stage hazard
Besides the already revealed Prism Tower stage for the 3DS, the Wii U is treated to the Kalos Pokémon League as an exclusive stage. While it looks drop-dead gorgeous, I'm disappointed. I know X and Y are the most recent games, but where's the love for 5th gen!? I've always wanted to fight at N's Castle. Or what about Tin Tower from HGSS or Citadark Island from Pokémon XD? In my opinion, too much emphasis is placed on 6th gen in the new Smash.
Now, let's look at what everyone cares about: the characters. First, Lucario's Final Smash was revealed to be Mega Lucario. Makes sense. While Mega Evolved, Lucario's Aura is always at maximum strength. Lucario's Aura abilities also got a significant buff.
Watch the power of Aura!
You got to be quicker than that, Mac.
Character transformations were confirmed not to make an appearance. Zelda/Sheik are now separated as Zelda and Sheik. This means that Pokémon Trainer, one of my mains from Brawl, won't be coming back. It's only fitting that Charizard, the Pokémon I least used, will be returning without a trainer to boss it around. At least he won't have the tire out mechanic. The reveal trailer showcased some new moves including a stronger aerial attack. Mega Charizard X is also confirmed as his Final Smash. It's unknown yet, but hopefully Charizard Y will also be included.
Mega Charizard X is ready to battle!
And now, the biggest surprise and the last shock that triggered my heart attack.
Meowth, that's right! Greninja, the final evolution of Froakie, is a playable character. I'm still in disbelief. A while back, I made a list of likely Pokémon to be included as playable characters like Mewtwo, Zoroark and Blaziken. But never did I imagine that Greninja would be chosen. Greninja is one of my absolute favorite Pokémon and the main reason I picked Froakie, so I obviously welcome Greninja with open arms. It does make it difficult to decide whether I should play as Greninja or Little Mac my first match. Decisions, decisions...
The trailer showcases Greninja using swift water attacks like Water Shuriken and unorthodox moves like Substitute. What Greninja's addition means though is that the chance of Mewtwo returning became slimmer. Pokémon most likely won't overpass the Super Mario series in character representation, so I wouldn't expect more than 5 playable Pokémon. We already have 4 and I suspect Jigglypuff will be taking the 5th slot. Both Jigglypuff and Mewtwo are viable with their new techniques in 6th gen, but Jigglypuff has more history with Smash. I could be wrong, but my hunch says Mewtwo isn't coming back.
The Smash Bros Direct brought a ton of news for Pokémon fans. While I hope more emphasis will be placed on previous generations, the inclusion of new items and Greninja blew me away. Pokémon is going strong in the next Smash Bros!
Pokémon recently celebrated its 18th anniversary. Shortly after Red and Green's release in Japan, it became a worldwide phenomenon and the rest is history. I have
no idea what my life would be like without Pokémon. I met some of my best
friends through it and learned a lot from the series. So of course, it's only appropriate I give 18 cheesy, cliched reflections from the wonderful world of Pokémon.
1. Never give up, no matter how many times you fall
You ever met Ash Ketchum? This kid has the dream to become the very best
like no one ever was. Out of the current 721 Pokémon, how many has he obtained?
72. If "to catch them is [his] real test", Ash is about 10% done. He's
managed to collect the badges in each region, but falls short of being the
League Champion (except in the Orange Islands). And yet, he keeps at it.
We can't all stay 10 forever, but we can learn something from this idealist.
I mean, if you like Muk go right ahead.
2. With over 700 creatures, you got to have a favorite!
Pokémon has variety. Maybe floating magnets or living piles of
sludge aren't your forte. But there are so many to choose from, you got to like
at least one! As weird as it may sound, Pokémon is kind of like life. Even
though there are aspects that are less than favorable, there's so much to enjoy.
3. We can take a different path to reach the same goal
I start with Bulbasaur, you choose Charmander. We'll catch different
Pokémon to complement our team, have a different strategy to defeat each Gym
Leader, and maybe even choose a different Eevee evolution (or none at all)! But
at the end of it all, we will both collect the 8 gym badges, defeat Team
Rocket, and eventually become the champion. It just goes to show that there's
no singular way to play the games. Which brings me to my next point.
4. The world isn't black or white
5th generation will always have the best story in my opinion. It was the
first to raise the issue of the ethics behind Pokémon battles, and while N, the leader of Team Plasma,
didn't meet a clear resolution, he learned to value others' opinions. When
ideals clash, a new truth emerges that we can learn from.
5. The rules change from time to time, but the fundamentals stay the same
With the addition of held items, abilities, new moves, new typings, and new
battle formats, Pokémon battles have changed a lot since Red and Green.
Regardless, the basic principles behind battles stay the
same. Pokémon battles is like rock-paper-scissors with
elements of chess. Water beats Fire, Fire beats Grass, and Grass beats Water.
But Water can move in a way that let it beat Grass. The rules of life
change constantly with new technologies and discoveries, but the fundamentals like honesty and humility remain steadfast.
6. A journey with friends beats a journey alone
If I had to summarize what the overall message of the Pokémon series is,
it's friendship. Ash and Pikachu's travels across the land show the deep,
emotional bond these two share. What I enjoy most about Pokémon is how a
seemingly single-player game can transform into the greatest multiplayer
experience thanks to trading and battles. And now with online trading and
battles, I feel part of the bigger worldwide community. I can't begin to tell
you about the countless hours me and my friends spend talking about Pokémon.
It's a powerful tool that breaks down barriers and connects people. What other game could unite an entire community to simultaneously play and beat it?
When thousands of people gather to play Pokémon, Omanyte becomes a God.
7. There are some things you just can't explain
What is underneath Diglett? How does a Wailord and Skitty create an egg? Why
was Hulk Hogan chosen to be the spokesperson during Pokémon's 10th anniversary?
The world may never know.
I got to keep training brother!
8. Don't be surprised if you run into a surprise
Right before my management class, I pulled out my 3DS thinking I could get some training down before the lecture began. Three battles in, I run into a shiny Eevee! I ran out, hugged a random girl, and apologized saying it was "Pokémon business." Granted, I caught 10 or so shinies before, but it was still exciting! Always have those Pokéballs ready, you never know what you'll run into the wild.
9. Old Arcanines can learn new tricks
Charizard has always been the laughing stock of competitive battling since
Red and Green. Now, he's one of the biggest threats thanks to his Mega
Evolutions. It took him 18 years, but by Arceus he did it! Other Pokémon have also broken from obscurity since their debut. Blaziken went from
being good, to just average, to being banned TWICE! Wobbuffet? He got a new
ability and bam! Straight to Ubers! There are so many Pokémon that got better
over time, so never say it's too late to learn something new.
10. "It's Super Effective" doesn't necessarily mean it's
effective
Just because Blissey is weak against Fighting-type moves doesn't mean Aura
Sphere is the best choice. Brute strength alone can only take you so far.
Different strategies such as putting your opponent to sleep or slowing them
down through paralysis can easily turn the battle in your favor. Analyze the
situation and come up with a plan; don't go charging head first.
11. Learn from the stupid mistakes you make at the beginning
I am guilty of only training my Venusaur when I first played Red. He was the
backbone of my team at level 97. I prided myself on the fact I didn't use a
Rare Candy. My second highest? Pidgeotto at level 32. You can tell I knew what
I was doing. But hey, how else can we learn if we don't make our own mistakes?
It's always a laugh to look back and see how much of a noob trainer I
was.
12. Patience is a virtue
Have you ever hatched eggs in Pokémon? It takes bloody forever! You’re moving back and forth for 30 minutes only to realize the
baby has the wrong nature or ability or whatever. Sure, shortcuts like
having a Pokémon with Flame Body in your party exist, but I
remember going through countless eggs in Firered just to hatch a decent
Totodile. If I already hatched over 400 eggs in X alone, I shudder to think how
long I spent in Pearl. But if I’m still at it after all these eggs, then I must
have learned a thing or two about patience. Which reminds me, I probably need
to go back and finish hatching those Machop eggs. That will be fun…
I've listened to the bike theme plenty of times.
13. With teamwork, even Magikarp can sweep a team
The videos are absolutely hilarious, but given the right circumstance, the
flopping fish has what it takes to take the world. To pull this off,
Magikarp requires teammates to help give it a boost to sweep. It
just goes to show that the power of teamwork can overcome all.
14. There’s a time and place for everything. But not now!
Yes Professor, I know I can’t ride my bike indoors. Yes, I also know I can’t
use the Helix Fossil during battle. Yes, I know I can’t use the Super
Rod in the middle of the city. It’s an annoying reminder, but Oak’s got a
point.
Riding your bike indoors? He'll know...
15. The world is a big place to explore
From the majestic snow peaks of Mt. Coronet to the glistening shorelines of
Cianwood City, the Pokémon world offers breathtaking scenery. There are so many places to see and things to do, so stop being cooped up and get out there! After you finish reading this post of course :)
16. Sometimes, it’s just luck
You might have the winning strategy that can take on the biggest threats,
but a stray Ice Beam could freeze your Pokémon and all hope for victory is frozen. It happens.
You just got to accept that luck might play a role in determining a battle, so
don’t take it personally. It’s not all bad though, sometimes luck might get you
out of a bind when you need it most. How else can you explain Ash winning the
Boulder Badge?
Thunderbolt sets off the fire sprinklers, soaking Onix. That's dumb luck right there.
17. Follow what you love regardless of what other people think
As my good friend Terral once told me, “middle school is the worst version
of yourself.” For a time, I left Pokémon because I didn’t want to seem uncool
or nerdy. I remember asking a pair of 8th graders with their Gameboy
Advances out if they were playing Pokémon. “Yeah we’re playing,” they
responded. “So what?” They were probably used to people mocking them, but they
didn’t care. They had guts and I envied them. It only matters what you think. Nothing else matters.
18. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!
Seriously! I don’t say Pokémon is my favorite video game series for nothing.
It’s an expansive game with thousands of hours of replay value. It’s a universal
language where everyone from die-hard Pokémaniacs to moms with kids that play
have something to say. It’s a strategic game that challenges you to use
prediction and smarts to overcome your opponent. It’s a collector’s hobby with
an expansive community full of traders. It’s a shared experience which
solidified so many of my friendships and helped forge new ones. But most
importantly, Pokémon is just plain fun, and I wouldn’t still be playing if it
wasn’t.
