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Wednesday 23 October 2013

Pokemon X

A new generation of Pokemon has been released. You may yawn, or laugh at the idea of an actual adult playing a "kids game", but this is not just another 'plonk some odd designs in and add some evil guys' Pokemon game. This game has something that some of its predecessors seemed to lack- heart.


The storyline

You are no longer the child of a gym leader. In fact, your father is- as far as I'm aware- never mentioned in this game. You live with your mother, who is famous (but I'm not putting why because spoilers). You get the chance to have your own Pokemon and go on your very own Pokemon journey- but this time, you give your mother an actual letter explaining what's going on. Much like Hogwarts letters, it explains that you are special and therefore have been chosen to go on a wild ride of adventure, Pokemon battles and one of the best storylines of any Pokemon game ever. I'm not exaggerating.

I'll try not to spoil the storyline, but I will say this; the heart and soul shown in this storyline are beautiful. The beginning is suitably dramatic, with just the right level of death and destruction (it's aimed at children, remember) and the end is beautifully touching. I almost cried, which is not something I tend to do at storylines in any game- let alone Pokemon.

Yes, you still have the standard "beat the team of bad guys" storyline to follow, but it ties in with the more beautiful one. Oh, also, you get a parade. I'm not kidding.

The cool, new stuff 

As with every other Pokemon game, new things have been implemented. Some people are really hyped about mounts (you can ride certain Pokemon in game, which is extremely fun), but I'm all about the clothing shops.

You can now customise your character to a certain degree. You can get new hats, clothes and even socks from various boutiques that are dotted throughout the game. One city even has a hair salon, which is pretty cool- oh and you get coloured contact lenses, so you can even change your eye colour!

Other cool things include; 3D battles, which are reminiscent of the Pokemon Colosseum battle system from the Gamecube era (also, your Pokemon actually MOVE), your starter Pokemon actually having a "type" move (i.e. a fire-type Pokemon has Ember), gaining EXP when you catch a Pokemon , the ability to sit down and rollerblades replacing running shoes (you can still run, but it isn't such a big deal).

Rollerblading: there's nothing quite as cool


Pretty, pretty things.

Every Pokemon game is pretty in its own way. The first gen games were beautiful in their uniqueness- nothing quite like them had been seen before. The games gradually became sharper and more detailed, arriving at this generation of Pokemon games. The music is, much like the Pokemon within the game, a well-oiled mix of new and old. The beauty of your surroundings is easy to see, and you can actually take in-game photos of the more beautiful places using photo spots.

I must admit, I did smile pretty much constantly throughout the game. You can genuinely see the level that the Pokemon Company and Nintendo went to in terms of effort in every single town- even the grass is more beautiful!

Other stuff

There is an optional battle area, known as the Battle Chateau- you gain ranks and face trainers here at your leisure. Also, there's actual multiplayer.



The multiplayer is quite simple- you hook your 3DS/2DS up to the wifi and random spots in the game are designated battle areas, so you can battle random people. You can also trade with them, give them buffs, and watch their PR video (a video you record in Lumiose City which pretty much advertises your personality).

Oh, also, there are some little interaction side-games that use the touch screen; Pokemon Amie and a sort of gym. Pokemon Amie is a cute little game where you can feed and fuss your Pokemon, which increases your Pokemon's overall stats. The gym-type thing trains your Pokemon's stats and it's quite fun.

Overview of the game

This is truly a Pokemon game that should bridge the gap between "new" and "old" trainers alike. Whether you haven't played a Pokemon game since Yellow, or your first Pokemon game was Black/White, this game brings the generations together seamlessly in a new, beautifully designed environment that makes good, appropriate use of 3D.

MmRed


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