Pokémon Y

We all know that almost anything with Pokémon in the title will sell, but with this installation into the series, I felt myself a bit disappointed. Whilst the new fairy type has balanced the dragon types vicegrip on competitive play, the actually elements of gameplay seemed like they were eased up a bit as well. Leveling up in this game comes as naturally as breathing; my entire team was in the 80s before I even faced the elite four, and I had hardly even grinded beforehand in preparation. The story was so-so, I applaud Team Flares attempt of harnessing the legendary pokemons power in order to wipe the slate clean again, but the whole story just seemed to lack a certain passion. The whole game just seemed to be a hollow story that just handed you some freebies whenever you made the smallest achievement, theres barely any challenge to it at all. While this game is good for people new to the series, it leaves veterans feeling a bit disappointed with how quickly you progress through the game.

For longtime Pokémon players the series’ debut on the 3DS is like a dream come true. This is in almost every way the Pokémon game my 12 year old self was waiting for. The most important change is that Pokémon are rendered in full 3D models, finally moving away from the series’ traditional sprites. Battles immediately remind me of Pokémon Stadium on the N64 only shrunk to the palm of your hand (not to mention the superior graphics). I had the pleasure of visiting France the Summer before Pokémon X/Y came out so immediately I was able to appreciate the Kalos Region’s design. This new cultural aesthetic really feels like a breath of fresh air. A small, but appealing feature is the ability to customize your character’s in-game appearance through skin color, hair, and clothes. This may seem like no big deal, but ever since I first played Pokémon Blue I’ve wished I could edit the appearance of my sprite. Game Freak has finally brought that feature and we can only hope they give us more choices in future titles. If Pokémon X/Y has one weakness it has to be the story. I know, I know, no one really plays these games for the story, but this game’s antagonists, Team Flair, really are a step down in quality. While the teams have always been Saturday morning cartoon villains at least they threatened the protagonists. Team Flair comes across as a group of incompetents rather than a group dead-set on changing the course of history. The game’s single-player campaign is also ridiculously easy. A beefed up Exp. Share makes level grinding a thing of the past and more often than not you walk into every gym and Team Flair battle with a team that towers over the competition. In short, I understand Game Freak wanting to cut back the hours typically spent on grinding, but if this device is going to become a mainstay in the series they’re going to have to level up the boss battles. Another thing that will bother veteran players is the lack of post-game content. Once you’ve beaten the Kalos Region Pokémon League there really isn’t much to do other than continue filling your Pokédex. Those small problems aside, Pokémon’s leap into the 3DS is a spectacular success sure to entertain old and new fans alike with its 3D recreation of the creatures we know and love. For that it receives my highest recommendation.

Ill be honest, I have never been a huge fan of the Pokemon games. I always found their gameplay to be too repetitive and easy for my liking. To be fair though, I have only played the most recent ones and I heard that the older ones are tougher and pose more of a challenge for players. Unfortunately this one doesnt change the trend of being easier, but at the very least, it has a solid storyline and a fun and interesting region to explore bursting with charm. I especially loved exploring all the many different cafes in Lumiose City. Skating around that city gave me the illusion of true freedom. Along the way you will meet plenty of interesting characters who will make your journey more meaningful with each badge you collect. My only real problem besides the difficulty, is that there really isnt much of an end game in comparison to past Pokemon games. The game kind of fizzles out after the credits roll, which is unusual to me since I am pretty used to some splendid surprises from Nintendo games in particular. On the bright side though, the game boasts a very accessible and easy to use online trading system. You can choose to either trade one of your random Pokemon for another random one, or trade one of your specific Pokemon for another specific one. Very easy to use. There also happens to be something called a Battle Chateaux in the game which pits you against various trainers of various skill levels and allows you to rank up as well. I found these trainers to be the best way to level up my Pokemon personally. All in all, it is a very good Pokemon game that ties into the show of the same name very well. I just wish the series would become a little more hardcore in the future so I actually have a reason to want to come back and play another entry. There are more features in the game that I havent mentioned but you can go check those out for yourself. Great starting point for new fans!

Getting a hold of CIB copies of any handheld Pokémon games is very hard, almost impossible. When I found this I was super excited, and when it arrived sealed and I saw it was “the World edition” I was very happy!

What I liked: -Nice graphics -Small improvements that make the game easy and more play friendly (for example you can not see if a TM can be learned by a Pokemon in your team without having to select use.) -return of berries and improved berry system -It took me 70 hours to finish the game. (Long gameplay) -Nice new little features such as O-powers that allow you to refill your local friends pokemons HP for example -All Pokemon benefit from the expshare -Most of the new Pokemons look GREAT (except Doublade and Klefki) WHAT I DISLIKED: -very bad sound track compared to the previous games -VERY BAD 3D... Worst I have seen... Shin megami tensei 4, Kid Icarus and Fire Emblem had good 3d Graphics but Pokemon X and Y has very bad 3d effects. When 3d is tuned up all the way you still hardly notice it... And the framrate drops A LOT!. Only battle are in 3d but the double battles or horde battles are viewable in 2d only -Nothing to do after the defeat of the Pokemon League... In black and white there was a tone to do.. I played my black version 320 hours. But my Y version only 77 hours and it took me 72 hours to beat the game... There is no place to train your pokemons except for the Pokemon league but they dont grow stronger after you completed the main story -very bad story (Had lots of potential... Mega mewtwo! What a waste of not using it in the story... The return of team rocket! Giovanni still has DNA from Mewtwo left [He should.. He created him. While mewtwo was still in development Giovanni toke DNA from Mewtwo just in Case] and tried to create a more powerful clone and created Mega Mewtwo... All other Mega Pokemons are a result of Giovanni changing their DNA to create more Powerful Pokemons... Now that is a idea... But instead they went with team flare... I would mind team flare if the story behind them were good Overall: A very fun game and wont disappoint newcomers but People like me that played every single game in the series will feel a little disappointed overall... But I still had lots of fun.. Just... I like Pokemon Heartgold, XD or Black more because of endless content after you completed the game

It was back in 1999 that I first learned of the Pokémon series; obtaining my first card, watching the first few episodes, and even convincing my mother and father to buy me a GameBoy with Pokémon Red. I was addicted. I bought booster packs like a chain smoker buys cigarets, and I woke up early just to catch the 4Kids showing of Pokémon while woofing down boxes of Captain Crunch. I joined a local comics store with its semi-weekly Pokémon league, and by that time I had dove so far down into the debts of Pokémon, there was never a time I didnt have something Pokémon related on me. Pokémon Yellow, Hey You, Pikachu!, Pokémon Stadium, Pokemon Gold, and Pokémon Crystal were all in my repertoire. However I lost interest in Pokémon by 2001 having discovered Yu-Gi-Oh!, selling all my Pokémon possessions to purchase cards for that game. In 2008 I was living with my aunt and cousins, starting my first semester in college. For that years birthday, my cousin Bethany and her boyfriend at the time bought me a DS Lite and a copy of Pokémon Platinum. I got into it, but not nearly to the degree I once was; being more interested in Ragnarok Online at the time. Finally, in February of this year I got the Pokémon itch from watching the Game Grumps play Pokémon Fire Red. So I bought a brand new 3DS and a copy of Pokémon Y, since I was pretty excited for a Pokémon game with 3D graphics instead of the standard sprites. And to be honest, my excitement, was warranted. If youve ever played a Pokémon game, then you know how they all start up. You dont have any Pokémon, then you are given a selection of three Pokémon, and you begin your journey across the land to level up your Pokémon and battle trainers and gym leaders. Pretty much what happens in this one too, except instead of meeting with the Pokémon Professor of this region, you are given your first Pokémon by a group of friends. I went with Fennekin, and kept reloading until I got a female. I also noticed that the typical rival who challenges you right after obtaining your first Pokémon, was replaced by a much closer friend who never comes off as a rival. In my case it was Serena, who felt more like a good friend then anything else. Once I was on my own I got help from some friends online getting the team I wanted, via eggs, because as I learned, the Pokémon I wanted to form a team with didnt exist in this game or were hard to come by. Specifically my first team, which I used throughout the entire game, consisted of all females. Yes I know, Im weird. To be even more specific, this team held a Fennekin (because Delphox), a Petilil (because Lilligant), a Ralts (because Gardevoir), a Snorunt (because Froslass), a Feebas (because Milotic), and a Buneary (because Lopunny). Yes, I know, Im weird. The very friends who were giving me the eggs told me this, but if I was going to be feeding and petting 3D Pokémon, they were going to be attractive dammit! *ahem* In any case, as I played the game I noticed that the story seems much darker then any previous title. A war using Pokémon where they and people died, a king so obsessed with his Pokémon he sacrificed the lives of many Pokémon to resurrect her, the story about the Hex Ghost Girl, and some of the things trainers would say to you as you defeated them. Everything seemed so much darker. In fact, even after I beat the game it continued to go this route, when you meet the homeless girl named Emma. While I was partially shocked by some of the darkness, I was also very intrigued! I wanted a more mature gaming experience, but I did not expect it to come from a Pokémon game. I have heard some people say this is one of the worst stories in the Pokémon series, but I disagree, its one of the best! Heck, one of those friends you first meet up with is almost akin to a romantic partner. I of course am speaking of Shauna, who shares a very romantic scene where both your character and her enjoy a fireworks show. She says how shell never forget that moment, and soon after you receive the TM 17 which contains Protect. Coincidence? I think not. Game play wise not much has changed. You still battle it out in turn based fashion, however the number of Pokémon that can be out on the field at once has increased; with some random encounters facing you off against hordes of Pokémon. The game does feel a bit easier then any of the previous titles Ive played, as I was able to breeze through most battles, including the elite four and their champion. However, the Battle Mansion super battles can go to hell. There is the new Mega Evolution, which allows your Pokémon to level up to a new evolved form during battle. I never really saw a difference in strength during Mega Evolutions, but I still used the mechanic because a Mega Evolved Gardevoir is pretty. There is also the Super Training and Pokémon-Amie. With Super Training, you can level up a Pokémons certain stat. This is done by playing a game like soccer, using the soccer balls to attack a balloon of a Pokémon that is firing soccer balls back at you. Pokémon-Amie is where you can increase the friendliness of your Pokémon, by feeding them Poké Puffs, petting them, playing mini games with them, and imitating them via your DSs camera. A very friendly Pokémon can have bonuses in the campaign portion of the game, like avoiding fainting, dodging attacks, or even scoring critical hits. I will say that the places some of my Pokémon liked to be touched were a tad bit questionable, like my Lopunny with her lower, lower, lower spot. In the end I beat the game and sedated my craving, I even suspect that I will not be buying the next title, at least until I get that itch again. The 3D graphics seriously brought the Pokémon series out of the past and into the present, 2D and sprites are so last year. The more mature feel really did it for me, and the way they play everything off wouldnt really click with a child, so its still family friendly. The choices in Pokémon are decent, although Im not in love with them dropping so many of the past generations. All in all its an improvement upon the Pokémon franchise, and I can only hope to see even more attractive evolutions in the later games. Oh, and just a quick question to all the fellow Pokémon gamers out there. Is it just me, or did the female gym leaders and elite four all seem to have a thing for our character? I swear, Malva, Korrina, Valerie, and Olympia all seemed to say things that made it seem like they wanted to take my Calem and battle it out in the bedroom. If you get my drift. Pokémon Y gets an 8.2 out of 10

Ive only been playing since Sinho(D/P), but this is by far my favorite of the series(even including ASOR). The end of the main story actually made me tear up, and Ive never had a Nintendo game do that. Not to mention all the improvements to the gameplay itself. I had high expectations for this game, and it exceeded all of them. B+W was a disappointment to many(myself included, why it took me so long to get this game), but I beg you not to give up on the new generations just yet.

Graphics: This title (along with Pokemon X) marks the first traditional Pokemon game to have 3D rendering, and it is beautiful. All Pokemon now have excellent 3D models, complete with fighting and idle animations--if youve played any of the console Pokemon battling games (Stadium, Revolution, Colosseum), every battle is like a battle in those games. Gameplay: Just as solid as the past games, but not as many changes to core gameplay as Generations 2 or 4. The introduction of the new Fairy type changes things up a bit, as some existing Pokemon gain new use with this new type (regarding matchups both with and against the type). Mega Evolutions havent really had a massive impact that I can see yet (however, due to my internet situation, I havent been able to make full use of the battle features), but I have to say they look great, and can definitely impact a battle--still waiting to see how much of a change this will have in battling other people. In-game, it is easier than ever to EV train your Pokemon to maximize their fighting potential, and the reworked Exp. Share really helps when leveling lower level Pokemon (its now like a toggle-able EXP ALL from Red, Blue, and Yellow). Features: The Streetpass features and internet features of this game are incredible. Besides the simple GTS, there are random battles, random trades, and more with people over the internet. Unfortunately for me, I can only rarely make use of these (not for a reason regarding the game; my local network prohibits handheld devices from accessing the internet). My situation allows me to make great use of Streetpass, which makes trading, battling, and communicating incredibly easy. All in all, this game is incredible, and definitely worth buying if you have a 3DS. If you dont own a 3DS, consider it!

Since I have never played this game or any other Pokemon video game. This review is based on what my 12 yr. old son has to say about it so far. Hes only played this video game for 3 days. What you read below..... I have NO IDEA what my son is talking about. Hopefully, you do. Pros: -Pokemon Trainer feature allows you to update the base status of a Pokemon without actually leveling it up first. -The Mega Evolution allows a fully evolved pokemon to evolve one more time making it stronger only while it is battling. -It used to be where you can equip an item onto just one Pokemon. Now certain Pokemon Items can be used on all the Pokemon in your party. -The Pokemon characters and the constant motion during the battle rounds has greatly improved while playing in 3D mode. My son normally doesnt care playing while in 3D mode, but for this game he has used 3D mode more than he ever has before. Cons: They brought back Pokemons from old Pokemon games (or Pokemon regions). While my son doesnt mind the old Pokemon characters, he considers this a con because he was to be introduced to new Pokemon characters. Thats all he has to say for now. I will update as soon as he has more to say about it. Hope this review helps a bit.

I took a pretty big hiatus from the Pokemon games, skipping most generations post Gold/Silver to play Black fairly recently. Decided Id be buying this day one. Loved the main game, although the story was a bit lighter in content than White/Black. The post game was also fairly light and didnt provide much incentive to keep playing beyond catching some legendaries. Lots of lovely tunes, many of which where remixed or incorporated tunes from previous games, increasing my love of them tenfold. I felt like a little kid again playing this. The main game is also very easy. If you want a challenge at all, turn off EXP Share. I will say the framerate in battle can be pretty atrocious, especially with 3D on. It wont prevent you from playing, but it does make things distinctly less nice to look at.