By TYLER FLOOD
Contributing Writer
Pokémon is one of the largest franchises in video game history, with everyone and their mother having heard the name “Pikachu.”
Fans have wanted the series to move from sprites to 3-D models for a while now. The developer, Game Freak, has listened. Pokémon X and Y don’t bring as many Pokémon to the table as previous generations.
In fact, they clock in at the smallest number of new creatures in the series, with only 69. This number is understandable however, because the developer has implemented new
3-D models, which look breathtaking for every single Pokémon. All 718 of them.
Pokémon X and Y are, perhaps, the best looking games on the 3DS to date, with unique backgrounds for nearly every environment.
From the cliffs of western Kalos, to sprawling cityscapes, every locale is picturesque. The battle animations are also stunning, with a variety of over-the-top movements for Pokémon, and spectacular effects that bring a nostalgia factor to players who have also played the Nintendo 64 classic, Pokémon Stadium. In respect to visuals, Pokémon has never looked better.
In terms of gameplay, Pokémon battling is the same as ever, but with some new additions, such as fairy types.
Not all of them are improvements, but none of them subtract from the experience. The biggest new gameplay mechanic is mega evolution. This temporary, more powerful form for select Pokémon (e.g. Charizard, Garchomp) is triggered through the use of a mega stone, an item that is unique to specific Pokémon.
The player activates this held item in battle, and the effect lasts the duration of the fight. The draw to this mechanic is that only one Pokémon can activate their mega stone in combat.
This new mechanic may seem a bit gimmicky at first, but it actually feels fresh as a legitimate evolution to the series. Other new gameplay mechanics, such as sky battles, fall short.
Sky battles feel arbitrary, as they are only activated when you have a flying type Pokémon on your team, and then only with a select few trainers in the world. These are scarce and don’t feel as thought-out as the mega evolutions.
Another new gameplay mechanic that stands out is horde battles. These battles pit one of your Pokémon against a team of five weaker Pokémon, which are usually the same, e.g. a group of Mareep. What makes this mechanic successful is that Pokémon encountered during these battles can mostly only be encountered in a horde battle.
Two new casual features include Pokémon Amie, a feature that feels a lot like Nintendogs, allowing you to feed and play with your Pokémon. Doing so increases their happiness, which can affect the output of moves such as Return, and is even necessary for some Pokémon to evolve.
The other feature, Super Training, a series of mini games, makes the competitive feature of EV training more accessible to casual players.
Character customization is now a major feature of Pokémon; so much so, that the antagonist group, Team Flare, centers on their sense of fashion.
Trainers can now choose their complexion, hair color and even individual articles of clothing worn by their character.
On a smaller note, menus are more efficient in this game, allowing you to heal Pokémon and teach moves from within the item sections of your bag, rather than through the party menu.
The story of Pokémon X and Y is not the strongest of the series, but not the weakest either; it’s about a journey the player makes with his/her friends across Kalos to learn about mega evolutions with each destination seeming like a spur of the moment decision.
Being guided across the map seems unnecessary, seeing as how intuitive the movement through the world of Kalos is. Occasionally, you will have to thwart Team Flare and earn badges across the way, as is standard in every Pokémon game.
In terms of online features, trading and battling have never been more accessible; you can now access these features from the bottom screen at anytime.
One of these new features is wonder trading, which allows you to trade a Pokémon of your choice to a random trainer for a Pokémon of their choice, preventing your from knowing what you’ll get.
Along with this feature, the bread and butter of previous Pokémon games, such as trading and battling globally, or with friends, is back.
Pokémon X and Y don’t only stand out as the best 3DS game to date, but the best Pokémon game in the series.
