Little things you like about Pokémon

[Detective Barricade]

While I agree with this, what I was getting at is that I like the fact that some Pokemon are outright not competitive. Even if it were possible, I'd find it weird if every species discovered thus far just so happened to work well in battles--a phenomenon that, in-universe, was created arbitrarily by humans. It shows that the world does not revolve around us, and has no obligation to conform to our rules. And I kind of like that, honestly.



Agreed. I've always been impressed by the wide variety of Pokemon we've been getting every generation, if not stat-wise, then at least design-wise. You can argue all you want that Typhosion is unoriginal for having Charizard's exact base stats, but when I look at it, Typhosion still seems...different to me. Probably because it's not a reptile. Even the Gen V Pokemon that are "obviously" expies of previous Pokemon are still unique, at least from a world-building perspective. After all, Machamp has four arms, and Conkeldurr doesn't. If I lived in the Pokemon world, I would easily be able to tell these different kinds of Pokemon apart. But of course, since this world is being forced into a game cartridge, it has to follow specific game mechanics, leading to a lot of Pokemon ending up with similar typings and stats. Probably why a lot of these Pokemon are derided for being similar, despite their designs. Oh well, maybe that's just the price we pay for getting to experience the world of Pokemon.

Now for more things I like.

Black and White spoilers alert!

Ending to BW

I like how the main story of Black and White ends. You're lead to believe you'll fight Alder, the champion, after fighting the Elite Four, since you fight the champion at the end of every Pokemon game. So that's what happens, right? WRONG! When you get to the champion's room, you learn that N just defeated the champion, and ultimately you end up fighting him and his father instead. It's just a nice little wake-up call for those of us who were nodding off at that point, expecting things to end the way they always do. That, my friends, is what we call a plot twist.

I also like how some generations introduce evolutions to Pokemon from previous generations. It really goes to show how interconnected the Pokemon world is.

Well I knew that wasn't going to be the case in White because I was still lugging around this little black stone up until then instead of having Zekrom chilling in my team.

Conkeldurr is lugging around a pair of concrete pillars, Gigalith doesn't look like it's just wearing a boulder suit, and I've never had a problem with Typhlosion carrying Charizard's stats to the letter as it's unquestionably quite effective at getting you through the game, especially through the ones Charizard would've incinerated back in the originals. But yeah, Gogoat's not great in battle, but it provides one stylish ride. Skiddo is even more fun as you get to jump up ledges and go pretty fast compared to Rhyhorn, Gogoat, and Mamoswine.

I like how in the 6th gen you have a few specific surfing sprites if a certain Pokemon knows and uses the move to transport you. Lapras in X/Y is nice, it's funny that GF acknowledged the gen 3 Surf blob looks kind of like Wailmer by giving Wailmer a unique Surf sprite, Sharpedo moves very fast albeit you can't fish on top of it, and then... you can be ferried around on the appropriately huge Kyogre. (though it would have been AWESOME if while riding it all battles start with rain in effect)

And then there's Pokemon Trainer Red. The protagonist from the original games which the G/S/C games were set three years later from is your ultimate opponent. His Pokemon levels are stupidly high, and grinding to get yours close to his is difficult and tiring, but it makes sense they'd be so terrifyingly strong if this is what he's been doing since leaving the League. I like how HG/SS switched out his Espeon for Lapras so now his team are all of the first 151 Pokemon to be introduced, (though Espeon isn't unreasonable due to evolving from Eevee, and ties into the Adventures manga) and there was a bit more to do after beating him.

 

[Millky95]

And then there's Pokemon Trainer Red. The protagonist from the original games which the G/S/C games were set three years later from is your ultimate opponent. His Pokemon levels are stupidly high, and grinding to get yours close to his is difficult and tiring, but it makes sense they'd be so terrifyingly strong if this is what he's been doing since leaving the League. I like how HG/SS switched out his Espeon for Lapras so now his team are all of the first 151 Pokemon to be introduced, (though Espeon isn't unreasonable due to evolving from Eevee, and ties into the Adventures manga) and there was a bit more to do after beating him.

Red, beating the E4 for the first time, my first level 100 (all in the same game) and getting my first shiny are my favourite Pokemon moments of all time.

Shinies are something I love from Pokemon. So rare and so wonderful when you find one. Makes me want to rarely use repels.

 

[DHR-107]

And then there's Pokemon Trainer Red. The protagonist from the original games which the G/S/C games were set three years later from is your ultimate opponent. His Pokemon levels are stupidly high, and grinding to get yours close to his is difficult and tiring, but it makes sense they'd be so terrifyingly strong if this is what he's been doing since leaving the League. I like how HG/SS switched out his Espeon for Lapras so now his team are all of the first 151 Pokemon to be introduced, (though Espeon isn't unreasonable due to evolving from Eevee, and ties into the Adventures manga) and there was a bit more to do after beating him.

I always found the Espeon to be "wrong". It didn't fit with Red's ethos at all, and it really broke up what I expected of Red when I found and fought him at Mt Silver. Lapras makes way more sense. I was really happy they ditched the Espeon in the remakes.

On the overall topic: I'm not really sure of things which I genuinely really like. I like the lore and the background. I like how Pokemon has taught me about the things which Pokemon are based on. Like the Japanese folklore for Magikarp/Bronzong/Mawile etc. They may not be obvious in game, but their designs make you want to look into where the idea came from for something so bizarre.

I also like how they handwave a lot of the technology/how advanced they are. Barely anyone owns a vehicle (that we see) and everyone seems to have very healthy attitudes about the world around them. Except for the bad guys anyway. I like that Team Rocket were a proper crime syndicate that seemed to have an actual obtainable objective unlike some of the other teams.

 

[mcFlareon]

Something I can appreciate is the special entry animations in B2/W2, especially the N's Pokemon entry animation. It just add a bit of lore when you see something that N released and it's almost as special as a shiny, but more common I suppose. A neat little Easter Egg.

Also regarding the following Pokemon thing in HGSS, I really really like how when you interact with certain Pokemon in certain places in the game, there are special messages or your Pokemon do special things. A couple come to mind are Ampharos in the Lighthouse, Sudowoodo in the route it was caught, Bellossom in the Kimono Girl's Theatre, Electrode in Rocket Hideout, Heracross in Viridian forest, Togepi in Misty's gym and any Psychic type in Sabrina's gym. It just adds so much immersion to the whole world and is one of the reasons why I really enjoyed that game.

On a side note, I noticed if your following pokemon's type is either strong against a gym you're in or weak to the gym's type, they also act differently which is also quite adorable.

Lastly, I like the little interactions with the HGSS Gym leaders throughout the game when you chase them to get their number. Even special things like special trades with Jasmine and Brock are really neat.

 

[Oriolous]

I like the fact that, over time, Pokemon designs grow on you. For instance, I hated MOST of the Gen V designs, except for a small handful (most of which were legendary). Now, three years later, Gen V Pokemon actually rank fairly high on my list of favorite Pokemon. Admittedly, most of it is based on competitive value rather than design alone, but then there are things like Vanilluxe and Garbodor where I learned to appreciate the design... even if it is only because Garbodor IS more creative than Muk and I watched the Dex episode on Vanilluxe and it made me realize I was really mindlessly hating it.

 

[Cresselia~~]

I like the fact that, over time, Pokemon designs grow on you. For instance, I hated MOST of the Gen V designs, except for a small handful (most of which were legendary). Now, three years later, Gen V Pokemon actually rank fairly high on my list of favorite Pokemon. Admittedly, most of it is based on competitive value rather than design alone, but then there are things like Vanilluxe and Garbodor where I learned to appreciate the design... even if it is only because Garbodor IS more creative than Muk and I watched the Dex episode on Vanilluxe and it made me realize I was really mindlessly hating it.

Ya, back when Blaziken was first released, nearly everyone complained how it looks like Digimon.
But after just a few years, Blaziken became very popular.

 

[Brytmonlee]

And then there's Pokemon Trainer Red. The protagonist from the original games which the G/S/C games were set three years later from is your ultimate opponent. His Pokemon levels are stupidly high, and grinding to get yours close to his is difficult and tiring, but it makes sense they'd be so terrifyingly strong if this is what he's been doing since leaving the League. I like how HG/SS switched out his Espeon for Lapras so now his team are all of the first 151 Pokemon to be introduced, (though Espeon isn't unreasonable due to evolving from Eevee, and ties into the Adventures manga) and there was a bit more to do after beating him.

Another interesting fact about Red's team: It is the fully evolved team, sans Pikachu of course, of Ash's team during the Orange Islands arc. And Red's Pikachu moves are the same as Ash's Pikachu during the Sinnoh seasons.

 

[Suspicious Derivative]

I have thought about what I like about Pokemon and have come up with some small things, but for now, here is one rather big thing. I like how the Pokemon games are fair. What I mean by this is that, for the most part, you have the same opportunities as your opponent. Compared to many other RPGs that I have played where enemies can have a million HP while you only have a few thousand at most, and they can have stats/skills/weapons you can only dream of ever getting. Pokemon on the other hand lets you get everything your opponent can get, with only a few exceptions such as unreleased Hidden Abilities and items. And in some instances, opponents use strategies heavily reliant on luck. But apart from that, everything they have, you can have too. Which is something I really like.

 

[Darth Manaphy]

I have thought about what I like about Pokemon and have come up with some small things, but for now, here is one rather big thing. I like how the Pokemon games are fair. What I mean by this is that, for the most part, you have the same opportunities as your opponent. Compared to many other RPGs that I have played where enemies can have a million HP while you only have a few thousand at most, and they can have stats/skills/weapons you can only dream of ever getting. Pokemon on the other hand lets you get everything your opponent can get, with only a few exceptions such as unreleased Hidden Abilities and items. And in some instances, opponents use strategies heavily reliant on luck. But apart from that, everything they have, you can have too. Which is somethinge I really like.

There is a few instances of cheating with Egg Moves compatibilities in the Battle Xes. Something like in Gen IV or 5 having Belly Drum, Aqua Jet Azumarills which it can't have.

 

[Raravian]

There are quite a lot of things I like about Pokemon. Some little, some bigger, some major. I'm actually having a bit of difficulty making this post, because of how anxious I get if I feel like I'm forgetting to mention something, especially when something means as much to me as Pokemon does.

One thing I will never forget though, is how the world of Pokemon feels like 'home' to me. That's also the first thing I tell anyone who ever asks me why I like this game so much. Most of them don't understand though. How can a game feel more like a 'home' than your actual home in physical reality? This can be explained fairly easily though:
Home is where the heart is.
The world of Pokemon is beautiful, safe, yet complicated enough to keep you interested. I feel confident when playing the games, I feel happy when playing the games, and they make me feel peaceful. So when I saw what had been written on the object in Southern Island (where you can capture Eon Ticket Latias/Latios), it touched me, emotionally.
All dreams are but another reality.
Never forget...
Those who know me well, know that my exposure to reality-questioning philosophy from a very early age has had an enormous impact on who I am today. To me, the barrier between 'real' and 'not real' is not distinct at all. Fantasies and virtual reality are just as 'real' to me as any other kind of experience. Just a different kind of 'real'. So this hit me right in the heart, and mind.

----

On a completely different note (but perhaps more on-topic):

I love aesthetic Pokeball + Pokemon combinations <3
They add new flavour to breeding and collecting that I can really appreciate!

I love Secret Bases!
Never expected to be collecting flags on a daily basis and exploring all those Secret Base spots. It's very cool to have place in a Pokemon game that you can really call your own.

I love TEAM AQUA!
A cassette tape labelled "Bro Special, Vol. 7" is in the deck (when exploring the training room with the punching bag and stuff)
How Matt calls Archie his Bro in general is very comical
How Shelly is such a bad-ass
How Archie has the maniacal laughter thing going on and reminds me of actual pirates

also this

I love the new style of the 6th Generation games!
In previous generation, I had a hard time relating to the story and its characters. Even in BW with its intriguing plot concept, whenever there was a supposedly emotional scene, I just really couldn't feel it. To me it was just random overworld sprites (which were as relatable to me as stick figures) trying to sound important, and this made it all seem very cliché to me. But now, I can actually notice the different personality traits and quirks of the characters, their emotions and expressions. It has improved my enjoyment of the storyline immensely.

I love Pokéathlon!
It has been such a long time ago since I last played it, but I spent so many hours on it it's almost ridiculous. It was a very cool way to do fun things with Pokemon you wouldn't usually have in your team, and it was quite challenge to break all the records! (except for Pennant Capture. fuck Pennant Capture)

I love automatic running shoes!
Bless HGSS and its brilliantly intuitive way of playing.

Professor Birch is such a brilliant dork!
How he mistakes his wife for a wild Pokemon :')

I love trainer customization!
This has been noted earlier in the thread I think. I never expected to like it this much! It really makes the PC feel more like your own character.

----

And last but not least, I want to remind everyone of the fact that if you use a Gyarados (without mega-stone) in a Contest Spectacular, and it has the chance to show off its Spectacular Talent, you will be able to view your Gyarados aggressively making its ways through the skies, manoeuvring in between the clouds, like a true Flying-type. The first time I saw this was a hilarious surprise, as it looks incredibly ridiculous.

 

[Syogren]

I like how each game has one or two references to other games in them, yet otherwise the different games aren't really linked. On one hand, those who have played the other games feel like they got something that nobody else did. On the other hand, those who have not played the other games don't really feel like they're missing out. I've found that a lot of long-runner series are hard to get into for newcomers, as there's so much to catch up on. For Pokemon though? Just pick up the most recent game and play it. I can guarantee you will be just fine. You don't need to know what happened in FRLG, HGSS, Platinum, BW, or BW2 to enjoy XY or ORAS. And you know? That is just totally okay with me.

Overall, it also makes the world seem even bigger. It really makes you wonder what else is out there that we haven't seen yet, you know? And I love that feeling.

To me, the barrier between 'real' and 'not real' is not distinct at all. Fantasies and virtual reality are just as 'real' to me as any other kind of experience. Just a different kind of 'real'.

I have never really known how to describe how I feel about the fiction I interact with, but you've just hit the nail on the head.

 

[Magcargo]

Love the way the developers changed the EXP. Share in gen 6. It makes grinding significantly less painful.

 

[WideTomato]

I have thought about what I like about Pokemon and have come up with some small things, but for now, here is one rather big thing. I like how the Pokemon games are fair. What I mean by this is that, for the most part, you have the same opportunities as your opponent. Compared to many other RPGs that I have played where enemies can have a million HP while you only have a few thousand at most, and they can have stats/skills/weapons you can only dream of ever getting. Pokemon on the other hand lets you get everything your opponent can get, with only a few exceptions such as unreleased Hidden Abilities and items. And in some instances, opponents use strategies heavily reliant on luck. But apart from that, everything they have, you can have too. Which is somethinge I really like.

Well, it takes hundreds of hours to actually get competitively viable pokemon through breeding and soft resetting, especially for mixed attacking pokemons where 31/31/31/31/31/31 is a must for it to be completely viable, and as you said some pokemon are currently unobtainable along with some hidden abilities. As I see it, pokemon is everything but fair, every single game of Pokemon is influenced by a rng, this is the same for both players so in that regard fair, but it's not the most skill reliant game out there.

To bring something positive to the table, I really like how everyone can always play Pokemon, it's so simple that everyone can understand it, jet so complex that it never gets stale, there's so much you can do when you've finished the main game, competitive battling, breeding or exploring the battle facilities or even do fan-made challenge runs,Munich are only possible because it is so simple on the surface!

 

[noobcubed]

I have thought about what I like about Pokemon and have come up with some small things, but for now, here is one rather big thing. I like how the Pokemon games are fair. What I mean by this is that, for the most part, you have the same opportunities as your opponent. Compared to many other RPGs that I have played where enemies can have a million HP while you only have a few thousand at most, and they can have stats/skills/weapons you can only dream of ever getting. Pokemon on the other hand lets you get everything your opponent can get, with only a few exceptions such as unreleased Hidden Abilities and items. And in some instances, opponents use strategies heavily reliant on luck. But apart from that, everything they have, you can have too. Which is something I really like.

Tying into this, a few other things that make a nice change from the standard JRPG boss battle.

- There isn't one specific way to beat any boss in Pokemon, because that really wouldn't work when the developers can't know what team you have brought to the fight. Compare a lot of JRPGs where after immediately recruiting a mage, say, there will be a boss which screams "Use the mage to defeat me!", which often feels too much like the game designer is telling me what to do.
- Boss battles are actually varied! Whereas against a Final Fantasy-style boss with a massive health bar you'll basically find yourself doing the same attack combinations over and over again to once you've worked out your optimal strategy, as doing anything else would make the fight drag on even longer. Against a Pokemon boss, you'll be fighting several different Pokemon, and each one has to be handled individually; this especially goes for the Elite Four which is effectively one long boss battle.

 

[Detective Barricade]

Well, it takes hundreds of hours to actually get competitively viable pokemon through breeding and soft resetting, especially for mixed attacking pokemons where 31/31/31/31/31/31 is a must for it to be completely viable, and as you said some pokemon are currently unobtainable along with some hidden abilities. As I see it, pokemon is everything but fair, every single game of Pokemon is influenced by a rng, this is the same for both players so in that regard fair, but it's not the most skill reliant game out there.

To bring something positive to the table, I really like how everyone can always play Pokemon, it's so simple that everyone can understand it, jet so complex that it never gets stale, there's so much you can do when you've finished the main game, competitive battling, breeding or exploring the battle facilities or even do fan-made challenge runs,Munich are only possible because it is so simple on the surface!

Maybe fair isn't the right term. It's balanced. Everything is there for a player to utilize if they're willing to put in some effort, but the RNG ensures that nothing is guaranteed. Even the damage inflicted by an attack is a roll rather than an exact number, and that also means even a random team has a chance to beat a well-honed competitive team if the RNG is feeling particularly generous/cruel, depending on how you look at it.

But yeah, Pokemon is perhaps the most approachable RPG out there. The starter Pokemon's designs are all generally cool and interesting, and the game is easy enough to pick up and play a little bit wherever you happen to be. Yet it's complex in such a way to not shove it in your face and discourage just enjoying it. Of all 720 Pokemon available to use, you can use no more than 6 at a time, and each can only currently know up to 4 moves. This could be tedious, but it's laid out in a way you don't really have to stress about it if you don't want to. Heck, often a potential partner to beat the next gym is close by. Why else give you the ability to trade for a Farfetch'd or a Makuhita? Tate & Liza use a pair of Psychic type Pokemon that are also weak to Water - when Mossdeep City can only be reached via Surf, thus you'll probably run into some Wingull/Pelliper or Tentacool/Tentacruel. Heck, if you caught yourself a Carvanha/Sharpedo or evolved a Corphish into Crawdaunt, you're basically set!

 

[Suspicious Derivative]

There is a few instances of cheating with Egg Moves compatibilities in the Battle Xes. Something like in Gen IV or 5 having Belly Drum, Aqua Jet Azumarills which it can't have.

True, though this was more a problem in earlier generations, and even then, it was mostly in minor instances. Bulbapedia has a list of all instances when it has happened, can't find the Azumarill anywhere there though.

Well, it takes hundreds of hours to actually get competitively viable pokemon through breeding and soft resetting, especially for mixed attacking pokemons where 31/31/31/31/31/31 is a must for it to be completely viable, and as you said some pokemon are currently unobtainable along with some hidden abilities. As I see it, pokemon is everything but fair, every single game of Pokemon is influenced by a rng, this is the same for both players so in that regard fair, but it's not the most skill reliant game out there.

Fair enough (see what I did there?). Though in the past you could manipulate the RNG to your own favor when it came to getting the right IVs at least, saving a lot of time and torment (for the most part).

Though, I guess you are right in the end. The right term for the Pokemon games isn't fair, but rather, as Detective Barricade put it, balanced and approachable.

 

[Karxrida]

Saying RNG-generated stats are balanced is bullshit. It's not fair the slightest for people trying to soft reset for good Legends since some people might get a good one immediately because they were lucky, not because they did anything skill-related to influence the outcome. There's also the issue that in a PVP battle the person who got good stats will be at an advantage.

 

[Detective Barricade]

Saying RNG-generated stats are balanced is bullshit. It's not fair the slightest for people trying to soft reset for good Legends since some people might get a good one immediately because they were lucky, not because they did anything skill-related to influence the outcome. There's also the issue that in a PVP battle the person who got good stats will be at an advantage.

True, but the games weren't originally meant to be competitive. That evolved as people learned why one Whismur happens to have slightly different stats than another Whismur and how is it that a Lairon they've been raising since Granite Cave is stronger than one found in Victory Road despite being around the same level. Luck is always going to be a factor in these games, and I don't see Game Freak changing it.

Still, one has to like how these games have spawned a massive community, in which Smogon itself is but a part of. And through this has come simulators like Showdown! where you can battle without worrying about trying to get perfect IV's.

 

[noobcubed]

Saying RNG-generated stats are balanced is bullshit. It's not fair the slightest for people trying to soft reset for good Legends since some people might get a good one immediately because they were lucky, not because they did anything skill-related to influence the outcome. There's also the issue that in a PVP battle the person who got good stats will be at an advantage.

Well it is fair in the sense that everyone has to soft-reset the same legendaries. And as for the PvP issue, while having bad stats puts you at a disadvantage it is not anything that is beyond your control, you can just keep soft-resetting if necessary to get better ones.

The whole IV issue is kind of a vestigial feature of the Pokemon series that was fine before competitive battling was a thing but now does more harm than good. I think the solution (if you're reading, GameFreak) is to have an NPC who is only available in the post-game who can set all your Pokemon's IVs to max. Sure there may the occasional issues with Sturdy + Custap users wanting minimum defenses or Gyro Ball users preferring zero Speed, but it would solve most of the problems. Maybe he could only do it once a day, maybe he could do it in exchange for battle points or something, but it would be really useful.

 

[NoCheese]

This echos many other people's sentiments, but what I love about Pokemon is how well the games cater to wildly different playstyles and audiences. Very few games can really appeal to both a super-casual third grade player and an older competitive min-maxer, but Pokemon is remarkably successful at this. One can have a great time just playing through the games, not worrying about IVs, EVs, or the rest of the "under the hood" details, but once you do start carrying about the competitive stuff, the gameplay and teambuilding are remarkably rich strategically. It's this aspect, I believe, that has given the franchise so much staying power. Lots of people can enjoy a game as a little kid, but usually, we move on as our tastes develop and what once seemed fun begins to seem overly simplistic. But Pokemon allows us to play the same game in a very different way as our skill, experience, and tastes shift. Designing games that can capture multiple audiences like this is not easy, and much as we sometimes like to grumble about of certain aspects of the games are "uncompetitive," or wish there were more in-game outlets for competitive-type play (how I wish ORAS had a full Battle Frontier!!), Game Freak really has done a remarkable job creating such a broadly appealing franchise!

 

[Karxrida]

Something I just realized while doing some editing on TV Tropes.

Brendan and May were confirmed to be 12 years old in that News app for the PokeNav.

The gap between the release dates of Ruby and Sapphire and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is exactly 12 years.

Game Freak I fucking love your meta references.

 

[Kurona]

I think it's pretty cool that in Gen 3 and 4, every starter Pokémon could learn Earthquake (this was almost true for Gen 1 and 2, but Venusaur couldn't get EQ until Gen 3 - neither could Dragonite or Gyarados wtf). I'm... not ENTIRELY sure how to explain it, but ever since I was a kid I thought it was really cool that this exclusive group of Pokémon could all get this one particular move when they fully evolved. Like, no matter what starter you chose you were guaranteed access to this extremely powerful move. It's unfortunately no longer true - Serperior, Samurott, Greninja and Delphox :( - but at least back then it was a nice little touch.

In Pokémon Colosseum, if you snag a Shadow Pokémon from a rematchable trainer, the Shadow Pokémon in their party will be replaced by a Pokémon which fulfills the same role. For instance, this one guy in Pyrite Cave has a Numel, Bagon and Shadow Meditite. Upon the rematch - assuming you've caught the Shadow Meditite - he'll have a Camerupt, Shelgon and Machop. I think it's really cool that they didn't decide to go the easy route and either give them an empty team slot or just give them the same Pokémon just not shadow (for example, giving the previous guy a non-shadow Meditite instead of Machop). It's a pretty nice detail. It's sort of as if they went out and got a new Pokémon for their team in order to purposefully complete their previous composition, just not as good as it once was. On the same note it's also nice that if you failed to capture the Shadow Pokémon the first time around, they'll obviously still have it for capture upon rematch.

Having been playing Colosseum for the last few weeks there's a lot of things in it's game design I can really gush about that's honestly making it my favourite Pokémon game, but for now I'll just keep it at the fact that it's Pokémon selection is so limited, and due to how they can have certain TM and HM moves on them that you can't give yourself due to the TMs and HMs in question being unavailable, Pokémon that were previously horrible choices will find your way onto your team as legitimately good members. I mean... yeah okay sure you have powerhouses that are powerhouses from previous games like Espeon from the start of the game, the Johto starters early on, Flaaffy and even the Johto Beasts that will more than likely be on your team... but beyond that it's mostly Pokémon that you couldn't work with well in other games. I mean, Furret's a good choice. FURRET. Usually just a really shitty regional rodent, it actually worked well on my team due to access to a strong STAB Strength early on, starting at a relatively high Level 33, having a low exp growth rate (level up so fast), and Helping Hand - it's literally the only Pokémon in the game with that aside from your starters Espeon and Umbreon, and in a game where every battle's a double and you are handed an Espeon with a strong STAB Confusion/Psybeam/Psychic, you know that's hella useful. Vibrava's another - okay, okay, it's not like Flygon's a weak Pokémon in RSE, BW2, XY or ORAS, but let's face it... aside from maybe BW2, training it up is an absolute pain in the ass and is an absolute detriment to your team until it becomes Flygon. Hell, even when it fully evolves in those games it's power is pretty damn meager. In this game? ... ha. Ha. HA. Comes literally two levels away from evolving - it's pretty much evolving as soon as you purify it - it's one of the only Ground-types in the game, you find an Earthquake TM literally right after you snag it, and to top it off even though it's relatively late-game, it comes right before the portion of the game with opponents that are both weak to and spam Earthquake! Top this off with getting a Soft Sand from a previous capture, every battle in the game being a double, an earlier shop selling Protect TMs, the only other Dragon in the game being Altaria and it generally having better raw stats than most other things in the game, and you have a Pokémon which was impossible to use in other games but is an absolute powerhouse here. There's other examples but I won't write another essay lol. And okay, some useless shitmons remain useless shitmons - there's no way in hell you're making Yanma useful until 4th Gen gives it an evo - but for the most part, this game done pretty well on making you use Pokémon you usually wouldn't imo. And while some would say limited Pokémon choice is a detriment due to the rest of the series having a philosophy of massive choice... for a side game that's supposed to do something different, I think this works extremely well in it's favour.

 

[Its_A_Random]

XY's Graphics and Visuals. The series' transition from 2D to 3D was very well done visually. The graphics do not feel blocky (outside of the current Super Training Pokémon icon), the use of black lines when used was in the right places, and the models feel smooth and curved and well done in general, as well as the locations. The menu navigation feels smooth and the graphics feel clean and polished with ease of use and you can easily understand what is going on when you are in the menu. It is as if Game Freak designed it so that in 10-20 years time, the graphics will still look good and the game itself will not feel "unplayable" unlike most PS1 and N64 games nowadays; it looks like it is going to age very well.

It is a shame the story borders on excuse plot territory with a lot of cliche's and it was easy to autopilot through the game, but that does not stop the fact that the visuals and graphics of the games are very impressive and the pairing are more than likely good enough to stand the test of time visually and in how it plays in my opinion.

 

[Darth Manaphy]

One other thing I like was the old fainting animations from Stadium 1 and 2. It was so quirky and hilarious. I think my favorite happens to be Jigglypuff which deflated like a balloon and the Magnemites where they split apart. In fact the entire set of animations in those games are so quirky and REALLY animated. Gen VI was nowhere near as exciting.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Scientific Standard: I suppose that's one way to go about naming the Pokemon species without having to do them individually, still I'd like to see one that actually maybe try what they did with Oddish. Like maybe for Pokemon based on animals they could slightly modify their scientific name.

Slab & Scorched: The Scorched Slab was a reference to Amaterasu. Amaterasu is in it causing the sun not to rise until the other gods forced her to come out, thus why the Sunny Day TM is in their. But yeah nice to see they expanded it as much as they did, though we probably have Heatran to thank for that as it was the perfect spot for it to be placed and we can't very well have a Legendary being that easy to find. ;P

Feeling Song: Unwavering Emotion is one of my favorite Pokemon themes since it has a deep emotional feeling to it (especially when its connected to the scenes it plays in like Bianca standing up for herself to her father and the flashback scenes in BW2). On the topic why not talk about other similar themes. BW also brought us N's Farewell which is a pseudo remix of another series emotional theme, Mother 3's Love Theme, so it contains quite a punch to the heart to it. However XY brought us 4 emotional themes:

1. Terrible Past which is essentially what AZ's emotion were through his story, especially the dramatic build when he turned the Ultimate Weapon into, well, the Ultimate WEAPON. Special mention goes to its remix at the end of the game which twists the emotion from a sad to a happy one (and also creating a meme GameFreak will forever be haunted by whenever something gets delayed or takes a long time to be released).

It been 3000 years

2. Friends Forever is the retrospective remix of the rival's theme which plays whenever they are analying what they've learned on their adventure, most prominently on the route before Victory Road where you battle Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor in a row.

3. Kiseki, better known as the credit song, sums up the lesson of the game or rather the Team Flare plot. Its a sweet tune with a message of peace, too bad the lyrics weren't sung though. But that's what Pokemon Symphonic is for. ;)

4. Looker's Sorrowful Theme brings a new side to Looker we really haven't seen before, in Gen IV and V he seemed to be on top of things and not far behind the player, ready to spring in at the right moment. But in Gen VI we get a different Looker, in XY we get a Looker who's struggling to solve the case and then suddenly a young street girl shows up and he decides to essentially adopt her, over time forming a strong father-daughter bond even though he knows once he's done in his mission he needs to leave; and then Emma gets wrapped up in the case forcing him to do things he wouldn't normally do. Oh, and we also learn his Croagunk partner has died. ORAS then gives us a Looker who's washed up on shore with amnesia and no way to identify himself since he was probably undercover.

Sea Mauville Oddness: The Odd Keystone was donated to them from the Oreburgh Mines, probably because they wanted to study the energy which it (and Spiritomb) contain. You can find a letter that explains that and that Cozmo's father lost it.
Have we mentioned Sea Mauville yet? What they did with it was amazing. Though it was sad they didn't mention the SS Cactus, the story they came up for Sea Mauville created great atmosphere. Especially what they revealed about Professor Cozmo's family life when growing up, he rarely got to see his dad and his mom not only didn't care but got divorced (and possibly actively cheating on him). Wow. Speaking of Cozmo's dad, not only did his wife cheated and left him but the place he worked was totalitarian and probably poorly managed which eventually led him going crazy to when we see him he thinks the Skitty Doll that Cozmo (or Takao if you prefer his name) gave him was Cozmo. Like with wanting to help Looker I wished I could have at the very least taken the letters to Cozmo or tell him about his dad, but sadly you can't do anything about it. :( Though I suppose it's to show you can't solve every problem.

Ending Twist: I love that twist in BW's ending that I hoping they do something like it again. Like how about instead of the plot wrapping up before the Elite Four you beat the League, become Champion, and THEN the villains start their evil plans in the post game.

Team Gen I: It was nice that Red's team in HGSS was all Gen I Pokemon. I sort of got why Espeon was there though fridge logic comes in when you ask yourself why Red didn't evolve his Eevee to one of the 3 elemental stone Eeveelutions. Adding Lapras to his team was a nice compromise though it was another Water-type on his team but it did have Ice as a secondary type. The other choice was maybe Aerodactyl which would be another Flying-type along with Charizard but add in the Rock-type so there would still be something different. On that same note I like how Blue's team has using the 3 Pokemon he would have replaced one of the starters with, though they did replace Alakazam with Machamp (once again I can see the logic, Exegguttor is part Psychic and Machamp was the brawn to Alakazam's mind, but still). Though I do wonder why Blue gave Red his starter, and where was Leaf? They couldn't stick her somewhere like maybe create a basement area in Mt. Silver where she's secretly training. They could have given her all the Gen I Eeveelutions, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Aerodactyl/Lapra (pretty much the leftover gift Pokemon Red didn't have).

Technological View: I don't think it's that no one wants vehicles but rather we're maybe seeing things from a kid's/trainer's point of view. As a kid we can't drive but why would we when we have Pokemon that can fly us anywhere? Plus we're just staying locally in the region so everything is in walking/flying distance. When we need vehicles its usually a boat or a plane and that's only if we haven't been there before. Also we still use bikes, pedal bikes but they're still a type of vehicle. Honestly with how bulky a car is it'll probably be more of a hassle to travel around.

Fair Game: Well sort of fair, they may have a Pokemon you can't get till later but I think that's entirely different what what you're talking about (plus usually you have a type that can take advantage of a weakness). Actually I think that's what makes the games the most fair, not only is their Pokemon different from how that Pokemon normally is but mainly if you have a varied team or at least your Pokemon's moves are varied you'll probably have one Pokemon who can use an attack that'll due super effective damage. There's basically someway to turn the advantage to your favor. ;)

Cross Gen: I always like seeing a reference to the other games, though I like it when its a subtle reference which is why I don't like the heavy influence Lumiose City has on Mauville City.

New Thing I Like: I'm watching a playthrough of Pokemon Vietnamese Crystal and its hilarious. As some of you may have seen I've been linking to a lot of Pokemon memes lately and this is why. And that's the new thing I like, Pokemon is so memorable and memerific! Almost every game creates its own new set of memes, and I just don't mean official ones. Even Vietnamese Crystal and Twitch Plays Pokemon has created is own plethora of memes. Though some may consider memes annoying which some of them are, at the same time I think it also shows the love the fans have for the series to create so many memes.