I'm Sorry!

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a while, I've been working on some things and an upcoming review, but the posts should start regularly again by tomorrow!

Pokemon Crystal Review

Pokemon Crystal Box

My Pokemon Crystal, which has gone through some several years of abuse and home repairs.

Game Boy Color displaying the Pokemon Crystal homescreen.

Gen. II of Pokemon was a huge overhaul from Gen. I. Consisting of Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Gen. II introduced several new features that revolutionized Pokemon as we knew it. Pokemon Crystal was the third and final installment of Gen. II and was really enjoyable to play.

(SPOILERS)

Pokemon Crystal is set 3 years after the events of Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. You play as a young Trainer in the Johto region, a region adjacent to Kanto. After receiving your first Pokemon from Professor Elm, and your Pokedex from Professor Oak, you embark on your journey through Johto, completing your Pokedex (which now has 100 new Pokemon), collecting Gym Badges, and becoming the Elite Four Champion. However, along the way, you must deal with the resurfacing Team Rocket, who refused to disband after Giovanni was defeated by Red three years before. You also have a new Rival, a power-obsessed child who is determined to prove himself stronger than you at all costs.

Pokemon Crystal integrated new features that had not been seen in Gen. I, the biggest upgrade being the 

Gold, the new protagonist.

Time System. Game Freak discovered a way to power an in-game clock using a Game Boy cartridges's internal battery. This was a pretty cool feature, as certain Pokemon only appeared at certain times of the day, and some events only take place on some days. It helped give the game a "This is real" feeling. I do have some problems with it, though. It gets kind of annoying waking up early to catch Pokemon that only appear in the morning. It's also very irritating when you let your mind slip, and forget a weekly event, such as catching Lapras (you can catch it any Friday, but I won't tell you where). 

Screen shots of morning and night.

Another great feature is that the game had post-storyline content, something lacking in Gen. I. The post-game content involves you traveling Kanto, which has changed much in the last three years between Gen. I and Gen. II. You then challenge Gyms around Kanto, bringing the number of obtainable Badges to 16. Once you gain all 16 Badges, you will have access to Mt. Silver, where the strongest wild Pokemon in Johto live. There, you face your greatest challenge- the legendary Trainer Red, who has spent the last three years training there. The post-game content was really enjoyable, however I found that it went by quickly, lasting just a couple days of moderate play.

Red in Pokemon Crystal.

Crystal also gives players a choice of being a boy or a girl. While this may seem like a minor addition to some, this marked that Nintendo and Game Freak were acknowledging girl gamers, labeling Pokemon as a game for everyone.

Kris, the female protagonist.

Pokemon Crystal also implemented the Pokegear, a device recieved that can be enhanced through the use of Cards. A fully upgraded Pokegear serves as a Phone, Map, and Radio. The Phone can store up to 10 numbers, which players can use to register trainers. Some Trainers call demanding rematches, others call to give you gifts or tell you about rare Pokemon they have encountered. The Radio hosts several shows that change a road's background music, some broadcasts host game shows, others can attract or repel wild Pokemon. Although Gold and Silver had the Pokegear, Crystal gave each Trainer a different personality, whereas in Gold/Silver each Trainer said the same thing.

The Pokegear as it appears on screen.

Pokemon Crystal also has animated sprites, something that wouldn't be seen again until Pokemon Emerald. However, only wild/enemy Pokemon sprites are animated in-battle; the player's remains still while playing it's cry.

Pokemon Crystal is a great play, I give it a a full 10/10. The game boasts a massive amount of features absent in Gen. I. Combine these features with an immersive storyline, and you have a game that you won't put down for a long time.

Pokemon Update: Pokemon X And Y

The Pokemon Company revealed more info on 5 more Pokemon! 

If you don't know yet, this little guy was announced a while back. His name is Pancham, a fighting type Pokemon.

While he doesn't look like much, this little dude will evolve into the newly announced, Fighting/Dark type Pangoro.

Then, this Psychic/Dark Pokemon is Inkay, available in both Pokemon X and Y. Inkay can use the new Dark type move, Topsy-Turvy. Topsy-Turvy reverses all the stat changes on a target Pokemon. For example, if your opponent uses Defense Curl to raise their defense, Topsy-Turvy will reverse the effect and lower their defense instead.

Then, Inkay will evolve into the Psychic/Dark Pokemon, Malamar.

Now, meet this fluffy cottonball-looking thing, Swirlix, is of the new Fairy type, and is exclusive to Pokemon X. Swirlix Can use the new Abilty, Sweet Veil. Sweet Veil prevents your team from falling asleep, which is useful in Double or Triple Battles. Swirlix can use the new Fairy move Draining Kiss, which does damage and restores health (like Giga Drain).

Now this Fairy type Pokemon is Spritzee, exclusive to Pokemon Y, and is known to be able to use Aromatherapy.

Now the Legendary Pokemon exclusive to Pokemon X is Xerneas, whose signature move is Geomancy. It has the Fairy Aura ability, which buffs Fairy type Pokemon. I'm guessing Game Freak is expecting people to actually use the Fairy type?

Now this half badass/half total mess is Yvetal, a Flying/Dark Pokemon whose signature move is Oblivion Wing. It also has a buffing Ability, Dark Aura, which powers up Dark Pokemon.

Pokemon X and Y will also be introducing some new mechanics. Here are some:

Sky Battles

These are battles in which only Flying Pokemon can battle, however, if a Pokemon has the Levitate Ability, they can participate in these battles too.

Horde Battles

Certain Pokemon can now appear in hordes. However, don't expect to be able to send out 5 Pokemon at once to even things out. You can still only send out one Pokemon at a time. So in these battles, the moves you choose and what Pokemon to attack are critical.

Riding Pokemon

You can now ride certain Pokemon in certain areas, such as this Gogoat.

Rollerblades

You can now Rollerblade around, but it's unknown whether or not these will replace the Running Shoes or Bicycle.

Customization

You can choose a preset Trainer to get a look matches your appearance more.

That's all for now, I'll keep you updated on any more news. Thanks for reading!

Funny Friday

Usually, people's favorite nostalgic trainer is either Red or Ash. While Ash is the main character of the anime, Red is the total badass from the original Pokemon games. Don't get me wrong, I love both, but... Red just blows Ash away!

Funny Friday

Lol think this is fake? Watch Season One- Showdown In Pewter City, It's real XD

Fake Gen. III Pokemon Games And How To Spot Them

Fake Pokémon Games. We all scowl when we hear those words together, but yes, we know they exist, and people even occasionally fall for them. When my cousin came up to me telling me he had problems with his recently purchased Pokémon Emerald, I told him to show it to me, thinking that I could fix it. when he handed me his cartridge, I felt like I had just been slapped in the face. This is the game he had:

 

 

The poor kid, not knowing any better, had bought one of the fakest Pokémon games I have ever seen in my life. Anyone who has owned Pokémon Emerald knows how it looks, and this wasn't even close to an authentic cartridge(shown below):

 

 

Usually, just taking a look at the label is enough to know whether or not a cartridge is real. On the fake cartridge, the "E" ESRB rating is a completely different font/size, and the sticker isn't holographic, its glossy. The game code in the corners are different, and the Nintendo seal and logo are different sizes. Usually by now, you can tell if a cartridge is fake. However, some games are fake and look authentic on the outside anyways. So, let's take a look on the inside:

 

 

 

This board is just even harder evidence that this game is fake. See that sticker on the left? That's not supposed to be on a Pokémon cartridge, let alone any Nintendo game I've heard of. The black spot? Not supposed to be there either. And the BIGGEST giveaway: ALL authentic Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald have an internal battery that keeps the game clock running when the power is off. It's found in the upper right corner, and can even be seen without opening the cartridge.

 

All in all, here's the run-down on Fake Pokémon games:

 

1. Remember to always look at the label. The Generation III labels are all holographics, not glossy.

2. Look at the contents of the label. The ESRB rating will always be "E". Make sure the "E" is in the normal font you regularly see(compare it to your other GBA games.)

3. Obviously, Pokémon game cartridges don't have gray ones, the cartridges correspond to the name of the game:

 

 

An authentic Pokémon Ruby Version.

 

Pirated Pokémon Ruby: (Notice how the "E" is misaligned, and The Pokémon Company and game code are in the wrong places.)

 

4. The Nintendo logo should be visible right above the contacts:

 

 

It's not easy to see in the picture, but you can just make out the Nintendo logo.

 

5. Make sure the right games have internal batteries. Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are the only Gen. III games that should have internal batteries, and they should be in the upper right corner of the game.

 

 

Authentic Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. The circled zone is what keeps the game clock running.

 

 

On the other hand, authentic Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen don't have internal batteries, due to the lack of a game clock. The files are stored on flash memory. So if you have a FireRed or LeafGreen with an internal battery, you better start looking for a way to get your money back.

 

6. Finally, just STAY AWAY from fakes in the first place! If you're purchasing online, don't buy games from Asia! Asia games are almost always fake! And stay away from the too-good-to-be-true deals. The eBay 5 pack is a perfect example. The so-called great deal includes all 5 Gen. III games for a low price, usually around 10-20 dollars. These are usually ripoffs. Buy only from trusted websites that provide reviews. And if you're buying in person, use the things you have learned to determine yourself whether or not the game is fake. I hope I helped you in some way, thanks for reading!

 

P.S.- Just for fun, here's a pic showing how easy it was to get the pirated game open, no screwdriver necessary. All GBA games should be sturdy,and not easily pulled apart. Happy game hunting!

 

 



Pokemon Yellow... Basically Red/Blue with a Pikachu.

Alright guys! I just beat Pokémon Yellow again and thought I should post a basic review. Here you go!

 

POKEMON YELLOW SPECIAL PIKACHU EDITION

 

The enhanced version of Pokémon Red and Blue, Pokémon Yellow was based on the popular anime. These babies came along with the special Pikachu Game Boy Color. While it was intended to be a follow-up to Red and Blue, this game was merely a time-buyer for Game Freak to develop the state-of-the-art (for its time) Generation II. However, this game had some interesting differences that made it all the more fun to play.

(Contains minimum spoilers)

 

You start out as a trainer from Pallet, like Pokémon Red and Blue, your default name being Yellow. Professor Oak stops you from leaving town, and offers you a Pokémon at his Lab. However, the Pokémon you are supposed to receive is snatched by your rival, Gary. To make up for it, Professor Oak gives you a Pikachu. Here's where the fun mechanic kicks in.

 

 

The Pikachu you receive hates being in Pokeballs, and must walk around, following your every step. You can talk to your Pikachu to see how it feels, shown below:

 

A Happy Pikachu

 

Aside from this, players of Red and Blue wouldn't be in for anything new. Nothing changes storywise. The player travels to the different cities of Kanto to get the eight gym badges, battle Team Rocket, and eventually defeat the Elite Four to become the Champion, all while walking slow as heck (the Bicycle is a blessing). However, fans of the anime will soon recognize two of Team Rockets most well-known members. Jesse and James, although they are referred to as normal Rocket Grunts, make quite a few appearances in Giovanni's plot, replacing some of the Rocket grunts that were in Pokémon Red and Blue. A nice twist, however, is that although you're starter Pokémon is Pikachu by default, you can get all three starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander, And Squirtle) in one game, from various in-game people. This makes the game a must-have if you're trying to fill up a Generation II Pokedex, or just want that Ash Ketchum feel.

 

All in all, if you've never played Red and Blue, or if you'd like an easy way to get the Generation I starters, this game is for you. However, if you've already played Red and Blue, and somehow already have the starters, just skip out on this one, and play a Generation II game! (Pokémon Crystal review coming soon!)