Pokemon X and Y Review

Game: Pokemon X and Y

Platform: 3DS

Like in Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu has a voice actor this time round.
I'd like to see all the grainy Pokémon sound effects eased out eventually.

The changes made in this generation of Pokémon help streamline the experience more than any previous outing. The battle system has been updated, the graphics have gone through a complete (and beautiful) overhaul and the game is even easier to pick up and play. Though most of the decisions are for the good, the single player story feels like a last minute addition.

The game caters to aiding its competitive players in many ways. IV and EV training your Pokémon’s previously hidden stats is much simpler. Mini games and horde battles make improving your Pokémon’s stats quicker, easier to track and most of all less frustrating. Your Pokémon also now share experience points after each battle. Features like this can make the game seem too easy, but it’s a welcome addition to levelling up Pokémon after the main story has ended.

Mega Evolutions offer a 'trump card' like element to battles. Making for
more varied battle strategies.

While the meta-game of breeding and online battling is the best it has ever been, the story simply re-treads previous Pokémon outings, especially when compared with Pokémon Black breaking the eight gyms followed by elite four model. The end result is a great game with improved online capabilities (the wonder trade is an amazing new feature), but the game doesn’t really feel like it’s begun until after you’ve beaten the elite four.

The game will be succeeded by Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby in the coming months. With such a solid engine in place it will be interesting to see what these remakes add to the series.

Overall Score: 8/10, in ways it's the best in series, but in other ways it's just more of the same.

The new Nintendo 3DS = Basically my **** is much bigger than yours.

If you've seen the Chinpokomon episode of South Park you will know that one of its driving themes is penis envy. Sure, the relevance isn't really there, yet ever since I saw the 'new' Nintendo 3DS reveal I can't for the life of me get the episodes repeated gag out of my head.

"Japanese penis.... soooo small."

The Nintendo 3DS was released in 2011, I bought one immediately. After a lackluster set of launch games and Ocarina of Time 3D hype died down I ended up selling the thing. I figured, there will be an XL version eventually and a whole new string of decent games will be out by then, I can just wait. So I did! Last Christmas I received a 3DSXL and The Legend of Zelda: A Link between worlds (great game), I was incredibly satisfied.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not trying to knock Nintendo for re-releasing updated versions of the 3DS. It's completely expected by this point in time. The original Game Boy had several re releases (pocket, light and colour) and so did the Game Boy Advance (SP and Micro). Even the Nintendo DS had 3 upgrades within a seemingly really short period of time (DSLite, XL and DSi). The 3DS has been out for around 3 and a half years and has already seen an upgrade through the XL and a downgrade for the 2DS, it makes sense though as different price strategies will attract different customers.

The problem I do have is that whilst the re-releasing of a console (or any piece of technology for that matter) manages to manipulate you into thinking you have the inferior product, it's usually just the aesthetics. The upgrades usually focus on SIZE above all else ('soooo small') and minor but useful features... The 'new' 3DS and 3DSXL change that entirely. The new models boast extra power to run more powerful games, such as the soon to be ported Wii classic Xenoblade Chronicles, which is where the problem arises. If you didn't know already, the game will not run on an older model of Nintendo 3DS. As someone who wouldn't mind playing the game, I now feel like Nintendo has me over a barrel. It's likely this isn't done as a cruel marketing tactic and the new model is necessary to run such a game. But can Nintendo really expect not to give it's consumers who can't afford a new console every year some kind of a break? If an extra memory add on for the 3DS isn't possible, how about offering a fair price for trade ins for the previous consoles?

I should not have to have owned three 3DS' before playing Xenoblade Chronicles... I started with a South Park reference and I'll end with one too.

This is how Nintendo makes me feel sometimes.

Video Game Blog - Super Smash Sexism?

For years Nintendo has been renowned for being a family friendly gaming company that plays it safe with its happy go lucky cast. Characters such as Mario, Link and Donkey Kong, appeal to young demographics whilst also retaining enough charm for the older generation of gamers… Which is why this blog entry may come as a bit of a shock.

Recently, Nintendo has come under criticism for the character design of Zero Suit Samus in both Super Smash Brothers for Wii U and 3DS. The character debuted in the Smash Brothers series back on the Wii and has seen some changes made to her design since then.

Zero Suit Samus. Killer of aliens, wearer of stilettos.

Yes, this is a Nintendo Game

Undeniably, next to the rest of the Nintendo universe this incarnation of Samus stands out for obvious reasons. With her skin tight suit, exaggerated physique and bleach blonde hair, Zero Suit Samus (who shall now be referred to as ZSS) is a highly sexualised character that stands out immensely whilst stood next to a stodgy Italian plumber. Recent criticisms of the character design have stemmed from the fact that the character now wears high heels (rocket powered high heels to be precise). Despite the criticisms of the design, Nintendo didn't hold back from showing ZSS’s alternate costume on a Nintendo Direct, which really doesn't stray away at all from the vibe ZSS was giving off.

To me this reveal feels like a wii bit of a blunder (puns, the lowest form of wit), the costume is from an old Metroid game from the Game Boy Advance (Metroid: Zero Mission) which Nintendo is just trying to pay homage to… But I think when you step into the realm of somewhat realistic looking graphics you need to be very careful to not present your characters like a piece of meat. I don’t think that Nintendo needs to hide away ZSS, hell pretty much the entire cool factor of Samus’ character comes from the fact that she is a female. But some realistic body proportions and some plausible foot wear might make a bit more sense.

The original Metroid itself, released in 1986 drew various elements from Ridley Scott’s 1979 hit science fiction horror Alien, notably the female protagonist. Playing as a girl in a super powered mech suit was a pretty innovative idea for the time, but I don’t think anyone took Samus’ sexualisation as seriously when she was just a bunch of 2D pixels. (Check out her death animation from Super Metroid on the attached link). I can see why some may be offended, but looking at some of Nintendo's recent design choices and games on the horizon it does beg the question of whether this is a trend for the company? Is Nintendo trying to change their image? Rounding off this blog with a few final screenshots and comments.

Please comment below if you have any thoughts on the subject, thought this would be an interesting blog to start off with.

Thanks for reading.

Actual promotional image for Mario Kart 8. All of the female characters (excluding the one that is you know... A MUSHROOM) abandon their dresses for leather biking suits. Needing a change of clothes in a world where apes and dinosaurs can drive go kart's is a bit of a reach. Specially as Mario rides a bike quite easily in plumbing overalls.

Bayonetta was one of the most sexually provocative games and characters all time on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Bayonetta 2 launches EXCLUSIVELY on the Wii U.

This is a screenshot from a ZELDA GAME. To be precise Hyrule Warriors isn't a game made by Nintendo, it's being created by KOEI for Nintendo, but still. All I see is tits.