Thursday, March 3, 2011

Pokemania

Both Pokemon Black and White release this weekend, so I figure I'd start off with a review of how I felt about the previous iterations of the series.

Pokemon has a very stable style, every new version comes with minor upgrades that doesn't change the central thesis of the game at all. Although now that I think about it, a central thesis might be the one thing Pokemon lacks, but what it lacks in focus it more than makes up for by having an eclectic mix of attractions. For the player that needs a constant grind it has battles that you can pay little attention to that constantly improve your team. For the completionist it has tiny secrets tucked in corners and the ability to revisit old areas with new abilities to access previously hidden areas. For a child it has an easy to learn rock-paper-scissors system of battle that lets you cheese your way through battles and still feel like you've earned your victories.

But it might have the most attraction for a collector. Someone who sits down with a new Pokemon game and obsesses with finding every creature possible. Not many hand-held games offer something that a player could pick up and play for two-hundred hours and still be earning new rewards.

I find myself buying each new edition for a variety of those reasons, though I always lament the lack of an over-arching story and the stigma that comes with buying a "child's game".

I've recommended Pokemon games to both newbie players and veterans of RPGs, and not one of them has ever told me they regret playing one.

Have you ever played a Pokemon game? Did you enjoy it? Will you be picking up either Black or White this weekend? Leave a comment and let me know!

25 comments:

  1. I love Pokemon games and use to be play them with my GBA.

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  2. I ever played pokemon in boring lessons :D

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  3. Yep, i have a GBA emulator on the iPhone and i play also on boring lessons :D

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  4. I used to play Blue on my GameBoy (First Gen) all the time. I was addicted to it haha.
    I never bought another pokemon game since they started creating all those new pokemon though.

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  5. love pokemon. play on emulators all the time

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  6. love pokemon games they always take a while to pass

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  7. I used to play the emulator all throughout highschool passed time well :D would love to see it on my droid

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  8. Pokemon Games are Legendary :)

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  9. Haven't played Pokemon since Gold, I think... Oh, the nostalgia! :,) I think I need to get an emulator right now!

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  10. Pokemon for me has turned from a power through discover everything, into a more casual i'm bored in class lets play some pokemans!

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  11. I got the Blue version when I was in fourth grade. So far it is the only series of RPGs that I have liked. They are endlessly playable because there is always a challenge to beat your friend's new team. God I loved that game. I logged about 150 hours each timed I played through.

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  12. Hopefully my copy of black gets here before the big road trip the following week.

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  13. hey! pokemon is not for children haha! think about the 20 year olds who played it 13 years ago, theyre 33 now!!!

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  14. i have a black and white english translated emulator actually. It's not that good.

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  15. Awesome review /broseph/ , keep em coming :) im following, please >ME2 :)

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  16. I never play a pokemon game :/

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  17. Unfortunately I don't have a DS or I would be picking up black or white this weekend... I have played red/blue/yellow more than I care to admit... My friends and I even had a pokemon competition over the summer with R/B/Y, battling over pokemon stadium with our teams, it was pretty epic!

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  18. Pokemon games are still relatively fun, even for a college student. I have a gameboy emulator on my Droid and I play Pokemon all the time in class or when I'm just out and bored, wish they'd make a version of B&W for Droid.

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  19. I always play Pokemon Blue and Red on my Game boy color on and on. It was the greatest edition, the pokemon didn't look stupid and it wasn't complicated at all :(

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  20. the best ever is pokemon gold/silver/crystal man. i completed the pokedex, sick blog. <3

    following now! :D

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