Ash Ketchum Has Become The Worst RoleModel Ever

(Honestly, the title could've read "Ash Ketchum Has Become The Worst Metaphor Ever" and it would've made the same amount of sense).

Ash Ketchum Has Become The Worst RoleModel Ever

What If: NX Reveal Live Blog Make Believe

The NX will be revealed sometime around this Fall or early Winter if sources are to remain correct, so there’s bound to be more rumor and speculation out there than facts. While we have no idea what to expect it’s times like these that talking about it is better than nothing. But top X lists have been overdone to death, so I came up with a fake NX reveal scenario via live blog to express what I would love to see in Nintendo’s big reveal. Enjoy, puddins’.  

FIRST DISCLAIMER: This is not real. Don’t take anything in this blog seriously. Thank you.  

SECOND DISCLAIMER: This is a scenario in which the console is NOT a hybrid. Don't take it as my ultimate desire for the console, but more so a second option. Also, no cartridges, just no. We have no idea what the final product will look like, so be open and nice about any other possibilities of what the system could be. Much obliged. 

What If: NX Reveal Live Blog Make Believe

N5S Gut Reaction: Final Smash Bros Presentation

Well, Smash Bros had a final thing and apparently we have a blog thing, so I guess I have to do the thing for all you 7 poor unfortunate souls.

(Also, here's the British link to the presentation, because Donald Trump won the American ballot and no one needs to see that)
 

 

N5S Gut Reaction: Final Smash Bros Presentation

How Keiji Inafune Ruined Kickstarting Game Projects

The Red Ash Kickstarter was a disaster from the start. It was not even a month before Mighty No. 9 was released that Keiji Inafune announced he was working on a new project. And it all went downhill from there.

How Keiji Inafune Ruined Kickstarting Game Projects

N5S Reactions: Nintendo E3 2015

Well, Nintendo E3 Direct came and went faster than a restock of amiibos, and naturally the team at N5S will give their two cents worth is how the show faired. Did we like it? Did we hate it? Well, some of both...

N5S Reactions: Nintendo E3 2015

Nintendo Direct 11.5.14 Impressions

I see a bad moon arisin'. I see bad puns on the way.
  
(Wii U/3DS Direct Impressions blog)

Nintendo Direct 11.5.14 Impressions

Review: Super Smash Bros (3DS)

Review by EggBeatr8

title: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: 3DS
Bottom Line: Minor shortcomings and unbalanced series representation still don't outweigh the replay value and extremely solid gameplay that can found in possibly the best Smash Bros experiences ever crafted.

WARNING: This review assumes that you've seen EVERYTHING that Smash Bros 3DS has to offer. If you somehow were able to avert your eyes from every major leak up to this point and don't want to spoil the game for yourself, then turn back NOW.

It seemed foolish to think that just mere weeks ago we were cursing Sakurai for possibly "ruining" the Smash Bros series by giving the option to make custom fighters, adding Dark Pit as a playable character, and removing the Ice Climbers entirely. It's almost damnable to call SSB3DS a bad game, but to call it a terrible game just because Ridely isn't in it (Spoiler #1: BOOM!) or just because it's not on a home console is done right unacceptable. SSB3DS pushes the hardware limits to the extreme: delivering one of the most fluid and solid Smash Bros experiences ever, that you can, for the first time ever, take with you in your pocket for that matter. It may not be perfect, far from it, but is it the best Smash Bros game so far? More or less, yes, yes it is. 

In some aspects, SSB3DS's gameplay could be compared with Brawl, albeit with some major design changes. For one, tripping is thankfully gone for good; no more must we submit to the frustration and slight disgust of tripping for no reason at the worst time possible. But that's not the only change to gameplay: probably the most shining achievement is the character balancing. Every fighter is fine tuned just so as to not be overly powerful (ex: Metaknight) or feel too sluggy (ex: Bowser), offering a near perfect battle experience every game. It takes a bit more powerful blows to send a fighter flying off screen as well, so items like Home-Run Bats and Golden Hammers feel a little more welcome on screen than being a cheap handicap item to give the user an uberly cheap advantage over the competition. In fact, the items players will most likely go for now are the new Galaga Ship and Beetle items, which drag opponents off stage indefinitely if they're at a certain damage percentage. All in all, I've never once experienced slowdown in my first week playing SSB3DS, no matter how much stuff was happening on screen at once. All in all the gameplay is absolutely fantastic, and only made better by the incredibly smooth local connection with multiple players. On-line connection, on the other hand, does have considerable lag, and the amount of error codes I got trying to play with players on my friend's list was astounding, but even then the game held up consistently even with four players on the screen at once.

If one thing is for sure, SSB3DS definitely has a larger assortment of fighters than Brawl. On first glance, the roster appears to be a ridiculous assortment of novelty fighters like Wii Fit Trainer and Dr. Mario, but personal tastes aside, every fighter plays just as powerful and unique as the next. Characters like Greninja and Little Mac provide a super fast and easy way to play Smash, perfect for novice players, while more complex characters like Villager and Duck Hunt that require careful set up time and placement are more catered to metagame pros. Zero Suit Samus and Sheik are separate fighters from their Samus and Zelda counterparts respectively this time around, but it actually was for the best in the long run: both Zelda and Sheik have their own much needed new unique down specials, and players can finally use Samus' Final Smash without being forced to play as Zero Suit Samus- so even if it means them taking up another character slot, both ZSS and Sheik feel more like new fighters than veterans, so it's a more welcome change and gives more series representation. Literally the only problem I have with the roster is Sakurai's favoritism for representing his own favorite characters. Granted, I don't care if Kid Icarus gets three reps (even if one is a Pit clone) or FOUR Fire Emblems reps, but the fact that DK only gets no new fighters, and Metroid technically having one is really unnerving. And judging by the alternate costumes, you can tell characters like Bowser Jr. with 7 Koopaling costumes each with their own individual voice overs, and Little Mac with 16 ALTERNATE COSTUMES (?!!?!) probably had a higher priority than fighters like Pac-Man, whose alternate costumes look practically the same. Nonetheless, even if some fan desires were undelivered, the roster is still flipping amazing, and no one can say that three measly clones (not counting returning clones) are overshadowing a beefy roster of 48 characters, plus Mii Fighters; allowing you to pit Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, and Michael Cera in a brawling match to the death.

The stages, on the other hand, are a mixed bag. Some newcomer stages are amazing: including the chaotic Dr. Wily's Castle in which Yellow Devil comes down to wreck havoc on players, and the retro 8-bit Pac-Man stage with ghost stage hazards; while some are just okay like the awkwardly asymetrical Gaur Plains stage from Xenoblade Chronicles and the vertical Tomodachi Life Stage; while the rest are plain right out recycled stages from Brawl. No one really asked for Mushroomy Kingdom back, and to add insult to injury the ground portion has been removed, and the stage somehow looks even worse on the 3DS. Other lesser mentions are the Jungle Japes and Corneria Melee stages, which ended being the only stages to represent their respective series (again: favoritism). It almost feels like the Omega Forms for stages, ergo, Final Destination forms, were meant to compensate for the low stage quality- and while they do make some stages actually barable to play on, it's a somewhat boring and needless addition to tempt item banning fanboys into playing on other stages for a change.

Characters and stages aside, replay value and content are major factors for Smash Bros, and the 3DS version is no pushover. SSB3DS features an assortment of unique modes, including returning Classic and All-Star modes, an updated Stadium mode, and the brand new Smash Run mode. Out of the returning modes, Classic feels even better than before: giving the players the ability to choose their difficulty level and the enemies they encounter to reap the most rewards at the end. If you have the guts to try 7.0 difficulty or higher, you'll encounter the nefarious Master Core; a pants soilingly powerful final boss with five forms that will give any smash veteran a run for his/her money (or technically, coins). All-Stars on the other hand remains unchanged from Brawl, and for this reason feels slightly more tedious than the other modes; probably for the fact that this time you have to complete it with 20+ more fighters. Stadium mode however, has been improved, featuring more smaller cookie cut modes including 10-Man Smash and Rival Smash. Thankfully the grueling 15-Minute Smash is gone, hopefully for good this time. Target Blast, though trying to imitate Angry Birds' gimmick of destroying architecture, is only fun for about 2 minutes and won't hold your attention for long.

What should hold your attention, however, is SSB3DS' spotlight mode, Smash Run. This mode pits you in an enclosed area as you fight your way through randomly generated enemies from Nintendo game series for three minutes, receiving power ups that in theory should give you an advantage once you enter the 'Final Battle' with your opponents who also went through the same process. To boost your chances of success even further you can also outfit your fighters pre-game with powers, tweak their stats, and giving them alternate special attacks (that is, if you found them playing in other modes or in Smash Run). This mode is the best way to obtain more customization items for your fighters and is ideal when you need more coins to attempt Classic on a higher difficulty. However, after a few rounds of Smash Run it's easy to spot its Achille's heel right away: the Final Battle. The Final Battle can be anything from 'Run faster than anyone else' to 'Team Smash' or to the baffling '300% Smash' which gives everyone 300% damage at the start which made the effort of collecting power-ups seem utterly fruitless. You have no idea which of these 'Final Battles' will take place, and since some characters clearly have overall stat advantages for certain Final Battles even without the power-ups, you'll either end up owning the entire game or lose absolutely by the opponent A.I. To be fair, regardless of its obvious faults, Smash Run is best when played locally with others. It's clear that it was meant merely for a fun mode to play with others and to collect customization parts, though I do wish it was less random.

To conclude my lengthy review, SSB3DS is the semi-best Smash Bros ever made (Yes, I'm calling the Wii U Version the better version), and you can't tell me otherwise. Yes, Smash Run can be broken, Little Mac will no doubt be banned within a week from now, the stage selection could've been better, and any fan will look at the roster of 48 and come up with a list of at least 10 fighters that the game should've had, but these objections should not deter anyone from enjoying one of the most essential titles on the 3DS.

Pros:
+Astounding production values and character roster 
+Superb running speed keeps gameplay smooth at a constant framerate
+Great Replay Value
+On-line runs with few lagging issues (sometimes) 

Cons:
-Smash Run can be frustratingly random
-Returning stages are a ho-hum affair
-Uneven series representation

    

Review: Super Smash Bros (3DS)

3 Reasons Why the 'New 3DS' is Going to Confuse Everyone

 

If you haven't already heard, during a Japanese 3DS Nintendo Direct this morning a new iteration of the 3DS model called the, I kid you not, 'New 3DS' is on the way, because if you hadn't realized it by now: Nintendo's console/game naming department is filled with cocaine addicts. This 'New' handheld features an upgraded CPU, a second analog stick that looks more like a zit, two additional ZR and ZL shoulder buttons, and a sleek new design that looks exactly like the previous 3DS(es)! It's literally the DSi of the 3DS generation, and if that console is any indication to the future of this 'New' handheld we're going to experience the whole "Which DS is which" scenario all over again, because...

3 Reasons Why the 'New 3DS' is Going to Confuse Everyone

Nintendo @ E3 2014 Impressions

I'm not one to immediately jump to conclusions as to which big company "wins" E3 every year, so that's probably why you're reading this three days after the Digital Event, but now I've had time to come to a consensus and from what I've seen this year, Nintendo really knocked it out of the park. While Microsoft and Sony were catering to the teenage angst of fan services, glorifying 60 fps and exclusive DLC like they were the raining holy mana bread of gaming, Nintendo took the Digital Event and Treehouse after party as a means to showcase what games are truly meant for: fun. Here are the main highlights from this week's Nintendo @ E3:

Nintendo @ E3 2014 Impressions

3 Signs That Sonic Boom Won't Suck

Months after its initial announcement trailer and just days after two extensive gameplay trailers were shown, it's safe to say that not everyone has really warmed up to the Wii U exclusive Sonic Boom and its steroid abominations that are supposedly the games' main heroes. Granted, any sane/insane person could find a million things wrong with this game before it's even released, most of which bring up questions like "Why does Knuckles look like a freaking jock?", "Why are they using Skrillex music in a video game?", and "Why the hell does Sonic have bandages on his shoes?"

Seems like an impractical way to prevent third degree scoff marks.

Thankfully, the redesigns are not permanent as Big Red Button Entertainment (the lead design team behind the game) assured everyone that the game will not replace the mainstream Sonic series, and is meant as a separate spin-off, not as a reboot. Unpredictably, Sonic fans are still not keen on the idea, and no one can blame them after the mixed reactions of Lost World, but remember this is exactly how they felt when Sonic Colors was announced after the puke-fest that was literally any Sonic game released before 2010. You still might call out "bullsh*t, it's still going to suck", but there are 3 relevant signs that we could all be wrong and that Sonic Boom could be the next best Sonic game since Generations. 

3 Signs That Sonic Boom Won't Suck

What Nintendo needs to do (and not do) with the "Nintendo Figurine Platform"

Well, we're just a month away from Nintendo's big "E3" conference and I'm sure everyone is beginning to use their Jedi mind tricks to predict the outcome of the show, so they can complain afterwards that [some title] wasn't shown, yada, yada...yeah I'm not doing that. Sorry, no. What I will be doing, however, is discuss about Nintendo's latest surprise announcement last week: "Nintendo Figurine Platform" which is the company's answer to Skylanderss/Disney Infinitys' buy-expensive-toys-to-unlock-game-content gimmick. Many fans probably reacted to this news with a chorus of "ughhss" and "hell no"s, and rightly so, but note that we haven't seen any of these figurines in action and no tie-in games have been officially announced, so we can't be entirely pessimistic...yet. On one hand, the prospect of collecting video game figurines is enticing, but there is so many directions where this could go sour fast.

"It's-a-me! Your wallet's arch-nemesis!"

So I made it my goal in this blog to name specifically what Nintendo needs to do (and on any accounts, do not do) with the NFP.

What Nintendo needs to do (and not do) with the "Nintendo Figurine Platform"

Smash Bros. Direct 2.8.14 Impressions

 

Like Greninja, yesterday's Smash Bros.-exclusive Direct made a huge splash. (and this time it was super effective) Here's the most notable highlights: 

Smash Bros. Direct 2.8.14 Impressions

4 Ways The Gaming Industry Has Lost Its Mind

 

Gamers are partly to blame for the major decisions the game industry makes. If we buy every FPS consisting of rainbow candy bullets and quantum breast physics then you can bet the marketing gods that we would get a sequel to that game every year until the universe implodes within itself. Though granted, the gaming market has the most power in what games we play, and possibly has less knowledge of what the heck gamers actually like, which is why sometimes a developer might say "Hey, you know that Shaq Fu/Final Fantasy game that no one liked the first time? Let's do it right this time." and more often say "Hey, you know that F-Zero game that everyone liked the first time? Well f*** them we cater to a niche group of gamers (Also please buy a Wii U)." The gaming industry isn't always cut and dry, and we occasionally get a real nice surprising treat once and while, which is why when we get something like the following it brings up the question if the gaming market even understands its audience anymore.

4 Ways The Gaming Industry Has Lost Its Mind

Nintendo Direct 2.13.14 Impressions

Well, Nintendo gave us a scare last month, with there being no Direct and the Wii U being eaten alive by analysts and all, but luckily they came through this month and delivered a fantastic Direct yesterday. Here are the highlights sand my impressions.

Nintendo Direct 2.13.14 Impressions

Review: Chib Robo Photo Finder

Review by EggBeatr8

Title: Chibi Robo Photo Finder
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: 3DS eshop
Bottom Line: Slow at the get-go, and at times can be tediously punishing, but if you've got the patience, there's much to love about this new installment in an overlooked series.

In the looming shadows of big AAA titles and popular IPs, it's common to find a handful of original titles that just weren't popular enough to garner sequels. That's why it's extremely satisfying to see an overlooked series like Chibi-Robo to get another installment; a long overdue sequel made possible only on the Nintendo eShop. 

In this new Chibi-Robo adventure, Photo Finder has Chibi-Robo helping Mr. Curator build a NostalJunk museum by using the 3DS camera to snap photos of various objects 'from the past' and converting them into museum exhibits. But in order to do this, Chibi-Robo must obtain Happy Points which he can get by cleaning up counter tops and garages or helping out the inhabitants (mostly toys and inanimate objects come alive) in various mini-games. Once you get enough Happy Points you can exchange them for silhouette film and finally take a picture of something in the real world that matches the shape of the silhouette of the film. And that's pretty much what Photo Finder has you doing through the whole game. 

From the get-go, whether you've played a Chibi-Robo game in the past or not, it's obvious how painfully tedious this game is during the first 3 hours. Accepting work from the game's characters is your main source of Happy Points, but if you fail the challenges they give you even once (and mind you, most of these mini-games rely heavily on trial and error), you'll have to wait until you obtain a new NostalJunk and your job mail to reset before you can attempt them again. Your only other option to obtain Happy Points is to 'Explore' the set areas around the museum, which task you with cleaning up dust and picking up garbage. Of course, anyone who has played a Chibi-Robo game before should expect the game to limit you to 50 watts, the game's health points, which decrease over time whenever Chibi Robo walks or uses an item. The main problem with this early limitation is that it restricts how much exploration you can do at any given time. To put in perspective, it takes at least 10 watts to vacuum up dust patches, and even if you do manage to fill your dust bag to 100% don't expect to get a lot of Happy Points for your effort. Fortunately, the game picks up speed later on, though it's just too bad it has to be so darn slow to get going anywhere.

Probably the biggest problem the game faces is, sadly, what seemed to be the coolest gimmick: taking pictures. The low res 3DS camera is absolutely terrible at registering shapes, and in order to get at least 60% accuracy for the item to appear, don't be surprised if the game tells you again and again that the lighting is too dark. Even worse, you're only given 9 tries per silhouette film to get a shot right- if you can't get it within that duration then, well, it's back to farming Happy Points. And let's say you do get a picture just right: don't be surprised if it turns into a Nostaldud, the game's random insult to turn your hard work into a puzzle puzzle item that has no apparent point to the game until you collect all of them. And while it is sort of considered cheating, I did end up resorting to taking pics straight from Google Images, but i only did it to save myself the trouble of having to go track down an object again in real life because it turned into a Nostaldud. This is very unfortunate, because it's fun to see what object the silhouette actually turns out to be when you take a picture of something that's similar or (in most hilarious occasions) completely different in shape.

If there's one thing that's worth forking over $10 to buy this game, it's the undeniable Chibi-Robo charm the series is known for. The characters you meet in the game, including a bear shaped sponge, an anime TV robot, and a French Mustard and Ketchup bottle duo are all just as unique as the last, and their witty dialogue is as ridiculous as they are. Exploring every nook and cranny for goodies is what makes Chibi-Robo shine the brightest, and the areas to explore offer a good change of pace from working for the game's local toy folk (though it's dissappointing there's only 5 levels total in the game). The game looks really good all around too, boosting some impressive textures and details for a 3DS game.  

To conclude, if you like Chibi-Robo, and you can overlook the game's constant tedium, then you can't go wrong for $10. On the other hand, if you're impatient and hate randomly generated shenanigans, then this is definitely not a game you'd want in your collection. While it's great that we finally got another Chibi-Robo, it's unfortunate it has so many shortcomings against it. 

The Good: 

+Undeniable fun and witty dialogue and characters. 

+Impressive graphics. No visuals hiccups.  

+Some fun mini-games.

The Bad:  

-Extremely tedious and restrictive at the beginning of the game. 

-3DS. CAMERA. IS. BAD. 

Review: Chib Robo Photo Finder

5 Games That Need To Come Out In 2014

2013 brought us a lot of fantastic games, most of which were triple AAA+ titles, making it one of the worst years to be a tree, a wallet, or a hungry stomach (kids eat too much anyway). In all the hustle and bustle of big budget titles, some awesome games promised to us fell out of the radar in a month and some were so vaguely teased we didn't know what to think. Here's 5 games that took their idle time in delays during 2013, and that developers wouldn't give me no matter how much money I threw at them:

5 Games That Need To Come Out In 2014

Nintendo Direct 12.18.13 Impressions

Nintendo gave us a exceptionally fantastic show today. Here's what happened:

Direct Link of video cannot be found. Click here to view the Direct.

Nintendo Direct 12.18.13 Impressions

Majora's Mask Remake: When it rains, don't always expect a Rainbow Bow

Earlier this week a simple daily screenshot of Smash Bros. revealing Skull Kid from Majora's Mask entering the fray as an assist character, sent the internet flying into a full-blown rumor tornado speculating that a Majora's Mask remake is on the way. Curiously, this wasn't the first time that Majora's Mask was teased: In last month's Nintendo Direct trailer for A Link Between Worlds, the mask could be easily spotted during the beginning of the trailer hanging on the Item shop wall:

Which only means one thing: Half-Life 3 confirmed. 

Is this enough proof that a Majora's Mask remake is in the making? The answer is both a yes, and a no. Remember, this is Nintendo we're talking about: a company known to always port/remake their N64 games eventually years down the road (namely: Super Mario 64 DS, Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D to name a few). I would be daft to say that they'll never remake Majora's Mask, because Eiji Aonuma has been hinting at something, but to say it's in development now? No. Look, we've already got TWO big Zelda titles this year (not counting Oracles) and a big TBA Zelda Wii U title is currently in development for next year- that's a lot of Zelda games to make in a short amount of time. Granted, Wind Waker HD was made in only 6 months, but mind you that Majora's Mask is a completely different game made 13 years ago when 64-bit was the norm, so they would have to build the game from the ground up rather than just slap HD paint on the characters and call it good. If we want the game to look as good as this, it would take a lot more time than just 6 months to develop. Furthermore, the game was objectively one of the hardest Zelda games, and knowing Nintendo, the game would have to be fine-tuned into being more user friendly by having more save points for one thing, and I'm sure they have to have Tatl repeat "Please take a break" ten-thousand times at every opportunity.

On the topic of the Smash Bros. screenshot it's ridiculous people even translate it as a MM remake teaser, I mean it's a game that includes the entire Nintendo universe, of course it would reference Majora's Mask. It doesn't mean it's teasing a new game. It was the same ordeal with the mundane rumors of the Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire remakes being made, because Pokemon X/Y would mention the "Hoenn Region" as if the series hadn't already referenced past regions many times before. With references, the game remains canon with its series; it's not put there just to tease everyone to believe that there's definitely a new game or remake coming out RIGHT NOW. The Zelda games have been referencing each other for years I doubt it will end any time soon. I'm not implying we'll never see Majora's Mask in fruition, but now seems too soon.  

I could be wrong, so don't mind me if you don't agree with me, but just don't be disappointed if your crystal ball is malfunctioning.

 

Majora's Mask Remake: When it rains, don't always expect a Rainbow Bow

Nintendo Direct 11.13.13 Impressions

Hey. 

(Direct linking of the video is giving a "not found" error message, so here's the the URL to the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mijfc0-zEgw) 

This month's Direct can be compared to going to a theater that beings bombarded you with trailers that reveal their movies entire plotlines before they're even released, and then urging you to go and see them a day later. 

Nintendo Direct 11.13.13 Impressions

Review: Pokemon Y

Review by EggBeatr8 

Title: Pokemon Y
Developer: GameFreak
Platform: 3DS
Bottom Line: A Mega, Mega Evolution for Pokemon.
 

I scoff at the naysayers that claim that the mainstream Pokemon games never change. Replace Call of Duty's enemies with robots and it's automatically a new game, yet you could reboot the entire Pokemon series with 700 new Pokemon as an Action-space-shooter-racer-RPG and critics would still call it "the same game". That's the world we live in: the same world where that said "same" game (or games) would go to sell over 5 million copies in a week, on a system people still believe is just another DSi upgrade. Now that's something you can't argue. Is it all just a fluke though? Do people have bad taste for gaming and are just buying it because everyone else is? As a long time Pokemon fan since Pokemon Red, I can safely say that if Pokemon was the exact same game over and over I would've quit playing it years ago. The only peer pressure associated with a new Pokemon game is the thought of yourself missing out on a new installment....a brand new adventure. And quite frankly, Pokemon X/Y is an adventure that you wouldn't want to miss.

The most obvious change in this Pokemon outing is the full graphics overhaul. For the first time on a portable console, the trainers, scenery, and of course Pokemon have all been fully 3D-rendered. Pokemon have never looked more alive since the release of Pokemon Stadium graced the N64 and it's about time too. Kalos looks absolutely amazing, and the scenery more-or-less tries to mimic that of France, from which the region hints to be inspired from. The scenery even looks better in 3-D...when you're allowed to use it. If there's any indication that Nintendo is slowly extinguishing the use of 3-D, Pokemon X/Y is a good hint. The only time 3-D is really applicable or readily used is in battle or in a few cut-scenes, etc, whilst the rest of the time the 3-D light is off, leading me to assume that if anyone plays the game in 3-D the entire time, they'd find it absolutely jarring and eye-numbing when the game is constantly switching from 2-D to 3-D. But it might just as well be so, considering that the 3-D-less 2DS was released at the same time. Regardless, the game looks just as great if not better in 2D anyway.

Now that we got graphics out of the way let's talk about what we actually care about in a Pokemon: the Pokemon. While there's not a lot this time around (barely 70 counted thus far), the game(s) makes up for the lack of new Pokemon in exchange for an exciting new gameplay twist: Mega Pokemon. About half-way through the game you're awarded the Mega Ring, which let's you Mega Evolve a Pokemon if they're holding their respective Mega Stone(s). While this may seem Pokemon is going into ironic Digivole territory, the Mega Pokemon look fantastic, and it should balance on-line battles out whenever you battle a troll who's team consists solely of Metagross and Dragonite. Unfortunately, Kalos Pokemon can't 'Megavolve', and some Pokemon that desperately need stat buffs (Far'Fetched, Quilfish, Cacturus) are out shadowed by Pokemon who really don't need Mega Evolutions (Garchomp, Tyranitar, Mewtwo). At least it's a smart idea on the right track, but hopefully it balances out in the long run instead of encouraging everyone to spam Mega Mewtwo along with their Metagross.

This won't end well. 

Gameplay wise, Pokemon X/Y is hasn't changed much since Gen V, which isn't a bad thing at all, but luckily, for those who want something different, a very notable addition to the metagame rock-paper-scissors gameplay will forever change the way people play Pokemon: Fairy-types. These Dragon-resistant monsters are only weak to Steel and Poison types, making them formidable foes. Pokemon like Azumarill, Granbul and Gardevoir have received this new type, making otherwise useless/useful Pokemon full-on Dragon slayers, and you can bet the Metagame will be full of them once Pokemon Bank rolls around, and you can transfer you're team(s) from Black and White. Concerning the battle style when battling trainers on the other hand, Pokemon X/Y only features one new battle style called Sky Battles, in which only flying-Pokemon and/or Pokemon with Levitate can partake in. while it's an interesting new form of battle style, it's absolutely infuriating in-game, since your options for flying-types are lackluster this Gen, and you can be sure your opponent will use a Pokemon like Flygon or Aerodactyl, Rock Edge spamming machines, which is bad news for everyone who happened to raise Talonflame (read: 4x the damage or more). A more interesting battle that happens only in wild encounters is horde battles. It pits your Pokemon against five (yes, five) wild Pokemon, may they be a horde of Scraggy, Geodude, or *shudder* Zubat. They're cleverly challenging, (at least until you get a multi-hit move like Surf or Earthquake), and can be easily escaped if you choose to run from them. Horde battles are few and far between, and you probably will encounter a few at most in your adventure, but they're a welcome addition I'd love to see again in future titles nonetheless. 

No Pokemon game lacks a good 300+ hours of gameplay, and Pokemon Y is no slacker. I already accumulated over 90 hours in the main adventure alone, and most of those hours were spent surprisingly on the bottom screen in what has to be the most addictive simulator ever: Pokemon Amie. Amie allows you to pet your Pokemon, give them Poke Puffs, and play mini-games in order to develop a better bond with your Pokemon, and it's unlocked as soon as you get your first Pokemon. While this might seem like it has no real point other than to be a cute little gimmick, it actually aids you in-game by giving your Pokemon an extra boost in EXP points, and your Pokemon might just dodge a foe's attack or sometimes even sustain a blow with 1 HP if you bond with it enough. Another game you'll play on the bottom screen is Super Training, which makes level grinding to get EV's (effort values for potential stat boosts) a thing of the past. Breaking the score record for every Super Training mini-game allows you to play more challenging mini-games that reward you with more EV's (or Kalos points, whatever they're calling them now) which in turn fills up a bar, ending the need to tally up all your points in umpteen notebooks and then finding out you counted them wrong. And last, but not least, we have the PSS, or Player Search System, which shows all you everyone who's playing the game and you interact with them at any time: maybe offering or receiving help in the form of O-Powers, (sort of like Gen V's Pass Powers), or maybe challenging them to a battle or offering a trade. This is all done in one place, and it all comes together perfectly thanks to the game's amazing server, which rarely encounters any serious lagging issues. All-in-all, the bottom screen feels like a whole separate game in itself, and don't be surprised if it eats up half of your weekend.

Concerning Post-game content, it's a little mixed. I've only got as far as the Battle Maison (This Gen's Battle Subway equivalent), so I can't tap on how much more post-game material this, but from what I did experience it was pretty good. Most notable is the Friend Safari, which associates one Pokemon type per each friend registered on your 3DS. The more friends you have increase the amount of Pokemon you can find (limit:3) and if they're on at the same time the chances of catching a rare Pokemon with a hidden ability increases by 50%. This is unpredictably encouraging gamers of all ages to share Friend Codes, which makes the PSS shine even greater. Whether it's post-game or not, the boutique(s) is/are a fun new feature that lets you customize your trainer head-to-toe for the first time. You can customize everything from the shoes you wear to even the hair length and color. Clothes selection and prices change everyday, so prepare for some major re-playability is you're what they call a 'fashion-esta' (which is Nintendo's evil plan to get you from playing animal crossing: New Leaf ever again). Rumors aside that there is DLC content on the way, Pokemon Y offers a good amount of content as is, and should satisfy any trainer for a long time.

In conclusion, I might sound like a broken record for saying "Pokemon (insert sub-title) exceeds in everything that makes the series great and fixes all the problems of the previous blah, blah, blah" every time a new Pokemon game that's released, but it's hard to fight the truth. To say Pokemon Y is the same thing as Pokemon Gold, Ruby, Green, yada yada would be an injustice. Pokemon Y is yet another grand jewel in the series, with only a few rough edges here and there. Perfect for newbies, and fun for returning vets, this is an adventure that's worth ignoring all the haters.

The Good:
+Fantasic presentation.
+Extensive amount of content and exciting new features
+Superb On-line mode.

The Bad:
-Sky Battles are infuriating.

Review: Pokemon Y