#Pokémon Franchise Brand Evolution

[deepanshu1208]

Video game companies: are pivotal in the dynamic world of interactive entertainment, driving innovation and shaping popular culture. At their core, these companies are responsible for creating, developing, and publishing video games, a sector that has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry with a global audience.

One of the key players in this industry is Nintendo, a company renowned for its iconic franchises such as Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon. Founded in 1889 originally as a playing card company, Nintendo transitioned to video games in the 1970s, becoming a major force with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the 1980s. Their focus on creating engaging, family-friendly content and innovative hardware, such as the Wii and Switch, has made them a staple in the gaming world.

Another influential company is Electronic Arts (EA), known for its extensive portfolio that includes sports games like FIFA and Madden NFL, as well as popular franchises such as Battlefield and The Sims. EA's approach often involves acquiring successful studios and franchises, allowing them to leverage established brands while investing heavily in marketing and development.

On the other side of the spectrum is Valve Corporation, a company known for its digital distribution platform, Steam, which revolutionized how games are sold and played online. Valve is also famous for its highly successful games like Half-Life, Portal, and Dota 2. Their emphasis on community-driven content and modding has significantly influenced how games are developed and consumed.

The rise of indie game developers has also reshaped the industry. Companies like Supergiant Games and Team Cherry, with hits like "Bastion" and "Hollow Knight," demonstrate the creativity and innovation that smaller teams can bring to the table. These independent developers often experiment with unique gameplay mechanics and storytelling techniques, contributing to a rich and diverse gaming landscape.

As technology advances, video game companies are increasingly exploring new frontiers such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Companies like Oculus (now part of Meta) and Epic Games are at the forefront of these developments, pushing the boundaries of how games are experienced and interacted with.

In conclusion, video game companies play a crucial role in the entertainment industry, with each entity contributing uniquely to its growth and evolution. From major publishers to indie developers, their innovations and creations continue to captivate and engage audiences worldwide, shaping the future of digital entertainment.

[oldtownseo]

Why Do Oversized T-shirt Have Such A Diversified Versatile Designs As Compared To Other Men’s Fashion?

Oversized T-shirts have become incredibly popular and versatile in men's fashion for several reasons, which contribute to their diversified and versatile designs compared to other men's clothing items:

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●       Casual Appeal: The casual nature of oversized T-shirts makes them suitable for a wide range of settings and activities, from lounging at home to running errands, going to concerts, or even hitting the gym. This versatility in terms of occasions drives the demand for different designs.

●       Expressive Canvas: The ample surface area of oversized T-shirts serves as a canvas for creative and expressive designs. Men can showcase their interests, hobbies, favorite bands, artists, and more through the graphics and prints on their T-shirts.

●       Streetwear Influence: Streetwear fashion has had a significant impact on men's clothing trends, and oversized T-shirts are a staple of this style. Streetwear encourages unique and eye-catching designs, often drawing inspiration from urban culture, graffiti, and art.

●       Nostalgia: Oversized T-shirts with vintage or retro designs evoke feelings of nostalgia. Many men appreciate the throwback appeal of T-shirts featuring logos, cartoons, or references from past decades.

●       Celebrity and Pop Culture Influence: Celebrities, musicians, and pop culture icons frequently wear oversized T-shirts with distinctive designs. Fans often seek to emulate their favorite stars' style, contributing to the demand for a wide range of T-shirt designs.

●       Collaborations and Limited Editions: Many fashion brands collaborate with artists, designers, and other brands to release limited-edition oversized T-shirts. These collaborations often result in unique and collectible designs that appeal to a broad audience.

In summary, the diversified and versatile designs of oversized T-shirts in men's fashion can be attributed to their comfort, casual appeal, expressive potential, influence from streetwear and pop culture, personalization options, sustainability efforts, and their role in conveying messages and personal style. These factors collectively contribute to the popularity and creative evolution of oversized T-shirt designs in the fashion industry.

Anime Oversized T-shirt Suggestion From Old Town Wardrobe

Below are some suggestions from the Old Town wardrobe that you can explore for your next party:

Pokemon Go

A media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri which centers around a group of creatures known as Pokémon, from which the series takes its name. A group of humans known as Pokémon Trainers catch Pokémon and train them to battle other Pokémon for sport. Although Pokémon is primarily a video game franchise, an anime series, manga, and a trading card game also make up large aspects of the franchise. And if you wish to have this dorohedoro oversized t-shirt in your wardrobe or for your next party then you can find it at buy gaming print t shirts india.

Clash Of Clans

Clash of Clans is a popular iPad/iPhone/iPod/Android game created by "Supercell". From rage-filled Barbarians with glorious mustaches to pyromaniac Wizards, raise your own army and lead your clan to victory! Build your village to fend off raiders, battle against millions of players worldwide, and forge a powerful clan with others to destroy enemy clans. And if you wish to have this gears of straw hats oversized t-shirt in your wardrobe for your next party then you can find it at buy gaming print t shirts india.

Subway Surfer

Subway Surfers is an endless runner video game developed & published by Kiloo & SYBO. The player takes on the role of an average teen (or, on rare occasions, a young adult) vandalizing a subway train with spray paint, and is caught by The Guard and his dog. The player must run away from the two, who are chasing them. And if you wish to have this gear 5: the joy of freedom oversized t-shirt in your wardrobe or for your next party then you can find it at buy gaming print t shirts india.

Apart from the above buy gaming print t-shirts india, there are many other options in terms of oversized t shirt. When to these demands there are only some brands that help you fulfil these needs. And Old Town is a one-stop solution when it comes to street style fashion brand, unique printed t shirts online, buy gaming print t shirts india & anime themed t shirts online that you can explore on their website i.e. old town india.

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[reviewsmpgamesnet]

#pokemonscarlet #mpgames #mpgamesreviews Review game #pokemonscarlet  - The Struggles of Evolution Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are the most recent installments within the Pokémon sequence, and so they take the franchise in a daring new path. Set in a brand new open-world area, Scarlet and Violet permit gamers to discover freely and battle wild Pokémon at their very own tempo. The sport additionally incorporates a new era of Pokémon, in addition to a brand new story to observe. https://mpgames.net/games-pokemon-scarlet/

[blueskyheadleft010]

Listen, I love Pokémon just as much as the next fan does but DIGIMON. Digimon will outlive Pokémon over and over in my heart because of it’s how it’s made.

What do I mean? Well let’s back up a little here.

Pokémon was created to simulate irl bug hunting/collecting in game format. The franchise was based off of something fun and engaging for small children and that’s part of it’s charm and why it got so popular.

Digimon on the other hand, was the solution to the girlish Tamagotchi toys. The company needed a brand that would attract a younger male audience, and also serve as a counterpart to the Tamagotchi toy line. 

While both spawned animes respectively, Digimon lagged behind Pokémon by a little more than a year, but Digimon’s concept was based on marketing and selling a virtual pet. (Something not unique to the 90′s time period). While Pokemon was focused more on the gameplay mechanics and subsequent character designs that they could market down the road.

The thing about Pokémon is that the franchise itself is fictional, and much more fantasy oriented than realistic. Digimon’s franchise is based off an object that exists in the real world but is connected to a fictional ‘programmed’ world that is dynamic and constantly changing on a whim. 

Only the very core mechanics of the Digimon games stay the same, but each entry into the franchise brings something fresh to the table; new characters, new game mechanics, and most importantly new virtual pet toys. This means fresh material can be added to the old, but can be unique enough to remain separate in style (kind of like fashion). If a season didn’t do too well, then they can scrap that and introduce something different. No two toys or games are alike. Each entry is unique.

This is not to say Pokémon doesn’t add new content to their franchise, it’s just less separate? Like, barring Mega Evolution or Z-Moves and the introduction of the fairy type, most of the gameplay is exactly the same as the last Pokémon game. Which some people like, but after a while can feel kinda stale. (Like eating nothing but pizza for a month. That gets kinda old really fast even if you like pizza.)

Sure, they crank out recolors new Pokémon each game, but it doesn’t really bring many new things to the table. (There’s also Rangers, PMD, and PL:A I know, but they’re not really the mainstream games and don’t come out annually enough to act like series additions to the franchise and also don’t have animes revolved around them).

And the animes? Well, both Digimon and Pokemon might have episodic seasons and some movies, but Digimon tends to hone in on stylizing their characters and giving them growth and development. It’s hard to make a show where the main character never ages, but it’s a whole lot more fun to show off a world where computer programs talk to each other and are influenced by humans both intentionally and unintentionally, which in turn affects the human world.

With Digimon, the stakes can always be raised, characters can always change, and growth is encouraged instead of leveling up your monster. Pokemon’s repetitive gameplay formula is what’s going to end their reign of popularity in the toy market, but honestly I’m okay with that.

[quarterdollar]

for the hyperfixation ask meme 💕💔💎 (for pokemon)

ouugh thank you PC [opens my analysis papers]

💕 tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them!

While he isn't my number 1 (that's Colress lol) I'm gonna talk about Lysandre because he's been on the brain lately everyone say thank you Evolutions and DeNA 🤪

What's always made me the Most Insane about him is that like, of all the Pokémon villains, Lysandre is at the exact crossroads of "this ideology actually exists in real life" and "holy shit what the fuck is wrong with this guy". The villains that could reasonably exist IRL are generally pretty low-key, largely committed to stealing things and accruing wealth and power. The more out-there, fantastical villains are generally so out-there that they are only threats because of their access to Pokémon, confined to the world they live in. But Lysandre? He's concerned about the continued survival of life on earth due to resource scarcity and human greed, and his solution to this problem is to kill everyone and thing not associated with his elitist cult by launching a fucking nuke. Neo-Malthusianism is real! And so are weapons of mass destruction! Ohh my god! This cunt is a Metal Gear villain bro!!!

So obviously he's fucked up and terrifying in a very relevant way, but I also really like that Lysandre genuinely believes that what he's doing is necessary to stave off a terrible future. He is 100% a classist hypocrite, no doubt about that, but his stated goal of ensuring an eternally beautiful world without strife isn't him bullshitting. He sees that Kalos is in a peacetime upswing and is desperate to make sure that it stays that way forever. He cares a ludicrous amount, but his privileged background and ego-centric sense of responsibility prevent him from seeing the actual causes of the problems that cause him so much grief. Obviously no one else is capable of caring as much as he does, and years of philanthropy and innovation couldn't solve every humanitarian crisis ever, so of course the problem is all those people he tried to help who clearly don't care. Nothing else short of mass murder can fix this one guys. Capitalism and the military industrial complex are fine, it's the ungrateful layman that's soiling the earth.....

TL;DR I loooove his specific brand of crazy XY were so robbed of their full potential it could've been the finest Military Drama For Babies the world has ever seen. Also he's 7 ft tall and pairs leather with a cravat like are you kidding me. he's so hot for what lmao

💔 tell us about one of your LEAST favorite characters and why you dislike them.

I really, really do not like Brendan. While May as a rival is written as this sweet kid next door, Brendan has an ego to him and even displays some sexism that don't really go away. I just really hate his attitude and the game forces you to be buddies anyway, like he never gets the wind knocked out of his sails and he isn't even intended to be a "mean rival" or whatever. If he's going to be a little shit at least write that with more self-awareness, like Bede or Blue. Stop calling May your friend!! You are not friends!! All you do is act high and mighty for no reason and then go "aww me and the bestie :)" I am going to smack you upside the head !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a shame because Pokemon is generally pretty aware of when it presents to you A Bitch (my god there are so many dicks and bastards) and I would accept Brendan with open arms if he wasn't constantly pushed as the player's Bestie despite not doing anything to earn the title. Horrid devil child do NOT sit with my kids at lunchtime

💎 are there any fun facts or trivia that you would like to share?

The franchise features two transgender characters, Akari from 1999 manga How I Became a Pokémon Card, and the more well-known Beauty Nova from X and Y. They're a trans boy and trans woman respectively :0

An unused cutscene featuring Cyrus in Diamond and Pearl was uncovered last year, which is mostly interesting because the game is over a decade old and we only just found it lol. Also his dialogue is pretty cute, though a little inconsistent with his final character.

LGPE do not allow for use of Abilities, but they're still coded into the game, which is how Meltan and Melmetal's Abilities got leaked.

Ghetsis is 6'6". What the fuck

N's battle themes start with notes that correspond the the first 8 prime numbers. I don't remember what they are I am bad at math. But N isn't :)

[rafespeaks]

Pokémon Sword and Shield, From the Eyes of a Veteran (Critique)

I want to preface this by saying I have been playing Pokemon since before I can remember. It has been a staple of my childhood since day one and is an incredibly important franchise to me. I have nothing but love for it, and I wish the franchise success and a long life far into the future. That being said... I have some big issues with this latest generation. Big enough that I’m writing out my thoughts for everyone to see for the first time.

As a note, I am not a competitive player, nor do I think I ever will be. I don’t have the patience or technical mind to focus on all the finite mechanics and breed the statistical ‘very-best’ Pokemon out there. As such, I will not be focusing on those aspects (or at least not nearly as heavily as others might).

Now, let’s begin.

As a starting point, let’s start where Nintendo always does when introducing a new region and generation

The Pokémon

Every new generation of Pokemon comes with brand-new creatures for everyone to love. However, some generations just have... more than others. The original games had 151 Pokemon total to catch, collect, and love. And from there, more were added. Here’s the count:

Johto: 100 Hoenn: 135 Sinnoh: 107 Unova: 156 Kalos: 72 Alola: 88 Galar: 81

This is not accounting for the new Pokemon introduced in Galar’s DLC, as that has yet to come out, or old Pokemon that were given a Mega Evolution or regional variant. Kalos added 30 Mega Evolutions, plus an additional 20 from ORAS. Alola added 18 regional variants, and Galar added 13 of their own (not counting the DLC Slowpoke) plus 24 Gigantimax forms (25 if you count Flapple & Appletun as separate, and 26 with Melmetal).

Numbers-wise, Galar did... okay. Not great. But okay. It still passed up Kalos, at the very least, which was a huge point of contention among fans when gen 6 came out. However, if I had to sum up my feelings towards the new Pokemon I could do it easily with one phrase: they’re very ‘hit-or-miss’. And while new Pokemon that I don’t care for tend to grow on me over time, there’s just one problem with that. They can’t grow on me if I don’t ever see them.

Don’t get me wrong. I have no problem with old Pokemon being in the new games. In fact that’s something I love! But when you want the players to connect with the new being introduced, you have to give them a chance to do so.

This was the first region in what felt like ages where I went in without a plan of what I wanted on my team. Typically, I go with a simple, easy-to-follow formula. Grass, Fire, and Water take up three slots. Add in a Flying-type, as Water and Flying were highly important for transportation in earlier games. And for coverage, the last two spots go to Electric and Ground or Rock. Anything else, I try to cover for with getting as many dual-types as possible. Simple. Effective. Tried and true.

However, after choosing Scorbunny as my starter, I encountered a problem. There are only two Grass-types to choose from, and neither are particularly good for my strategy. Eldegoss, which I ended up going with, is a pure Grass-type and can ONLY learn Grass-type damaging attacks, unless you want to track down the single Bug-type TR it can learn, or use one of the few compatible Normal-type TMs/TRs.

The second Grass-type is Applin. And while both evolutions have better type coverage, there are still problems. One, Applin on its own is pretty bad. The only moves it knows when caught fresh from the wild are Withdraw and Astonish. While that isn’t too horrible in and of itself, the fact that its evolutionary item can only be obtained near the end of the game makes it a horrible choice. Since I was about to take on Nessa and had no access to this item, I was forced to either choose Eldegoss or something from a previous generation. And since I was trying to use all-new Pokemon, Eldegoss it was. (Though on the upside, I realized it had plenty of potential to be a competitive wall.) Now, if you are intent on getting a Flapple or Appletun, you can persevere and evolve one. Now you have your grass dragon! Great! Except... its level-up moveset is pretty bad to begin with... You will have to dedicate a lot of time to training or hunting down TMs and TRs to make up for this seemingly MASSIVE oversight.

This is just one example, of course. And while coverage isn’t particularly BAD considering all the old Pokemon included, it could be much better.

Continuing on from this topic is another that has had a lot of fans, including me, up in arms.

The Pokédex

Dexit.

Nearly 900 Pokemon, cut SEVERELY down to 400. It’s unprecedented. It’s unfair to the fans of cut Pokemon, completionists, and old players waiting on transferring all their partners from previous games. Frankly, it sucks. And I think every Pokemon fan can agree, no matter the reason.

While some similar things to this have happened before, it has never been this bad. Unova did it right - the only Pokemon available to the player through the main story of Black and White were the newly introduced ones. After defeating the Elite Four, finishing the game, and the credits are done rolling however, all previous Pokemon were welcome in the region once more. Alola didn’t exclude any older Pokemon, but for the first time in any Pokemon game, we did not get a National ‘Dex. Even so, the Pokemon unavailable natively in Alola were still transferable and usable in the new generation. And while it was a bit disappointing not to get any new entries for some old favorites, it was understandable. Coming up with new world lore is hard work!

Nintendo said that all these Pokemon were cut due to time constraints and limitations with the memory. Unfortunately, these are issues that could be fixed easily, which just... weren’t. Sword and Shield could have gone the same route that Zelda: Breath of the Wild did and simply extended production time. As Shigeru Miyamoto once said, “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.” And it shows in Sword and Shield in so many ways.

The memory limitations is, honestly, just a bad lie in my personal opinion. This opinion is only proven to me by the DLC reintroducing over 200 Pokemon from prior games. It’s not that Nintendo couldn’t - it’s that they didn’t give themselves the time. I had hoped for free updates in the future to remedy this, and that’s what’s happening. But not in a good way. (They also cut a plethora of Pokemon moves, which was also heavily disappointing, but the loss there couldn’t be felt nearly as much as over half of the total Pokemon being straight-up unavailable. Every one of those is someone’s favorite!)

Even if the memory WAS an issue, there are so many things that were, ultimately, unnecessary to me that they could have done without. But I’ll get to that in a minute.

Dexit aside, there’s another issue that needs to be addressed with the Pokedex that I’ve touched on already - distribution of Pokemon. There’s just... way too many, way too fast, and not enough of the new Galar Pokemon to go around. I am a Player who takes the famous tagline ‘gotta catch ‘em all’ fairly seriously. As I progress through the game, I am always compelled to search for every Pokemon on a route and catch, at the very least, the basic form of that Pokemon. While I haven’t managed to complete the Pokedex on my own or build a Living ‘Dex yet, those are both major goals I have.

However, shortly after first stepping into the Wild Area, I was overwhelmed. Too many Pokemon were coming my way, with too many variations in weather meaning it would take ages to catch all the Pokemon available to me in a route before moving forward in the story. While the Wild Area is a marvel, fun to explore, and an amazing way to experience Pokemon, it’s all just too much to throw at you in one huge chunk. Plus, there’s one very annoying, very artificial limitation that just feels completely out of place in a game that traditionally has had nothing quite like this. The Pokemon-catching level cap.

Now, level caps have been talked about among fans of the series, especially those that would like a sort of ‘hard mode’. This is not what they were talking about. Level caps have been used in previous games to prevent a player from transferring or trading overpowered Pokemon to the game and breezing through it as fast as possible. If you don’t have enough badges, the Pokemon will not listen to you, and you’ll be out of luck until you progress. Fans have suggested extending this level cap to all Pokemon, so that potentially even your starter will refuse to listen once it’s too strong. Personally, I wouldn’t enjoy such a change. But that’s why it’s only really suggested for a hard mode.

The way this level cap was implemented, however, was just... bad... I understand why it was done, but it can be put into practice SO much easier with one simple fix - utilizing Routes like previous generations did and closing off the higher-level areas to the player until they have progressed appropriately.

And that brings me to my next talking point.

Routes VS the Wild Area

Pokemon routes have always been included in every game, from the very beginning. They are the segue between towns, holding new Pokemon for you to battle and catch, the majority of free items to be found across the world, and a good few trainers to pit your team against once you’ve gotten past the first little chunk of story. To put it simply, routes are necessary. Without them, all the different towns would be one huge city, and specifically in Sword and Shield, there would be nowhere but the Wild Area to catch Pokemon.

That being said, the routes throughout Galar are... pretty tiny. I’d even say pitiful. What’s more, it seems that most of them have a short, straight path forward that discourages exploration and bettering yourself through battles with wild Pokemon and trainers. Sure, there’s the occasional arbitrary blockade that will force you to take the long way around, but once that’s done with, there’s nothing else to keep your interest. Glimwood Tangle in particular made me realize how far back they cut the routes. There was so much potential to make a sprawling forest out of it, and they just... didn’t. It was tiny. I wanted more, but they left it lacking in so much.

There’s an easy solution to this - making the Routes into mini Wild Areas. And, to accommodate all these huge routes, CUT BACK THE WILD AREA. Trust me - it needs to be smaller. This fixes the Pokemon distribution, the level cap issues, and the tiny routes all in one fell swoop. Instead of having one massive area with a bunch of sub-areas, have each route be bigger, with two to three sub-areas. The balance will make it much more impressive in the long run.

Speaking of balance, let’s talk about how this affected the pacing of the game. Even when I was taking my time, it felt like I was always rushing, rushing, rushing on to the next town.  Not to mention, there are far too many options in the story to let you skip over backtracking through a route you’ve already been through. I’ve just finished taking on Milo. I blink. I’m standing in the Pokemon center the next town over, prepping for Nessa’s gym. I just defeated Bea. I blink. Now I’m about to take on Opal. The only time I got a little time to breathe was when I had to travel through the Wild Area to get to the next town. And then it was all just so expansive that I... didn’t want to go back to the story. There were items everywhere. There were Pokemon to catch. I wasn’t done here - I had to explore. I had to find everything. Do all I could. Because that’s what you do in a route, right? You explore and find all the goodies to help you on your journey. So what comes after...?

The Towns

While the towns are gorgeous and each have their own charm, they all feel... almost empty.

Compare to previous games, and it’s obvious to see. Many buildings don’t allow you to go inside and explore. There is a distinct lack of NPCs. And the ‘big’ cities are decidedly small as a result.

Just take a look at Castelia City and Lumiose City. Both are huge, compared to the rest of the locations in the games. They have many buildings, many NPCs to fill them... People needed a map to avoid getting lost in Lumiose! Even in cities that are smaller scale-wise, such as in Alola, they never feel empty. There are plenty of places to go, people to talk to, and things to explore or interact with. You find new things all the time.

Meanwhile in Galar, the only things that seem to give the towns any purpose are the Pokemon gyms. And that is a massive shame. Especially when in prior games, there have been places I will make my way to, just to sit there and take in every little detail of the location, or where I’ll talk to every NPC and soak up all the lore. I go back to murals and statues and unique buildings. I go back to puzzles and the homes of legendary Pokemon. I go back to enjoy the things I’ve seen in a new light and reminisce about my journey. But in Galar... there seems to be very little to reminisce about.

The Story

This is the biggest disappointment for me. If all the rest of the game were awful, as long as the story is good, I can overlook it. As long as the story is good, I can enjoy any game. 

This story was not good.

As far as Pokemon stories go, they aren’t all complex, nuanced narratives. In the first games, you fight Team Rocket, who are just in it for the money. In Johto, it’s the same thing, with the addition of a rival that has a touching change of heart in the end. Things get a bit bigger in Hoenn, where the world-ending plots officially start in the form of weather crises caused by Team Aqua and Team Magma. In Sinnoh, the entire universe is threatened when Team Galactic aims to remake the world in their image. In Unova, the morals of you and the rest of the Pokemon world are called into question by PETA-- I mean Team Plasma. In Kalos... rich people want to kill the unworthy poor...? Yeah, I didn’t really get that story much either. And in Alola, you deal with alternate dimension aliens running amok. Safe to say things got quite a bit bigger as time went on.

Now we’re in Galar. Something’s going to happen. Something always happens. But when? How?

We get hints about the Darkest Day. Dynamaxing is still very new and not much is known about it. Sonia is looking into the legendary hero(s) that stopped the Darkest Day. But where’s the evil team? What’s their motivation? Where’s the action? The buildup?? Bede mentions he’s collecting Wishing Stars. Why??? We get to Hammerlocke and learn that the Wishing Stars are for the Chairman. But again, why? He mentions a problem has been bothering Rose concerning all Galar, but it’s such a brief moment that it’s easily dismissed. Where’s the action, or the stakes? Nothing has happened yet except we’re being pushed through the gym challenge as fast as possible.

Fourth gym. No sign of any real trouble yet. Except that jerk Bede just vandalized an ancient mural, just because... he wanted to? Yeah, he’s trying to find Wishing Stars, but literally NO ONE told him to make a spectacle of himself and ruin a piece of history in the process. We’re getting more hints about the past and Galar’s history, but nothing solid on what we’re supposed to be doing. Besides the gyms. EVERYTHING is about the gyms... Oh, and apparently Oleana is the one who asked Bede to collect Wishing Stars. Whatever. What does that have to do with anything?

Five gyms in now, and... Ka-BOOM!

FINALLY!!! Some ACTION!!! Something’s happening at the Power Plant, and Sonia’s detecting a Power Spot! Alright, let’s go! I’m finally going to be able to DO something! I’ll finally be able to see what’s going on and--

“You should leave the investigation on the quaking to the adults. Head to Circhester and get that Gym Badge!”

... What... No! No, I refuse! There must be something to see, even if it’s just Sonia, Leon, and the Chairman standing around after things have already been sorted out. I can talk to them and get a little dialogue on what’s going on! Except they aren’t anywhere to be found. No one around the gym, no one by the Power Plant door, nothing.

Sixth gym. More lore. Seventh gym. Heading out towards Raihan and BOOM! Trouble on Route 9! Leon’s here! NPC says I should go help! Heck yes, I will! It’s about time I got some action out here, it’s almost the end of the game!

Run outside, there’s Leon! And... he dismisses you. Again. Says ‘nope, I’ve got this, gym gym gym, see you!’

No way am I taking that laying down. I’m right on his heels - I should at least be able to see him battling or something, right? But no. In the seconds it takes to run after him, Leon has beaten the threat, he’s gone, and now Hop is waving a news article about the debacle in your face, complete with picture! How the hell did all that happen so fast?! It takes time to write something like that up, never mind the time it must have taken to battle the Dynamaxed Pokemon that Leon faced!

The game is almost over, and what little action you could have seen has been blocked from you because you are a child. And I understand, from a moral perspective, that this is what any sane adult would say to a child. But from a story perspective it is a horribly bad writing choice. It gives you a little taste of the story, a tiny hint at what’s going on, and yanks any real explanation away from you until the very end, where you’re floored by everything happening all at once. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Finally, Professor Magnolia mentions that the issue the Chairman is worried about is the future of Galar’s energy. But... why? We have seen no hints of a problem with that throughout the entire game. No mention of shortages. Nothing about global warming or sustainability. It seems there’s exactly zero reason for anyone to worry, much less turn this into a huge issue that needs to be addressed. It’s one thing if a crisis is there and people are ignoring it. It’s another matter entirely if there is no crisis whatsoever to be seen, even if you look for it. And even if there was any sort of issue, Leon once again tells you to do nothing. Nothing at all. 

Eighth gym. On to the Championships. Blah blah, tiny snow route, nothing even remotely close to a Victory Road... In Wyndon now. Still bubcus about an evil team or anything that you can actually DO something about. The Semifinals happen. Leon goes missing.

Suddenly, you’re thrown into a situation you know nothing about to save this miserable dope. And when you get to him... he doesn’t even need any saving! He’s just having a pleasant chat with this jerk! Drag his butt out of there, then the Finals happen. Now you’re gearing up to face Leon himself. Only to be stopped by Rose SUMMONING ARMAGEDDON TO SOLVE A NONEXISTENT ENERGY CRISIS HE SEEMINGLY MADE UP.........

It makes no sense whatsoever. And unlike in Unova, where the interruption to your Elite Four challenge made sense, these TWO interruptions did not. Leon even promised to help Rose after he finished his Championship match against you! Why couldn’t Rose wait a single day? Or even a few hours? ... I digress.

Anyway, Rose awakens Eternatus, who is the source of Dynamax energy. (Necrozma & Totem Pokemon vibes much?) Leon goes up to capture it, just as Rose planned, and gets his butt kicked, not as planned. Meanwhile, the player and Hop made themselves useful for once, went to find the Sword and Shield from legend, and used them to call Zacian and Zamazenta. Together, all four of you defeat Eternatus! Yaaay for yooouuu!!!

...

Oh. And you finally have that Championship battle. Get that win squared away. Finally, but also way too soon, the credits role.

Perhaps I may have been a bit harsh about the story. But with very little to make up for it, I feel justified in everything I’ve said here. But I’m still not done. After all, a story can’t have no one helping the protagonist along. Or hindering them. Severely.

The Characters

Unfortunately, many of the characters were just as bad as the story. However, for the most part, it doesn’t entirely seem like their fault. There just wasn’t enough time spent on them, or the writers handled them poorly.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Hop

He’s a friendly rival. Okay, I can get behind that. But he’s also very self-absorbed throughout the entire story. Why are you even friends with him? He doesn’t once talk to you about anything other than how he’s going to be the next Champion. He cheers you on occasionally, but it’s always overshadowed by him harping on the same things over and over again - his brother is The Best and he will defeat him to become The New Best.

Many people say Hop is very much like Hau. I say that’s an insult to Hau. Hau is a laid-back free spirit who’s only goal starting out is to have fun with his Pokemon. He supports you and gives you items along the way because that’s just his nature. He’s a true friend. And when things get a bit tougher, he realizes he needs to step up and take things seriously if he wants to protect the ones he cares about. So he does.

In my opinion, Hop is more like Green in his approach to you, except a bit more friendly. In fact... I’d say he’s MOST like the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum rival, Barry. They’re both braggarts, self-absorbed, and constantly, casually putting you down even though you’re clearly better than them. Long story short, Hop is infinitely annoying like Barry is annoying. I was shocked at myself for how eager I was to beat Hop evey time, and how uncaring I was when Bede crushed his spirit. Hop’s mopiness and woe-is-me attitude felt very forced, especially since he was always smiling and still constantly talked about how he was going to beat you and Leon both.

Not to mention how his story ultimately ended... But I’ll get to that a little later.

Leon

For as annoying as Hop is, Leon is ten times worse. I can see where Hop got all those self-absorbed tendencies. He strikes a dumb pose every five seconds, goes on about how great and undefeated he is, constantly basks in the attention of his fans... Not an ounce of humility or humbleness in this man. Not to mention, he pretty much abandoned Sonia during their journey together. I couldn’t wait to ruin his whole career. But if there’s one positive thing I can say about him, it’s that his team is legitimately tough. Mostly that demon Charizard.

Sonia

She’s nice enough, and it’s pretty neat to see her on her journey to becoming a full-fledged Professor. But her progression to that ultimate payoff seems pretty rushed, probably because the rest of the story is rushed. Also, she consults with you about many of the legends she digs up, and the dialogue choices ultimately mean YOU are drawing the conclusions while SHE just agrees with them. By all rights, I should be the Professor in this game! 

Marnie

Honestly, I don’t have a strong reaction about Marnie either way. She just seems a bit subdued, we don’t see her very much, and there’s no real character arc that we get to see her go through. She’s the same as when we first saw her, only now she knows she’s not going to be the Champion, because you are. 

Bede

He’s a little jerk. And honestly? I love little jerks. But only if they’re done right.

Green was a jerk rival that was done right. He didn’t see the error of his ways throughout the entire game. However, come the Johto arc, he is now a gym leader, realizes he was treating his Pokemon poorly, and it’s implied he regrets his harshness towards Red.

Silver was another done right. He was a jerk from the very start, and a thief to boot. He hated you, and Team Rocket, and... all the world really. But as the game progressed, he came to realize that he needed to be kind. And by the end of the game, he has a Crobat. While his abrasive personality is still there, he respects you, and realizes you were right.

Bede, on the other hand, was pushed through the plot. First, he was working his hardest for the sake of the Chairman. Then when he was forsaken, hurt, and lost for a purpose... he wasn’t allowed to find his way himself. Instead, Opal snatched him away and demanded that he become the next Fairy-type gym leader. She even went so far as to force him to change his type preference! What happened to Gothorita and Duosion?! (Don’t get me wrong, I love Opal as a character. She’s probably my favorite out of everyone. But still...)

Bede should have come into his own by his own choice. And since he didn’t, the change seems like it... wasn’t a change at all. He’s still harsh towards you and others, and the respect he says he has for you seems insincere.

Piers

Unlike the rest of the gym leaders, Piers takes a slightly more active role in the plot once the ball FINALLY gets rolling. So I figured I’d talk about him, too. Piers seems... a lot like Nanu. Like A LOT. And that doesn’t really seem to fit with his rocker look or job. He just seems depressed and like he doesn’t want to be here. At least he’s a fairly responsible brother, always making sure Marnie is safe. I never did get past that hair though... Never liked it. But I seem to be in the minority there.

Oleana

She’s just... She seems like a Rose-obsessed Lusamine, instead of Ultra Beast-obsessed. Except her manipulation of children is more subtle. Honestly, I can see her being a formidable villain, and actually a much bigger threat than Rose. If only she was given the opportunity to actually DO more things through the game.

Chairman Rose

Rose is... Well, he doesn’t feel like a villain, if that makes any sense? He’s too placid. Mild. Calm. There’s no anger or any kind of intense emotion. Even when he’s disappointed in Bede, I don’t really... believe it. It’s like he ordered an ice cream and realized it doesn’t come with sprinkles. “Oh. That’s very slightly disappointing. But it’s still ice cream so it doesn’t really matter. It’s fine.” Even if you want to do a villain without strong emotions, there are other ways to do it.

Cyrus, jokingly referred to as having depression by the Pokemon fanbase, is a big example of this. He is very non-expressive, with a flat, almost scary look. He always talks analytically, and philosophically. He even openly scorns emotions. But when he does finally get a bit more heated and unhinged towards the end of the game, it’s a serious business. He feels dangerous.

Rose, on the other hand... doesn’t. He has all this supposed passion for Galar and its future. So much so that he’s willing to risk putting people and Pokemon in imminent danger to fix this energy crisis he seems to have made up... So then where is that passion? Where is his anger and frustration towards Leon? Where is his desperation?

It seems to me that the only energy deficit in Galar is in Rose’s behavior.

We’ve covered a lot now, but still not everything. My main gripes are over, but like every Pokemon game, there’s just a bit more.

The Post-Game

Now the main plot is over, and you’re free to do as you please all across the region. Train up your Pokemon and catch newly available ones, explore places you didn’t go deeper in during the story, get a little extra tidbit of story sometimes... And to its credit, this game did deliver a decent post-game story to follow.

You saved the region. You met the legendary Pokemon. Now you have the Master Ball and it’s implied you can go off and get your featured legendary doggo. Fantastic! But once you make your way into the Slumbering Weald... these guys show up. Oh, and Hop is there moping. And Sonia shows up too, for some reason.

But these guys... These guys were arrogant little jerks from the beginning. And it makes sense once you learn they’re a part of Galar’s royal family - the descendants of the people who supposedly stopped the Darkest Day from happening and saved the region. Of course, now everyone knows that’s not true, and they’re pissed about what this means for them. Their family isn’t anything special. They aren’t anything special. Their status and positions have been taken away and given to Pokemon! It’s insulting to them! (Though they still have a loyal following.)

So what do they do? Pumping Zacian & Zamazenta full of Dynamax energy and causing them to wreak havoc will absolutely turn the people of Galar against them! And the cost? Eh, they don’t much care. As long as the legendary Pokemon look bad and they’re able to retain their status.

Of course, their plan backfires, and in true benevolent legendary fashion, the one legendary they do manage to overload with power does its absolute best to avoid hurting anyone. It’s a touching little story to go on. And what’s more? It actually makes sense! In fact, I would have greatly preferred this story as the main one focused on, rather than the hot garbage we got with Chairman Rose! My only gripe regarding the new story is how ridiculous these two princes are... Really Gamefreak? Swordward and Shieldbert? And that hair?? Do you have no subtlety anymore?

But as for wrapping up the old story... things still fall a bit flat. After the legendaries are calm again and you have your version’s pup, you go after Hop. And he is accepted by the other legendary in the duo. Considering everything he went through to try and get the sword/shield back just now, as well as his concern for and efforts to calm down the legendary, it’s understandable. He’s proven himself in their eyes. But then... he goes and decides to become Sonia’s assistant and work towards being a professor.

How did that happen? Why did it happen? There was no buildup in the slightest before this decision, and it seems very out of character for someone like Hop. He’s not technically minded. While he takes a mild interest in the legends of his home region (who wouldn’t when they’re that fun?), he doesn’t seem interested in doing any actual research. And now that he actually owns a legendary Pokemon, you would expect him to double down on his rivalry with you or at least aspire to do something more... heroic? Exciting? Why would a legendary Pokemon want to hang around when you’re not going to be utilizing them at all?

This extra little story is over very fast. Not only that, but everything you do pertaining to the story is done without having to struggle through a route or many other additional challenges. (Hey, a lot like the main story. Lack of travel/drawn-out struggle leads to pacing issues.)

Additionally, there are no new places to explore after the main story. Which really, REALLY sucks. Every Pokemon game has had more to see afterwards. Kanto had Cerulean Cave. Johto had an entire additional region, plus Mt Silver. Hoenn had lots of legendary Pokemon homes open up to you, plus the Battle Frontier in Emerald. Sinnoh had the entire Battle Zone. Unova had several towns and routes blocked off. Kalos had it’s own last town as well as a couple places you could go for legendaries, like Mewtwo. And Alola had an entire half of Poni Island. Galar has... nothing... Everywhere you can go in Galar, you will have access to before the Championship battle with Leon is over. And that’s a crying shame. They seem to be trying to remedy this with the DLC coming out, but that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms. I’ll get into that later. First, there still something else I want to talk about...

Dynamaxing and Gigantimaxing

I get why this exists. I really do. Every single region has something that shakes up the way battles are done. Whether it’s more technical, statistic-based changes or something much more obvious. Hold items, double battles, tag battles, triple and rotation battles, Mega Evolving, Z moves, blah blah blah. We all know about that stuff, right? Each of the newer regions has some gimmick to go along with it. This is the Galar version. But unfortunately... when they implemented this change, they decided to get rid of the much-beloved Mega Evolutions entirely.

Now I could understand why they would do this with Z-moves. Dynamaxing is essentially the same thing, with the addition of more HP and the flashy, massive size of Pokemon to go along with it. Though it is disappointing, it’s not really a net loss.

But Mega Evolutions on the other hand... Those were something special.

Mega Evolution could have, potentially, coexisted with Dynamaxing. All it is is making the Pokemon bigger after all, right? A bigger Mega Evolution is doable.

But then the Gigantimax Pokemon come in... and thing start to make less sense. Basically, they made more Mega Evolutions, but named them something different. Why couldn’t they simply be more Megas? People LOVE Mega Evolution Pokemon! No one would have been mad at this! Except the people who, rightfully, say Charizard gets far too much attention. Three Mega Evolutions is a bit much.

But even then, if you’re so insistent on Gigantimax Pokemon being a separate beast entirely, then there’s STILL a way you can make Mega Evolution work in tandem with the new system.

Simply make Gigantimaxed Pokemon a Dynamaxed form of a Mega Evolution.

Okay, I know that was a mouthful and possible hard to wrap your head around, but imagine with me: You’re in a battle. You Mega Evolve your Pokemon. It’s stronger now. But you’re also in the position where you can Dynamax. You do so, and... instead of getting a bigger Mega, your Pokemon changes form a second time. So for example, let’s say you have a Charizard. Mega Evolve it. It is now a Charizard X/Y. Now Dynamax it. It is now the unholy lava abomination you see when you battle Leon. If you had not Mega Evolved beforehand, then it would have grown into a normal, everyday Charizard, But Bigger. 

This also takes away a completely arbitrary restriction - that not every Pokemon of a species can Gigantimax. I’m sure everyone knows by now, but let’s go over it again.

You have an Alcremie. You raised it from a Milcery, evolved it with your favorite Sweet, into your favorite flavor, whatever. Maybe it’s one of the strongest contributors to your team. But when you Dynamax it, it does nothing but get bigger. Then you see Opal’s Alcremie and wonder - how can I get my baby to do that? Is there a special item it needs to hold, or some other requirement?

Nope. Your Alcremie just isn’t good enough. It will never Gigantimax, because it was never capable of doing so in the first place.

With Mega Evolution, there is no limitation. You simply need to give your Pokemon the matching Mega Stone for its species and it can Mega Evolve, simple as that. you don’t need to find that certain special creature, when you already have a perfectly good teammate you’re attached to.

What’s more, Mega Evolution could be performed any time, anywhere, in any battle. Dynamaxing and Gigantimaxing is extremely limited to the Power Spots. Keeping Mega Evolution in would have lessened the disappointment of not being able to use the new mechanic casually. This was something that was heavily advertised when the game was first released, and to find out it’s so limited... I think it left a bad taste in a lot of fans’ mouths.

The DLC

Now... on to this... I’ve touched on this before, and I’m sure everyone can tell.

I am not happy.

First, the financial aspect. If you are going to charge $30 for a two-part expansion, make it apply to both game versions. This may not mean much to casual players, since they likely bought only one copy of the game. But to people who bought both, or share the two copies with family, this is a massive slap in the face. You would have to pay double, for the same content, so both versions are updated. That is a low, low blow.

Now, the Pokemon. I’m glad they are introducing new Pokemon (most of which seem to be Galarian forms or new Gigantimax forms), but there seems to be little reason why they held off releasing them in the first place. Legendaries, I understand. Others, not so much. And the over-two-hundred Pokemon that are being reintroduced isn’t something that should get a pat on the back. They’re fixing their own mistake. They shot themselves in the foot and now they’re trying to say “Oh look! We’re improving things! This bloody hole is going to be healed now! How great are we?” The only saving grace to this for me is that the Pokemon being reintroduced will be available to everyone (to transfer or trade over) via the free update mentioned before. And even then, there are still Pokemon missing!

The new areas now. While we have seen snippets by now, there has been nothing really definitive to go on. These new areas will be in the style of the Wild Area - that much has been made clear. But that makes me exceedingly nervous. Will they be empty, devoid of NPCs? What will there be to do? Just how big are these areas? If they are, in fact, exactly like the Wild Area... I am going to be deeply disappointed. Aside from battling/catching wild Pokemon and gathering items, there is very, very little to do in the existing Wild Area. But at the same time, if the area the DLC gives us is too small, everything will feel sparse and rushed, just like the story of the game.

Speaking of story, we aren’t really given anything meaningful about the DLC’s story, either. We were vaguely told that the two separate locations will be focused on the themes of ‘Growth’ and ‘Exploration’, and we were introduced to a small handful of characters that will be central to the story, but that’s about it. You’re training in the Isle of Armor, and you’ve been enlisted to explore the Crown Tundra. That’s all we know. Literally anything could happen. And that, again, makes me very nervous.

Gamefreak have said these DLC are supposed to take the place of the story changes a third game would make. But in this instance, I seriously believe Sword and Shield would have benefited from a second pass. Much like Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon had the “Good Ending” over Sun and Moon, I think a follow-up game could have amended a lot of the issues I’ve laid out. Though I couldn’t say if Gamefreak would have actually committed...

The biggest thing to me here is that... this is not necessary. At all. I feel as though these new locations, as well as the new stories, should have been included from the get-go in the base game. For free. Of course, if the scope of these stories is on par with the main storylines of Pokemon games, I can understand. But if it’s much smaller... I just can’t condone this.

It is a blatant cash grab. One that I can find no excuse for whatsoever. This game, and most everything that has come of it, has been such a dumpster fire that it has drained my love of Pokemon and left me with nothing but anger and a deep, dark disappointment. Gamefreak can do better. Nintendo can do better. I know they can. And I am willing to wait for good content.

They’re just not willing to give their fanbase the time to make that happen.

And speaking of blatant cash grabs...

Pokemon Home 

Pokemon fans have been wanting a cloud-based Pokemon storage system for years. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. But compared to Pokemon Bank’s YEARLY fee of $4.99, Pokemon Home’s premium fee for the same amount of time is quite shocking at $15.99 a pop. 

So what in the world went wrong here? Why is that price justified? While others have tried to explain it away by listing off all the different features, I say it’s not justified at all. And I’ll detail why below.

You see these graphs? Both of these contain all the points I need to make. And I’ll explain exactly why.

I’ll start from the top of the list and move down.

Transferring Pokemon is only available if you pay money for it. That means that if you want to get the additional Pokemon returning with the DLC releases, you either have to pay for the DLC or you have to pay for Pokemon Home. While transfer between games used to be free, that changed when Pokemon Bank was released. And while many people were understandably upset, the low price and additional storage space that Bank provided was enough for me to accept the change. Pokemon Home, on the other hand, doesn’t deliver enough for its price. It doubles the storage capacity Pokemon Bank had, and it introduces Room Trades. Which, honestly... don’t sound very appealing.

The number of Pokemon that can be deposited for free is... thirty. A single measly box worth. This may be enough for some people, but this, plus the box space in a copy of Sword/Shield, is not even enough to make a Living ‘Dex (if you want to include every different form of Pokemon. Otherwise it’s just barely enough). Not that you could make a Living ‘Dex anyway, with so many Pokemon still cut out. But back to the box capacity. For transferring only, this number might have been okay. But for storage purposes, this is only half a percent of the 6,000 potential Pokemon you could store if you paid up. Not even 1%. It’s 0.5%. It’s outrageous.

Wonder Trades, GTS trades, and Room Trades I’ll do together. For these features, I have little problem with the way they’re set up. The additional slots for trading are actually useful, and it makes sense to put them behind a paywall. This, I would be willing to pay for. Just not pay so much. Especially when this feature was taken out of the base game in the first place. Since the GTS was first introduced in Gen 4 (Sinnoh), it has been a staple of the game and a vital tool for completing the Pokedex, especially if you have no one to trade with in person. Many people were surprised and upset to find that the only trading function left in the base Sword & Shield games was the Surprise Trade, which is essentially Wonder Trade with a new name. However, while it is a little reassuring to have these features free to use, there is still a major limitation. It can only be done on the mobile phone version of Home.

This is something that has never existed before. You have never needed any device other than your gaming console. And to not have trades available in the Switch version as well is completely absurd. How do they expect children to use this? While tablets and smartphones have become more and more common, I doubt the vast majority of children have a device that is purely their own. They will have to nag their parents to download the app, and then further pester them each time they want to trade. Why not have that a part of the Switch version in the first place? It would be much more streamlined. I understand the practicality of having a Home app - I really do. It makes moving from Go to Home easier, I’m sure, and you now have added mobile usage when your Switch is out of range of an internet connection. But blocking features from the Switch makes no sense whatsoever.

Continuing on to the Judge function. Again, this was a feature that was removed from the main game. Not only that, but this time it is locked completely behind the paywall. When this feature came out just last generation, many competitive breeders were ecstatic. They no longer had to jump through hoops to determine that there was a Perfect IV baby in the hundreds, sometimes thousands of eggs they just hatched - they could see it right on the screen. And as a casual player, it was cool to see how many breedjects I ended up with. But it seems Gamefreak gave us a taste of a very good thing, then yanked it away, like candy from a baby.

On to the second chart. I already talked about the trading limitations, so I’ll skip over that. And it makes sense that moving Pokemon from the Switch games would be Switch Home exclusive, in addition to receiving Battle Points. There is nothing on your phone that can make use of BP. However, there are more phone restrictions that make no sense. Why can’t you receive Mystery Gifts or check Battle Data/News on the Switch? It’s certainly capable of it. Mystery Gifts in particular are another frustrating problem on par with the trading issue. The other two features I wouldn’t mind being mobile exclusive.

All in all, Pokemon Home is another hot mess for Gamefreak and Nintendo.

Conclusion

I know I’ve been rough on this new generation. Arceus knows I was pretty brutal, especially where the story was concerned. But that’s only because I know they can do better. Up until this point, we’ve been given some games that were downright masterpieces. I am highly disappointed in the creators, and I hope with all my heart they listen to their fans and do better going forward. Even if that means we have to wait a little longer.

What’s more, I seriously hope they don’t continue to financially extort their market. Charging this much for something so rushed and poorly executed is an insult. And if it continues... I’m afraid of where the Pokemon franchise may be headed.

That’s all. I’m sorry if I stepped on some toes here, but these are all my honest opinions. I hope that some of these things have validated others’ feelings, too, and perhaps that people look at some of these issues in a new light.

PS, I’m sorry for any abrupt tonal shift that might be seen between the “Characters” and “Post-Game” sections. I had to stop writing to go to bed, but then I didn’t get around to finishing until nearly a month later.

[theangrypokemaniac]

Since no one cares about Alola I can therefore say what I want.

Team Rocket's Pokémon are all worthless toss. That's such a surprise from this oafish writing team.

Remember when Jessie and James had two each, to offer variety? Permitting them even that is too much focus nowadays.

We don't what anything interesting going on, thank you. Repetition is what we and they deserve.

Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung and Victreebel are spinning in their graves.

Stufful was missing for three years and she displayed not the slightest pang of concern until its belated invention. Given her temper she ought to have torn the island apart searching for her baby, but no.

Not bothered about Bewear. It shouldn't really be in this list as it didn't belong to them, although catching has no value anymore.

A bit thick are we? Or conforming to the usual parental standards?

Well, she's sufficiently neglectful that she let it out of her sight long enough for it to be crushed under a tree, then was too idle to come to the rescue. In consequence he was obliged to wait days until one of Lusamine's lackeys arrived.

She's 'Mama Bear' though, isn't she?

It's based on a red panda, is partly the colour of a black bear and as strong as a grizzly, but all that is a mere cover for its true nature as a Bear-Face Ham.

The modern pretence is that everyone's a vegetarian (are they balls), and Ursa Major lives on fruit, not, you know, flesh.

Just because it there's no hibernating in the tropics doesn't mean it can get by without a salmon now and again.

The name is stupid, since a red panda is not a bear. A play on words isn't clever if based on what it isn't.

They should've called her 'Pandamonia', or 'Pandour', which is a brutal soldier.

It is at least redeemed by battering the klepto cockroach into the next dimension. Good on 'er.

Mind you, this is Alola, a cesspit of incest, so it's probably some sick arrangement, like Bewear being slipped the length by that previously unmentioned Oakie-Dokie clone.

He's the spit of Jimmy Savile, thus every depravity is on the table.

Where's Stufful's dad? He buggered off too?

What kind of name is 'Stufful'? What's it made from, 'stifle' and 'suffocation'? 'Stuffed'?

Thanks for that. Whenever I see its ovine face I'm reminded of taxidermy.

Were Ursa Minor and Bewear described as mother and son, or were they 'friends'?

A series of games involving breeding and the 'anime' is too squeamish to even imply animals live in families.

I don't care either way for Stufful, but I'd like it better if its mouth wasn't a camel toe.

I understand it's a sea creature, and the contents of the oceans are their own brand of peculiarity, but looks like a limbless, undead spaniel plagued with extra teats. Its 'ears' resemble distended mammeries.

Hey, remember that interesting, original Pokémon James had called Victreebel? Let's do it again! And again! AND AGAIN!

Victreebel is a venus fly trap: an anomaly in nature as a carnivorous plant. It makes sense that the Pokémon version would be a bit more full-on in catching a meal.

New law: Team Rocket are required to collect monsters as ugly as themselves.

Hurting James was its personality quirk, particularly to it, fitting its nature, its 'thing'. It was never meant as a template for most of what he caught in the future.

Something is funny if it happens once, and can be now and again if done with a least a little flair.

Nothing repeated as a constant leaden thud is remotely amusing, but this is an unknown fact to Nintendo bone heads. They think certain events are utterly hilarious in themselves and require no finesse in application.

They have a checklist of moments obligatory to each episode, which explains the plodding lifelessness. Tick 'em off to keep the fans from being ticked off. All we supposedly care about is each gong struck, not how we got there.

At least Victreebel used to vary its behaviour:

Occasionally it even did as told without any chomping preamble.

It didn't do the exact same action every single time it was involved!

Mostly it swallowed James.

How long was it once Victreebel was chucked out on its leafy arse before Cacnea arrived?

Oh look, it's a Grass Pokémon and attacks James!

Sometimes it ate Jessie.

Carnivine got in on the action before Cacnea's run was even up: kick 'em when they're down why don't yer?

Oh look, it's a Grass Pokémon and attacks James!

Now we have Mareanie. Wasn't there a few in between? No, shush, they don't exist anymore.

Every bloody time it came out, it turned round and punctured him.

Every bloody time.

Ah, it's not a Grass Pokémon. That makes it totally new!

Oh yes, it's the complete opposite of Victreebel. It's Poison instead. Not like it at all.

Every bloody time it came out, it'd gnaw his head off.

Every bloody time.

That's endearing.

Oh but it is! It's just showing him love!

As that makes it alright!

If a muscular man squeezed his girlfriend so tightly he cracked her ribs, is that 'sweet' because he 'meant well' but his feelings overwhelmed him? Or is it A.B.H.?

Every bloody time it comes out, it injects James's head with toxin until it swells up into purple pustule of disease.

Every bloody time.

I never took Victreebel's assault as affection. To me they were real attempts to devour James, especially with the accompanying frenzied screech. Interpreting that as a positive emotion is bizarre to me.

At soon as James found it wedged in a Breeding Centre cage and opened the door it grabbed him, which appeared to be Victreebel lashing out in anger for what'd happened in the intervening period.

What Mareanie does is worse than the other three put together. At least they delivered mere bite marks or pinpricks, but it infects James!

Whole episodes of this programme have involved a Pokémon falling foul of Poison Powder and being on the verge of death, with all done to preserve it until Ash hunted down the cure, but now it's a big laugh, apparently.

Not one character ever has the wits about them to carry an Antidote, otherwise the writers wouldn't be able to fall back on the tired old race-against-time scenario, which is no such thing as we know they won't die.

Is it likely that James is always going to end up picking a violent Pokémon, of all the individuals of a race, of all the lifeforms in the universe?

Aren't his allowed to come with their own personality, or is there a set pattern they must follow, and when caught they absorb it, for fear they might be memorable?

Mind you, it's interesting the reactions these abuses provoke:

Victreebel eats James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Cacnea impales James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Carnivine chews James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Mareanie poisons James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Meowth claws James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Jessie beats James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Jessibelle whips James: EEVUL BITCH!!!

Mimikyu should be opposed for breaking it's own world.

To us, Pikachu is the most famous Pokémon, belonging to Ash, the protagonist, and the franchise's mascot.

To them, Pikachu is just another middling Pokémon hundreds of young Trainers catch, and holds no greater value.

It's blatantly a reference to Pikachu's real-life status, acknowledging itself as fiction. No Pokémon would hold the same significance for this design to work but him.

Otherwise why would Mimikyu, when it has the choice of every Pokémon that exists, and, if meant to be a believable world, every Pokémon we don't know exists, choose Pikachu to ape? Why wouldn't it pick a Legendary?

Alola Pikachu is looking off colour.

It's not even this specific Mimikyu, it's the entire species!

What, they work to a hive mind, incapable of individual tastes and opinions?

Do they all hate Pikachu too, even though the entire mouse population of Alola has been rounded up by that loon and trapped in a valley, or were we lumbered with the lone demented obsessive with a severe complex?

Is it well jel that Pikachu's a real one, whereas it can only manage to knock up a bog-standard costume with a face daubed by a chimp paralytic from scrumpy?

Well stop imitating it then! Invent your own design!

Oh come on. The animators can't even do that, hence its creation. You can hardly expect it to display inspiration if born from its absence.

I wonder if it hates Raichu. And Pichu. And Plusle and Minun. And the rest of the Pikachu derivatives, although it is one.

(As an aside, I don't know why Raichu, Marowak and Exeggutor were redrawn for this era, but not Pikachu, Cubone and Exeggcute. Why does the sweaty climate affect only evolutions?) 

Here's an idea: make Shiny Mimikyu have a different get up, not colour.

You can have that free, Game Freak. I'm too lenient with yer.

Presumably, Mimikyu hatches (already dead?) in all its eye-bleeding nastiness, and instinctively reaches for the discarded yellow bedsheet and pack of crayons that just so happens to be nearby, and the scissors to make the peep holes.

Them inbreds know how to litter.

Flippers?

Nah, it's probably hooks.

How is it born aware of a Pikachu's face, and why is it compelled to copy them?

Knowledge of his own ugliness is innate, thus he must cover his nakedness before it lays waste to the forest inhabitants.

Yet if you breed 'em, it emerges wearing it, like the cloth formed from left-over albumen and stained with yolk!

What's it reaching with? Paws?

Mittens?

Oh, and there was a deceased specimen in the series, so it's either a ghost, and nothing but bedsheet, or a zombie, and it's repulsive carcass has upped the ante by putrifying.

Even its name doesn't fit. Apart from the unsightly spelling, what's 'Mimikyu' about? It's not mimicking me.

Mimikyu? It should be Mimikchu!

And you know what? Even Nintendo agree their own inventions aren't good enough, because they made return almost impossible.

They hate these more than they do even the pre-Unova Pokémon, most of whom were condemned to a dark existence within the iron corridors of H.Q. and haven't been seen since.

• Growlie is such a beloved figure in James's life he's been involved all of twice.

• Dustox got pensioned off.

• James was practically bullied into gifting Cacnea to that cloying bitch Gardenia.

• Whilst he still tecnically owns Chimecho, it's as lost to him as any of them.

Remember Seviper, Yanmega, Carnivine and Mime Junior?

Hell, remember Woobat, Yamask, Frillish and Amoonguss?

Or Gourgeist and Inkay?

Of course, since the makers appear to have the Reverse-Midas Touch, Team Rocket still took that useless, wincing lump Wobbuffet to Galar instead of dumping it over the sea. Apparently we're stuck with it forever.

Arbok, Lickitung, Weezing and Victreebel got shafted, but THAT survives?

Yes? That's more the writers do. In current canon these Pokémon never lived at all. Dead memories in the haze.

[sage-nebula]

Scrawlers you’re not gonna leave the fandom are you? I know a lot of people who are dropping Pokemon altogether because of this National Dex fiasco, which is really upsetting. Personally even though Pokemon’s main games have been in a slump lately I always stick with this franchise in the hopes that things will turn around but I know not everyone is that optimistic. I’d hate to see you leave because your passion for these games something I’ve always loved but it’s your choice in the end.

Your timing for this ask is spot-on because I was just about to make a post about it, haha.

Short Answer: No, I’m not going to leave the fandom.

Longer Answer:

Pokémon is not just a fandom for me. I usually express this through two separate jokes (“Pokémon is a way of life” and “Pokémon is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter”), but I honestly mean it in all seriousness. I have loved Pokémon for 21 years. Pokémon helped me overcome bullying (though my fists also did that) and make my first friends (my fists weren’t involved here) in elementary school. Pokémon was my go-to escapist fantasy during the hellish life I had in my childhood and adolescence due to parental abuse at home. I bred my arcanine so that my platonic soulmate would have a way to still be with me even after her death. Of course the arcanine is not the same as having the real, breathing dog, but it’s the best I can do with what I have. The original Pokémon overture brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. It’s the one fictional world I would want to live in, without hesitation.

That isn’t something I can let go of, or leave behind. Pokémon is way too special to me for that. It’s not something that I could replace with another monster series (hence why things like Yo-Kai Watch hold no appeal to me), or another game series. The idea of dropping the Pokémon games forever from here on out is painful to me. I pass on lesser Zelda titles all the time if they don’t look like they’ll be fun or interesting. I do the same thing with lesser Sonic titles. But Pokémon? The fact that the Let’s Go games were main series games that were such trash and that threatened in ruining the main series forever (which it seems they’ve succeeded in doing since no one listened and everyone bought them new anyway) upset me deeply. For the first time since 1998 I didn’t buy a main series Pokémon game. Sure, I saved $60, but it really, really hurt and upset me that I couldn’t be excited at the launch of a new main series Pokémon title. To be fair, I wasn’t excited for Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon either, but I still bought and completed Ultra Sun because at least it didn’t carry the threat that if it sold well the rest of the franchise would be negatively impacted. Let’s Go Pikachu / Let’s Go Eevee did carry that threat, and have now made good on that threat, and so I skipped them to do my part to try to save the franchise that I have loved with all my heart since I was eight years old.

But I alone wasn’t enough.

Masuda Junichi has given several different reasons why the National Dex won’t be in Sword / Shield, but every single one of them is nonsense. 

“We don’t have time,” he says, but not only would no one mind if the games were delayed if it meant making them better, but they could always patch in non-Galar pokémon later, and everyone would be fine with that since Home won’t be released until some time in 2020 anyway. 

“We’re making all the models unique and over 800 is too many,” he says, but:

Scorbunny’s kicking animation is the exact same as Buneary’s (pretty sure it was Buneary; maybe it was Bunnelby, but still)

The models they created for X / Y were future-proofed, meaning that they were already fully rendered 3D models that just weren’t being shown in the highest possible resolution on 3DS. They don’t have to remake models for all the old ‘mon, just the new ones.

They have walking / running animations for every single pokémon through Alola that they just haven’t used, meaning that so much of the work is already completed.

They could just upscale pokémon for Gigamaxing, and could have done the same for the Totem Pokémon in Sun / Moon, but apparently they don’t know how to do what is honestly a rather simple thing to code because they chose instead to make brand new models for the Totem Pokémon and likely the Gigamax one, and also created brand new models for NPCs for completely unnecessary reasons (e.g. they made a brand new Lillie model for every area she appeared in, which bloated the amount of models in the game for no goddamn reason), something which was found in the Sun / Moon datamine. If there is a lot of work to be done, it’s because Game Freak is purposefully choosing to work harder, rather than smarter. All this, despite the fact that they hired a programmer specifically for consoles about two years ago.

“We care about game balancing,” he says, but not only has Masuda in particular been adamant about killing off the competitive scene (removing things like the Battle Frontier because he thinks players will find it to be “too hard,” removing EV training from Let’s Go, and so on), but the only reason why having certain old pokémon in the game would throw off game balancing worse than in previous gens is because the Galar pokémon have stats that are just that bad, which spells bad things for competitive play in these games anyway. These games which, mind you, were supposed to be for us, the core players.

“We want to stick to a regional theme and will pick pokémon that apply to the widest base of players,” he says, meaning that only popular ‘mon and Pikachu are likely to make the cut.

“Having 800+ ‘mon is very intimidating to players,” he says, which is what ties the blame back to Let’s Go and its sales. Let’s Go only had the Kanto ‘dex (+Meltan) because they didn’t want Go players to be intimidated by the large amount of pokémon typically available in a new game. Of course, we all knew this logic was flawed back when that was announced: If Go players would be intimidated by the national ‘dex in Let’s Go, how was limiting it there supposed to help them get used to it in Sword / Shield? Well, now we have our answer: Masuda never intended to give it back to us. He always wanted to limit it, because he doesn’t want the core players to play the games anymore. He only wants the Go fans to play.

Here’s the thing: The majority of my One True Team™ is already confirmed to be in the Galar ‘dex. Charizard, Arcanine, Espeon, Umbreon, Mimikyu, Kanto Raichu, and most likely Lapras are all going to be in. (I say most likely, because a Lapras regional evolution was in the leak that has been spot-on about things such as Nessa and Gigamaxing so far, so I would be very surprised if Lapras wasn’t in.) The only ones who are still up in the air for me are Furret and Midday Lycanroc. So the issue here is not what I personally am able to bring over. The issue is the principle of the matter.

See, here’s the thing: I’m lucky because most of my One True Team™ are pokémon that most everyone likes. Everyone loves Charizard. Everyone loves the eeveelutions. Mimikyu was a surprise hit. Arcanine, while less loved than Ninetales, is tied to some cool east Asian mythology and so is unlikely to be cut, and so on. But not everyone is in the same position I’m in. My best friend’s favorite pokémon is Scolipede. Her second favorite pokémon is Kabutops. How likely do you think it is those two will make it in? And if they don’t make it in Gen VIII, how likely it is do you think they’ll return for Gen IX? 

Every pokémon is someone’s favorite. For everyone that hates Trubbish or Vannilluxe, someone out there loves them. And to say that those people shouldn’t be able to bring the ‘mon they’ve raised for generations over to this new region, even eventually—and to double down and say that every single new generation will be like this from now on—is unacceptable. During the press conference that aired the week before the Pokémon Direct, they said when announcing Home that the purpose was to allow us to stay connected to the ‘mon that we’ve bonded with over generations. They know that there are those of us out there who have brought pokémon up ever since the Game Boy generations, and they want us to continue journeying with them. They made it sound as if we could use Home to transfer our pokémon to Sword / Shield, and now they’ve yanked that away from us. They’ve gone back on their word. They lied not only to their fans, but to their stakeholders, during that press conference, and if you were watching Nintendo’s stock around the time the Treehouse video was airing live, their stocks took a dive as a direct result.

And while this is the thing I’m most angry about, it isn’t even the only thing. They also announced during the Treehouse that they’re not only removing the National Dex, but that they’re also removing Mega Evolution in favor of Gigamaxing. This one actually does impact me directly, because I bred and raised my Charizard around the fact that I would Mega Evolve her into Mega Charizard X. I painstakingly hatched hundreds of Adamant Charmander. I EV trained her so that her stats would be perfect. I gave her a moveset built around ‘Zard X. And now, even if I can bring her over to Galar, I won’t be able to Mega Evolve her because the Key Stone and Charizardite simply won’t be available in the game. This, despite the fact that they have the assets for it thanks to Let’s Go. There is absolutely no reason to remove Mega Evolution when Mega Evolution’s assets are already available in a game on this system. There is no excuse. They’re just doing it anyway, because they want everyone to focus on their shiny new mechanic, and demonizing Mega Evolution apparently didn’t do a good enough job of that in Gen VII. (That said, they’re also removing Z-Moves, so apparently they weren’t too attached to those either.)

I just … I can’t support this. I cannot support any of this. It kills me. I feel incredibly conflicted, because there is a lot in Sword / Shield that I still am excited for. I love a lot of the new pokémon, such as Corviknight, Zacian, and Yamper. I like several of the new trainers we’ve seen. I think the region looks gorgeous. But I don’t want to give Game Freak and Nintendo money for any of this, because that will make them think that what they’re doing is a good idea. Just like with Let’s Go, where Masuda said that if those games sold well they would shape the next twenty years of the franchise (which they did, and they are), I don’t want to reward them for poor decision making.

So I’ve decided to buy Sword used. 

When you buy a game used through Game Stop or a similar store, the store gets every single cent. Nintendo and Game Freak see none of it. I still want to play these games for the features I like. But I do not, and will not, support Game Freak and their asinine decision making. So while I might not be able to get Sword on launch day (though we’ll see; I’ve seen used games in Game Stop on launch day before), I’ll be able to get it soon enough and play it in a way that just doesn’t support Game Freak or what they’re doing. I’m only one person, and as we saw with Let’s Go, my lack of sale isn’t going to be enough to stop the train wreck. But if the severe backlash they’re facing now isn’t enough to do it (last I checked, the Treehouse video had 13k Likes in contrast to 24k dislikes, and angry hashtags about this are trending in both the west and Japan on Twitter), then I want to contribute in any way that I can. I love this series too much to just passively support every bad decision Game Freak makes that lessens not only my enjoyment, but also the enjoyment of so many others.

So no, I’m not leaving. I will always love Pokémon. And if Game Freak and / or Nintendo decide to listen to the backlash and backtrack this decision—say, make a statement saying they’ll patch in all the rest of the pokémon later, and hopefully even give us Mega Evolution back—then I’ll happily go back to buying a new copy of the game on Day 1. But until then, I’m buying used from now on. They don’t deserve my money if they’re going to act like this. And again, I alone won’t make a difference, but if there’s one thing that Pokémon has taught me over the years, it’s that that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try.

[nvgotd]

The Non-Violent Games of E3 2019

Following requests on Twitter, I’ve compiled a roundup of all the non-violent games announced and showcased at E3 2019. Hoping this can become an annual thing.

There are 41 games here across a variety of platforms, so without further ado...

Afterparty

Developer: Night School Studios Platforms: PC, Mac, Xbox One Release Date: 2019

Milo and Lola are best buds who recently died and find themselves in Hell. There is only one way to escape: outdrink Satan and he'll let them return to Earth. This point and click adventure sees you on the bender of your afterlife where you'll play beer pong, flirt with Satan and change the very structure of Hell.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Developer: Nintendo Platforms: Switch Release Date: March 20, 2020

The latest entry in Nintendo's charming life sim series starts on a deserted island. Players begin with nothing more than a tent, but must craft enough materials and cultivate the land until they can build an entire village -- all while repaying their debt to the insidious Tom Nook, of course.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Discovery Tour

Developer: Ubisoft Quebec Platforms: PC Release Date: Autumn 2019

Following on from the Assassin's Creed Origins version presents players with a combat-free version of Odyssy's Ancient Greece. They'll be able to explore it at will, or follow tours and suggested paths that will teach them about various aspects of life and culture at the time. This time around, there are also quizzes to see how much you have learned. It will be released for free, with a standalone version for people who don't own the game.

Catan

Developer: Asmodee Digital Platforms: Switch Release Date: June 2019

The digital adaptation of this classic board game is coming to Nintendo Switch. For those who haven't played, a landscape is randomly generated, its terrain and the produce gained from it is split between players, and your task is to build the biggest settlement. Trade with players to get the resources you need to build towns and roads, but be wary of whether the items you give them are helping their own progress.

Circuit Superstars

Developer: Original Fire Games Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: 2020

In the absence of a new Micro Machines, Square Enix Collective is publishing this toy-like top down racer. Players control stylised cars in a series of circuit races where they need to consider their pit stop strategy rather than just floor it and hope to reach the finish first. Vehicles will range from classic cars to rally and trucks.

eFootball PES 2020

Developer: PES Team Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: September 10, 2019

The long-running Pro Evolution Soccer gets a slight esports-driven name change this year, but still aims to deliver the most realistic football available. The Master League mode is being revamped, and a new mode Matchday appears to tie in with real-world matches, calling on players to choose a side and hope that their team's victories help them in-game.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Developer: Mediatonic Platforms: PC, PS4 Release Date: 2020

Published by Devolver Digital, this colourful outing is essentially a Battle Royale game... but without combat. Players control one of 100 little blob people and strive to survive a series of obstacle courses like climbing a hill with boulders falling towards them or crashing through bricks walls that may or may not be solid. If you've ever watched Takeshi's Castle, you get this idea.

Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions

Developer: Playground Games Platforms: Xbox One, PC Release Date: June 13, 2019

The Lego Speed Champions expansion adds a whole new region to the best-selling racer where everything is made of (you guessed it) Lego. Players will also be able to hop into Lego vehicles, race around Lego tracks and smash through Lego walls and trees. Because Lego means everything is awesome (And now that song's stuck in your head. Sorrynotsorry).

FIFA 20

Developer: Electronic Arts Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: September 27, 2019

This year's FIFA revamps key systems like shooting and AI defending but also adds a brand new FIFA Street-style mode, Volta. This veers away from the realistic, straightforward football we're used to and invites players to be more creative in matches where teams have between three and five players rather than the usual eleven.

Flight Simulator

Developer: Microsoft Platforms: PC Release Date: TBA

Microsoft's hyper-realistic aviation simulation returns after more than a decade, this time rendered in impressive 4K visuals. Sit in the cockpit of faithfully recreated vehicles and fly around the world.

Fujii

Developer: Funktronic Labs Platforms: Valve Index Release Date: June 27, 2019

This virtual reality title allows you to explore three of vibrant and serene landscapes. As they wander through them, each with their own distinct environments, they can help bring each one to life by watering plants, touching certain objects and interacting with creatures. They can also collect seeds on their adventure and use them to grow an exotic garden of their own.

Garden of the Sea

Developer: Neat Corporation Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive Release Date: June 10, 2019 (Early Access)

In a game described as a mix between Harvest Moon and Pokémon, players are given a cottage on a small island and are free to live out their life how they see fit. They can grow plants and crops in their garden, or explore the island and meet the native creatures. Unlike Pokémon, interacting with them doesn't require you to battle them in any way -- simply stroke them, feed them and generally befriend them.

Genesis Noir

Developer: Feral Cat Den Platforms: PC, Mac Release Date: TBA

Technically, this game depicts the Big Bang that started our universe as a gunshot from a cosmic being, one that kills the protagonist's love interest... but since the gameplay does not involve violence and the goal is to prevent her death, I'm going to give it a pass. This stylish adventure sees you exploring Earth from the eyes of someone who exists outside of the universe. The emphasis is on exploration, interacting with the world and generating art as you do so.

Harvest Moon: Mad Dash

Developer: Natsume Platforms: PS4, Switch Release Date: Autumn 2019

An even more casual spin-off of the already laid back Harvest Moon series, Mad Dash is a colour matching puzzle game at its heart. Players are presented with a field seeded with blocks of different coloured crops. Combining those blocks to form larger squares helps the crops grow larger for more points -- for example, combine four cabbages to make one big cabbage, then four big cabbages to make a giant one. Rack up as high a score as possible before the time runs out, and you can call in a friend with co-op mode to help you.

Heave Ho

Developer: LeCartel Studios Platforms: PC, Switch Release Date: Summer 2019

Published by Devolver Digital, this wacky physics-based platformer gives you control of a strange looking creature with two exceedingly long arms. Use the simulated physics to build momentum and swing or flip across the screen to grab hold of the terrain. Only by mastering the mechanics will you complete each course. You can also have up to three friends join in, but coordination will be key to reaching your goal.

Hyperdot

Developer: Tribe Games Platforms: PC, Xbox Release Date: 2019

This minimalist action arcade game is all about dodging. You control a single dot (a HyperDot, if you will) trapped in a circular arena with enemies, projectiles and other hazards. Simply guide your dot around the empty space to avoid any collisions and survive as long as you can. The campaign will have over 100 different levels, each with their own dangers, and a multiplayer mode will challenge you to outlast your friends.

Just Dance 2020

Developer: Ubisoft Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Wii (no, really) Release Date: November 5, 2019

If you haven't heard of Just Dance before, it's a Rayman Raving Rabbids minigame that's got out of hand (true story). In the minigame, players copied the choreography on an on-screen characters in time with the music. Ten years, 28 games and spin-offs, and countless music licensing deals later, you have Just Dance 2020.

Lost Words: Beyond The Page

Developer: Sketchbook Games Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: December 2019

A 2D platformer set entirely in a little girl’s diary. Players use the words on the page as both platforms and tools to solve the various puzzles that block her progress. The game also has a beautiful story written by Rhianna Pratchett.

Madden NFL 20

Developer: Electronic Arts Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: August 2, 2019

New to this year's Madden is Face of the Franchise: QB1, a "personalised career campaign" that allows players to create their own college quarterback and lead him to NFL glory. There are ten licensed college teams, along with all the most popular teams in the league.

Mind Labyrinth VR Dreams

Developer: Frost Earth Studio Platforms: PSVR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift Release Date: Out Now

Another virtual reality exploration title set in a variety of imaginary landscapes. Mind Labyrinth VR Dreams is designed to be a meditative experience, where each world is inspired by a different mental state to help players "find their emotional balance". Environments range from a calm and lush forest to a perilous world of flames and tornados.

Mosaic

Developer: Krillbite Studio Platforms: PC Release Date: 2019

This dark and brooding adventure centres around a lonely man living a repetitive life in an overpopulated but ever-expanding city. Players experience his life, from the daily commute to working at a faceless megacorporation. All seems meaningless, until one day strange things begin to happen and the man's life changes dramatically.

Night Call

Developer: Black Muffin, MonkeyMoon Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, Switch Release Date: 2019

A murder mystery noire game where you play a Paris taxi driver. Players must assist with the police investigation by getting their passengers, including potential suspects, to talk during their journey with you. But try not to scare them off, as you still need to earn enough money to pay your bills.

Per Aspera

Developer: Tlön Industries Platforms: PC Release Date: 2020

Another title about colonisation, but this one is set a little closer to home. Per Aspera tells the tale of a mission to colonise Mars, but in addition to the management side of things there is a strong narrative about the hardships of leaving your world to build a new one. Players must explore the Red Planet to find the resources they need to terraform the environment and survive, and make decisions carefully and strategically if they want the colony to prosper.

Planet Zoo

Developer: Frontier Developments Platforms: PC Release Date: November 5

From the makers of Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution comes a management title that, perhaps quite obviously, puts you in charge of a zoo. Care for your animals, customers and staff as you try to run an efficient zoo, unlocking more and more exotic creatures as you progress.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver

Developer: MidBoss Platforms: PC, Mac Release Date: 2020

Announced this week, this is the sequel to the acclaimed cyberpunk point-and-click adventure 2064: Read Only Memories. Players will search people's memories as a telepathic detective aided by the titular Neurodiver as the pair search Neo-San Francisco for a rogue psychic who is breaking people's minds.

Roller Champions

Developer: Ubisoft Platforms: PC Release Date: Early 2020

Set in 2029, this colourful game imagines a world where the most popular sport is the titular Roller Champions. Players compete in teams of three as they race around oval tracks trying to score as many goals as they can, while racking up as many laps as possible. There is the ability to tackle, but also the ability to dodge in stylish fashion.

Skatebird

Developer: Glass Bottom Games Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux Release Date: TBA

Since we're unlikely to ever be getting a new Skate, one indie is working on the next best thing: Skatebird. This skateboarding game features all the tricks, flips and kicks you expect, but the rider is a little bird and everything he's skating on has been made from household objects. The Kickstarter for this was announced earlier this week and already passed its goal of $15,000 (currently near $24,000).

Spiritfarer

Developer: Thunder Lotus Games Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: 2020

In this cartoonish but touching adventure, players take on the role as the ferryman carrying recently departed souls on to the next world. While the souls are of human beings, they appear as animals that represent their personalities. Players can befriend them, develop relationships, and expand and improve the houseboat carrying them to the other side in a story that drives a message of acceptance.

Spaceteam VR

Developer: Cooperative Innovations Platforms: TBC Release Date: TBC

A virtual reality adaptation of a mobile game previously covered on NVGOTD. The concept is much the same: a group of players are aboard a spaceship, each in charge of certain controls labelled in made up space jargon. Each player is given a set of instructions that relates to another players' controls, but they don't know who. The only way out to find out is to shout out "Soak the Ferrous Holospecturm" or "Set the Sigmaclapper to 0" (for example) and hope everyone else is paying attention. If the team fails to follow instructions, the ship crashes.

Starmancer

Developer: Ominux Games Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux Release Date: Q1 2020

Starmancer is a building and management game that sees you constructing and maintaining a space station, but rather than playing some invisible God-like being (i.e. yourself) like you do in The Sims, this time you have a role to play. The game casts you as the station's AI and tasks you with sustaining a crew of colonists as they attempt to reach a new world on which they can build their home. Once the colony is complete, players can send out their humans to mine asteroids, trade with other factions and even explore ancient alien ruins.

Steep

Developer: Ubisoft Annecy Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: Out Now

Another previous NVGOTD recommendation, this extreme winter sports title from Ubisoft is still going strong. This week the publisher announced a free new map set in Japan, giving players a whole new course to master.

Supermarket Shriek

Developer: Billy Goat Entertainment Platforms: PC, Xbox One Release Date: July 9, 2019

Don't worry, that's not blood -- it's paint. I was confused too. Supermarket Shriek is a kart racer (of sorts) where you control a man and a goat in a shopping trolley. Designed to ideally be played by two people (one as the goat, one as the man), each person has a microphone and must scream into it to turn in their direction to steer around a variety of complicated courses, all set in unsuspecting and previously tidy shops. There is, of course, a two-button control scheme for players who want to try it themselves.

Telling Lies

Developer: Sam Barlow Platforms: PC, Mac Release Date: 2019

From the creator of the superb Her Story comes a fresh live-action narrative adventure with far grander ambitions. Players explore videos stored on a hard drive stolen from the National Security Agency as they try to understand why the four characters have been played under electronic surveillance. As with Her Story, they can search for keywords to access new videos but this time they need to piece together timelines and events to interpret what they have seen.

The Curious Tale of Stolen Pets

Developer: Fast Travel Games Platforms: PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality Release Date: 2019

This single player adventure game is a puzzle-centric affair set on tiny floating worlds that come from the imagination of a child and their grandfather. Players grab, push, drop and spin objects found in each world searching for clues that will reveal what happened to the missing pets.

The Elder Scolls Legends

Developer: Bethesda Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android Release Date: Out Now

This digital card battler sees you pitting monsters and creatures from the world of Bethesda's hit RPG series against each other. The big E3 news for this game is a new expansion, Moons of Elsweyr, introducing new cards and a storyline themed around the home of the cat-like Khajiit people.

The Good Life

Developer: White Owls Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: Autumn 2019

Positioned as a "debt management life RPG", The Good Life puts players in the role of New York journalist Naomi, who has to move to a small British town to pay off her debts. The only way to do so is ben taking pictures of what happens in the town and reporting on them, but the closer she watches the local inhabitants, the quicker she realises that all is not as it seems.

The Lord of the Rings: Living Card Games

Developer: Fantasy Flight Interactive, Asmodee Digital Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: August 8, 2019

Another digital card battler, but one based on the timeless works of JRRTolkien. Inspired by the real card game, this uses the animation and interactivity of video games to liven matches up. Players collect a deck of heroes from across Middle-Earth as they battle the forces of Sauron in card form.

The Sims 4: Island Living

Developer: The Sims Studio, Maxis Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: June 21 (Desktop), July 16 (Consoles)

The newest expansion for The Sims 4 gives players the chance to build their dream island palace, as well as watch their Sims take part in more tropical activities. They'll be able to kit out their characters in local island clothing, instruct them to lounge on the beach, or encourage them to befriend the native dolphins. There are also water sports, like canoeing, swimming and surfing, plus occupations to train up for, like the beach-cleaning conservationist.

The Wardrobe - Even Better Edition

Developer: CINIC Games Platforms: PC Release Date: June 7, 2019

The Wardrobe is a point-and-click adventure inspired by the classic LucasArts titles like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. It tells the story of Skinny, a boy died from an allergy to plums (that he didn't know about) and became a skeleton that lives in his friend Ronald's wardrobe. Skinny secretly watches over Ronald and helps him in life, but events force him to reveal himself. Even Better Edition adds joypad support, more achievements, a new save system and other improvements.

Totem Teller

Developer: Grinning Pickle Platforms: Xbox One, PC Release Date: 2020

Described by the developer as an "antinarrative video game", Totem Teller puts you in the role of a muse seeking inspiration. They roam the land in search of lost folklore, investigating strange distortions and retelling stories to any listeners they gather around them -- or allowing the stories to be forgotten forever. The surreal painted visual style gives it a storybook feel.

Way to the Woods

Developer: Anthony Tan Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: 2020

This beautiful game sees players controlling one of two deer wandering through a post-apocalyptic landscape in search of safety. As they explore the ruins of civilisation, they'll encounter other friendly creatures such as racoons and cats, but a black goo that corrupts everything it touches continues to spread around them. Only by solving puzzles and finding new ways forward can they hope to escape.

Yoga Master

Developer: Oxygene Media Platforms: PS4 Release Date: Summer 2019

Developed in collaboration with professional yoga coaches, this game features more than 150 different poses for players to master and a variety of serene environments to practice in. There are over yoga programs to follow or you can create your own, and the game will be regularly updated with new content.

[pokemondungeon]

A Brief History of Pokémon Cards and the Pokémon TCG (trading card game)

Pokémon or Pocket Monsters is a Japanese franchise which was created in 1995 by Satoshi Tajiri. A consortium between three most famous Japanese companies Nintendo, Creatures and Game Freak was made which gave birth to the Pokémon company. The Pokémon company is responsible for licensing, marketing and brand management of the Pokémon franchise on the whole. The franchise consists of various ventures including anime television series, films, manga, merchandise, video game software, home entertainment products and Pokémon Trading Cards. The franchise is focused around fictional creatures called Pokémon or Pocket Monsters.

The Story of Pokémon

The story of these Pocket Monsters revolves around the general concept which is also the slogan for the franchise “Gotta catch ‘em all!”. Humans which are Pokémon Trainers use Pokeballs to catch the Pokémon and train the Pokémon they catch. Pokémon are trained to battle each other for sport. The Pokémon Trainers aim to catch and train the most powerful and diverse Pokémon to compete with other Pokémon in their area and region. Various Pokémon battles and battle competitions happen for Pokémon Trainers where the one with most powerful Pokémon wins.

 Anyone who wants to become a Pokémon Trainer goes out to search and capture Pokémon in various regions. There are various species of Pokémon which live in different regions. Pokémon Trainers look for them and catch them. They try to gather as many powerful Pokémon as they can and train them. Once a Pokémon Trainer has found any species of Pokémon, he or she uses a Pokeball to catch it. Pokeballs are designed to capture these creatures and once they are caught, the Pokémon Trainers can train them for battle. The Pokémon are caught by the trainers by throwing these Pokeballs at the creatures.

 Once the Pokeball has captured a Pokémon, that Pokémon comes under the ownership of the Pokémon Trainer and will obey its commands. The Pokémon Trainers have one goal and that is to become the regional champion by fighting in the Pokémon Leagues and Pokedex competitions that happen in their respective regions and then win the inter-region competitions too.  The Pokémon gain certain points when they successfully defeat another Pokémon and may level up after achieving a certain number of points. By leveling up, the Pokémon gain a number of different and improved characteristics including more power, speed and new techniques/moves for battle. They also get special powers in certain levels. They Pokémon also go through a type of metamorphosis where they are transformed into a stronger species which is similar but stronger in terms of various physical and mental abilities. This transformation is called the Pokémon evolution. The Pokémon belong to different types including Metal, Grass, Water, Fire, Ground, Ice, Electric, Darkness, Poison, Bug, Ghost, Rock, Fighting, and Psychic. Overall there are about 800+ different species of Pokémon which have been designed.

This fictional story is portrayed in the Pokémon Video games, Pokémon anime series, Pokémon TCG and all other Pokémon ventures.

Pokémon Trading Cards Game

One of the ventures of the Pokémon company is the Pokémon Trading Cards Game which is also known commonly as Pokémon TCG. Pokémon TCG is a collectible card game where specially designed cards known as Pokémon Cards are collected and traded. The general idea of playing the Pokémon Trading Cards Game is similar to the Pokémon story. The goals are similar to that of a Pokémon battle.

How to play Pokémon TCG?

The players act as Pokémon Trainers and collect a number of Pokémon cards and attempt to beat their opponents by knocking out their Pokémon. Pokémon Cards are specially designed cards. Each card has a certain species of Pokémon on them and all its strengths, weaknesses, special characteristics, powers and moves are listed on the card. The collectors look for the Pokémon Cards which have the most powerful Pokémon. The concept is same which is to collect as many powerful Pokémon as possible and then battle against others. So, the collector collects as many Pokémon Cards as he can. Don’t have anyone to play the TCG with? why not try the Pokemon Trading Card game online? It’s a digital version of the TCG which can be played for free and can be played against anyone in the world. You can get online booster codes to unlock digital cards in the Pokemon Trading Card Game Online. Each one unlocks 10 additional game cards.

Pokémon Cards and their types

In a Pokémon Cards game, there a number of different card types which represent different categories of Pokémon. The first category is of Basic Pokémon. These are the ones without which a player cannot start a Pokémon TCG. Every player must have at least six Basic Pokémon cards in order to play. When the game begins, the player puts one of the six Basic Pokémon in the active position to fight and the rest of five Pokémon are placed in the line to fight. The second category is the Evolved Pokémon which are Pokémon which have transformed into stronger versions of their species. These cannot be played directly in the field but can be coupled with the card of the same but lower category species which is already in the field. Other categories of cards include Secret Rare Pokémon Cards, Baby Pokémon Cards, Mega Pokémon, Break Pokémon, Pokémon-EX, etc. There are also Energy Cards which can be used to double up the energy of your existing Pokémon if they are attached together to any of your Pokémon.

Most Popular Card Game Ever

Pokémon TCG is a very entertaining and exciting card game which is played by people all around the world. Not just kids and teenagers but there are many adults which have adapted the hobby of collecting Pokémon Cards and playing Pokémon TCG. Various events are also arranged by the lovers of Pokémon TCG where people meet to play this trading card game and trade cards with other people.

 Pokémon Cards game has been quite popular since its release in 2003. By 2006, the Pokémon craze took over the world and it was the most popular and top-selling card game of that year. Over 25.7 Billion Pokémon Cards have been sold worldwide till 2017 and its popularity is increasing more and more. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that Pokémon TCG has had the most widespread success by winning the hearts of millions of people around the globe in just a few years from its release and it is surely a very fun game to play.

[orbitbrain]

Pokemon Legends: Arceus new trailer introduces Kleavor

Pokemon Legends: Arceus new trailer introduces Kleavor

A brand new trailer for Pokémon Legends: Arceus was revealed at the moment (28). It appeared within the franchise’s YouTube channel. Among the many novelties, the spotlight is the looks of the brand new little monster Kleavor. This specific Pokemon is a brand new evolution of Scyther. It’s an unprecedented entry for PokeDex, nevertheless, the rookie can also be a part of a brand new Pokemon…

[oldtownseo]

Why Do Oversized T-shirt Have Such A Diversified Versatile Designs As Compared To Other Men’s Fashion?

Oversized T-shirts have become incredibly popular and versatile in men's fashion for several reasons, which contribute to their diversified and versatile designs compared to other men's clothing items:

Comfort: Oversized T-shirts are inherently comfortable due to their loose and relaxed fit. This comfort factor makes them a preferred choice for many men, encouraging designers to create a wide range of designs to cater to various tastes.

Casual Appeal: The casual nature of oversized T-shirts makes them suitable for a wide range of settings and activities, from lounging at home to running errands, going to concerts, or even hitting the gym. This versatility in terms of occasions drives the demand for different designs.

Expressive Canvas: The ample surface area of oversized T-shirts serves as a canvas for creative and expressive designs. Men can showcase their interests, hobbies, favorite bands, artists, and more through the graphics and prints on their T-shirts.

Streetwear Influence: Streetwear fashion has had a significant impact on men's clothing trends, and oversized T-shirts are a staple of this style. Streetwear encourages unique and eye-catching designs, often drawing inspiration from urban culture, graffiti, and art.

Nostalgia: Oversized T-shirts with vintage or retro designs evoke feelings of nostalgia. Many men appreciate the throwback appeal of T-shirts featuring logos, cartoons, or references from past decades.

Celebrity and Pop Culture Influence: Celebrities, musicians, and pop culture icons frequently wear oversized T-shirts with distinctive designs. Fans often seek to emulate their favorite stars' style, contributing to the demand for a wide range of T-shirt designs.

Collaborations and Limited Editions: Many fashion brands collaborate with artists, designers, and other brands to release limited-edition oversized T-shirts. These collaborations often result in unique and collectible designs that appeal to a broad audience.

In summary, the diversified and versatile designs of oversized T-shirts in men's fashion can be attributed to their comfort, casual appeal, expressive potential, influence from streetwear and pop culture, personalization options, sustainability efforts, and their role in conveying messages and personal style. These factors collectively contribute to the popularity and creative evolution of oversized T-shirt designs in the fashion industry.

Anime Oversized T-shirt Suggestion From Old Town Wardrobe

Below are some suggestions from the Old Town wardrobe that you can explore for your next party:

Pokemon Go

A media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri which centers around a group of creatures known as Pokémon, from which the series takes its name. A group of humans known as Pokémon Trainers catch Pokémon and train them to battle other Pokémon for sport. Although Pokémon is primarily a video game franchise, an anime series, manga, and a trading card game also make up large aspects of the franchise. And if you wish to have this dorohedoro oversized t-shirt in your wardrobe or for your next party then you can find it at buy gaming print t shirts india.

Clash Of Clans

Clash of Clans is a popular iPad/iPhone/iPod/Android game created by "Supercell". From rage-filled Barbarians with glorious mustaches to pyromaniac Wizards, raise your own army and lead your clan to victory! Build your village to fend off raiders, battle against millions of players worldwide, and forge a powerful clan with others to destroy enemy clans. And if you wish to have this gears of straw hats oversized t-shirt in your wardrobe for your next party then you can find it at buy gaming print t shirts india.

Subway Surfer

Subway Surfers is an endless runner video game developed & published by Kiloo & SYBO. The player takes on the role of an average teen (or, on rare occasions, a young adult) vandalizing a subway train with spray paint, and is caught by The Guard and his dog. The player must run away from the two, who are chasing them. And if you wish to have this gear 5: the joy of freedom oversized t-shirt in your wardrobe or for your next party then you can find it at buy gaming print t shirts india.

Apart from the above buy gaming print t-shirts india, there are many other options in terms of oversized t shirt. When to these demands there are only some brands that help you fulfil these needs. And Old Town is a one-stop solution when it comes to street style fashion brand, unique printed t shirts online, buy gaming print t shirts india & anime themed t shirts online that you can explore on their website i.e. old town india.

To know more: https://www.oldtownindia.in/buy-oversized-t-shirts-online-india

[recentanimenews]

New Pokémon Evolutions Web Anime to Look Back on 25 Years

  Get ready to look back at the entire Pokémon series with a brand new anime web series to celebrate 25 years of the franchise. Titled Pokémon Evolutions, the eight-episode series will be retrospective on the franchise as a whole, with each episode focusing on one "familiar" story from each region, starting with Galar (the newest region) and finishing in Kanto (the oldest region). A trailer and visual for the web series were released.

      The episode list for Pokémon Evolutions was released, announcing when each episode will be online on the official Pokémon YouTube Channel and Pokémon TV, as well as the region and episode name:

  “The Champion” featuring the Galar region - Released on September 9

“The Eclipse” featuring the Alola region - Released on September 23

“The Visionary” featuring the Kalos region - Released on October 7

“The Plan” featuring the Unova region - Released on October 21

“The Rival” featuring the Sinnoh region - Released on December 2

“The Wish” featuring the Hoenn region - Released on December 9

“The Show” featuring the Johto region - Released on December 16

“The Discovery” featuring the Kanto region - Released on December 23

  Pokémon Evolutions will be produced at OLM, which has animated the Pokémon TV anime since its beginning, in partnership with The Pokémon Company International with the first episode looking at the fight with Eternatus on September 9.

  Source: Press Release

   ----

Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram. 

By: Daryl Harding

[wazafam]

2021 is a pretty big year for the Pokémon Company. There had already been plenty of rumors about a remake of the Diamond and Pearl titles, but alongside these classic returns, it's also a year of celebration for Nintendo. 2021 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Pokémon brand!

RELATED: Pokémon Go: 10 Pokémon That Never Get Old To Catch

Of course, there's likely plenty more to look forward to throughout the year. Whether it's continued development on other titles or the potential for other releases, events, or game updates throughout the year, fans of the Pikachu brand have a lot to look out for potentially, as some of the rumors and theories currently circulating may turn out to be accurate.

10 Pokémon Go New Generation 6 And 7

Niantic and Nintendo are always looking for ways to refresh Pokémon Go as it continues to maintain a loyal fan base and begin to appeal to a wider audience once more. Expanding the Pokédex is usually one way to bring a great deal of new content to the mobile game in an easy way.

There's been a number of leaks about the assets that are currently in the build of the game, which could point to new Generation 6 and 7 Pokémon being added throughout 2021. This would give players a brand new set of characters to search for, catch and battle with! The game would continue to come a long way from its launch with iconic Generation I Pokémon.

9 Pokémon Go New Mega Evolutions

Mega Evolutions have already become a well-known part of the franchise after being introduced in the mainline games Pokémon X And Y and continuing into Sun and Moon. These evolutions have in part been introduced into Pokémon Go.

The same asset leak has also pointed to the fact that further Mega Evolutions could also be brought into the game throughout the year. With 48 in the mainline games, there's plenty of room for Pokémon Go to expand the Pokédex and continue adding these impressive characters.

8 Pokémon Go Gigantamax

Gigantamax Pokémon seem like the natural next step for Pokémon Go after the concept was brought into the mainline games. The idea is for the Pokémon to significantly grow in size, increasing their power and thereby adding to the spectacle of Pokémon battles.

RELATED: Every Pokémon Region, Ranked From Lamest To Coolest

The mechanics of this seem difficult for the game to adapt to mobile devices, but some players think they've found a glitch that demonstrates that Niantic is working on a solution to this problem. It would be an interesting addition to the Pokédex and one that could help cap off 2021 and lead into a new season and year.

7 Detective Pikachu 2: The Game

Detective Pikachu is a huge brand for the Pokémon Company and a game is making its way to Nintendo Switch. However, it's currently unclear as to what this game currently consists of. There's a number of theories as to what fans could expect from the title.

It's possible that this may be a remake in a similar way to Pokémon Snap. It could also be an update like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The most likely answer is that this is a sequel of sorts though, allowing players to pick up where the last game left off.

6 Detective Pikachu 2: The Movie

With the game coming to Nintendo Switch though speculation has begun that perhaps a new movie is in development and this 2021 release is going to coincide or capitalize on the title. It's important to note that lead star Justice Smith doesn't believe there will be a second film.

A few years back it was confirmed a sequel was being written though and with fans eager to see plenty of new Pokémon in live-action and a continuation of that story, the 25th Anniversary could be a good year to reveal plans for the brand's cinematic future.

5 Live-Action Announcements

Considering the responses of the lead though, there are potentially no announcements for Detective Pikachu this year. The studio behind the original film, Legendary, has been working on a different live-action Pokémon project which fans could hear about this year. 

RELATED: Pokémon: 5 Of The Best Designed Mega Evolutions (& 5 Of The Worst)

With rumors of what the title could be continuing to unfold, including the potential for a Red/Blue film, the timeline works out that 2021 could be the perfect stage of the development process to announce to the world what Nintendo and the Pokémon Company have been working on.

4 New Sword & Shield DLC

Another rumor that has begun to circulate is the idea that additional DLC may be brought to Sword and Shield in 2021. Fans speculated that Nintendo may be done with the title for now so that they can focus on their other projects such as the Diamond and Pearl remake.

But with theories suggesting these titles are straight-up visual redesigns as opposed to significant changes for Nintendo Switch, it's more probable that this DLC may be released in order to continue to get players involved with the newer title.

3 Mega Evolutions In Diamond & Pearl

There are a couple of other leaks that have been making the rounds based on the development process of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. It's possible that as they make their way into Pokémon Go, Mega Evolutions could also make a comeback in the mainline titles.

The concept of a Mega Evolution was not in existence when the original Diamond and Pearl were released on the Nintendo DS. But with the company potentially looking to update the game, this may be an interesting addition that adds a fresh coat of paint for players.

2 Huge E3 Display

2021 has been a big year for Nintendo in general, but with E3 going ahead in June plenty of big gaming companies are building up their presentations after last year's cancellation disappointed fans. Nintendo is likely going to be showcasing their upcoming Switch titles.

There have been rumors that suggest that Pokémon may make up some of the highlights of Nintendo's display as they continue to showcase their mobile updates, as well as the various titles releasing in 2021 and beyond. Expect the potential for new announcements and further gameplay footage.

1 Nintendo Switch Pro Games

There's a lot of speculation that the Nintendo Switch Pro is actually going to release sooner than expected, potentially even being announced at E3. Pokémon will have a huge presence on the console if that really is the case, as it has done with every other Nintendo product.

In fact, the success of Pokémon on the Nintendo Switch has demonstrated that Nintendo will want to continue to give the franchise prime position on the Pro release. It could even be that Legends: Arceus might be released on the Pro as well as the Lite and traditional Switch.

NEXT: Pokémon GO: 10 Things We Can Expect In 2021

Pokémon: 10 Best Rumors For What Fans Can Expect in 2021 from https://ift.tt/3aggaA8

[sekerenews]

Here are the Clio Entertainment Awards 2019 Winners

The Clio Entertainment Awards 2019 recently announced its winners and some ad campaigns for some of the year’s biggest movies and TV shows won big. Ad campaigns for Joker, Us, Game of Thrones and Legion were some of the big Clio Entertainment Awards 2019 winners. This year’s award show was hosted by Craig Robinson. This jury included Amazon Studios' Mike Benson, WarnerMedia's Chris Spadaccini, Twitch's John Koller, Cirque du Soleil's Kristina Heney, Warner Bros. Pictures' Massey Rafani and many more.

About the Clio Entertainment Awards

Clio Entertainment Awards was formerly known as The Clio Key Art Awards. It is the original and definitive awards program celebrating creativity in the entertainment business. This award ceremony honours an evolving industry that regularly pushes boundaries, permeates pop culture and establishes a new precedent for entertainment marketing around the globe.

Clio Entertainment Awards 2019 Winners

Here are some of the Clio Entertainment Awards 2019 Winners: Games: Innovation GRAND WINNER Changing the Game: Microsoft Visit Xbox: The Birth of Gaming Tourism: Microsoft Xbox One X Enhanced Marvel's Spider-Man — Be Greater Campaign: PlayStation Fallout 76 — Our Future Begins Campaign: Bethesda Softworks Games: Key Art GRAND WINNER Key Art - Multi-use, Borderlands 3 Ghostwire Tokyo - Key Art, Ghostwire Tokyo NEO JAPAN TO THE WORLD, PlayStation4 A Black Legend Appears in Tokyo Landmark, Pokémon GO Games: Original Content BRONZE WINNER Visit Xbox: the birth of gaming tourism: Microsoft Xbox One X Enhanced BRONZE WINNER Video Game Weapon Prank: Warframe BRONZE WINNER Lego Ultimate Unboxing: Microsoft Xbox Cancelled Bit #1: Penn & Teller VR: F,U,U,U&U: Penn & Teller VR: F U, U, U & U, Gearbox Publishing Fallout 76 — You Will Emerge!: Bethesda Softworks Games: Public Relations GRAND WINNER Changing the Game, Microsoft The Senior Game Changers, Lenovo WWF - #NoBuildChallenge, FORTNITE Visit Xbox: the birth of gaming tourism, Microsoft Xbox One X Enhanced Home Entertainment: Audio/Visual Mixed Campaign GRAND WINNER Bohemian Rhapsody Home Entertainment Campaign for Bohemian Rhapsody, Mob Scene Ralph Breaks the Internet - Campaign, Tiny Hero Alita: Battle Angel - Home Entertainment Campaign, Aspect Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Ammo Creative Home Entertainment: Original Content GRAND WINNER The Predator Holiday Special for The Predator (2018), Stoopid Buddy Stoodios The Scully Effect, Bandersnatch Pictures Evolution of Alita, Mob Scene What It Means To Be A Cyborg, Mob Scene ANY WHO CAN DO, Thinkwell Media THE LOOK AND SOUND OF QUEEN, Mob Scene Recreating Live Aid, Mob Scene The Last Days of The Big Bang Theory, Monkey Deux Inc. Impossible Carols, Think Jam Inc. Home Entertainment: Packaging GRAND WINNER The Big Lebowski: The Purge Franchise Steelbooks The Shining Steelbook: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment The Shining 4K Campaign: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment The Shining 4K O-Slipcase: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment LEGOized Line Look: Warner Bros. Alien 40th Anniversary Edition Packaging: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Bohemian Rhapsody Steelbook: Bohemian Rhapsody The Greatest Showman: The Greatest Showman Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Edition: Batman: The Animated Series Watching Eyes: Watching Eyes Line Look Planet of the Apes 50th Anniversary Collection: Box Set, Collection and Complete Series Packaging 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment VHS Retro Packaging Line Look: Lionsgate The Big Lebowski – 20th Anniversary: The Purge Franchise Sleepy Hollow 20th Anniversary: Paramount Home Media John Wick ComicCon Mini Steelbook: John Wick Terminator 2: Judgment Day 4K UHD – Endoarm Collector's Edition: Terminator 2: Judgment Day Home Entertainment: Social Media GOLD WINNER Christmas Movie? Confirmed!: Die Hard GOLD WINNER Bohemian Rhapsody – Unboxing:Bohemian Rhapsody, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Queen of Digital Media Campaigns: Bohemian Rhapsody Tethered Breakthrough: Us Dumbo - Facebook Instant Experience: Dumbo, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Bumblebee "Yellow Lightning": Bumblebee #STOMPstompCLAP: Bohemian Rhapsody Social Announce: Us Fight or Flight: Jurassic World: Fallen Kindgom Television/Streaming: Brand & Program Identity GOLD WINNER FCC Loopholes: Viceland GOLD WINNER FXX Boots: FX Networks GOLD WINNER Opening Credits: The Romanoffs GOLD WINNER FXX Double Trouble: FX Networks GOLD WINNER Make a Little Trouble: HBO Make Room: Netflix Doom Patrol: Doom Patrol "Teaser": Westworld Starstruck "Nujeen": National Geographic Paramount Channel IDs: Paramount Channel Better Ruins Everything: No Ads on Hulu: Hulu Skate Life: Viceland Game of Thrones Season 8: HBO HBO: Coming Soon 2019:HBO Brand Refresh: Comedy Central #VictoryFont: A Typeface To Remember: RT Nick Jr Reband Compilation: Nickelodeon Netflix Originals Identity 2020: Netflix Chains the Moon Title Sequence: PBS / American Experience Netflix Lobby: Netflix Television/Streaming: Experiential/Events GRAND WINNER Maisel Day for Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video One Planets 7 worlds event, BBC Studios Creative I Am the Night: Immersive Salon, Warner Media/TNT Castle Rock: SDCC Event Activation, Hulu Game of Thrones | Quest for the Throne, HBO The Studio by HBO, HBO The O.G. Experience, HBO Create #ForTheThrone, 360i 2019 Prime Experience, Amazon Prime Video Welcome to Westeros: Breaking Down the Boundaries Between Physical & Digital, Snap Inc The Chattering Order of St. Beryl, Amazon Prime Video The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Carnegie Deli Pop-Up, Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video Experience, Amazon Prime Video The Boys - Butcher Shop, Amazon Prime Video Television/Streaming: Integrated Campaign GRAND WINNER Game of Thrones | For the Throne Integrated: HBO Planet or Plastic GAS campaign: National Geographic I Am the Night: I Am the Night, TNT 9-1-1: What’s Your Emergency Campaign: 9-1-1, FOX Entertainment #CancelSouthPark: Integrated Campaign: South Park Good Omens Integrated Campaign: Amazon Prime Video The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 2019 Awards Campaign: Amazon Prime Video AHS: FX Networks Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Integrated Campaign: Amazon Prime Video The Boys - A Diabolically Dynamic Campaign: The Boys, Amazon Prime Video Carnival Row Campaign: Amazon Prime Video "Stranger Things 3" Integrated Campaign: Stranger Things 3 The Chattering Order of St. Beryl: Good Omens - Amazon Prime Video Gender Neutral Subtitles: FOX Premium Television/Streaming: Out of Home GRAND WINNER Legion - Wild Post: Legion - Season 3 AHS: Apocalypse - Woman on the Rocks Lot Board: American Horror Story: Apocalypse Baskets - Extension Billboard: Baskets - Season 4 Mayans M.C. - Wild Post: Mayans M.C. - Season 1 Pose - Elektra Extension Billboard: Pose - Season 2 Pose - Angel Billboard: Pose - Season 2 Pose - Blanca Billboard: Pose - Season 2 Pose - Elektra Billboard: Pose - Season 2 Tales Of The City Billboards: Netflix Black Monday Transit: Showtime Networks Legion - Season 3: FX Networks AHS: Apocalypse: FX Networks Castle Rock: Castle Rock The Final Table Billboard: Netflix Dead to Me Billboard: Netflix Derry Girls Mural: Channel 4 American Gods: Starz Baskets S4 "Briefcase": Baskets Baskets S4 "Snake": Baskets Jack Ryan Season 1 – High Impact OOH: Jack Ryan Season 1, Amazon Studios The Christmas Chronicles: Netflix Narcos: Mexico Season 1 Wild Post: Netflix The End of the World Billboards: Amazon Prime, Good Omens Season 3 Sunset Blvd. Takeover: Stranger Things Season 3 World Trade Center Takeover: Stranger Things Drunk History: FYC Beer Mug: Comedy Central Fear the Walking Dead S5 Comic-Con: Fear the Walking Dead Russian Doll OOH Key Art: Russian Doll For the full list of Clio Entertainment Awards 2019 Winners, please click here Read the full article

[frozendoorgaming]

Morning Mist #6

Announcements, Releases, Trailers

Black Desert PS4 Beta Is Available to Download Now on PS4, No PS Plus Required

Grave Keeper due out on the Switch eShop tomorrow

Shenmue 3 pre-order bonuses announced

Dragon Ball Legend of Time and Space MMORPG revealed by Bandai Namco

Arcade shoot ’em up Grand Brix Shooter announced for Switch, PC (Aug 29)

Harvest Moon: Mad Dash coming to Europe this fall

Pre-Orders Go Live For Metal Slug: The Ultimate History, A Book Documenting The Series' Evolution

‘Ayo the Clown’ Uses Playful Tools for Delightful Platforming

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince and Trine: Ultimate Collection launch October 8

Milestones, Industry

Street Fighter 5 Passes Sales Of Original Street Fighter 4 Release

Ubisoft Reveals Gamescom 2019 Lineup of Games

Esa Says Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft Will Require Disclosure of Loot-box Odds Sometime in 2020 (That’s fair)

Toca Life app launches H&M kidswear collaboration

FaZe Clan and Burger King serves up new partnership (As the Impossible Burger is added to their menu today)

EZ365 reveals blockchain for digital asset trading, gambling, esports betting, and education

Animoca Brands buys Quidd for up to $8 million as it moves into blockchain collectibles

Capcom Updates Platinum Titles, Resident Evil 2 Hits 4.5m & Devil May Cry 5 Hits 2.5m

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe And FIFA 19 Are Europe's Best-Selling Games Of 2019 So Far

Valve makes it more difficult for devs to manipulate Steam

Deals, Freeware

Gamesplanet Summer Sale Day 4 | Civilization VI, Insurgency, Day of Infamy, Cities: Skylines (+DLCs), Prey, Farming Simulator, Mortal Kombat 11, Tales of Franchise, SplinterCell, Men of War, The Crew 2, Hotline Miami, Tyranny, Sword Art (Deals up to 91% off)

Join the 2nd Alpha test of Black Survival: Eternal Return! Starting August 10th 1 AM UTC!

My Nintendo Japan Now Offering a Summer Themed Mario Wallpaper

Game Giveaway of the day dotcom — Angry Girl

Information

Death Stranding PS4 Exclusivity Is In Doubt

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Will Use Dedicated Servers For All Platforms

Fallout 4 New Texture Pack Vastly Improves Buildings And Interiors’ Quality (Looks seriously sharp)

Nintendo Switch is getting an IGZO display — here’s what that means

Blizzard Creates Tool To Help Old World Of Warcraft Buddies Find Each Other (Aww)

No Man’s Sky Beyond update discussed by developer (Free update Aug 14)

The highest ranked Apex Legends players consistently drop in just three locations

Pokémon Sword and Shield let Pokémon get jobs in Galar’s gig economy

Etc

The Best Podcasts to Listen to Whilst Playing Video Games (Don’t forget about FDG’s own radio stream on Twitch)

Police say there is no danger after Twitch HQ threatened

2K confirms sending private investigators to Borderlands streamer's house

Beware Of Fake Retro Games

Destiny 2 Players Can't Decide What This Weird Cat Statue Means (The world may never know)