Pokémon-Like Nexomon: Extinction Reveals All Nine Starter Monsters

It will be interesting to see how well this game fairs, but I'm not a fan of any of these designs. They lack that special "oomf" of originality. Probably has something to do with the overarching issue of taking a little too much inspiration from Pokemon.

Wow they really look like Pokémon, aren't they?
Mearn = Purrloin
Trebly = Axew
Dinja = Poochyena
Gekoko = Treecko meets Froakie
Behilda = Drifloon meets Gothorita

Lume looks like Okami.
And Noki looks like that pokémon that looks like a hen, I can't remember its name.

Ehhhh... if you're gonna create a monster-collecting game, you really need to avoid imitating the Pokemon style. I don't know why creators still do this when all they do is resemble bootleg Pokemon games. These designs lack anything special and look no different from the copycats.

Lume is the only good design, but im a sucker for everything that looks like a fox; Fennekin is the best

I kinda like Dinja, I guess. I'm not getting the game either way though.

It's like we have went back in time 15 to 20 years and and all the pokemon clones are back in fashion but this even more than that Tem Tem game looks like just a pokemon rom hack with hires sprites.

Along the first entries I thought there would be a lot of variety, but then they proceed to introduce 4 cats/felines.
Also, I'm a little worried with the type originality. I understand TPC can't claim ownership but "Psychic" looks like it was lifted directly from Pokemon. Ghost makes it hard to believe too. I think they should have done like Mineral and called them something like "Magical" and "Undead" ? Glad to see Wind, though

Edit: how could I forget "normal"

Why would they use such a similar artstyle

Can't wait tbh. A good executed Pokemon-like with a challenging difficulty could definitely fill in a gap at the moment. People love the gameplay of Pokemon, but Gamefreak doesn't give a crap about its core fan base and dumbed the gameplay down as much as possible. I don't really care about the design.

I... actually like most of these better than the base forms of the Sword and Shield starters. They're cute and have big heads and eyes, like young evo forms should, but they don't all look like marshmallow balloon heads on twig limbs. Gekoko actually commits to being a quadruped, for example.

If the game is better, I'm 1000% ready to dump pokemon.

Great Value Pokémon

The cat is cute but the rest does nothing for me. I've kinda lost the track of how many of these Pokemon wannabes there are coming out but I'm certainly willing to give them a chance if they put proper emphasis on their single player campaigns and just in general have legit effort put into them.

Ok Gekoko is adorable I'll give them that. But wow there are some incredibly derivative designs in that trailer.

Look like actual pokemon but are still fun designs imo.

I like the look of this so far. My favourite one is Gekoko.

Noki is my favourite there, as I'm always partial to the cute bird creatures.

This game could be great if it is it's own unique thing. I'm just worried that it'll be too similar to Pokemon.

I like the Ghost and Psychic mons but other than that the rest look like DeviantArt quality drawings made by a furry. Y’all know what I mean...

All the competition Pokemon can get is good for the franchise, so they feel they've got to get better, but... I don't know, this is probably way too similar XD
I like Temtem though. That's a step forward.

Pokémon has survived companies copying them for over 20 years. Nothing will change, Pokémon will always be the best because Nintendo is amazing at regulation.

Hey, at least it looks like it was made on a similar budget compared to Sword and Shield.

These do look like most of the modern Pokemon designs. AKA, same-y and bland as hell.

Is this the same game that i found on PlayStore?

Is this plagiarism?

Haha, these developers truly have no shame.

@Octane This made me laugh, and I agree hahaha

9 starters instead of 3? Well glad to hear some developers have listened to a long time complaint about Pokemon games.

I'll give this a look when it comes out. Behilda looks weird, remind me of a Yu-Gi-Oh monster Dark Eyes Illusionist. And I'd love to start a journey with a ghost for once.

World of final fantasy and digimon tried and came really close, but this looks like crap, stick to being a free phone game

Regardless of how derivative it is or not...

Trebly must be protected at all costs.

@mesome713 you might want to add a Y. Otherwise that words doesn’t mean anywhere near that.

Been reading up on some of the reviews of the mobile game of this that is currently available which this seems like it's a sequel of that but the game simply seems like it is even more simplified and easy compared to current Pokemon games so anyone expecting a game that is challenging will probably have to look elsewhere unless they massively change this version. Anyone thinking this will make future pokemon games any different as a result of it being released are expecting too much from what is just essentially a cheap mobile game being ported to home systems.

@BLD
That's one thing I'm sick of with Pokemon design: the twig limbs. I'll take stubby Kirby designs over twig-limbed stick figures with bobble heads.

I’m interested and think the designs are decent. I do really like having a good variety in starter types.

Some of the designs of the starters are hit or miss. I like Gekoko. Masquiti looks like a recolored Litten with a mask on, lol

@TheLightSpirit Nah, I meant the modern ones. Never understood why some people feel it's necessary to compare the original ones to the newer ones, the first ones were iconic and memorable since they were... well, the first.

I like the fox. If the game gets good reviews I might give it a shot

@mousieone Thank you.

I actually kind of like the designs, but I slightly freaked out when I read the headline and thought there was a new Pokemon released. I don't think that's a good thing when it comes to originality, and honestly, a lot of these designs feel... not bad, but really don't grab me. TBH, I can overlook that, but MAN, the animations look bad. It's really got that cheap phone game feeling, and I actually think over world is more of a rip-off than the creature designs.

Some of it looks nice but the game itself looks very ugly and cheap

This looks cool, but I'd really like it if Square-Enix would quit fiddle-fartin' around and release a new Dragon Quest Monsters in the West (and the 3ds remake of the original.) DWM beat Pokemon Gold at breeding mechanics when they were released on the GBC.

ngl i'm diggin' behilda

Don't like how the closest monster is facing towards the camera, just seems really strange decision to me.

Looks too round to me or something.

Most of these designs seem so bland and soulless, there is a certain charm to most Pokemon designs (even the weird ones) that can't easily be replicated or surpassed.

Wonder if it'll release and fade into obscurity after a month like Temtem did lmao

Some of those could have fooled me, Noki and Trebly in particular look like they could be in Sword and Shield. The rest aren’t as Pokémon-like, but you can see some common style to them.
One thing I would avoid if I made my own Pokémon knock off would be Normal type. “Normal” is already essentially “type less”, copying it along with the name is just too on the nose. I would attempt to give every mon some kind of type instead (basic rat thing could easily be Ground-analogue).
Also interesting that the Wind starter is not a bird or a bat. Guess it’s not a straight Flying type analogue?

Looks up from Pokemon

Looks back down at Pokemon

@neufel exactly, first gen starters never looked the same. Maybe get some more artist then just one.

Behilda. It removes it's head. I'm sold

@luxoricious There are eight hundred pokemon. Of course you're going to be able to come up with comparisons like those.

Pokemon-like?

This is more than than Pokemon-like. This is a blatant clone. At least in terms of visual design. These look like literal "Fake-mon" from a Pokemon rom-hack.

Competition is good, and Pokemon has lacked a strong rival in the genre for a long time. But this one doesn't look like it will meet the challenge.

I couldnt give two ** if it "looks similar" to Pokémon, cause at the end of the day it's not. I have loved Pokémon from the beginning, but the franchise doesn't own the monster catching genre. There is room for others to exist and thrive too. Variety is the spice of life, right?

@HXLXIII exactly

really into the ghost and psychic ones

Even though they are using a similar artstyle to Pokemon, I like most of the starters (with Trebly and Mara being my favorites). I think it is good that people are trying to make a creature-collecting game. I hope they continue making until they make a game that standout. Some people improve over time, so who's to say these guys can't get better.

And if not them, then I hope others follow up on trying to create a good/excellent monster-collect game.

The art style of battle scenes are giving me mad neo-pets vibes

@TJWorks That is why Yo-kai Watch was so popular. It trully was unique and different.

I personally like the Yo-kai Watch games more than Pokemon, so level-5 needs to hurry up already with releasing the games on the Switch here in the West.

So I've actually played the first Nexomon (it's on mobile and Steam), and it's spiritual predecessor Micromon (iOS exclusive). And actually liked them. Are they derivative? Sure. But I don't recall people losing their minds over Ocean Horn, or Axiom Verge, or just about any mascot kart racer.
When Mario+ Rabbids came out, the fact that it blatantly just lifted X-Com's combat was met with UNIVERSAL acclaim. I could sit here all day rattling off "spiritual successors" and "inspired by" games, and prominent games that self identify as a "clone" or a "-like." To me, as long as the gameplay is solid, that's what matters.

And to be fair.. I don't know what this game will cost. But Nexomon is like a buck on mobile, and $10 on Steam. Pokemon Sw/Sh with expansion pass wants more like $100... And twice that if you want to "catch em all."

I'm abit confused by the people who said the designs looks like Pokemon designs.
I mean Pokemon designs are based off of real life animals... if you do the same, then you are naturally going to get a design that is similar. eg.all cars look like cars by the nature that no ones diverted from the 'box on 4 wheels with hinged doors to get in and out' concept
When you add in some well known design aesthetics like big heads, small hands are appealing blah blah they are going to further look similar.
You can argue that it has the same cell shaded art style as pokemon (and alot of other jrpg's should I add), but then your argument is based on 1 thing similar to pokemon.

Whatever happened to the Yo-Kia Watch remake?

@SmaggTheSmug I'll guess this knockoff's Wind (Flying) will be weak to the Mineral (Rock) typing.

@Kisame83 I remember when FPS games were called “Doom-clones” so I feel you.

Why are there normal types though?

@Kalmaro
Took the sentence right off my keyboard!

@luxoricious Pokemon invented cats, dogs and geckos? Your comparisons are all stretches

@Blitzgreymon Well, no, Pokémon did not invented cats lol. But they clearly have a style in their desing, and if you deny how heavily this is inspired in that style, you don't know Pokémon too well.

@luxoricious I've been playing Pokemon since Gen1 was released in the US. I know how Pokemon designs look like and those don't look Pokemon

@RumblePak I love the DQ:M series. Would love remasters of the 3DS games or a new one, any really!!

@The-Chosen-one That one is just "Nexomon". This one is a new game in the series "Nexomon Extinction". You don't have to play the first one in order to play this one. It stands on its own.

@kaptainkarma
Thanks for the reply!