@OptometristLime Oh wow, was she? Might need to look it up. I just remember Vivian's gender identity being a reveal (Just realized Birdo's the same. Nintendo's surprisingly open with trans Mario characters) and that Vivian was awesome in TTYD.
Wha-? What kind of rule is this? This genuinely baffles me. Part of the charm of the old partner characters WERE that they were new to the Mario mythos or a new take on how old characters/enemies looked. But I guess that means no more Koops or Goombella or Mohawk Yoshi.
Not against more monster catching games. In fact, I feel like they need to swarm the market to give Pokemon more competition and encourage them to innovate more. But this one borrows a little TOO heavily from Pokemon. And I get WHY it does, when you have one franchise dominate an entire subgenre, it's very difficult to do the subgenre without copying that one franchise. But still.
Spellbreak looks like it's going to be SO GOOD! Haven't been interested in a battle royale game since the genre's inception but I can see myself sinking a lot of time into this.
Man I wish there was a demo. Because the pros seem to be story-related and the cons seem to lean towards the actual gameplay. I'm more gameplay-oriented than I used to be soooo maybe this is a wait-for-sale?
@johnvboy I appreciate you saying you liked the post! Makes my opinion feel validated haha. And yeah, you're right. CD Projekt Red has an easier job with the focus group angle they went with to improve their game as they just had to appeal to gamers in general and not a huge fanbase they developed over time. But even so, in terms of Pokemon Unite, it just feels so... cynical. Even Joe Merrick, the serebii guy, thinks that Pokemon Unite is a way to add another pillar to their annual tournaments where they already have Pokemon RPG Battles, Pokemon TCG and Pokken. And then they have Pokemon Go for the casual players.
As far as the younger fans go... I don't know, my opinion changes on it depending on the day. Some days I believe what I said earlier about the changing gaming environment will lead them to prefer other franchises over Pokemon. But some days I agree with you where I think Pokemon's gotten too big to fail and will just always be around, but won't change anything because they make obscene amounts of money with it. I'm not 100% either way and we'll see as time goes on so it doesn't matter a ton. As far as my stance on Pokemon in general goes (not just Unite), I'm probably going to hold out hope for one more generation to actually try innovating before I end up moving on.
@johnvboy Yeeeeah, I typed all that for nothing then cause I agree xDDD Someone said that as long as they're 10 year olds, there will be pokemon fans and I've ALMOST resigned myself to that. It's just a massive bummer. And as an older fan, I get it, I really do. There's a reason why pokemon is the highest grossing franchise in the world after all. But honestly, even that strategy is non-sustainable. Games are only good within the context of other games that are released. So if they continue doing this, even the younger audience will move on from the franchise because they'll be given other options in the form of other, potentially better games that are taking more risks and being more innovative. Off the top of my head, the Kindred Fates trailer
(WOAH this turned out longer than I expected. Nintendolife hire me! xD)
I enjoy Sw/Sh too, though I'm critical. And I agree, they're in a tough position because they have a wide wide range of fans to consider. But for me, at the very least, I just want them to try and make a good game and not just try to make money, because that's what it seems like they've been doing since Gen6 to present. Right now, it just feels like instead of utilizing a majority of their resources to make the best pokemon game they can, they just sort of throw things at the wall to see what sticks while making sure they get a mainline game released every (or if they're ambitious, every other) November. And I think the reason why internet fans are complaining more than ever is because we see it and when you put it all together, Pokemon comes up wanting.
In Gen 6, the creator stated that they made the games super easy because kids wanted to play games just to get back to their smartphones. It was around then they started using their resources to make Pokemon Apps. And now we have/had Pokemon Go, Pokemon Masters, Pokemon Smile, Pokemon Cafe Mix, Pokemon Duel, Pokemon Shuffle, Pokemon Quest, Pokemon Rumble Rush, and I may be forgetting some.
They also announced that they "future-proofed" the pokemon models, so they could essentially copy-paste them into future games when the new gens come out. At first we were excited about this because we thought this meant that without worrying about Pokemon models they've already done, they could spend more time working on other aspects of the game. But then we found out in MORE interviews that whenever the developers would think of wild new ideas to put in their mainline series, they were always told to dial it back. This is why features of the mainline games are constantly removed with one new feature and each new mainline game is basically, "New Pokemon game! This time with Mega Evolution/Z-Moves/Dynamaxing!" Like, one interview they did said that they wanted the Wild Area to be even crazier and more exciting than it is now but they were told to dial it back. Not to mention, they announced they were working on DLC before Sw/Sh was even released. So Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra could've been a postgame thing but they sold it to us instead.
When you add all these, and much, much more that I won't even get into, basically, Poke fans just, at the VERY LEAST, want the same love and attention given to other Nintendo games. You don't see Zelda or Mario or Animal Crossing with a billion phone apps or (bad-to-middling) spin-off games running around because like another Nintendolife article said, the secret to their success is that Nintendo gives them all the time in the world to develop and finish their games.
Even with games outside of Nintendo, you can tell when there's love and attention given to it. The game developers of Cyberpunk 2077, also creators of Witcher III, just love what theyre doing so so much. Before Witcher III came out, they had a mini-party where they had people play the game and provided a survey to see what they could do prior to release. Even Cyberpunk 2077 they've delayed it so many times because they want to get it just right. Meanwhile, Pokemon announced a game that seems like it's specifically designed to scoop up the white whales in the MOBA crowd. Especially when you remember Pokemon Unite, is "free-to-start". It just all feels like it's for the love of money and not for the love of the franchise or the fans.
@Rika_Yoshitake And with this, @Not_Soos is the winner of the comment section. Absolutely spot on. Toxicity can absolutely exist with the negatives but over time, especially with large fanbases, people have conflated constructive criticism and/or complaints with toxicity. However toxicity can absolutely exist on both sides. Yes, with people bombarding game developer employees with death threats and etc, but also the apologists. To quote Scott the Woz, "Sometimes the people who cry, 'Stop complaining about this Nintendo game!' are being far more ridiculous than the people complaining". As if that attitude won't just lead to game designers shoving whatever they want into the marketplace because they know people will just take what they're given.
I absolutely love Pokemon with all my heart... When it's at its best. But lately, I've been seeing a bunch of quantity over quality and cutting corners. So I want the series I love to grow and evolve. I want to see them make their own Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild, or Smash Ultimate, or Animal Crossing New Horizons, or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, or Fire Emblems Three Houses, or Super Mario Maker 2, where they go above and beyond with their series. But we'll never get that if we constantly just smile and take what we're given even if we don't like it.
Yeeeeah, that's a pretty sketchy move, but not surprising because they're a business. So this gets an overwhelming "meh" from me. I AM, however, mildly annoyed at the Pokemon apologists that are rearing their heads for this like Joe.
Really? They took down a whole video just because a single image in it is reversed? And no, they wouldn't just disable their comments if they didn't like the dislikes. Everyone who's ever been on youtube knows that disabling the like/dislike bar means that the video's trash, and they know it, but they don't want to take the video down so they can continue to monetize. It's, oddly enough, a worse look than a ton of dislikes.
@fafonio Super Paper Mario was fine, I don't think that opinion's too controversial... It's the two games that came out after that were just terrible. If you ever get the chance, you should play Thousand Year Door.
Shows how much I miss directs. Cause even though I know all of it was fake and there's no hype. It was an enjoyable watch and left me with a pleasant feeling when I finished the vid.
@Harmonie I thought about it the other day, and my personal theory on that is Gamefreak did that to themselves. We want them to take extra time developing a game because they've just been shoving games out every year. But because they've been shoving games out every year and with Pokemon's fantastic gameplay feedback loop of catching new monsters and battling, we've been conditioned to want and expect a Poke title every year. And I think the yearly releases, while mediocre, have also kept us from noticing the stagnation.
But with Sword and Shield coming out after many many franchises evolved their games (Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros, God of War, etc) we expect more from the highest earning franchise in the world. So Pokemon more or less shot themselves in the foot (as far as fan satisfaction goes, they're still making a ton of money) by trying to make money so fast and frequently.
@Ludovsky Nah don't kid yourself dude. Pokemon's going to keep developing mobile games because, unlike Nintendo mobile games, Pokemon Go makes them an absurd amount of money. They've been fascinated with mobile games since Gen 6 when Minamoto said in an interview that they made the games extremely easy because, "Kids just want to fly through their games so they can get back to their cellphones". We won't be seeing an end to Pokemon mobiles anytime soon.
@OtterKnight They're not trying to connect with the core fanbase. They're trying to get a new fanbase like with Pokken and Pokemon Go so they can make more money.
I wasn't expecting the remakes or a massive game announcement because it'd take the shine from Crown Tundra. I was expecting a spin-off, but man I'm disappointed. Not because it's not what I wanted, but because this feels like another cynical attempt by Pokemon to make obscene amounts of money.
They already have several metas to keep people hooked on their product - the mainline games for RPG lovers, the TCG for card collectors, Pokken for fighting game enthusiasts, Pokemon Go for mobile players - and Pokemon Unite just feels like a blatant attempt just to scoop up MOBA players. Times like this, I envy Zelda fans. Their developers spend all their time just building on their new games for quality's sake.
I feel like Isle of Armor is a step towards what a lot of us critical pokemon fans have been aching for. While I was playing the DLC, it felt like when you're trying to find an itch and you graze it with your fingernails. It was satisfying to play and I hope they build on what made it work in the future.
Yes! Between Gamefreak moving closer to the main Nintendo Office, letting go of Creatures Inc on their list of partners, and hiring more staff, it seems like they're taking the dissent about the last game seriously.
I've only played the demo for this game but it was a blast to play. Can't put my finger on why I never got it... Maybe I was waiting for a sale? Idk, might look into it soon.
@BigE If you haven't been keeping up to date with Pokemon games... Huh, that's a good question. I'd say you should be fine with it? A lot of it will be new to you, they got rid of HM's, lots of Quality of Life stuff. But my next question is, how up to date are you with gaming in general?
EDIT: Scratch that question. I'll just say as a pokemon fan who's critical of where the games have gone/are going, it's fine within the context of other pokemon games. If all you're doing is comparing it to the DS and GBA games, you should have a good time with it. But within the context of where gaming is in general, it's a bit stagnant. But, again, if you've only played the older games, I think you should be fine? I have a lot to say about it but I still play it.
So I get dropping information the upcoming days before the game/DLC release to get the hype building, cause GameFreak's done that for as long as I can remember. But the day of the release?...
@Northwind Well, if you recall the announcement for these. DLC 1 is focused on growth and DLC 2 is focused on exploration. Educated guess: You could probably use Isle of Armor to raise up pokemon you didn't use in your main story. Which would explain level scaling, the EXP Charm (Which has been revealed to be an exp booster) and giving you a brand new pokemon you're expected to use in the plot. It seems as though theyre intentionally discouraging the use of the endgame teams.
DLC 2, what with all the exploring and legendary catching, is probably the DLC meant to bring your postgame team... Though I'll be honest, I personally don't really see much of a point in using level 100s in plot-driven gameplay anyway.
@Ludovsky The IGN article said that the trainer they watched in the hands-off demo had a team that was based off of the highest level in the player's party. The devs confirmed the scaling matches the trainer, even all the way up to level 100, but because they could only watch 30 min, the extent isn't known. So it's unknown if it's based off of an average or ONLY the highest level in the party, or if the first trainer battle sets the level for the DLC. It'll be interesting to see what they do with it. If it's successful, it could be implemented in the next mainline games. I'm crossing my fingers for actual scaling. I'm planning on evolving the Grassy Surge Grookey I got and bringing it to the DLC so I can catch a new team for the story.
@Octane On the article where IGN talks about it, they said that the trainers' matched the level of the highest level pokemon on the player's team, whether it was 30 or 60 or 100.
@Torakaka Close, but the levels don't actually scale as you level up in the original wild area. They all stay the same until you beat the game, then they jump up to 60.
@Ventilator So at this point, I sound like I have my head in the sand and I'm aware of it but here goes haha. So, you two seem like youre big into specs, and that is your primary reason for gaming. Fantastic. I'm glad that your systems fulfill your needs in that area. My gaming needs are and always have been: Can the console play games that I want to play? That's partially why I'm impartial whenever a new gen comes out. I always wait a year to see what their game catalogues look like. Because if I just immediately jumped into the Xbox1, despite the power, despite the graphics, despite the specs, I would've regretted my decision.
As of right now, when I look at the Xbox1, my primary mindset on whether I'm missing out is, "Gee, Sea of Thieves and Sunset Overdrive look cool. It's too bad I can't play them". Whereas if I had an XBox1 and made the same comparison, I would think, "Gee, Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, etc, etc, see previous comment" and for me, THAT'S the big loss. And again, THAT's why I have a PS4 slim and not the pro. Specs are no biggie for me, I get the console that most closely matches my gaming needs and only switch it out when it's time for the new gen. Again, I want to strongly emphasize that I'm glad you all like the specs for the Xbox. But it's not for me because of the games. Yes, they both share a multitude of games together. But the way I see it, it's either pick the console with games that both consoles can play or pick the console with games that both consoles can play AND has a ton of great exclusives.
@NEStalgia So to me, that argument doesn't make that much sense. And that's just to me. You seem like someone who cares for the power difference between the PS4 and the XB1. Which if you do, then I get why the Xbox is your go-to. But for me, it's whatever. The best explanation I saw early in the XB1's life is, "What's the point of having power if you don't have games? Otherwise you're a glorified paper weight". I have a 4K TV and the regular PS4, not the Pro. And the graphics for me are fine, and my eyes arent really able to discern the differences between the two when I'm at a friend's house. So what it comes down for me IS the exclusives.
So yes, you're right that a number of quality games that come out recently are multiplatforms. So for me, that means what it comes down to is which one has the better exclusives. My purchasing decisions always comes down to the Nintendo console (because the catalogue is so vastly different than the others) and either Microsoft or Sony, not both. I'm not brainwashed by the companies, I just don't see a point in shelling out an additional $400 if my current console(s) fulfill my gaming needs. This is the case for many people. This is why the exclusives are important. And Sony's exclusives are absolute juggernauts. Spider-man, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Persona 5 Royal, I'm a digimon fan so, Digimon Cyber Sleuths and Next Order, Until Dawn, Bloodborne, Infamous, Ratchet and Clank, The Last of Us, Shadow of the Colossus. I've played and own all of these and they're more than enough to warrant keeping the PS4 plugged in.
@liveswired Meh, just because I don't have an Xbox and my tastes don't match yours doesn't mean I have my head in the sand. I give every console a fair shake at the beginning of the gen, and it was pretty obvious Xbox One was going to be found wanting since the beginning. They made the same mistake that Sony made with the PS3 (And possibly with the PS5, we'll see) in believing that because they did so well in the previous gen (PS2 and Xbox360) that they wouldn't need to try as hard. Even with the improvements they've made since then, still can't fathom getting an Xbox. I have no doubt Gamespass is an excellent service, but I had enough of a disposable income prior to the pandemic and before it really took off that my backlog is too much to even warrant adding an unlimited game streaming service to the mix (12 games in the backlog on Switch, 8 on PS4).
I've played Gears at a friend's house and was pretty bored, felt like a generic shooter to me. But then again, I'm not a HUGE FPS person, neither am I a fan of the racing genre other than Mario Kart (Check out my games catalogue under my profile. I'm more of an RPG type of person). So between those, you can see why I'm not interested in Xbox Exclusives. Halo was cool when I was a younger but I heard it plummeted now. And Tomb Raider is also available on PS4.
Yeeeeah I agree. Putting my bias on full display here: I have a Switch and a PS4 and between the two, I can't fathom any reason to ever purchase an Xbox. I feel like it's been riding off of its 360 days while PS4 and Switch have had renaissances with their exclusives.
But I feel like it needs to stay in the market so that Sony has competition that can keep it from gouging its prices and to encourage creativity on game design (I don't consider the Switch as competition. For whatever reason, they feel like juggernauts in their own lanes). If staying in the market means coordinating with Nintendo, so be it.
@Zuljaras I mean, I've been critical of Pokemon Sw/Sh but cmon, this isn't new. Off the top of my head, you can buy a physical version of Fortnite. Some people just like having physical versions of their products in their collection.
That's sort of a downer for me. I feel like if you love something, you want to see it evolve and grow. I love pokemon and I want to see it rise to the level the gaming industry has been going. But with the profits theyve been making, they literally have no incentive to do anything other than continually slap on new coats of paint.
So I feel like what will eventually happen is that every other game brand and franchise will continue to evolve and Pokemon's formula will eventually become so stale and dated that they'll eventually get their first game with bad reviews (Good and bad game reviews aren't always entirely based on the quality of the games themselves but the context of the environment of the gaming industry at their release) and they'll scramble to rework the formula in a desperate bid to catch up. But as things are, and the incredible feedback loop they created with the original formula and no real competition in the monster catching rpg genre, that could take many many many years before that happens.
Jesus today is a surprisingly massive game week. I've had my eye on Xenoblade, Xcom, Bioshock, Bug Fables, and Shantae, but for whatever reason, my brain didn't make the connection that they all released around the same time... If I had to pick one, I think I'll grab Bug Fables.
Said it before in the time traveling article and I'll say it again. I'm a time traveler because I'm not crazy about a game that requires me to play it day-by-day to achieve its full enjoyment. I still like the game, but still. So if that's what everyone's been doing, it's not all that surprising. I highly relate to the first editor's take that New Horizon chips away at playing other games and that takes a toll.
I mean, that's fair. I'll be picking up the PS5, but I feel like PS4/5 games vs. Nintendo Switch games are kind of like seeing a movie in theaters vs watching it at home.
Yeah, seeing it in theaters is definitely an experience but watching a movie at home is more comfortable, convenient and I want to do it more often.
Comments 209
Re: Feature: Upcoming Nintendo Switch RPGs To Look Out For In 2020
Digimon Survive
Re: Paper Mario Producer Says It's No Longer Possible To Modify Mario Characters
@OptometristLime Oh wow, was she? Might need to look it up. I just remember Vivian's gender identity being a reveal (Just realized Birdo's the same. Nintendo's surprisingly open with trans Mario characters) and that Vivian was awesome in TTYD.
Re: Poll: Paper Mario: The Origami King Is Out Today On Switch, Are You Getting It?
I'll wait for a sale. Possibly Black Friday or the after Christmas sales
Re: Paper Mario Producer Says It's No Longer Possible To Modify Mario Characters
@RhiannonRune Ahhh you might have a point. It's possible that they didn't like how they handled Vivian's identity.
Re: Paper Mario Producer Says It's No Longer Possible To Modify Mario Characters
Wha-? What kind of rule is this? This genuinely baffles me. Part of the charm of the old partner characters WERE that they were new to the Mario mythos or a new take on how old characters/enemies looked. But I guess that means no more Koops or Goombella or Mohawk Yoshi.
Re: Pokémon-Like Nexomon: Extinction Shows Off Three Of The Game's Regions
Not against more monster catching games. In fact, I feel like they need to swarm the market to give Pokemon more competition and encourage them to innovate more. But this one borrows a little TOO heavily from Pokemon. And I get WHY it does, when you have one franchise dominate an entire subgenre, it's very difficult to do the subgenre without copying that one franchise. But still.
Re: New Screenshots Released For Fantasy Battle Royale Game Spellbreak
Spellbreak looks like it's going to be SO GOOD! Haven't been interested in a battle royale game since the genre's inception but I can see myself sinking a lot of time into this.
Re: Review: Paper Mario: The Origami King - A Puzzling Battle System Can't Kill This Funny Adventure
@WiltonRoots Read all the comments before yours, I don't see any that says the review is "wrong"
Re: Review: Paper Mario: The Origami King - A Puzzling Battle System Can't Kill This Funny Adventure
Man I wish there was a demo. Because the pros seem to be story-related and the cons seem to lean towards the actual gameplay. I'm more gameplay-oriented than I used to be soooo maybe this is a wait-for-sale?
Re: Octopath Traveler Celebrates Its Second Anniversary With Some Adorable Artwork
Will it also celebrate... With a saaaaaale? =D
Re: Nintendo Switch System Update 10.1.0 Is Now Live
... I know it's dumb but I can't resist!
My Switch was in a terrible horse trampling accident, but thanks to this update, its condition is stable.
Re: Random: A Super Smash Bros. Fan Is Reimagining Every Fighter As A Hollow Knight Bug
How do people even come up with these? Gah so good. Especially love Jigglypuff and Bayonetta
Re: Random: The Pokémon Company Re-Uploads Its Pokémon Unite Videos, And Fans Aren't Happy
@johnvboy I appreciate you saying you liked the post! Makes my opinion feel validated haha. And yeah, you're right. CD Projekt Red has an easier job with the focus group angle they went with to improve their game as they just had to appeal to gamers in general and not a huge fanbase they developed over time. But even so, in terms of Pokemon Unite, it just feels so... cynical. Even Joe Merrick, the serebii guy, thinks that Pokemon Unite is a way to add another pillar to their annual tournaments where they already have Pokemon RPG Battles, Pokemon TCG and Pokken. And then they have Pokemon Go for the casual players.
As far as the younger fans go... I don't know, my opinion changes on it depending on the day. Some days I believe what I said earlier about the changing gaming environment will lead them to prefer other franchises over Pokemon. But some days I agree with you where I think Pokemon's gotten too big to fail and will just always be around, but won't change anything because they make obscene amounts of money with it. I'm not 100% either way and we'll see as time goes on so it doesn't matter a ton. As far as my stance on Pokemon in general goes (not just Unite), I'm probably going to hold out hope for one more generation to actually try innovating before I end up moving on.
Re: Random: The Pokémon Company Re-Uploads Its Pokémon Unite Videos, And Fans Aren't Happy
@johnvboy Yeeeeah, I typed all that for nothing then cause I agree xDDD Someone said that as long as they're 10 year olds, there will be pokemon fans and I've ALMOST resigned myself to that. It's just a massive bummer. And as an older fan, I get it, I really do. There's a reason why pokemon is the highest grossing franchise in the world after all. But honestly, even that strategy is non-sustainable. Games are only good within the context of other games that are released. So if they continue doing this, even the younger audience will move on from the franchise because they'll be given other options in the form of other, potentially better games that are taking more risks and being more innovative. Off the top of my head, the Kindred Fates trailer
Re: Random: The Pokémon Company Re-Uploads Its Pokémon Unite Videos, And Fans Aren't Happy
@johnvboy
(WOAH this turned out longer than I expected. Nintendolife hire me! xD)
I enjoy Sw/Sh too, though I'm critical. And I agree, they're in a tough position because they have a wide wide range of fans to consider. But for me, at the very least, I just want them to try and make a good game and not just try to make money, because that's what it seems like they've been doing since Gen6 to present. Right now, it just feels like instead of utilizing a majority of their resources to make the best pokemon game they can, they just sort of throw things at the wall to see what sticks while making sure they get a mainline game released every (or if they're ambitious, every other) November. And I think the reason why internet fans are complaining more than ever is because we see it and when you put it all together, Pokemon comes up wanting.
In Gen 6, the creator stated that they made the games super easy because kids wanted to play games just to get back to their smartphones. It was around then they started using their resources to make Pokemon Apps. And now we have/had Pokemon Go, Pokemon Masters, Pokemon Smile, Pokemon Cafe Mix, Pokemon Duel, Pokemon Shuffle, Pokemon Quest, Pokemon Rumble Rush, and I may be forgetting some.
They also announced that they "future-proofed" the pokemon models, so they could essentially copy-paste them into future games when the new gens come out. At first we were excited about this because we thought this meant that without worrying about Pokemon models they've already done, they could spend more time working on other aspects of the game. But then we found out in MORE interviews that whenever the developers would think of wild new ideas to put in their mainline series, they were always told to dial it back. This is why features of the mainline games are constantly removed with one new feature and each new mainline game is basically, "New Pokemon game! This time with Mega Evolution/Z-Moves/Dynamaxing!" Like, one interview they did said that they wanted the Wild Area to be even crazier and more exciting than it is now but they were told to dial it back. Not to mention, they announced they were working on DLC before Sw/Sh was even released. So Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra could've been a postgame thing but they sold it to us instead.
When you add all these, and much, much more that I won't even get into, basically, Poke fans just, at the VERY LEAST, want the same love and attention given to other Nintendo games. You don't see Zelda or Mario or Animal Crossing with a billion phone apps or (bad-to-middling) spin-off games running around because like another Nintendolife article said, the secret to their success is that Nintendo gives them all the time in the world to develop and finish their games.
Even with games outside of Nintendo, you can tell when there's love and attention given to it. The game developers of Cyberpunk 2077, also creators of Witcher III, just love what theyre doing so so much. Before Witcher III came out, they had a mini-party where they had people play the game and provided a survey to see what they could do prior to release. Even Cyberpunk 2077 they've delayed it so many times because they want to get it just right. Meanwhile, Pokemon announced a game that seems like it's specifically designed to scoop up the white whales in the MOBA crowd. Especially when you remember Pokemon Unite, is "free-to-start". It just all feels like it's for the love of money and not for the love of the franchise or the fans.
Re: Random: The Pokémon Company Re-Uploads Its Pokémon Unite Videos, And Fans Aren't Happy
@Rika_Yoshitake And with this, @Not_Soos is the winner of the comment section. Absolutely spot on. Toxicity can absolutely exist with the negatives but over time, especially with large fanbases, people have conflated constructive criticism and/or complaints with toxicity. However toxicity can absolutely exist on both sides. Yes, with people bombarding game developer employees with death threats and etc, but also the apologists. To quote Scott the Woz, "Sometimes the people who cry, 'Stop complaining about this Nintendo game!' are being far more ridiculous than the people complaining". As if that attitude won't just lead to game designers shoving whatever they want into the marketplace because they know people will just take what they're given.
I absolutely love Pokemon with all my heart... When it's at its best. But lately, I've been seeing a bunch of quantity over quality and cutting corners. So I want the series I love to grow and evolve. I want to see them make their own Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild, or Smash Ultimate, or Animal Crossing New Horizons, or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, or Fire Emblems Three Houses, or Super Mario Maker 2, where they go above and beyond with their series. But we'll never get that if we constantly just smile and take what we're given even if we don't like it.
Re: Random: The Pokémon Company Re-Uploads Its Pokémon Unite Videos, And Fans Aren't Happy
Yeeeeah, that's a pretty sketchy move, but not surprising because they're a business. So this gets an overwhelming "meh" from me. I AM, however, mildly annoyed at the Pokemon apologists that are rearing their heads for this like Joe.
Really? They took down a whole video just because a single image in it is reversed? And no, they wouldn't just disable their comments if they didn't like the dislikes. Everyone who's ever been on youtube knows that disabling the like/dislike bar means that the video's trash, and they know it, but they don't want to take the video down so they can continue to monetize. It's, oddly enough, a worse look than a ton of dislikes.
Re: The First Review For Paper Mario: The Origami King Is Now In
@fafonio Super Paper Mario was fine, I don't think that opinion's too controversial... It's the two games that came out after that were just terrible. If you ever get the chance, you should play Thousand Year Door.
Re: Video: Miss Nintendo Directs? Check Out This Crowd-Pleasing 'Nontendo Direct' Presentation
Shows how much I miss directs. Cause even though I know all of it was fake and there's no hype. It was an enjoyable watch and left me with a pleasant feeling when I finished the vid.
Re: Pokémon Unite, An Online Team Battle Game, Revealed For Switch And Mobile
@Harmonie I thought about it the other day, and my personal theory on that is Gamefreak did that to themselves. We want them to take extra time developing a game because they've just been shoving games out every year. But because they've been shoving games out every year and with Pokemon's fantastic gameplay feedback loop of catching new monsters and battling, we've been conditioned to want and expect a Poke title every year. And I think the yearly releases, while mediocre, have also kept us from noticing the stagnation.
But with Sword and Shield coming out after many many franchises evolved their games (Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros, God of War, etc) we expect more from the highest earning franchise in the world. So Pokemon more or less shot themselves in the foot (as far as fan satisfaction goes, they're still making a ton of money) by trying to make money so fast and frequently.
Re: Pokémon Unite, An Online Team Battle Game, Revealed For Switch And Mobile
@OtterKnight I agree. Honestly would've been better off either announced in the last presents or to have the trailer shadow-dropped.
Re: Pokémon Unite, An Online Team Battle Game, Revealed For Switch And Mobile
@Ludovsky Nah don't kid yourself dude. Pokemon's going to keep developing mobile games because, unlike Nintendo mobile games, Pokemon Go makes them an absurd amount of money. They've been fascinated with mobile games since Gen 6 when Minamoto said in an interview that they made the games extremely easy because, "Kids just want to fly through their games so they can get back to their cellphones". We won't be seeing an end to Pokemon mobiles anytime soon.
Re: Pokémon Unite, An Online Team Battle Game, Revealed For Switch And Mobile
@OtterKnight They're not trying to connect with the core fanbase. They're trying to get a new fanbase like with Pokken and Pokemon Go so they can make more money.
Re: Pokémon Unite, An Online Team Battle Game, Revealed For Switch And Mobile
I wasn't expecting the remakes or a massive game announcement because it'd take the shine from Crown Tundra. I was expecting a spin-off, but man I'm disappointed. Not because it's not what I wanted, but because this feels like another cynical attempt by Pokemon to make obscene amounts of money.
They already have several metas to keep people hooked on their product - the mainline games for RPG lovers, the TCG for card collectors, Pokken for fighting game enthusiasts, Pokemon Go for mobile players - and Pokemon Unite just feels like a blatant attempt just to scoop up MOBA players. Times like this, I envy Zelda fans. Their developers spend all their time just building on their new games for quality's sake.
Re: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's ARMS Fighter Will Be Revealed In Livestream Next Week
Smash Bros on Monday and Pokemon on Wednesday? Here's hoping Nintendo's trying to do a low key Nintendo reveal week
Re: Review: Pokémon Sword & Shield - The Isle of Armor - A New Wild Area Worthy Of Your Interest
I feel like Isle of Armor is a step towards what a lot of us critical pokemon fans have been aching for. While I was playing the DLC, it felt like when you're trying to find an itch and you graze it with your fingernails. It was satisfying to play and I hope they build on what made it work in the future.
Re: Review: Pokémon Sword & Shield - The Isle of Armor - A New Wild Area Worthy Of Your Interest
@darkswabber Nupe. Wailord in battle is still puny
Re: Game Freak Advertises 23 Job Roles For New Pokémon Games
Yes! Between Gamefreak moving closer to the main Nintendo Office, letting go of Creatures Inc on their list of partners, and hiring more staff, it seems like they're taking the dissent about the last game seriously.
Re: Talking Point: ARMS Turns 3 And Deserves More Love Than Ever
I've only played the demo for this game but it was a blast to play. Can't put my finger on why I never got it... Maybe I was waiting for a sale? Idk, might look into it soon.
Re: Kingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory Announced For Switch, Launches This Year
Welp, I'll be playing Simple & Clean over and over and over and over and over... My one gripe is the ending of the trailer.
C'mon Square Enix, EVERY Kingdom Hearts game doesn't need to add onto the lore x_x It's complicated enough already
Re: 'Pokémon Presents' Live Presentation Teased For Tomorrow, 17th June
@UmbreonsPapa Except for the Gen 3 remake, I second this. Black and White 1 & 2 is where the franchise peaked for me.
Re: 'Pokémon Presents' Live Presentation Teased For Tomorrow, 17th June
@BigE If you haven't been keeping up to date with Pokemon games... Huh, that's a good question. I'd say you should be fine with it? A lot of it will be new to you, they got rid of HM's, lots of Quality of Life stuff. But my next question is, how up to date are you with gaming in general?
EDIT: Scratch that question. I'll just say as a pokemon fan who's critical of where the games have gone/are going, it's fine within the context of other pokemon games. If all you're doing is comparing it to the DS and GBA games, you should have a good time with it. But within the context of where gaming is in general, it's a bit stagnant. But, again, if you've only played the older games, I think you should be fine? I have a lot to say about it but I still play it.
Re: 'Pokémon Presents' Live Presentation Teased For Tomorrow, 17th June
So I get dropping information the upcoming days before the game/DLC release to get the hype building, cause GameFreak's done that for as long as I can remember. But the day of the release?...
Re: You Can Play Pokémon Sword And Shield's DLC Even If You Haven't Beat The Main Game
@Northwind Well, if you recall the announcement for these. DLC 1 is focused on growth and DLC 2 is focused on exploration. Educated guess: You could probably use Isle of Armor to raise up pokemon you didn't use in your main story. Which would explain level scaling, the EXP Charm (Which has been revealed to be an exp booster) and giving you a brand new pokemon you're expected to use in the plot. It seems as though theyre intentionally discouraging the use of the endgame teams.
DLC 2, what with all the exploring and legendary catching, is probably the DLC meant to bring your postgame team... Though I'll be honest, I personally don't really see much of a point in using level 100s in plot-driven gameplay anyway.
Re: You Can Play Pokémon Sword And Shield's DLC Even If You Haven't Beat The Main Game
@Ludovsky The IGN article said that the trainer they watched in the hands-off demo had a team that was based off of the highest level in the player's party. The devs confirmed the scaling matches the trainer, even all the way up to level 100, but because they could only watch 30 min, the extent isn't known. So it's unknown if it's based off of an average or ONLY the highest level in the party, or if the first trainer battle sets the level for the DLC. It'll be interesting to see what they do with it. If it's successful, it could be implemented in the next mainline games. I'm crossing my fingers for actual scaling. I'm planning on evolving the Grassy Surge Grookey I got and bringing it to the DLC so I can catch a new team for the story.
Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield's Expansion Pass Will Adapt To Suit Your Own Pokémon's Levels
@Octane On the article where IGN talks about it, they said that the trainers' matched the level of the highest level pokemon on the player's team, whether it was 30 or 60 or 100.
Re: You Can Play Pokémon Sword And Shield's DLC Even If You Haven't Beat The Main Game
@Torakaka Close, but the levels don't actually scale as you level up in the original wild area. They all stay the same until you beat the game, then they jump up to 60.
Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield's Expansion Pass Will Adapt To Suit Your Own Pokémon's Levels
Hmmm... Interesting. I wonder if they're experimenting with this mechanic for future mainline games.
Re: You Can Play Pokémon Sword And Shield's DLC Even If You Haven't Beat The Main Game
@RupeeClock To boot up the hype machine.
Re: Talking Point: The Time Is Right For Microsoft And Nintendo To Get Comfier With One Another
@Ventilator So at this point, I sound like I have my head in the sand and I'm aware of it but here goes haha. So, you two seem like youre big into specs, and that is your primary reason for gaming. Fantastic. I'm glad that your systems fulfill your needs in that area. My gaming needs are and always have been: Can the console play games that I want to play? That's partially why I'm impartial whenever a new gen comes out. I always wait a year to see what their game catalogues look like. Because if I just immediately jumped into the Xbox1, despite the power, despite the graphics, despite the specs, I would've regretted my decision.
As of right now, when I look at the Xbox1, my primary mindset on whether I'm missing out is, "Gee, Sea of Thieves and Sunset Overdrive look cool. It's too bad I can't play them". Whereas if I had an XBox1 and made the same comparison, I would think, "Gee, Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, etc, etc, see previous comment" and for me, THAT'S the big loss. And again, THAT's why I have a PS4 slim and not the pro. Specs are no biggie for me, I get the console that most closely matches my gaming needs and only switch it out when it's time for the new gen. Again, I want to strongly emphasize that I'm glad you all like the specs for the Xbox. But it's not for me because of the games. Yes, they both share a multitude of games together. But the way I see it, it's either pick the console with games that both consoles can play or pick the console with games that both consoles can play AND has a ton of great exclusives.
Re: Talking Point: The Time Is Right For Microsoft And Nintendo To Get Comfier With One Another
@NEStalgia So to me, that argument doesn't make that much sense. And that's just to me. You seem like someone who cares for the power difference between the PS4 and the XB1. Which if you do, then I get why the Xbox is your go-to. But for me, it's whatever. The best explanation I saw early in the XB1's life is, "What's the point of having power if you don't have games? Otherwise you're a glorified paper weight". I have a 4K TV and the regular PS4, not the Pro. And the graphics for me are fine, and my eyes arent really able to discern the differences between the two when I'm at a friend's house. So what it comes down for me IS the exclusives.
So yes, you're right that a number of quality games that come out recently are multiplatforms. So for me, that means what it comes down to is which one has the better exclusives. My purchasing decisions always comes down to the Nintendo console (because the catalogue is so vastly different than the others) and either Microsoft or Sony, not both. I'm not brainwashed by the companies, I just don't see a point in shelling out an additional $400 if my current console(s) fulfill my gaming needs. This is the case for many people. This is why the exclusives are important. And Sony's exclusives are absolute juggernauts. Spider-man, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Persona 5 Royal, I'm a digimon fan so, Digimon Cyber Sleuths and Next Order, Until Dawn, Bloodborne, Infamous, Ratchet and Clank, The Last of Us, Shadow of the Colossus. I've played and own all of these and they're more than enough to warrant keeping the PS4 plugged in.
Re: Talking Point: The Time Is Right For Microsoft And Nintendo To Get Comfier With One Another
@liveswired Meh, just because I don't have an Xbox and my tastes don't match yours doesn't mean I have my head in the sand. I give every console a fair shake at the beginning of the gen, and it was pretty obvious Xbox One was going to be found wanting since the beginning. They made the same mistake that Sony made with the PS3 (And possibly with the PS5, we'll see) in believing that because they did so well in the previous gen (PS2 and Xbox360) that they wouldn't need to try as hard. Even with the improvements they've made since then, still can't fathom getting an Xbox. I have no doubt Gamespass is an excellent service, but I had enough of a disposable income prior to the pandemic and before it really took off that my backlog is too much to even warrant adding an unlimited game streaming service to the mix (12 games in the backlog on Switch, 8 on PS4).
I've played Gears at a friend's house and was pretty bored, felt like a generic shooter to me. But then again, I'm not a HUGE FPS person, neither am I a fan of the racing genre other than Mario Kart (Check out my games catalogue under my profile. I'm more of an RPG type of person). So between those, you can see why I'm not interested in Xbox Exclusives. Halo was cool when I was a younger but I heard it plummeted now. And Tomb Raider is also available on PS4.
Re: Talking Point: The Time Is Right For Microsoft And Nintendo To Get Comfier With One Another
@TheLightSpirit Hostile because of hardcore projecting
Re: Talking Point: The Time Is Right For Microsoft And Nintendo To Get Comfier With One Another
Yeeeeah I agree. Putting my bias on full display here: I have a Switch and a PS4 and between the two, I can't fathom any reason to ever purchase an Xbox. I feel like it's been riding off of its 360 days while PS4 and Switch have had renaissances with their exclusives.
But I feel like it needs to stay in the market so that Sony has competition that can keep it from gouging its prices and to encourage creativity on game design (I don't consider the Switch as competition. For whatever reason, they feel like juggernauts in their own lanes). If staying in the market means coordinating with Nintendo, so be it.
Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield's Expansion Pass Is Getting A Physical Release In Korea
@Zuljaras I mean, I've been critical of Pokemon Sw/Sh but cmon, this isn't new. Off the top of my head, you can buy a physical version of Fortnite. Some people just like having physical versions of their products in their collection.
Re: New Legendaries, Star Tournament And More Revealed For Pokémon Sword And Shield
Is Regidrago's attack a Kanye reference?...
Re: The Pokémon Company Just Recorded Its Second Best Year In History
That's sort of a downer for me. I feel like if you love something, you want to see it evolve and grow. I love pokemon and I want to see it rise to the level the gaming industry has been going. But with the profits theyve been making, they literally have no incentive to do anything other than continually slap on new coats of paint.
So I feel like what will eventually happen is that every other game brand and franchise will continue to evolve and Pokemon's formula will eventually become so stale and dated that they'll eventually get their first game with bad reviews (Good and bad game reviews aren't always entirely based on the quality of the games themselves but the context of the environment of the gaming industry at their release) and they'll scramble to rework the formula in a desperate bid to catch up. But as things are, and the incredible feedback loop they created with the original formula and no real competition in the monster catching rpg genre, that could take many many many years before that happens.
Re: Nintendo Download: 28th May (North America)
Jesus today is a surprisingly massive game week. I've had my eye on Xenoblade, Xcom, Bioshock, Bug Fables, and Shantae, but for whatever reason, my brain didn't make the connection that they all released around the same time... If I had to pick one, I think I'll grab Bug Fables.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Suffering From Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fatigue?
Said it before in the time traveling article and I'll say it again. I'm a time traveler because I'm not crazy about a game that requires me to play it day-by-day to achieve its full enjoyment. I still like the game, but still. So if that's what everyone's been doing, it's not all that surprising. I highly relate to the first editor's take that New Horizon chips away at playing other games and that takes a toll.
Re: Platinum Studio Head Doesn't Think Next-Gen Hardware Will Be As "Ground-Breaking" As The Switch
I mean, that's fair. I'll be picking up the PS5, but I feel like PS4/5 games vs. Nintendo Switch games are kind of like seeing a movie in theaters vs watching it at home.
Yeah, seeing it in theaters is definitely an experience but watching a movie at home is more comfortable, convenient and I want to do it more often.