Pokèmon X/Y Review

Last Saturday, Nintendo released their latest Pokèmon game, Pokèmon X and Y, the 6^th generation of the franchise. As I have said before, I am a casual fan of the series, but for one reason or another, I was drawn to this iteration. In any case, I am glad I picked up the game.

The team behind Pokèmon X/Y did a great job by finally modernizing the way the game looks. Instead of sprites, the game utilizes 3D models for everything, allowing for different camera angles both in battle and out of battle. In battle, it's mostly used to show off the Pokèmon and its abilities, while out of battle it allows the player to view the world of Pokemon X/Y. For the first time since the start of the series, you get immersed into the world of Pokèmon. I honestly do not believe that had they used sprites, it would not have had the same effect.

The game's villain team for the game is far more darker then previous generations. While not going into detail, the main villain's main goal is far more sinister then previous villains, rivaling Diamond/Pear/Platinum's Team Galactic. To me, this signifies the franchise is continuation of growing up and moving away from the more childish villains. In Generation's I and II there was Team Rocket who simply wanted to steal Pokèmon because they were evil. In Gen III, Team Magma wanted to expand the landmass while Team Aqua wanted to flood more of the world because of reasons. In Gen IV, Team Galactic wanted to remake the universe in their image and in Gen V, Team Plasma wanted stop people from exploiting Pokèmon so he himself can rule the world. I understand that these games are marketed towards kids so they cannot be too grim, but when you consider Team Flare's plan, they are quite possibly one of the darkest groups in the game.

Finally the music. Good lord is this music wonderful. Junichi Masuda and his team did a wonderful job on the soundtrack. Pokemon X/Y has set the bar for the series with music. These are songs you enjoy listening to and like the original Pokèmon Red and Blue, each area has it's own distinct track. Easily my favourite track from the game has to be the Gym Leader theme. I have said before that I was never fond of the previous games Gym Leader music save for the original, but Masuda and his team stumbled on something great. When the music plays, you know that the fight is going to be something grand. It gets your adrenaline going. This is what the previous generations lacked. That feeling of excitement. The other games gym leaders didn't have the sense of greatness which is sad because the Gym Battles were always a highlight of the game.

One thing I have against the game is the sometimes wonky camera work. In the main city of the game, the camera will shift to a behind the back view. The camera will zoom in to close to the main characters back and coupled with some somewhat stiff controls, it can be somewhat aggravating. Overtime I did get used to the control shift once I figured out how to move the camera.

Another minor issue I had was the horde battles. Don't get me wrong, I am glad they implemented something to change up the battles, but they quickly became boring. There is no real challenge to them and it can be a waste of time and Power Points.

In the end, if you are a Pokemon fan, then you would have already purchased and beat the game. I don't need to tell you why you should get the game. For anyone else who is interested in the game, you should pick it up. With the added features such as the PSS, and the Mega-Evolutions, it gives the somewhat dated franchise a breath of fresh air.

Pokèmon X/Y is a wonderful game and one of the best games to be released on the 3DS this year. If you have been sitting on the fence debating to get the game or not, pick it up.

This is Daimo Mac and I am lost in the music.