Tag: Pokemon

Over 1 Million Pre-Orders for Pokemon Black & White 2 In Japan. Surprise?

by MoreLikeAndy

It really shouldn’t be a surprise as to the popularity of Pokemon anywhere in the world. The series has held up between generations of gamers ever since Pokemon video games were made.

Andriasang is reporting that as of June 17th, 1.16 million pre-orders for Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 were taken from clamoring fans and parents of those fans. The previous Black and White games had pre-order numbers over 1 million as well. Now please, please give us a Pokemon game using the Skylanders technology.

Postgame Analysis of Tonight’s Nintendo Presser aka Where’s My Zelda 3DS?

by Jonathan

Nintendo is a sensitive company, some say the heart of the video game industry. That’s pretty apparent when you factor in that they obviously scheduled their North American Nintendo Direct press conference for midnight EST tonight to steer clear of all those hardcore Nintendo fans who were also watching Game 5 of the NBA Finals… RIGHT?!? Well, that one didn’t go into overtime… or even into a Game 6. Regardless, I’m STILL going to provide a little “postgame” as I address the positives and negatives of Nintendo’s presser.

If you want to watch the entire Nintendo Direct press conference for yourself, here it is:

– Let’s start with the “Who Gives a Damn?”

The new Nintendo 3DS XL will be released on August 19th for $199.99

It comes with a new 4.88 inch top screen (up from 3.5 inches) and a bottom screen of 4.18 inches (from the original 3). Let me tell you why I don’t care.

Because if you’re the kind of Nintendo nerd like me who watches an online streaming press conference… you already own a 3DS and you have for a year (or at least since the “games” came out in November). On top of that, the idea of a bigger 3DS really defeats the point of a portable system. I look at the kids playing their Nintendo DS XLs at our local meet-ups (yeah, I go to 3DS meet-ups… fuck you) and they look like they’re playing Angry Birds on an iPad. I don’t want a bigger 3DS. I’m not 90 years old. A 3DS XL is the equivalent of those enormous remote controls they sell to old people at Bed Bath and Beyond. No. Gracias.

The biggest missed opportunity here is that they didn’t take the time to add a second analog pad (ie. what the hardcore Nintendo gamers wanted). Whoops!

Namco Bandai is teaming with Project Sora for a new Smash Bros. game

This game will be for the 3DS and WiiU. And you’ll probably get to beat the crap out of PacMan. I’ll say it right now. I don’t like the Smash Bros. games. I could care less. I’m sorry. But I’m not a 16 year old Asian kid playing in a sweaty tournament in the basement of a Motel 6 out off the 60 freeway. If you kids want to watch a bunch of button mashing ridiculousness while yelling at each other about how close that last save was (umm… there are a LOT of saves in these games) then knock yourself out. No. Actually knock yourself out… with a human fist. Then you’d actually feel something for once.

Let’s be clear: Fighting games are for gamers who were too afraid to play contact sports. First Person Shooters are for gamers who at one time tried contact sports but were embarrassingly awful at them.

The New Super Mario Bros. 2 3DS game available August 19th will have paid DLC

Nintendo drew a line on DLC… but it looks like that line is starting to bend towards breaking. The new Fire Emblem game will supposedly have some DLC as well. Not cool, Nintendo. New Super Mario Bros. 2 is already looking like a thinner version of the original with the Golden Shower Coin Grab Mode a not that fun attempt to add Street Pass features to the game. That WILL get old fast. Please prove me wrong and make this game as substantial as the original DS title. But something about the sound of “future DLC” and “day and date downloadable and retail title” have me worried.

And no DLC on games like Mario Kart!?! I know. You’re sick of me bitching on Geekscape about wanting downloadable tracks for Mario Kart. It HAS to happen one day. It HAS to.

New Pokemon Stuff

Sorry, Pokemon fans. I got to this part of the press conference, my wife entered the room and realized what I was watching and I felt like a complete loser. I turned it off because I couldn’t care less about the Pokemons. I know that at one time I had TWO Mewtwos and was the elite trainer on my block (and easily the oldest) but that was 13 years ago. That ship has sailed for me and you’d already cost me any chance of having sex tonight. I had to bail.

By the way. Huge surprise. There’ll be new Pokemon stuff.

– Okay. So what was The Good?!?

Animal Crossing 3DS is coming and it will have Streetpass

Great. A bunch of strangers can visit my town and threaten to chop down all my trees via Streetpass. I’m cool with it. There’ll also be tarot card readings. I knew that this game (especially Tom Nook) was evil and Satanic but now it’s starting to all come to light. I skipped City Folk on the Wii but sign me up for this one. You had me at Streetpass. And Satanism.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance has a demo NOW on the eShop

I still want to call this game Kingdom Hearts: Egg Drop Soup. In any event, it’s coming and it’s coming soon. You can wet your appetites already. Say what I will about Nintendo and their eShop but these demos have been great and they’ve been treating them in a fantastic way. Keep them coming.

Professor Layton is finally coming to your 3DS

Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle was a Japanese 3DS launch title. So why haven’t we seen it in the States yet? Has localization really taken this long? Whatever the puzzle may be, I’m glad it’s finally solved. We’ll be seeing this game in November (news to which my wife responded with “Merry Christmas!”). I’m already giving thanks.

New Titles Coming to the 3DS Virtual Console

The big ones are that Legend of Zelda is coming July 5th for Non-Ambassadors (jerks… I’ve been playing it for months!) and that Super Mario Land will have a price drop to $2.99 through the end of June. Also, new games will be arriving once a week this summer, including Kid Icarus: Of Myths, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Sonic Blast and Sonic Labyrinth (which 5 people played).

– Now for The Inexcusable…

STILL NO WORD ON A 3DS SPECIFIC ZELDA TITLE! COME ON!!!!

WTF. It didn’t happen at E3. It didn’t happen tonight (which we could have guessed). But this is something that Nintendo has been hinting at for months. We loved the 3DS port of Ocarina of Time (it’s easily the best version of the game) but that’s a game that’s 13 years old now. I know that it wasn’t a Nintendo 64 launch title and we had to wait a while for that too but does the 3DS have that kind of time? Do portables have the same lifespans as consoles? This is something that has to have a 2013 release date on it or it runs the risk of becoming yesterday’s news (especially if the WiiU sports a console Zelda title).

Skyward Sword was a complete fetch quest of a game. It’s really one of the worst of the series and I’d only list it as playable for it’s motion controls, final dungeon and final fight scene. A 3DS port of Majora’s Mask would only stop the bleeding for a month or two. A new interpretation of Link to the Past would be interesting. But really, what any Zelda and 3DS fan wants is a true 3DS designed Zelda game. And not something like Spirit Tracks or the other DS title. Those were fun but got buried in their own backtracking (although using the Wind Waker art direction was great). Give us something that uses the system properly, 3DS, Streetpass, camera and all. We’re waiting, Nintendo. Make it happen. The clock on this system started ticking when you announced the 3DS XL.

Capture the Elusive Darkrai Until June 10th!

by Josh Jackson

Darkrai, the hard to find Nightmare Pokemon from the Diamond and Pearl generation, is currently obtainable in Black and White versions. By simply going into your main menu and downloading it through mystery gift, this powerful creature can be a dream come true in any trainer’s team.

Why should you care? This dark type monster isn’t associated with nightmares for nothing. And no, it’s not just because of its emo bangs covering up one eye. Its special ability automatically reduces its opponent’s health every turn the foe is asleep. Adding in its wide variety of special type dark attacks, and this hidden beast will become a challenge for almost any oppenent, especially against the usually domanant psychic types.

Make sure to catch this rare Pokemon before June 10th. These special creatures only tend to show up once every few years, (unless you’re a Game Sharking cheater that is!) And the best part is you’ll have it a few months before the release of Black and White 2, so you can dominate your friends while they’re fiddling around with their brand new Tepigs. In other words, Darkrai is for winners. You’re a winner, aren’t you?

Nintendo Reveals New Features to Conquer in Pokémon Conquest

by Jonathan

I’ve played zero Pokemon in over 10 years so I think I’ll just let the Nintendo press release speak for me in this instant. I know that this new Pokemon title is a bit of a curiosity… but aren’t they all? The fans seem to all have their favorites. Are there any that have been unanimous duds (but still probably sold a jillion ka-zillion copies)?

Anyway, here’s Nintendo:

Following last month’s announcement of Pokémon Conquest, Nintendo has revealed even more details about the new features available in the game, which launches for the Nintendo DS family of systems on June 18. Players can look forward to exploring the Ransei region and interacting with Pokémon in an entirely new way as they take on the role of a young Warlord who is linked with a Pokémon. Together they must set out to recruit Warrior allies to strengthen their growing kingdom. Developed by TECMO KOEI GAMES Co., Ltd., the game can also be played on the Nintendo 3DS system in 2D mode.

New information includes the following:

Story: To save the Ransei region from Nobunaga, a powerful Warlord who is trying to take over Ransei, players must conquer different kingdoms to strengthen and grow their own kingdom. There are 17 kingdoms in total to conquer. Conquering all 17 kingdoms and ultimately uniting the kingdom will awaken the Legendary Pokémon and save the land from destruction. Story mode is organized by episodes. Players unlock episodes as they progress and each episode features a different playable Warlord and victory conditions.

Army Mechanics: Players can grow their army by recruiting defeated Warlords and their Pokémon. After a kingdom is conquered, players will also have access to the kingdom facilities such as training grounds, shops to buy items and mines for money. Players can also strengthen their army by linking with Pokémon. Warlords can have various linked Pokémon and switch between them before battle to strategically prepare for the type of battle they are about to engage in.

Battle Mechanics: Players will encounter a wide range of battlefields as they progress through the game. Each of the 17 kingdoms has a different type-themed battlefield. For example, in the fire-themed kingdom of Ignis, players can battle around lava flows, lava beds and fire spouts. Strategically using water-type Pokémon to navigate through this battlefield will help players conquer this kingdom. Additionally, players can use the kingdom training grounds to train their army or find wild Pokémon and link with them. After battling with a Warlord, the game automatically registers them. Using the built-in local wireless features of Nintendo DS, players can use their registered armies to battle with friends who also own the game.

Warlords and Pokémon: Each Warlord has a special ability that can change the tide of battle. For example, Warlord Oichi has the ability to heal all the Pokémon in a player’s army. Also, like Pokémon, Warlords have types that will determine how well they link to particular Pokémon. Some Warlords will have the ability to choose from and link with several different kinds of Pokémon.

For more information about Pokémon Conquest, visit http://www.pokemon.com.

APRIL FOOLS! Pokemon: The Live Action Movie Officially Announced

by Shane O'Hare

This was an April Fools joke… but it still would have made a better movie than the live action Avatar: The Last Airbender film!

Today WB Studios was finally able to talk about the rumor that has been buzzing for months. They will be releasing a live action feature length film based in the Pokemon universe.

A WB spokesperson said today at the press conference

We wan’t to give the fans what they want. We’ve been listening to the outcry for a live action version and all the suggestions. We feel that ANY Pokemon fan of ANY age will love this film

The film is set to be directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan. WB representatives said

We have always been impressed by M. Night’s ability to weave a coherent story line and leave the audience shocked by his classic twist endings.

Also during the press conference the leading cast had been announced. The lead role of Ash Ketchum will be played by Joe Jonas. The voice actor who will be playing the role of Ash’s Pikachu, Pikachu, was hand picked by M. Night himself. Vin Diesel will take up the role of the electric mouse as Joe Jonas’ sidekick. When asked M. Night said

I have always been in love with Vin Diesels voice. After hearing his role as the Iron Giant I feel that he could easily voice act in ANY children’s movie. His soothing child like tone will be perfect for the small Pikachu.

Set to play the role of Brock, the first gym leader Ash encounters in the story, will be Zachary Quinto. M. Night said his emotional and power role as Spock was his decision to cast Quinto has the emotional Brock.

Lastly, the role of Misty will be played by Lindsey Lohan. The studio said they want a “spicy rambunctious redhead” to play the role of the spunky counterpart to Ash.

Check out the teaser trailer click here.

Really? A Pokemon and Nobunaga’s Ambition Crossover?!

by Steven Kunz

I have heard a lot of interesting crossovers during my time as a gamer: Kingdom Hearts, Super Smash Brothers, and Marvel vs. Capcom to name a few, and I’ve enjoyed many of these crossovers whenever I came across them, though I was never seriously invested in any of them to warrant dedicated gameplay. Most of these crossovers warranted at least a cursory examination depending on how out-of-place they were, or how the developers came up with a way to unite two completely different franchises, though there usually was an element tying them together that made sense, whether it’d be story-setting, similar game mechanics, or artistic aesthetic.

When I first heard about Pokemon and Nobunaga’s Amibition having a crossover, I was dumbstruck because these two franchises are extremely different to me.  Pokemon is a family-friendly RPG series where you capture monsters to become a Pokemon Master while Nobunaga’s Ambition is a RPG series in which you choose one of many feudal warlords of Japan in order to conquer and unify the country under a single ruler. How in the world would you take these two franchises with two completely different themes and settings and combine them into a coherent story with gameplay?

Analyzing one of the trailers, it looks like you choose one warlord with a specific Pokemon, and you attack your opponent’s Pokemon in a tactics-based RPG combat setting, similar to Final Fantasy Tactics advance, and you proceed to conquer your other opponents in their story, whether each warlord has their individual story, or you’re playing the same story with each warlord offering their own unique dialogue to situations in the game. The game does certainly look interesting to at least check out, though whether it is good or not, or even if the game will even see an international release, remains to be seen.

Source: http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/24/pokemon-nobunagas-ambition-crossover-is-a-real-thing/

Pokemon Black and White 2 Announced

by Josh Jackson

During the Pokemon Smash! TV show in Japan, Game Freak head Junichi Masuda let the electric shooting cat out of the bag; Pokemon Black and White 2 are headed to the DS!

The announcement was surprising on many levels. First, it’s no shocker that a new version of Black/White would be coming eventually, especially considering the series is known for releasing a third “enhanced” version, (and by enhanced, I mean the same game with a few slight changes.) However, these games are the first full fledged sequel within a Pokemon generation. Whether or not the game will have a new story, an updated Unova region or a new region altogether remains to be seen, but I’m crossing my fingers that the game will expand on the surprisingly well told story from the originals. Oh, and now there are two new versions instead of one, proving once again that Pokemon’s strongest ability is the ability to print money.

Secondly, while I have no idea how the games would properly communicate if they were on different platforms, it seems to be a shock to some that the games are coming to the DS instead of the 3DS. It makes sense to me that a direct sequel to a DS game should remain on the DS while the next generation is prepped for the 3DS, especially since the 3DS is fully backwards compatible, but I feel for my 3DS owners who want their creatures to take advantage of their shiny new handheld. Let’s just hope that the games will have extra 3DS functionality or bonuses, like Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Ages did for the GBA.

And lastly, the cover Pokemon seems to be the complete version of the three main Legendaries from the first games. It was said that the previous mascots, Reshiram and Zekrom, were once one Pokemon that split into two, while the hidden ice beast Kyurem was implied to be their discarded body after the split. What can these new creatures be? Are they new Pokemon, or are they Kyurem with either Reshiram’s fire element or Zekrom’s electric element? I can’t wait to find out!

Black and White 2 will hit Japanese shelves in June, while the games will be “coming soon,” to North America.