I stood in line for an unnecessarily long time to pick up my copy of Pokémon X from Nintendo World in New York, but it was worth it. Most would have left the line and picked it up at a more comfortable or convenient location. For myself and many others, the reason why we stayed, braving the cold morning air along the streets of Manhattan, was the sense of community—the very heart of the Pokémon series since its inception. That community is one of the reasons why my time with Pokémon X has been so amazing, but it's much more than that. It's also about the way the the right improvements have been made in all the right spots, the new features, and the nostalgia. X is the best Pokémon game in a long time.
One of the foremost improvements is the look. It's the first in the main series to be in full 3D, but it will still feel familiar. The towns retain a classic, Pokémon feel—with houses, shops, and gyms to explore, but they all look leaps and bounds better than anything before. Some areas, like Lumiose City, show the protagonist from a 3rd person perspective and let you see the world that in a way that hasn't been done in past Pokémons. Unfortunately, much of the overworld isn’t viewable in stereoscopic 3D. I felt like this was a missed opportunity, as some of the cities would look even better in 3D. However, some areas—specifically caves or story dungeons—are viewable in 3D. It's not much, but nice to look at.
Battles also are rendered in 3D for the first time. While only one-on-one battles are in 3D, they unfortunately don’t take advantage of the 3D effect very much. If anything, 3D causes a bit of lag, and I ultimately ended up leaving the 3D off for most battles. Despite this, every Pokémon has been updated with all new animated sprites and even brand new battle cries. As someone who has stuck with the series for such a long time, it was great to see some of my favorite Pokémon updated for the new generation. I enjoyed many of the new Pokémon, including my starter Froakie (who later evolved to become the awesome Greninja), the firebird Talonflame, and the ghost warrior Aegislash.
The flow of gameplay remains the same, which can be good or bad. For me, it was definitely a good thing. Players start out in a city alongside other young Pokémon trainers. While their goals vary, the sense of exploration and adventure pull them along from city to city. As your own, customizable trainer, you visit each town, train Pokémon, and battle gyms to earn badges. Upon gaining each badge, you can challenge the Pokémon League, where you battle the Elite Four and its Champion.
To mix up the formula, the central plot surrounds two other aspects: Team Flare and Mega-Evolution. Team Flare is bent on making the world “beautiful” by ridding it of most people and Pokémon, and starting over. The silly story overall didn’t engage me like Pokémon Black and White did, but in a series not known for its plot devices, it wasn’t the worst.
Mega Evolution is one of this game's key advertised features. This allows certain Pokémon to temporarily ascend to a new form and gain new abilities and stat increases. Mega Evolution changes the way battles are fought, particularly in a competitive setting. They become a threat to most trainers, and going in against one unprepared can lead to devastating results. That being said, in the main story, it’s not very necessary aside from a few segments toward the beginning part of the game. I made it through without even one Pokémon in my team that could Mega Evolve. Of course, if I wanted to challenge my friends, I’d need at least a few in order to be considered a threat. Another new, but smaller addition is the Fairy type. This new specimen mixes up things decently by exposing types that were considered too powerful (like Dragons) and adding a new dynamic to team building.
Of all the new additions, the things that make Pokémon X so memorable to me were the smaller ones. Being able to walk diagonally for the first time. Being able to sit down, and enjoy the setting. Being able to roller skate and do tricks. Remixes of Generation One battle themes. Petting and feeding my Pokémon through Pokémon-amie led to results that I didn’t even expect.
One of my highlight experiences was in a late game battle. I had trained my Greninja up to become very friendly with me. In a battle, I miscalculated and was hit with a critical. My Greninja held on with 1 hit point. He looked back at me, and some text came up roughly saying “Greninja toughed it out for you. It looks like it might cry.” Because of this, I healed it, which caused it to become elated. My next attack was a critical which defeated the opponent, and then it stated that the critical was because my Pokémon wanted to impress me. It followed up by virtually rubbing my Pokémon on the head (in the middle of battle). In a game about building bonds between trainer and Pokémon, there has never been anything as gratifying as this to make me care even more about these creatures.
I could go on and on about the wonders of Super Training, the hilarity of Trainer PR Videos, the challenges of the Battle Maison, and the Friend Safari but this review has already gone on long enough. One thing I do quickly want to mention is how easy and accessible the online content is this time around. When online, or in the vicinity of other players, you are notified by an icon that you can interact with on the Player Search System. You can click on them, trade, battle, or give them boosts. It makes a standard function of the series much more convenient for the player, as before you needed to visit a Pokémon Center to access most of these features. Doing it from wherever you are makes the experience much better.
I’ve poured many hours into Pokémon X so far, and I only plan to keep playing, raising semi-competitive teams, and attempting to catch as many Pokémon as possible. Having friends along for the ride certainly helps the drive to do so, but either way Pokémon X has been something that I as a Pokémon fan have dreamed of since I was a child. I know that I’m not the only one who thinks so, as I’ve come across many who quit the series long ago, flocking back for X. While it definitely isn’t perfect, it’s easy to say that this is a must have if you have had any experience with the series before.
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