Pokemon Spotlight: Grass starters

 

Aaa Spring is in the air, birds are in the air, bugs are buzzing and trees are (oh dear god) pollinating ugh. (I hate allergy season.) Anyways, speaking of getting in the mood of spring, it brings me to a brand new spotlight! I think given the blooming of flowers it’s only appropriate to cover Pokemon’s Grass starters.

There are over 95 different grass type Pokemon in the games, and a majority of them share dual typing. While it’s not as big of a category as some of the other types there is something that grass has consistently brought to the table – a starter. While a water type is more useful, and a fire type is almost always more powerful, the grass type to me has always represented balance. Often not as strong as a Charizard nor as swift as a Greninja, but tough enough to take a hit from the former and survive to do its own damage.

So as I did in Starting birds, let me break down each type then rank them.

Bulbasaur Family: one of the original three of Gen 1 and often times one of the most overlooked of the three starters, it doesn’t grow cannons on the back like Blastoise, nor does it turn into a “dragon” like Charizard. However it is one of the most consistent; balance is the name of the game when it comes to this starters. As I have mentioned before, it was Ash’s Bulbasaur I really fell in love with, along with the fact it helped stick up for weaker Pokemon and refused to change when others did. For me however its poison typing was a bit of a setback for the Pokemon, due to its weakness to the highly over-powered psychic type. The years however have been very kind to this Pokemon – with the introduction of fairy typing in gen 6 plus a new mega evolution this little one’s future is looking very bright.

Chikorita Family: I have a confession to make. While technically Bulbasaur was my first grass starter, since I chose Yellow as my first Pokemon game I didn’t really choose to play him (I collected him, not played him). So it wouldn’t be until Gen 2 that I would make my very first starter choice, and again influenced by the show I picked Chikorita which even I admit is one of the hardest starters to run in Gen 2.  While I will admit right now I don’t believe I ever completed Gen 2 with Chikorita, I did run her for more than half of Johto. When you struggle so much in the early gyms, you grow fond of your starter. However despite all of this…I do admit Chikorita is one of the more forgettable starters. Like I said before, the gyms in this game actually work against this Pokemon. Bird, bug, normal, ghost, fighting, steel, ice and dragon….none of these gyms would this starter or its moveset have an advantage in. Sorry Chikorita…

Treecko Family: I honestly do not have too much experience with this particular family. Gen 3 was the generation I went with fire…but I will get to that maybe one day. This is not a bad family though, and the generation has more balanced gyms so there are opportunities to really shine. Like Chikorita, Treecko is a solid grass type,  with solid grass moves. There just isn’t much that makes this starter stand out in my opinion. I had really stopped watching the show by this point so it is all personal experience and I am afraid I just don’t have it with Treecko. Hey at least he has a mega form.

Turtwig family: I have a special fondness for this family. I love turtles and this one was the very first that was a totally uninfluenced decision. Turtwig is the first dual type since Kanto, picking up the the ground typing in its final evolution Torterra. Having the ground typing can be both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is it makes getting through Gen 4 easy; I love multiple typing and Pokemon that can learn a variety of moves. However, it now becomes four times weak to ice types, making it not as successful in the competitive world. Still Turtwig is adorable and one of my favorite designs and I played him though not only Pearl but Platinum as well, bonding me pretty tightly to this little guy. I wait long for the day that Torterra can mega evolve!

Snivy Family: Poor Snivy, it’s not its fault that Gen 5 was the generation I drifted away from Nintendo and Pokemon. I did eventually return, and when I did Snivy was my choice.  Snivy is another grass starter that I think is destined to be forgotten. Like Chikorita and Treecko it is another solid grass type. I always love Snivy’s final snake-like design; there are really not enough snake Pokemon in the game. The sad fact of the matter is that Snivy’s move pool is limited, and with pure typing there is just not much other than design going for it. I fear as we move further and further into Pokemon this family will grow to be forgotten like the other solid grass types.

Chespin family: Chespin is what happens to chipmunks when they eat too many acorns and they become one. That being said, I think poor Chespin like the rest of Gen 6 starters did not have the chance to shine in game. The reason I say this is before we even get to gym two we get to pick another starter, this time from Gen 1. On top of that, these Gen 1 starters have mega evolutions. Gen 6 starters were overshadowed in their own game, with so many old school Pokemon that I didn’t really give this one a chance. Also I want to note with Chespin that this is the fourth generation to include fighting as part of the dual typing.

Ok so that is the 6 starters, so where would I rank them from worst to best….

Snivy: I love Snivy’s design, but this starter has little going in its favor; it’s not as fast as Treecko’s family nor as defensive as Chikorita’s family. Its move pool is fairly shallow as well leaving little chance to really let this well-designed Pokemon shine.

Chikorita: another pure-blooded grass type, at least unlike Snivy its move pool is slightly deeper, and it’s the more defensive then Snivy. Still I find this starter just as forgettable as Snivy and nothing really makes her stand out to me. Its own generation fights against her as there are no gyms that really allow her to shine until the second half of Gen 2.

Chespin: Poor adorable Chespin, it could not even shine in its own game because a second starter was added. While I am generally in favor of dual typing, Chespin’s dual typing just makes it so weak to flying and psychic. While I am sure it has its pluses since almost every starter that got fighting typing did well, I just never really got to use it…sorry Chespin one day maybe.

Turtwig: I love this cute adorable starter, you guys know I love this little guy. While it rocks through Gen 4, I cannot and should not ignore the fact it’s four times weak to ice. While its move set should make up for this fact, the sad fact is that a good chunk of ice users will likely out-speed Turtwig’s final evolution before it could do any damage. However Turtwig does have access to a wide range of moves making it a diverse fighter, and unlike the later three Pokemon at least its own game Turtwig can shine in.

Treecko: While a pure-blooded grass type, Treecko has one thing the last four do not have – mega evolution. while I can honestly say I have never played this grass Pokemon, I do however acknowledge that this grass type may be the best of the three pure grass Pokemon. Like Turtwig, it does have access to a diverse move pool, however unlike Turtwig it can mega evolve, although for the life of me I cannot explain why it becomes part dragon….really now it is also 4 times weak to ice. Still the mega evolution adds a nice boost in stats.

Bulbasaur: Before mega evolution and fairy typing Bulbasaur might have been lower on the list, however now I say it’s the number one of all the grass starters. Now it has the stats, the moves and the mega evolution to take this grass starter all the way, of course game freak has also had 20 years to perfect Bulbasaur.

Well what’s your opinion? who is your favorite grass starter?

 

 

 

Pokemon Anniversary

Wow 20 years….man I feel old. 20 years ago Pokemon roared into all of our lives, I was the mere age of 14 (good god I was just a babe…..this article is going to make me feel so old).  So I thought I would talk about my history with gen 1, and then because everyone likes a countdown list I thought me with my co conspirator pianoelf (who will be in red) would list our top 5 favorite gen 1 Pokemon.

When Pokemon came out I was in junior high school, I didn’t even know there was a game until I started watching the anime. After the anime and a babysitting job I got to play the game a little bit on my on my own.  It wouldn’t be until Yellow launched that I really showed a strong desire for the game, I liked getting all three starters and Pikachu, I didn’t like having to make the choice at the beginning. It would be my birthday that I would get my first Game Boy and Yellow. I loved the game and played it a lot, coming to rely on other Pokemon not featured in the anime. Yellow would start my Pokemon journey, I would go on to play every single main series entry, and a few side ones.

I don’t remember how old I was when Pokemon first came out, but I remember getting Game Boy Pockets with my two brothers and each of us got to choose Red or Blue. I chose Red, although I really wanted Blue because I loved the color blue. I think at least one of my brothers chose Blue, but at any rate, the next thing we knew, we were in the living room together choosing our first Pokemon. We all chose a different one of course, so that eventually we could see each one. I loved the variety in the different Pokemon seen in the originals (even though the original designs don’t age too well), and caught everything I saw. Since then, I have played at least one entry in each generation of games. While there are things I love in the later games, I will never forget the first one I played.

So on to my top five gen 1 Pokemon (or Pokemon family)

 Diglett & Dugtrio: I loved these little ground dwellers. I remember reading in my first Pokemon walkthough a Versus book (which sadly doesn’t exist anymore) that speed wins battles and if there is one thing this little mole Pokemon has, it’s speed. During the course of gen 1 this little guy would more than earn its place on my team. It is also one of the only Pokemon i can consistently draw and when I get bored you can find one or two on the page of a notebook.  I wished it aged as well as my love for it because as the generations grew this Pokemon fell out of favor in my teams, to stronger ground types. However, Diglett will always hold a special spot for me. 

    Pikachu: So cliche, I know, but Pikachu was the first “rare” Pokemon I ever caught. I remember the first one I saw in Viridian Forest, being surprised at never having seen one before (and how cute it was), and then quickly realized how rare it was to encounter one. This little electric mouse may have never made it as a permanent member of any of my teams, but its charm and personality have stuck with me from the very beginning. (Ash’s Pikachu is infinitely adorable too.)

 Zapdos: Out of all of the legendary Pokemon in this generation, Zapdos was by far and away my favorite. This wonderful little electric Pokemon would be a firm fighter for me. With Zappy (yes that’s what I named it) by my side I always knew I would make it through. In game Zapdos is truly the key to getting the other legendaries, We zapped Moltres and Articuno and drill pecked Mewtwo. Whenever I see the Zapdos in future games my heart jumps a beat because I know with this bird at my side…nothing will stop me. 

Pidgey, Pidgeotto & Pidgeot: Pidgey was one of two bird Pokemon you could catch at the very beginning of the game, and I always liked Pidgey’s design better than Spearow’s. As this little bird evolved, he became my Flyer and a very reliable member of my first team. In a recent playthrough of Soul Silver, I made it a point to use one, and while he had a period where he was close to useless, now he has proven himself to be a core member of the team. There have been many new bird Pokemon introduced since Gen 1, but they will never replace the Pidgey family for me.

  Rapidash: When I was looking over the list of the original 151, and looked at good Rapidash and Ponyta I got this warm happy feeling. Like most little girls, I grew up loving horses. I can’t tell you how it absolutely blows my mind after 20 years and 722(?) Pokemon that there are only 3 horse type Pokemon. Rapidash is too often overlooked in my opinion as a fire Pokemon, but it has something that is so key, the same reason i love Dugtrio: speed. It’s not only that. I loved encountering it in Snap. It is beautifully designed, and has the moves and the stats to be a great Pokemon, and she really is.  

  Butterfree: Yet another Pokemon found close to the beginning of the game! I loved Butterfree even though she was always swapped out later for something more useful. I think it’s because I loved butterflies as a kid, and hated bees (Beedrill is the Pokemon opposite Butterfree). Leveling up a Caterpie or Metapod and then seeing this beautiful Butterfree emerge was always immensely satisfying.

 Bulbasaur: Ok let’s be straight here ppl, yes Charmander grows into Charizard which even I will admit is kind of badass, Squirtle grows into a giant turtle with cannons on his back, In comparison Venasaur is not that impressive, even when we got mega this Pokemon got shafted, but to me it will always have a special little place. It was the anime that sold me on him, not willing to change when everyone one else like him did, protective of the weak and friends, tolerant of ones who annoy him and loyal to his friends. Bulba was the one out of Ash’s Pokemon that I identified with, and that’s why I love him. 

 Eevee & Flareon: Ok, another cute choice, but this Pokemon is not found until much later in the game. You can only get one Eevee, and then you find that Eevee can evolve into one of three Pokemon depending on what kind of stone you give to it. Eevee is cute enough already, but Flareon’s design always attracted me more than the other two options. Flareon just looks so fluffy! Eevee has consistently been a team member in later games, sometimes as its original form, and much more often in one of its now EIGHT evolution choices.

Lapras: By now are you really that surprised to see Lapras here? If you have read my past blogs you know I absolutely love this Pokemon. She has carried me through so many games, but it was Yellow where I first met her. Once I had her by my side I dropped my Blastoise for her and I have never looked back. Lapras has been at my side since the beginning, My love for this Pokemon goes longer and deeper, met in gen 1 and by my side until the end. Beautiful, serene, defensive and strong this one has gotten me though many Elite Fours. 

 Charmander: I’m sure you can guess by now which Pokemon I got while my brothers got the other two. Charmander has always been my favorite Pokemon, partly because he was the one that started it all. I remember that I didn’t want to evolve my first Charmander, but eventually gave in and Charmeleon and Charizard became heavy hitters as I faced the Elite Four. But in every game since then, I have tried to have a Charmander on my team and never evolve him. There is something about this cute little lizard that makes me happy to have him by my side. Perhaps part of it is seeing Ash’s Pikachu and wanting my Charmander to be the same kind of friend. Ash’s Charmander may have evolved into a stubborn Charizard, but my Charmander will always be my faithful companion.

Well there you have it,  our top fives. We both enjoyed revisiting our past, and look forward to replaying the original games in the not so distant future. In the meantime please enjoy the video below, done by natewantstobattle, It seems appropriate to end the article with it.

 

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Pokemon Spotlight: Zigzagoon

Pokemon is nothing if not consistent, we know over the years when we start up any game, that a few things will always happen. We will always get a starter pokemon, we will always have a mom that we leave behind who supports us, And the first catching areas we will always find a bug pokemon, a bird pokemon and one normal swiss army knives pokemon. From ratatta, to bunnelby and all in between. there have been good ones, terrifying one (looks at patrat and shudders). For me my favorite starter normal is really zigzagoon, i squeed that’s right i squeed when i started X a year ago and found this little guy in the beginning areas. My original one way back when when sapphire was still new was named bandit, future ones were names lil’theif and current one is named ziggy.

So what makes this little guy so special, Honestly like most beginning level normal’s you will out grow this little guy by gym four or five, but for be its that ability pickup that makes him so unique. When you start the game you can find you run though pokedollers really quickly. Zigzagoon picks up random potions, pokeballs, status heals, even berries as you travel along. Most of these items are very useful, and sometimes even life saving if your going though a forests or a cave. Early game before you get the full heals and full restores these extra little status saves are quite useful. Your little pickpocket turns out to be a real butt saver.

Zigzagoon  and Its evoluton linoone  can also be very useful learning four different hm moves, so if you need someone to carry the hm burden for your team this is a good choice learning, cut, strength, surf and rock smash. The can also use non hm but field moves like dig and rock climb. Also like most normal pokemon they are swiss army knives learning a veriaty of different type move sets, so if you decide to actually work with one longer then gym five i have a feeling you will be rewarded. however nither i nor  smogon recommend this guy outside your own game, its not built for competitive just to get you though the beginning of the game.

While its likely you will eventually outgrow the zigzagoon linoone family by the time you hit gym five, you cannot deny what this little guy does for you early game and should be recognized for that.

Omega Ruby: Final reactions and thoughts.

I have been enjoying the post game a lot, but have decided not to go into details about the final game because i want to leave some surprises left for you guys. so let me go over some of this.

Pros

-hoenn is beautifully redone.

-flying on latios/latias is a dream come true, always one of my favorite features in final fantasy was free flying, to see it here is amazing. Its a new feature i really really want to stay

-the little omages: when you talk to random npcs, they will sometimes mention other regions, kalos, unova, johoto shinnoh and kanto. it makes the game feel more global. Its a little thing but it helps.

-finding non hoenn pokemon from later games in hoenn. I cannot tell you how surprised i was to find Deino of all creature hiding at meteor falls.

-return of contests. i know i have ralled against the contests in the past, but its a nice break from all the battling you do. I didn’t really focus much here on it, but i have sapphire in the wing, i plan on doing contests more.

-secret bases. this is another element i plan on focusing more on the other game but i am very please to have this back again.

-bigger post game. thank you this was the one thing that really hurt x-y the post game was so small. hoenns is much bigger with contests the battle zone coming soon and the delta episode, it just pays off the player

Cons:

-Regis’ and the lake trio are still a pain in the ass to catch.

-sneaking, while i liked this element i found points in the game this just did not work for me. I am still working on what happened here but until i figure out why this didn’t work i will not be a fan.

-missing elements: there are some elements that players of the orginal games really missed whether it was the bathing grannies or the running the ash off the leaves, those few little tweaks broke some hearts.

-Camera angles we are still dealing with is not perfect yet.

– customization. i understand that kalos was Paris and fashion and hoenn doesn’t have that elements.  Often these games are made very close to each other so its possible the customization wasn’t added in because it was never part of the original game.

-the change in pc option order, Organize boxes was always the third one down this game the changed it to the first spot. after years of being the same spot they move it!! Are they trying to drive me crazy.

Anyways i hope you guys have enjoyed hoenn as much as i am. I will later once i really get sapphire going will post up my base.

My New Top 10 pokemon

Every player of pokmon has a group of stand by pokemon, ones that have always relied on, or have come to rely on as the years past, for some its a matter of how they do in battle outside the game, for others its that old friend they can always rely on in the game. For others such as me there are just ones that no matter what comes our way we admire them, we use them, we  love them. That’s right little peices of computer programing we spent so much time with that we feel even artficually if we cheer loud enough for them we know that pokemon as weird as it sounds will come though for us in a pinch. For players such as me who has been playing the series as long as i have, i have found creatures i have come to rely on.

How they got to my team each one has its own story, whether i fell in love with there looks, or relablity or just as i was working with them i fell in love with the shear deterimation it some times take to raise one up right. to some are harders then others to put on this list and after much struggle i narrowed it down to 10 Pokemon who will always find a home somewhere on my team. (and in some cases my bed if i can find there stuffed forms)

10: Scizor: Somehow this guy always finds his way on my teams. its no secret that i like bugs i always have ever since i was a little kid, so finding a praying mantis pokemon like Scyther was a real score. In generation 2 it evolved into Scizor and with that often found a place on my team. Its a tough bug and has proven itself at my side over and over again. I know it will always be there an now with a new mega evolution i know it will continue to have my back.

9: Greninja: When X and Y initially came out i was on team Chespin being someone who almost always picks grass starters it seemed only natural for me to continue down this path. To say i was disappointed in little Chespin is an understatement. fortunately for me i decided to play both versions of the game, and the second go around i got to know froakie. Boy did this froggie ever make an impression on me. i named my first one Kitt after a bullfrog i had had in my youth. I have since gone on to breed a competitive one that knows the annoying to go up against but super fun when its on your side ability protean. It being a frog doesn’t hurt its case either, for me this is the stand out starter of and X-Y and you better believe when i play smash its also one of my go to characters.

8: Chandelure: To say i am not a big user of ghost (or fighting) types is an understatment. It in most cases is because i never really take the time to get to know them the case with most fighters there is never a design i really like. For me I have always thought myself as someone who likes to go against the crowd as well so i tend to for this reason stay away from popular and over used pokemon such as gengar. i am not really sure what it was about litwig that i really liked. For some reason it apealed to me and to be honest i wasn’t really that disappointed. In most generations Fire types are often few and far between so when you find one you stick with it, and when you find a good one you are rewarded. I have used this guy a couple of times now both in game and casual compitition and i have yet to be disappointed. A lot of generation 5 pokemon are overlooked for no good reason and Chandelure is very much a hidden gem.

7: Espeon and Umbreon:  I always seem to cheat a bit when it comes to these two. I like most eeveelutions but for me these two are hands down my favorite. When it comes to battling however it is almost always my espeon that is by my side, back in the day it was one of the best Psychic pokemon out there, and even today a lot of other blogs and players still use this guy in competitions.  I use it because it really is still to this day one of my favorite psychic pokemon, and it doesn’t hurt it reminds me of a cat. So if I use Espeon all the time, why does it share the number seven spot with Umbreon.  For me Umbreon is more of an emotional attachment. Some of you know and can see in my icon a black cat, that’s my buddy blizzard, and for some reason when i see Umbreon i think of him. I can’t help it, and blue i have always loved its design even its shiny as rare as that is to find. So for me i cannot separate these two, you can’t have light with out darkness, nor darkness without light after all.

6: Inkay: Inkay is different then the others i have featured on this list so far. Its not really on here because of its battling skills or its ever so weird type combination, no its on here because i am completely and utterly in love with its design. I am a huge fan of squids and octopus’s so when i met Inkay in the wilds of X I fell head over heals in love with this thing. While i am not as impressed with its evolution malamar, the way it evolves is kind of fun for me too. No Inkay is one of the few pokemon who earn a spot on this list because I just think its adorable.

5: Bulbasaur: As I have stated in the past my first pokemon game was yellow, making pikachu my first pokemon, but for me my first love is really bulbasaur. This little guy without really knowing it would set the stage for my starter choices for years to come, with me almost all the time picking a grass type starter with a small hiccup here and there, but i get ahead of myself. I just love this guy and to be honest when i got to pick again in Y I followed my heart not my head and picked it again. I think i had forgotten how much i loved this little guy until i saw him again. To be honest i think still even today bulbasaur is to often ignored for its more flashy turtle with the cannons or dragon but not really a dragon brethren.  He has been there since the beginning and I am happy to award my old friend with a place on my list.

4: Torchic: remember that hiccup I just mentioned, yeah Torchic is that hiccup. How could i resist such a cute little pokemon, i mean really. Torchic would mark the first and pretty much only occasion i would wonder away from the grass starter (for the first round of play) line. This little guy has never disappointed me, with a great move pool and lets be honest so few fires to pick from in gen 3 this was my best option and never one i was disappointed in. In every game i have had this guy in, it has come though for me, sure we have lost a few times to friends but i always had a good time. Lets be honest here Blaziken Torchic final evolution just keeps getting better as the years pass, and with ORAS around the corner i look forward to kicking ass and taking names once again with my little orange chicklet by my side.

3:  Crobat: Crobat didn’t even make the list last time, because honestly i forgot it, years away from the game i had forgotten my history with this little bat. it wasn’t until X-Y did i get a reminder of why i like this creature so much. Since i mentioned it recently in another post i will try to keep it brief. Crobat has speed, and some power behind it. more importantly its a bat, and as you guys have gotten by now i was a weird little girl who like creatures most girls did not, and one of those things were bats. So of course Zubat once again falls into the catagory of weird creatures i should like but i do so there. Crobat has earned its time in the sun and a place on my list, with a promise to never forget it again.

2: Lapras: this one should come as a surprise to no one who has read my blogs before, i just love this pokemon. Lapras has been at my side since the beginning and in almost every single generation i have depended on her to get me though the end of the game and the elite four. Lapras only drops to number 2 on my list because the years have not been kind to my old friend. while in game she always helps me, in the world of competitive she just has to many flaws to ignore. I am just starting to break into this world, and i would love to have my old friend at my side, but to use her would be a mistake, so i am forced to sideline her with the hopes that one day maybe with a mega Lapras will rise again.

So who did it, who unseated the once mighty contender for my heart.

1: Joltik: Yup that’s right this adorable tiny bug pokemon has unseated lapras from the number one spot. How the heck did that happen you might be wondering. after all me and lapras have had a decade with one another and this little upstart just showed up about four years ago. Well here is how it happened, as it probably quite clear to you all by now i love bugs and other weird little things, So when i met joltik about a year ago i fell instantly heads over heels in love with this thing. However unlike the ultra cute inkay, Joltik quickly set about proving its worth in my team. Its Evolution galvantula is touch and its excellent in the world of competitive. no one knows what to make of this little eletric tick, and the fact i think the generation five is so unpopular makes this little guys a bit of a surprise when the meet it. Joltik just fits all my needs for eletric, bug, grass and what ever else i need in one adorable package. In the short time i have known this little bug it has proven itself over and over in game and in the competitive field. That is why joltik has earned a number one spot on my list.

Thank you for endulging me, and i should note, even though no generation 4 Pokemon made my list doesn’t mean i hate the generation, i just simply just don’t have any stand outs from that generation i continually go back to…yet. Also note Legends are not on this list because they already got there own special list.

What are your top ten, write yours in the comments down below.

Hoenn Confirmed: Predictions

Hoenn is coming and so is changes to our favorite gen 3 game. As shown in this weeks E3 and cora cora leaks the remaining gen 3 starters are getting a mega evolution as well as good old Sableye. What else does game freak have in store for us?

Well if you will indulge me i am going to make my first ever prediction blog of what i feel is going to come in this new (old) set of games.

1: We will see another group of starters also get a mega, either gen 2’s or gen 4’s some where towards the end of the game, likely after the elite four is beaten.

2: secret bases will make a return with the wifi feature enabled so you can rate your friends bases

3: Besides starters we will see at least 20 different new mega evolution’s and they will not be exclusive to gen 3’s pokemon. Some Pokemon that i predict will see megas will be, Metagross, Flygon, Gallade,  Rosade, Bellosom, Gliscor, (one of if not all of the bird trio or the dog trio) Mightyena, Slaking and Luxray.

4 We will see some of gen fives pokèmon get some love too.

5 we will see delta Emerald and her is why. Unlike past generations, Ruby Sapphire and Emerald all had distinctively different story lines. Combining it like they have in the past could ruin the integrity of the past games, so i think they will in this case release the third one.

6: the beauty contests will also go wifi so you can compete with friends.

7: the past mistake will be fixed, meaning day and night will return for gen 3 re-release, while absent in the original gen 3 Gamefreak has a great track record in listing to its fan and make sure what made fans unhappy with gen 3 will be fixed when its ready to go in November.

8: The game is going to be as pretty as x-y is

So those are my predictions what are some of yours. Do you Agree with mine, Do you have some of yours, let me know in comments down below.

Gen V Review

I have a weird relationship with this generation in particular, Gen V came out just weeks after the original 3ds launched and i was still reeling from my disappointment in it. I played a little without a walk though but my heart was beginning to be stolen by another. I soon soul find myself seeking the precious, instead of the pokèball, and when Nintendo announced the price drop, then free games i wasn’t interested in, i found myself angry, and soon would turn my back on the game and Nintendo for two years.

                            

Sometime this summer after almost three years of exclusive play on lotro (lord of the rings online) i found myself growing bored of it, i had started to play more games on my phone but found they just were not long enough and constantly wanted me to buy stuff. So after cleaning up a bit i found my old DSI hanging out on my dresser, i looked though games i hadn’t played yet and pokèmon black was staring at me. So i popped it in and restarted my journey where i had left off two years ago. I found the story engaging and for the first time in two years pokèmon had managed to recapture my heart. (this is why i think i am still obsessive about this series i have two years to make up on). After some time my love to Pokemon regrew, as soon as i finished black i jumped right to black 2.

                                      

i love how it jumps a head a bit between the series of black and black 2, instead of replaying the same game with some tweaks it gives you a whole new chance to to check out unova from fresh eyes…that is really cool.

For the record i did try it on the 3ds collecting dust, i was still angry at it, with some persuasion from my friends i traded it in for the 3ds xl, fresh start for me and Nintendo. It worked out and now here we are.

OK lets start off with the negative:

-C-gear, i found this to be a huge let down from what pearl and diamond Pokètch. i barely used the lower screen and most of the time it was off for me. I understand where they were going, it just wasn’t pulled off well for me.

-Legendary, this set to be honest i found a lot less appealing, i hated tornadus and crew. i think mainly for me, its the fact that the main legendary really doesn’t come in until the end, some of the last battles. Giving me very little time to connect with my newly caught legendary.

-My friend scolded me when i said gen II’s starters were forgettable, saying that it was this gens who will be forgotten. While i like Snivy, honestly she is right. The fire starter Tepig is the third time we have seen a fire fighting. and Oshawott is a solid water type, but there are better water pokèmon out there. Snivy was the highlight here because with was a speedy grass who could take a hit.

-Bridges, to many blank bridges with very little to do on them.

– musicals…i thought the contests were bad now we have musicals which i found twice as confusing. I will stop complaining about the contests if the musicals don’t come back.

– Cheren, our “Rival” Really didn’t grow much, he did get a gym in black and white 2 but by then it was too late. The rival story is really over shadowed by N’s and Bianca’s. Honestly N made a better rival anyways.

-The Victory road, to much in and our and sliding down a hill for me.

Now the positive.

– i love the Villain story here, this is the first series to really pose a question to the player and makes you think, even though we essentially don’t make choices N’s story is truly a memorable one.

-Bianca: i debated on her, putting her as a positive or a negative, i ultimately rules on positive, her story line is interesting too, but all to short. The battle between her and her father, her fathers and her’s fears and her eventual growth is another engaging thing.

-Gym leaders to the rescue: I loved this part of the story line, Finally the world is in danger and its not all up to a 10 year old to save the world. The Gym leaders come in and help you out, defending you, and clearing the way so you can do what needs to be done. i love this.

– Great second round, Most of the time when we get a third game its a replay of the originals with some tweaks to it. Black and White, followed with Black 2 and white 2, these two take place a few years after the events of black and white. You do get some new areas, the original victory road is gone, (Thank god)  and you get to see the after math of the events that took place in the original black and white game.  *If you haven’t played them i highly recommend playing the second part to the color you picked the first time around, because it gives you the other dragon.

-Black 2 access to old legendaries, finally got my latios…only down side was the regi’s again. i will admit one thing they are easier to catch with the dusk ball which was not there in gen III, still doesn’t mean i was thrilled to see them.

-Transfers: While i wasn’t so thrilled at first with the new way to catch, i quickly adapted to it, and found it way more efficient then the previous generations. Making transfers a breeze, which is nice because with the transporter and bank on the way, moving everyone over to black and black 2 has been a priority.

-Transferring story, If you connect Black up to black 2 it will load up your previous game, so when it does flash backs you see your previous interactions with N, or previous accomplishments in the gen before.

-Black and white 2: The movies, while i hated the musicals and contests i sort of enjoyed the movie part, i think because if gave me a chance to test drive pokèmon i normally wouldn’t play otherwise.

-Reusable Tm’s. In previous generations you had one shot at a TM, and if it was rare like earthquake you had to think carefully about who you used it on. Thanks to this generation i can finally use something like Earthquake, still smartly but helps me build a better team.

Now for the pokèmon. To start with neither Trubbish nor Vanillish will be on either list, while there not horrible pokèmon they are not really good, i however do not buy the idea that there horrible because of the design, there have been far worse designs over the years, which i have covered in the past. Besides after 15+ years playing this game, i am used to weird pokèmon, i mean come on…there are fighting eggs and i pile of sludge out there.

First for the bottom 6

6: Durant: This isn’t a bad Pokèmon, its on the list mainly because i am absolutely terrified of ants. When i was a little girl visiting my great aunt and uncle in texas. Me and my brother were playing with an ant hill, that ant hill turned out out to be fire ants. To this day i remember its pain they inflected. Since then i have been scared of ants, and Durant is an ant, so its on the list.

5:    Pidove Family: This isn’t necessarily a bad bird, its just a huge let down after the predecessor Starly. Starly’s family in generation IV was just so good for a starting bird, and as it grew it got better. This guy in comparison is just not all that good.

4: Patrat: Another victim of two many better pokèmon out there. This one also freaks me out a bit. Those Eyes..i am just not a fan of it. At least Rattata was cute, and sort of stayed cute when it evolved. those crazy eyes….i just can’t deal with them.

3: Sigilyph: Ok this one just pissed me off. I battled it many times, and it always gave me a hard time. There in every generation that one Pokèmon that is over used by npc, that piss the crap out of you. For me its Sigilyph.

2: Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus: I wouldn’t mind these three if they were not so difficult to get them. In a single black game you can only get two out of the three. In black 2 i could catch them using Dream radar, they were a pain to catch there, but at least they got me moving i guess. Still i am not a fan of these three.

1: The Pan family: I really don’t like the monkey pokèmon, and these three are annoying. I just don’t like these guys, and there evolutions don’t help. I really don’t like these guys.

Top 6

6: Golurk: This huge golem of a pokèmon, showed up for me in black and White, but i never played him until Y. He is very impresive for a ghost pokèmon. he actually scared me a bit when i first met him due to his huge side, but Golurk can be a gentle giant who can put a sever smack down on your opponents. I was very pleased to have him on my side on Y.

5: Chandelure: This is the perfect example to me of the game having way to many good pokèmon, and some just get ignored. This one came to my attention recently as well, trying to learn ghost pokèmon better for another top 6, i started training a litwick, boy did this little guy impress me. Enough to become a competitive member of a team for myself. A the fact it automatically learns a grass move, and a good one at that makes it a powerful little ally. Don’t believe me check him out for yourself. i promise it won’t steal you soul…

4: Haxorus: This seems to be a running theme for these first three. pokèmon whose power i would have never known if it wasn’t for Y. while i wrote up my reviews for X i also played Y shortly after i finished X. In Y Haxorus and Golurk became strong members to my final team, Neither one disappointed me, when i needed them the most. Something she reminded again recently when i did an online battle with a friend, and with half my team down she came though and protected me again.

3: Stoutland: Pokèmon is just full of normal type pokèmon, In every generation you get a couple of them, most are decent to useless with very few stand outs. This is a stand out of the normal family. This is just a power house, and if breed correctly you can have an elemental powerhouse that can leave your opponent crying. On top of it, this one really doesn’t have an awkward middle phase which makes this guy even better.

2: Joltik: By now i am sure you guys think i am crazy, I am terrified of ants but don’t have a single issue with spiders. I think by now you guys know i love this family and i have one currently on my Y cartage that i am working with. While its not the strongest of the bugs, its one of the cutest and one of my favorites to come out of this generation.

1Hydreigon: I have said it before and i will say it again, you don’t spend 64 levels with anything and not grow a little attached to it. I first met Hydreigon fighting the final boss in Black Ghetsis, That sucker was tough and had a counter for half my team. This is a powerful Pokèmon, but a high level evolve. I knowing i was bouncing to black 2 quickly bred and sent over a baby Deino over to my black 2 game. Smart move on my part and it became a powerful ally, and honestly out of everyone on this list, he needs a mega.

So what are your thoughts on the fifth Generation? It is obvious from this i was a big fan of this generation, it was the one that returned me back to the world of both Pokèmon and Nintendo for that this generation will always be a little special to me.

My Top 6 Ice Pokèmon

well the weather outside is frightful all right, with a snow/ice storm outside my window now seems the perfect time to give you all a list of my top 6 ice pokèmon.

Like all top 6’s no legendaries are allowed on this list. So without further delay let me get started.

6: Glaceon: This one almost got bumped from a list, but a friend argued with me and won. Glaceon is another eeveelition, its defiantly one of the prettier ones. Now we are getting into the more interesting way to evolve an Eevee, you have to be around a cold stone to get your new frozen friend. This is not one of my top eevee’s for one reason only, its sibling vaporeon can do most of what glaceon does. It is a beautiful pokèmon no doubt about it.

5: Mamoswine Family: This Ice ground type started off life in pokèmon with just two evolutions, then they added mamoswine, this ice tank is a pretty solid critter. While he isn’t as much fun to ride on on x as rhyhorn still a solid pokèmon and with a move pool to back it up this is a good one to have on your side.

4: Avalugg: Avalugg and Bergmite are new to the world of pokèmon. He impressed me while i was working on raising Bergmite up. he proved to have a solid defense and could take a blast from a flame thrower and stand for one more round, not many pure ice times can say that. He looks a little strange at first with his flat back, but you know by now you think strange would be nothing new in my world.

3: Walrein Family: speaking tanks, Walrein at first glance when introduced in Gen III reminded me of another water ice Seel from generation one Seel and dougong, and i promptly named it seel once i caught it. However it turned out to be much more impressive then Dougong ever was. This one has solid stats and the defense to back it up its a solid family who would make any trainer lucky to have it on their side.

2Aurorus: Making her second appearance on the top 6 the beautiful Aurorus, this pokèmon stole my heart when the first announced the fossils, i know everyone went gaga over tyrunt, but amaura was the one who caught my attention. While not the strongest ice on this list, it still has a decent enough stats and move pool to make it competitive. This is not a throw away pokèmon for which i am glad. I am happy this exists.

1: Lapras: No one who has been reading my posts should be surprised to see my old friend. I don’t know if you have noticed by now, i tend to not have a lot of single evolution pokèmon on my lists. I like Pokèmon who evolve because it it gives me a sense of accomplishment, i guess that is what makes Lapras so unusual for me. Lapras has never had an evolution, never has and given we are now in our 6th game and still no evolutions probably will never have one. So why do I love them so much, Good question. Lapras as seen me though five generations, and no matter how tough the situation has gotten in game, this little one always sees me though. Recently coming though the new elite four in X, i was counting on my other pokèmon to help me though the five elite members. Three out of four elite four members had to be handled by my Lapras, when i tried to give her a break to let my fairy handle the dragons…but nope my fairy went down leaving Lapras to sweep the dragons, the fire and help out with the water. This is just one of many stories i can share with you, And its one of the many reasons Lapras has time, after time, after time, proven why it is an invaluable member of my team. Lapras will always be my number one Pokèmon, and my favorite ice pokèmon.

So how about your guys? what are your favorite ice types.

Also I am thinking strongly of doing a new top ten list with some new pokèmon. what do you think?

My Top 6 Favorite Rock Pokèmon

Rock pokèmon are a nice sturdy members to anyone’s team. of course like any type i have my favorites, So like always no legends allowed in here, not that i would pick regirock if it was allowed. Stupid regis.

6: Onix: this Rock snake first came to my attention with the anime, first time i encountered in battle against Brock. Its been years since then but i still remember how powerful he became. like many early rock types this one shares the type with ground which is a nice mixing. Onix is an old early fav, and would not deny his spot on this list…(really i wasn’t going to put him on this list, but he insisted)

5:Tyrantrum: Most Anicent pokèmon are rock types, as a result there are a lot of really good ancients as a result, i picked two to be on this list. There was a lot of excitment when tyrunt was announced finally a ancient that was a t-rex, on top of that it got dragon attached to it. I must admit i was very impressed by this guy it has a nice move pool and yes having a t-rex on you team is king of cool…but it was not my favorite of the two that came out.

4: Aurorus: I have love brachiosaurs since i was a little kid. so when i spotted this as a new pokèmon i fell instantly fell in love. On top of that this one counters tyruntrum, as an ice type it has the type advantage so this nice peaceful looking pokèmon is a powerful ally.

3: gigalith: I became friends Roggenrola, early in the Pokèmon Black game, he was at my side though the elite four. Thanks to a friend i was able to swap my boldore all the way up to Gigalith. For me if a pokèmon earns its place on my team it gets to go though the elite four with me. This one helped me though two gyms and countless battles, holding steady for me allowing one more move in sometimes a rough situation. He earned his place in my team and my heart.

2: Tyranitar: This guy has been on my lists before on the top 6 Dark types. Funny he was number two on that list as well, poor guy. This is a powerful rock type and dark type, in fact he maybe the toughest and most powerful one on this list…however it doesn’t make him my favorite. Sorry bud power doesn’t always equal love in my eyes. it probably doesn’t help his case that i haven’t used him in almost 10 years.

1: Geodude Family: around since the first generation this family some how always finds its way into my team. However it really wasn’t until Gold and silver, did it really shine for me. I have been over this story, before. with my frist game silver the pick of my starter Chikorita the grass pokèmon. However this would prove to be a bad choice, however there was a little notch on the beginning route, i found my little geodude, a female named dudette. Dudette rolled over the flying gym, the bug gym and the normal gym. Surprisingly it even hanged tough in the fighting and steel gym. It has over the years continued to prove itself. i got mad at x-y for putting onix in so early in the game and only showing me graveler towards the end of the game because i am such a fan of these little guys. Geodude, Graveler and Golum have earned there place as number one on this list.

 

So What do you think? do You agree, do you disagree? Who are your top 6? leave your comments down below.

 

 

 

 

Pokèmon Gen IV Review

Pokèmon Pearl, Diamond and platinum, was pokèmon’s first journey into the ds world. We would actually hang out with this system for a little while. This was a good start to the world of duel screens and it is a very strong title for the series in general. We would eventually see the relaunch of Gold and silver with the ds as well, but this is Pearl, Diamond and Platniums Review.

I remember when this game first launched i was away at college at the time, i remember getting up real early in the morning while my room mate and the rest of the dorm was still asleep, driving to the local Game Stop on a cold day for the launch, picking up my pearl and driving back getting my same parking spot back. (Ahh the love of sleeping college students) I had my Ds for a little while at this point, and this was my first main stream title for pokèmon i picked up since i got the system. This was probably the last gen i picked up a walk though the day of launch for. i remember studying the three starters carefully before going with turtwig. I never regretted that choice and look forward to reuniting with it one day.

Ok There is that now for the likes and dislikes of this gen. Lets start with the negative this time.

Dislikes.

-The Villain team, Really forgettable…in  fact the only thing i remember them doing all game was blowing up the lake and the magikarps flapping around. That’s all that i remember happening, i had to wiki the story line.

-The story. In general pokèmon has the same formula and the stories are never that strong, this is one of the weaker story lines, to date.

-The Contests…why are they still here?

-to many event pokèmon. Ok this is really starting to bother me the number of event Pokèmon that are just not accessable to me because i am either in another country, or not located near were the current event is going on. Yes i know its now easier with the wifi but really is it. The first couple of generations there was only one event pokèmon, Mew, Celebi, and Deoxies. this gen there were four, Darkri, Phoine, Arceus, and Shaymin. This is to much and honestly a bit of a put off to me. The only one out of this group i got was phonie and its baby maniphy. I have heard tales about the others but it just pisses me off because i don’t have access to them.

-Defog: Why? another useless HM move that thankfully it only lasted one generation:

-Roaming legendaries. Now its no secret by now i don’t like chasing legendaries around, Ruby and Sapphire only had the one, gold and Silver had three, but they are confined to land only and only stay on the johto side. This stinking game had four, and only one is worth my time.

-Another Regi

Likes:

-Pokèmon: this is one of the strongest entries to the game in quite some time, a good mix of old and new and even some new evolutions to old favorites. Even the Starters had a solid set of new comers to the game.

-Use of the Duel Screen. To me this is the best use of the duel screen, i now know its all about being connected to other players world wide but honestly i likes having my map on the other screen, or where that stupid roaming legendary is on the other screen, it made chasing them around a little more bearable and something i wish they would bring back.

-Pal Park, I loved pal park, and in my opinion my favorite way to bring pokèmon from my advanced cartridges into my current games. it was pretty simple and kind of fun too. Pokèmon that had given me such a hard time in the past (I am looking at you Regis) quickly and quietly got back into the ball. Yes it meant that i could no longer return to my advance games, but the other way to look at is i am evacuating them from a battery operated cartage and moving them to a safe game.

-Return of Day night, evening morning…Ect. Thats right the time of day has returned and is better then before. To me this is most significant because it showed players Game Freak actually listens to its fans.

-Physical and Special Attacks, This finally made an impact espeically on those pesky tank pokèmon, having a physcial move some times really help.

-Opening game play, i actually really like that you do off on your own then you have to pick up a pokèmon quick, it gives the illusion of a quick intro at the very least.

-Pokèmon calls: with this generation and better sound available on the ds, the calls got a lot better on the new pokèmon…as did the music.

Now for the pokèmon, i am going to do things slightly different this round, I am going to add another top 7 of favorite new evolutions, just favorites because these post are generally large enough. because there are so many in each category i am increasing it to 7 this round.

top 7 favorite new Evolutions:

7: Leafeon and Glaceon: Another Two Eeveelutions, and another two adorable new comers to my team eevee. The one that really impressed is Leafon but Glaceon is a beaut and knows it.

6:Munchlax: This preevolution to one of my favorite tanks Snorlax. this Cute little guy will eat your out of house and home but will also be a nice tank for you when it grows up as well.

5: Happiny: i have always felt that the Chansey Family was a little under appreciated in the past, but with each new gen, 2 and now 4 it gained a new evolution and i feel a new way to appreciate this special wall.

4: Gallade: Talk about under appreciated, Its counter evolution Garnivor got a mega, this guy did not, where is the love for him. While i have personally never used this guy, he is on the list to take a test run with me soon, i hope he is as impressive as he looks.

3: Yanmega: I have gone one and on about my love for dragonflys and this pokèmon so i won’t say anything more.

2: Mantyke: another One whose parent I adore and just blasted its way to level 100 and though Y. Cute and useful.

1Togekiss: Togepi was on tv a lot in the beginning, and like many players we were a little upset on just how plain useless it turned out to be. Then in Gen IV the gave us Togekiss, a very very useful pokèmon to have on your team, with an impressive move pool and the stats to back it up this is one appoligy note i will gladly accept.

My Top 7 Least favorite Pokèmon of gen IV

7: Finneon There is nothing really wrong with this guy really there isn’t. It is on the list for the simple reason that i forgot it existed. that doesn’t bode well when i forget about something.

6: Gastrodon: This water Ground snail, usually i like snails but i never warmed up to these two, sorry guys.

5: Burmy: Why just why do i need this, why does it need five different forms.

4:Pachirisu: Another useless cute electric type. Look Game Freak i understand why your doing it, but just stop your not helping your cause.

3: Chatot: There seems to be in every generation this useless novelty Pokèmon. The ds has a mic on it, this guy tried to take advantage of it. It didn’t really work out for it, and this one ended up in the box.

2: Mespite Uxie, Azelf: Have i mentioned how much i hate chasing Pokèmon around, Especially three that were not very useful. I actually named these three Pain, in the, Ass once i caught them.

1: Regigigas: Ok after last game i thought i was done with the regi family, but nooooo Game Freak had to add one more to my torture, and not only that you need the other three to even get him. Really Game! do you have any idea how much of a pain the first three was to get. Trust me there dad wasn’t much easier. Stupid Regis.

Top 7 Favorites original new to game:

7: Garchomp: I didn’t grow to appreciate this creature until recently but this is one bad ass little dragon shark.

6: Lucario: another one that because of X and Y i grew to appreciate and love. It has proved itself as a valuable partner and like Garchomp i am sad that it took me that long to know what a great pokèmon it truly is.

5: Turtwig Family: Out of all the starters in this gen and trust me the water and fire are good too, but this was my favorite family. I wonder if he will see a mega?

4:Giratina: Hands down my favorite legendary of this generation, it stands head and shoulder above the legends of this generation. Two forms and raw power he became a fast favorite of mine of this generation. Devil or not he is a strong ally for your team.

3:  Staraptor Family:Pokèmon is always good at giving us Pokèmon in the beginning, however in most cases you either out level your stating team or you just come across better additions to your team, This is not the case with this family. Starly grows up to be a powerful addition to your team and so good it stayed on with me though the Elite Four.  Do not doubt this little bird, for its a great ally for your team.

2: Luxray: Finally a Good Electric Pokèmon, not only that this guy is tough, if taught well it can have ice, fire and thunder fang plus Crunch. Not only that its a cat, and a good cat shaped pokèmon, about time! i love this family and if you haven’t used it i highly recommend you do. But Alas this is not my favorite one, its close, so who took number on for me.

1: Bronzong: I love my little Bronzor. When i first met Bronzor, it reminded me of a tambourine, so i named it Tember at the time. With the ability of levitate it removed the problem that previous favorite Metagross had, had with ground types. While it eventually grows into a fairly large bell but it still continues to impress. I recently got a Bronzor though a wonder trade, i think i actually got up and did a happy dance, it was just days after i got Beldem. i look forward to raising it up to be my new ultimate team.

 

So what are your thoughts on Generation IV did it live up to expectations? Do you remember its launch? What were some of your favorites? Let me know in the comments down below.