G33K LYFE: Third dimension evolution
Previously in this column I took
a look back on the history of the
Pokémon series, as well as the people
who have helped to turn it into
a massive pop culture force over
the last 16 years, and across numerous
forms of media. The retrospective
was in preparation for what is
arguably the biggest step that the
franchise has taken since its 1996
debut, breaking out of its traditional
two-dimensional shell to make
the jump to 3D with the release of
Pokémon X and Y on October 12.
While the handheld Role Playing Game (RPG) series that has always formed the backbone of the franchise has seen more than a decade of steady commercial and critical success, with each title consistently becoming the highest-selling game on its respective console, and averaging high scores from game critics, long-time observers of the series had begun to note that the gameplay had started to become a bit stale. This is a valid argument, as the core mechanics and plot that make up the game have not seen a massive overhaul since the original GameBoy, with minor aesthetic changes and the addition of new characters and features being the primary draw to each new title.
The jump to 3D is one that fans of the series have been craving since the beginning, many desiring an experience to resemble the visual style provided by the cartoon, but technologically impossible for Nintendo to give its fans with the handheld systems that they released. To make such a drastic change after so many years could have been a risky move for the company to make, as the failure to do it properly could, as with any long-standing series, see the mass alienation of the people who have supported it for so long.
After a week on the streets, longtime fans will be happy to know that the release of Pokémon X and Y has been an astounding success, selling 5.5 million copies on the first day alone, a record for the Nintendo 3DS and the second-biggest game opening this year, behind only last month's Grand Theft Auto V. While the massive commercial success of the games is important, the millions of people worldwide who play are more focused on whether or not the new titles are the important step forward that the franchise needed.
While remaining spoiler-free, I am happy to say that for anybody who has been a fan of the Pokémon games in the past, this is the title that many of us have been waiting for since we were 10 years old. Perhaps of the utmost importance is that the games world and its characters have made the transition to fully animated three-dimensional models beautifully, providing gamers with a level of immersion into the world they are exploring that previous titles have never been able to provide. Gone are the stubby- bodied, large-headed human characters that people have taken control of in the past, replaced by expressive characters that would not look out of place in the '90s anime, a design feat that stretches on to the true stars of the franchise, the Pokémon themselves, finally bringing the game to life in a way that is deserving for these popular characters.
Going beyond the surface, the new games offer players a wider variety of things to do than ever before, with a variety of mini games and other activities that may seem silly on the surface, but before you know it you have easily spent 20 minutes feeding your Pikachu a cupcake.
The amount of fan service and callbacks to the history of the franchise will be enough to put a smile on the face of any long-time fan, yet the game is instantly accessible for anybody who is experiencing the series for the first time, or the first time since they were young. As for the older gamers in the fan base, the deep RPG mechanics that spawned one of the largest competitive gaming communities worldwide are better, and more complicated, than they ever have been before.
The Pokémon series has never looked more whimsical, nor played as adult as they have with the release of X and Y, and with the frantic pace that the games have been selling in the first week, the title is on pace to break every sales record that Nintendo has seen its long history of well-received titles. It's a remarkable feat for a game to reinvent itself, yet stay familiar successfully, but this series has done it again.
While the handheld Role Playing Game (RPG) series that has always formed the backbone of the franchise has seen more than a decade of steady commercial and critical success, with each title consistently becoming the highest-selling game on its respective console, and averaging high scores from game critics, long-time observers of the series had begun to note that the gameplay had started to become a bit stale. This is a valid argument, as the core mechanics and plot that make up the game have not seen a massive overhaul since the original GameBoy, with minor aesthetic changes and the addition of new characters and features being the primary draw to each new title.
The jump to 3D is one that fans of the series have been craving since the beginning, many desiring an experience to resemble the visual style provided by the cartoon, but technologically impossible for Nintendo to give its fans with the handheld systems that they released. To make such a drastic change after so many years could have been a risky move for the company to make, as the failure to do it properly could, as with any long-standing series, see the mass alienation of the people who have supported it for so long.
After a week on the streets, longtime fans will be happy to know that the release of Pokémon X and Y has been an astounding success, selling 5.5 million copies on the first day alone, a record for the Nintendo 3DS and the second-biggest game opening this year, behind only last month's Grand Theft Auto V. While the massive commercial success of the games is important, the millions of people worldwide who play are more focused on whether or not the new titles are the important step forward that the franchise needed.
While remaining spoiler-free, I am happy to say that for anybody who has been a fan of the Pokémon games in the past, this is the title that many of us have been waiting for since we were 10 years old. Perhaps of the utmost importance is that the games world and its characters have made the transition to fully animated three-dimensional models beautifully, providing gamers with a level of immersion into the world they are exploring that previous titles have never been able to provide. Gone are the stubby- bodied, large-headed human characters that people have taken control of in the past, replaced by expressive characters that would not look out of place in the '90s anime, a design feat that stretches on to the true stars of the franchise, the Pokémon themselves, finally bringing the game to life in a way that is deserving for these popular characters.
Going beyond the surface, the new games offer players a wider variety of things to do than ever before, with a variety of mini games and other activities that may seem silly on the surface, but before you know it you have easily spent 20 minutes feeding your Pikachu a cupcake.
The amount of fan service and callbacks to the history of the franchise will be enough to put a smile on the face of any long-time fan, yet the game is instantly accessible for anybody who is experiencing the series for the first time, or the first time since they were young. As for the older gamers in the fan base, the deep RPG mechanics that spawned one of the largest competitive gaming communities worldwide are better, and more complicated, than they ever have been before.
The Pokémon series has never looked more whimsical, nor played as adult as they have with the release of X and Y, and with the frantic pace that the games have been selling in the first week, the title is on pace to break every sales record that Nintendo has seen its long history of well-received titles. It's a remarkable feat for a game to reinvent itself, yet stay familiar successfully, but this series has done it again.
