http://pokemonpalace.net/E-zine_vol2is5.html
I wrote the Gaming Article for the PPN E-zine Newsletter and thus, is pretty damn good. ^^ It's slightly edited in the newsletter, so here's the original:
I wrote the Gaming Article for the PPN E-zine Newsletter and thus, is pretty damn good. ^^ It's slightly edited in the newsletter, so here's the original:
As far as gaming goes, for Pokemon it's been a whole year of surprises. One after the other. The first surprises, however, started their life back at the end of 2003. The first was Pokemon Colosseum, released in Japan on November 21st 2003, a year to the day after Ruby and Sapphire. What we were treated to was the first ever 3D Pokemon adventure as we were tasked with the challenge of snagging Shadow Pokemon back from evil trainers to purify their hearts and save all 48 of them. All the while, fighting to bring down the evil organisation behind this henious crime. We thought we were set with this game and an english speaking release was set for the start of 2004.
We didn't know that Gamefreak and Nintendo had a crafty ace up their sleeves though. In a whirlwind of confusion and surprise, a new set of games drifted onto the radar at the end of last year. Known only as Pokemon Red and Green Advanced for a time, their actual existence baffled people. A remake of the original games? No way...
Released at the start of January, mere months after being announced, Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green took Japan by storm. We were thrust back into the world of Kanto - nothing changed from eight years in the past, nothing except graphics and playability. People said the same things, stood in the same places... some even fought with the same Pokemon. However, there was more. The Sevii Islands lay in store for trainers who completed the Pokemon League Challenge and provided the first new life to Kanto's shores in years. Including bringing some Johto Pokemon into the mix. The games were extremely successful in Japan and soon they were on their way to America.
But first stop for them was at this year's E3. Our first glimpse at the translated games also played home to Nintendo's wonder machine - the machine of the year and the first outing of Pokemon on it too. The Pikachu demo featured later went on to occupy the menu screen on Pokemon Dash though some features were left out, like measuring Magikarp and playing an instrument with Pikachu. It may indicate that Pikachu may well return to the DS before the next generation...
Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green were soon under the microscope again though. George Harrison, the man running Nintendo of America sparked huge rumours about Leaf Green becoming Water Blue in America when he mentioned in an interview Pokemon Blue when talking about the games. The argument raged on for months and was only finally settled in September when the games were released.
As May finished up, Pokemon Colosseum was released in America and Europe - surprisingly close together. However, Europe held the upper hand. Released with Pokemon Colosseum, both in Gamecube Bundle packs and on the Nintendo Europe website were copies of Pokemon Box - the trainer tool released in Japan in May 2003 and once seemingly destined never to reach Western shores. The American's meanwhile, got a Jirachi and a bonusdisc to entertain themselves. The European gamers were later to discover the horrific way in which they were expected to obtain Jirachi...
Pokemon Channel was launched worldwide by the end of the summer and came with a free Jirachi in Europe in the expectation that it might actually get some copies sold. The extremely low price and soon lack of available copies in stores left the game as a miss - even with the target audience kids.
Summer saw the next Poke-surprise though. Rising from the ashes of Ruby and Sapphire that had been left in the dust by the extremely successful Fire Red and Leaf Green came a soaring Rayquaza and a game in it's likeness to boot. Pokemon Emerald screamed into public life in the summer at the height of Poke-mania and Rayquaza-mania associated with the 7th Pokemon Movie and was kicked into Japanese stores at the start of September.
The games followed you through Hoenn once more, but this time not fighting against just one evil Team, but both at once. Groudon and Kyogre are awakened in the game and there's only one Pokemon that can stop them from destroying the world. Once you've found Rayquaza, saved the world and finally beaten the Elite 4 then it was off to the undoubtedly greatest Pokemon Challenge ever. The Pokemon Battle Frontier is essentially a Battle theme park, with battling styles that vary so much that it's impossible not to find one to fall in love with - especially with a proper tournament to compete in as just one of the options.
The year of surprises seemed like it was over for Pokemon. Surely there couldn't be anything more?
The DS show in Japan, the morning of the American Seattle show too, featured brand new news for Pokemon and it's new life on the Nintendo DS. First up on the surprises list was Pokemon Dash. A cute little racing game featuring Pikachu and Munchlax - it's first game appearance. Pokemon Dash launched with the DS in Japan on December 12th and is heading to America in March - a possible UK/Europe launch game too.
The true surprise of the year, however, was the announcement of Munchlax's true home. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were officially announced in Japan in the morning and by that night, Nintendo of America took an unprecedented turn and officially recognised the games in their Seattle Show. Nothing is known about the games but most estimates have placed them at the end of 2005 and will undoubtedly feature wireless battling - with online possibilities.
There now lies much ahead for Pokemon in the next year. With a brand new Colosseum game now showing up on radar for release in 2005 as well as the 4th Generation of Pokemon, things can only get better, greater and of course, much, much more complex and complicated. 2004 was a great year for Pokemon gamers, 2005 already looks like it might just match it - but for now we'll just have to wait and see, and while we're at it we can all have a wee whirl on Colosseum, FireRed/LeafGreen, Box, Channel, Emerald and Pokemon Dash...
