16 January 2013
GAMES: Nintendo released the trailer for its new sixth generation Pokémon game and has drastically turned the 8-bit 2D concept of the original Pokémon on its head.
By Isabel De La Garza, Senior Writer
On January 8, Nintendo released its trailer for the newest installments in the Pokémon series. The games, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, will feature a new sixth region with new Pokémon, including three new starters (Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie) and the legendaries Xerneas and Yveltal. That’s not the only change, however. This game will mark the transition of the main Pokémon series to Nintendo’s 3D handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS. The game will be completely 3D-capable and, naturally, its graphics greatly improved.
The graphics style is an amalgam of that of the traditional game play from handheld games and the somewhat-3D style of the Wii and Gamecube games such as Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD, Poképark Wii and Pokémon Battle Revolution. The 3D character sprites will be miniaturized like the protagonist in the handheld games when not in battle and large like the 3D protagonists of Colosseum, XD and Battle Revolution when in battle, although this has yet to been revealed. Additionally, meeting wild Pokémon in the game will be vaguely similar to meeting Pokémon in Poképark Wii, as you will see the Pokémon up close in 3D before the battle starts.
Screenshots of the gameplay from Pokémon X and Y.
It does have a few sprinkles of originality. The areas in the game, for instance, are the first spatially 3D ones in the series, and the actual movements of the protagonist and objects around him or her will seem much more detailed than those featured in previous handheld games, especially since a few new challenges have been added (such as roller skating and swinging from a vine).
In October 2013 the game will be released simultaneously in several countries worldwide, unlike previous titles, which had release dates staggered throughout the world. This will enable players to “discover the secrets of Pokémon games and collect, battle, and trade with each other immediately,” according to The Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara.
Pokémon X and Y’s legendary Pokémon Yveltal (Y) and Xerneas (X), pictured left to right.
It is very different from the original concept, but it may be a good change; it will hopefully bring more fans back the series and possibly gain new ones. It may even result in this generation having to tell its kids that Pokémon used to be in 2D. Whether the changes will be well received or not is yet to be determined, but at least Nintendo has time to convince unsure Pokémon enthusiasts of the game’s merit.
Watch the trailer below
Courtesy of postitgamer.com, comicsalliance.com and nintendocharged.com