Further Thoughts on the new Pokémon games.

Hello everyone. I am officially off for the summer as of today, and I will be potentially seeing my father soon in California as soon as I can determine what date I will be leaving. E3 is also underway, and because of that, I thought I would give some further thoughts on the new Pokémon games before Nintendo's conference takes place on Tuesday. I will also be offering some counter arguments towards certain segments of fans who were unhappy with the reveals not being what they were expecting.


As I previously pointed out, there were three big reveals from last week's Pokémon Direct presentation. The first one was an upgraded version of the arcade and Wii U smash hit fighting game Pokkén Tournament, known as Pokkén Tournament DX.

Courtesy: The Pokémon Company/Namco Bandai

In addition to having refined graphics and gameplay, the game will also have a new assortment of fighters joining the roster: Croagunk, Darkrai, Scizor, Empoleon and Decidueye. Even though I do not have a Switch yet, I do plan on getting this version when I do get one. I will also expand on this point in a moment for the next reveal.


Next up is a game that has been a surprisingly large point of contention among fans: Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Courtesy: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company

While many people like me are excited for these direct sequels launching one year after the original Sun and Moon, there are several points of contention over many segments of the fandom. When the games were unveiled in last Tuesday's Pokémon Direct, many people who were hoping for Stars, a new entry on the Switch or remakes of Diamond and Pearl were disappointed; even going so far as assume the games are "uncreative" and will be terrible despite the fact that they're not being released till November. Again, I submit that this is a default reaction whenever ANYTHING goes against what many parts of the fandom expect, and is a primary reason why I don't actively speculate unless I have something concrete I can work with. The idea that a pair of direct sequels is less creative than a third version or a pair of remakes doesn't make a whole lot sense to me; nor does Game Freak developing for a relatively new console right off the bat when they've just started hiring people to work on the new architecture of the Switch. Moreover, the belief that the games will be terrible based on just 10 seconds of footage and one announcement, to be blunt; is utter nonsense.

I am also once again tired of people comparing them to Black 2 and White 2, since I enjoyed those games immensely. I have been wanting to play them again for sometime, they just haven't been unpacked yet. Still, I plan on preordering them when I have the money to make my first deposits; and I suggest that sometimes a video game can surprise you. I wasn't expecting a lot from Ni No Kuni: I ended up really enjoying Ni No Kuni and can't wait for the sequel on PS4. I wasn't expecting much from Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: that ended up being my favorite Mystery Dungeon game so far. Even as someone who wasn't a big fan of other installments (I had only played Red Rescue Team on Game Boy Advance before that), I have really enjoyed that game; and it proved to be a better substitute for a main title in between OR/AS and Sun and Moon than Yo-Kai Watch was for me.

Last, but definitely not least, is the reveal that Pokémon Gold and Silver will be released in their original forms on 3DS Virtual Console on September 22.

Courtesy: Pokémon.com

Debuting almost 17 years after their original release on Game Boy Color, I think it will once again be an ideal way for people like me to relive their favorite memories of the games and also appeal to a new generation of fans. Coming off the massive success of the Virtual Console release of Red, Blue and Yellow (they have been downloaded over 1.5 million times since they launched, and they've been consistent stays in the eShop charts since then), this was the one announcement that many fans agreed was awesome. I am among many that submit that if Kanto started the series' success; Johto cemented it. I am not sure where my copy of Heart Gold is either (and I still want to play Soul Silver as well); so this will be an ideal way to once again play the games that perfected the Game Boy/Game Boy Color installments without getting the ESA's shorts in a knot (despite their claims otherwise, emulation is not the same as hacking). I also imagine we'll see Crystal before too long, especially since the games have been among the most-requested eShop titles even before Red, Blue and Yellow came on there.

Anyway, I will get back to work on some of my other projects; such as some video game anime and my look at the Darkrai movie for my Pokémon movie marathon. I like that one, and I've been eager to talk about it for a while. As for E3: there were many big reveals from the EA and Microsoft conferences, and Sony's will stream later this evening. The ceremony will officially begin tomorrow, and Nintendo's coverage will begin then as well; so I will bring you any new information on the subjects I've addressed here and others as I get it. That's all for now. Bang.