Pokémon?

[Luigison]

I have never played a Pokémon game, and was wondering what they are like.  Please only reply if you have actually played a Pokémon game.

1. The handheld Pokémon games look like The first Zelda and A Link to the Past.  How are they similiar or different?

2. What is the gameplay like?  Do you hunt for Pokémon then play rock paper scissors battles?  Is there more to find than Pokémon?  Are the battles engaging?

3. I have noticed that several games like
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are in two different versions.  How are the versions different or the same?

4. If I were to play my very first Pokémon game, what should it be?  Why?

5. How are the console and handheld games different/similiar?

6. If you strongly like or dislike (having played) Pokémon, why?

7. A new survey suggest that Pokémon games help build positive values.  Do you agree or disagree?

Edited by - Luigison on 9/8/2004 8:28:42 PM

[Lizard Dude]

Glad to be of service.

1. Very unlike Zelda, except for the top-down view. Pokemon is an actual RPG, where Zelda really isn't. You go into separate battle screens which are fully turn-based and you (or more accurately, your Pokemon) have statistics and gain levels.

2. Walk around the world in RPG fashion. If you get into a random battle with a Pokemon (the only thing you'll randomly battle), you can try to capture it with Pokeballs of varying strengths. You also battle people who have their own set of Pokemon, but you can't steal non-wild Pokemon from people. The overall goal of the games generally involves beating a number of gym masters around the world to get badges and face some elite group in the end to become the champion. Side quests involving helping people and fighting evil groups frequently ensue. Besides Pokemon, I guess you also collect various items, per most RPGs.

3. The versions are 95% the same, but about 5~10% of the Pokemon are only found in one version. This is why trading with people is required to Catch Them All.

4. FireRed or LeafGreen, because they're retellings of the original Red and Blue (Green in Japan) games that started the craze, as well as the latest games to come out. Think of Metroid: Zero Mission and you'll get the idea of what's going on here.

5. To date, the console Pokemon games have all been just spin-off games that aren't real RPGs. In some you import your Game Boy Pokemon and battle in 3D, take pictures of Pokemon, talk to a voice-recognition Pikachu, oragnize your Game Boy Pokemon, watch fake Pokemon television. Only Pokemon Colliseum had kind of a 3D RPG where you captured Pokemon, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't nearly as full-fledged as the Game Boy installments. All the Game Boy versions, however, are full RPGs (excluding the two Pinball titles, which are fun if you like pinball (who doesn't?)).

6. I strongly like the Pokemon games. They're good little RPGs without too much complexity but with lots of fun. The collecting mechanic is also highly entertaining and addictive as you've seen in games like Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros. Melee. The reason Pokemon gets a bad rap is because its spin-off merchandise went crazy, causing "cool" people to dislike it. Make your own decision on the show, cards, toys, etc., but the games are good games.

7. I slightly agree, but most of that stuff they were talking about could come from playing any RPG or strategy game, electronic or not.

Finally, the versions make it confusing so here's what the main games are:

Red/Blue - Original pair for original Game Boy (Japanese Green turned to Blue here)
Yellow - Slight expansion to Red/Blue where you could start with Pikachu
Gold/Silver - True sequel pair for Game Boy Color
Crystal - Slight expansion to Gold/Silver where you could be a female
Ruby/Sapphire - Third true installment of the series for Game Boy Advance
FireRed/LeafGreen - Game Boy Advance reimagining of Red/Blue(jp. Green)

The main reason that FireRed/LeafGreen are what they are is because the original 150 Pokemon are no longer capable of being traded into the current Pokemon world. Most of those sequels accepted Pokemon from the previous installment but Red/Blue don't work with Ruby/Sapphire so to get the orignals back in the system, viola! New games with the orignals. Each Pokemon game expanded the roster and added complicated new features like breeding, a day/night cycle, and 2 on 2 Pokemon battling.

Anyway, hope this helps and the bottom line is: Try FireRed or LeafGreen and at the very worst, at least you have a GBA Wireless Adaptor.

“I’m a stupid fatty and I love to play with my Easy Bake oven.”

Edited by - Lizard Dude on 9/9/2004 12:18:49 AM

[Koopaslaya]

LD's post was very well thought out.He pretty much summed it all up. I really like the pokemon games when it was the original 150 pokemon. I stopped playing just after the first movie with all the other "pokemon."
      I still play the origional games, they're really fun games. A lot of secrets are involved, and without a strategy guide, or friends to help, Red, Blue, and Yellow, take MANY hours to beat. They are my favoriate (not to mention the only) true RPG that I play. Great games, great idea, great stradegy, great fun!

Push Button...
Receive Bacon! ®

[Red Paratroopa]

2. I believe you got the rock-paper-scissors idea from the fact that the way the different Pokemon types interact is like a big rock-paper-scissors game, only with 17 types. For example, Water-types are strong against Fire-types, which in turn are strong against Grass-types, who can, in turn, beat Water-types. But that's just a small chunk.

7. I think a major theme that runs throughout the game and show is the importance of friendship. Some of the later versions even have a feature where your Pokemon can like you or hate you, depending on how you treat them.

I also agree that you should get FireRed/LeafGreen
Classic games + New ideas that worked in the sequels = A pretty good game

"I''m a stupid fatty who swings his arms from side to side and pushes a button to receive bacon. The universe is permeated with the odor of Shawne Vinson. Does that make me a nut?"- DotheLizardkoopaChupVinsonluigi

[Red Paratroopa]

Sorry, didn't catch this and didn't bother editing my post.

5. Pokemon Colesseum is actually a good spinoff/sequel game. Instead of being a young trainer intent on becoming a Pokemon Master, you play as a former member of a criminal gang who must steal Pokemon from trainers who have mistreated them and turned them evil. It's not too much like the GB games, but it has a lot of the same concepts. Also, it comes combined with a stadium where you can battle your teams from the GBA games.

"I''m a stupid fatty who swings his arms from side to side and pushes a button to receive bacon. The universe is permeated with the odor of Shawne Vinson. Does that make me a nut?"- DotheLizardkoopaChupVinsonluigi

[Luigison]

Thanks to Lizard Dude and everyone else who replied.  I think I will try FireRed or LeafGreen, but which one.  Hmmm.

2. RP, actually I think I may have been thinking of Magic Pengel Battle and got that confused with something I may have heard about Pokemon.

So, the battles are turned based RPG.  Do they have any of the gameplay like in the Mario RPG games where you can counter attacks by doing something like jumping?

Will all previously linkable GBA games be able to use the wireless adapters, or is it just for new games?

[Red Paratroopa]

No, you can only counter attacks if you use special skills that are made for that. You can only use one skill per turn, be it defensive or offensive.

"I''m a stupid fatty who swings his arms from side to side and pushes a button to receive bacon. The universe is permeated with the odor of Shawne Vinson. Does that make me a nut?"- DotheLizardkoopaChupVinsonluigi

[Lizard Dude]

As a Pokemon newbie, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between FireRed and LeafGreen at all, really. Just pick whatever color you like best or something. They're the same game.

The Wireless Adapter does not work with all games, only games released in the past few months and all games released in the future. I saw somewhere the list of games that already support it, but I can't remember where.

“I’m a stupid fatty and I love to play with my Easy Bake oven.”

[Black Mage]

 The difference between the two versions, Leaf Green and Fire Red, are the obtainable Pokémon in each.

 Just as with Red and Blue, each has certain Pokémon that you're unable to catch in a particular version. I believe they're the same as the originals for the most part, with the exception of the Gold and Silver Pokémon, as they've been added to the remakes.

 Here is the list of which Pokémon are exclusive to whihc version:

Fire Red: Ekans, Arbok, Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom, Psyduck, Golduck, Growlithe, Arcanine, Shelldar, Cloyster, Electabuz, Elekid, Scyther, Scizor, Murkrow, Wooper, Quagsire, Skarmory, Qwilfish, and Delibird.

Leaf Green: Sandshrew, Sandslash, Vulpix, Ninetails, Belsprout, Weepinbel, Victrybel, Slowpoke, Slowbro, Slowking, Staryu, Starmie, Magmar, Magby, Pinsir, Azurill, Marill, Azumarill, Octillery, Misdreavus, Sneasel, Mantine, and Remoraid.

 And because of this, I would advise you to pick the version which has the Pokémon you like.

[Lizard Dude]

"As a Pokemon newbie, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between FireRed and LeafGreen at all, really."

“I’m a stupid fatty and I love to play with my Easy Bake oven.”

[Red Paratroopa]

I just got me FireRed today. Hooray a-for me!

"I''m a stupid fatty who swings his arms from side to side and pushes a button to receive bacon. The universe is permeated with the odor of Shawne Vinson. Does that make me a nut?"- DotheLizardkoopaChupVinsonluigi

[Markio]

I always wanted there to be a Green Version, because I loved Bulbasaur waaay more than the other two, although I like Charmander maybe a litle more now.  Since the new ones are in between the two good pokemon, I don't know which to choose!  I don't know if I want to get one, I'm saving my money for Paper Mario 2, especially since I haven't played any of the other Mario RPGs.  and if I got another Pokemon game, my mom will think i like them as much as I did when I was in third grade, which was a lot, and she'll say out loud at the store, "Do they have a ny Pokemon games?" as if that's all I play, the same thing happened when I went to the Hot Topic store once, got a shirt, and left, glad that I didn't have to go in there again, but a girl's mom called to RSVP for my birthday party that was coming up, and she asked my mom what stores I liked to go to so she could get a good present or gift certificate or something, and my mom said I liked to go to Hot Topic, so I got the Gift Certificate for the store and had to go there again inevitably, but once I used to the gift card, I was so happy when i tore it in half and chucked it into a trash receptical.  At least my mom is great in other ways, most parents aren't really up to date with their kids most of the time-- I'm rambling aren't I?  And about myself!  Oh, no.  Sorry...

Well, I probably won't get FR or LG because I still have to beat the original Red and/or Blue so I can be done with them.

Everything is as smooth as sandpaper pajamas.

[Jman]

I fully agree with LD on this one.  Especially when he said "Make your own decision on the other merchandise, but the games are good games."

I have decided to retire from making signatures...or is my newest signature in development?

[Luigison]

Yes, the "game" is suprizingly (to me) good.  I had no idea.  It just shows that you shouldn't believe hipe (good or bad).  Thanks again to LD for the great reply.  Maybe I will check out other games one day, but since Paper Mario, the NEW Super Mario Bros, and Super Mario 64 x 4 are coming out this year; I doubt it will be soon.  Maybe I hipe Mario games too much, but this is the board for that isn't it?

I don't think any of the e-Reader cards work with LeafGreen or FireRed, but what games do they work with, and what do they give you?

[Red Paratroopa]

I believe I heard that the e-Reader cards are coming to an end. The Pokemon e-Reader cards that are currently out only work on the e-Reader system and are used to learn more about the Pokemon Card, play a minigame, watch a little cartoon, or play music.

"I''m a stupid fatty who swings his arms from side to side and pushes a button to receive bacon. The universe is permeated with the odor of Shawne Vinson. Does that make me a nut?"- DotheLizardkoopaChupVinsonluigi