Pokemon X

Pokemon, like many Nintendo series, has never been a risk-taker. Innovation has never been a focus of the series. Game Freak has always been more concerned about adding in neat new gimmicks that take advantage of Nintendo's new technology while occasionally throwing a bone to the devoted hardcore Pokemon fans who spend days agonizing over numbers and stats. It's a wonderful formula as it draws in jaded old-timers as well as new blood. But it appears that there was a shake-up at Game Freak as Pokemon X is the first truly "new" and "different" Pokemon game since Pokemon Gold. 

Pokemon X is the first main series game to offer true 3D. Models replace sprites in battle and on the overworld, cities and towns have added depth and the player character is finally allowed to move diagonally. Game Freak had clearly been waiting for the transition to 3D because the game has several items and areas that take advantage of the Z axis. The jump from 2D to 3D is one of the most spirited leaps since Zelda made the jump in 1998. The new battle models look fantastic too with some Pokemon looking particularly adorable. The cel-shaded aesthetic works perfectly with the game and it's a nice change from the drab color palette of Black and White.

        Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the game is its largest city, the "totally-not" Paris, Lumiose City. Lumiose City is exactly what I had always thought a city in Pokemon would look like. Winding alleyways, dozens of shops and a treasure trove of secrets fill the city in what I'd consider to be the finest technical accomplishment in Game Freak's career. Game Freak previously attempted something similar with Pokemon Black's Castelia City but they didn't quite make the mark. But, second time's the charm and Game Freak nailed it. 

It wouldn't feel right to highlight the game's technological peak without highlighting how bad the frame-rate will get at certain points. Turning on the 3D during battle makes the pace of battle slow to a crawl and horde battles have some frame-rate issues albeit, not as drastic. In addition, Pokemon X runs into some camera issues in areas where the camera is allowed to roam. It's a fairly adjustable camera but sometimes you won't be able to shift the camera to the location it needs to be. Generally the camera is great though, offering numerous dynamic shots that spice up your daily routine. The game also limits where and when you can use 3D which is disappointing because there are parts of the overworld that were clearly designed to take advantage of the 3D. Quirks and discrepancies like this make it clear that Pokemon X was pushed out the door too quickly.

The Pokemon series is responsible for some of the most memorable songs in gaming. Although the soundtracks aren't particularly notable for their overall quality, they've always done a wonderful job of helping to immerse the player in the world. They aren't designed to be stand-alone pieces and Pokemon X continues this tradition. Because of the 3DS' improved sound quality, X features a far cleaner soundtrack than past titles which is a blessing. Truly "new" tracks are pretty few and far between unfortunately. Instead, Game Freak took the approach of remixing the old classic themes, mostly for battle. They're no less impressive and the new remixes range from good to slightly below average but it seems a little lazy and it's clearly taking the easy way out instead of creating new material. On the bright side, Game Freak finally updated the out-of-date cries. Pokemon from the 8-bit games no longer retain the same cries they had back in 1996. They've been remixed and now actually sound acceptable. Of course, this has the unintended side effect of making the player notice how out-of-date the Hoenn Pokemon sound. 

Pokemon has always been, perhaps unfairly, criticized for not placing enough emphasis on story. When Game Freak tried to make a real story with Pokemon Black & White, the results were nothing short of disastrous. So, it's a good thing that Game Freak went back to excuse plots and minimal dialogue for X & Y. The new villains, Team Flare, are deliberately campy and your new rivals are more like a close-knit group of friends instead of true rivals. It's a refreshing change of pace to see a Pokemon game not have some kind of unwarranted self-importance. Players who seek a deep, riveting story will be disappointed but the people who just want to battle and capture Pokemon will love the lack of long talks and speeches.

That's not to say the writing is bad or shallow. If anything, Pokemon X is the funniest game in the series. Parts of the game, especially when Team Flare is involved, seem to deliberately mock RPG tropes. It's the type of self-awareness that made games like Earthbound so popular among cult audiences. Lines like "Team Flare is awesome and for winners" make it clear that this game knows that it's dumb and it embraces with it. It's another stellar translation from Nintendo and further proof that their translators are some of the best in the business.

Like I said before, Pokemon has never been a big proponent of innovation. It's been content to stick with the same rock-paper-scissors battle system that helped make the series such a success. Game Freak appears to live by the old phrase, If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it" and that's a good thing. Pokemon X continues to use the modified battle system introduced in Diamond and Pearl but adds in a new type, the Fairy type. Without going into too much detail, the Fairy type adds another RPS triangle to the mix and helps to balance the supposedly "broken" Dragon type. It's the first new type since 2000 and it does a surprisingly good job of making Pokemon X feel like a new installment instead of a semi-sequel, an unfortunate feeling that many got out of past installments.

This new installment also add "Mega Evolutions" which are temporary evolutions that are activated via specific items. It's a neat idea but its execution leaves something to be desired. The fact of the matter is that there are very few instances in which Mega Evolutions would be useful, let alone not a hassle to activate. There's a possibility that it may find some new life in X & Y's competitive scene but they're nearly worthless in the context of the main game.

Game Freak has always been about emphasizing connectivity and finding new ways to connect with other players across the world. It's possible that they reached their peak with Black & White's random battles and improved GTS system. X & Y add little new aside from a new "Wonder Trade" system that lets you trade random Pokemon with strangers. It also improves the GTS by allowing you to add (much-needed) filters to help the player find reasonable trades. It all comes together to form a fully functional online system, perhaps superior to past titles. It's just a shame that they didn't add anything of real note.

         The game also features outfit customization, a first for the series. This is a fun little feature that, while simple, adds a lot to the immersion factor of the game. Something about the ability to purchase and create custom outfits drew me in immediately. Now, the clothing items aren't as varied as say, Animal Crossing but there is a sizable amount of clothing options for both genders. It's an exciting new feature that's embarrassingly fun to play around with.

Pokemon has always had a problem with refusing to take advantage of the fact that they have over 700 Pokemon to use. Most games are content with restricting the player to only 150 Pokemon during the main quest. It's something that has always reeked of laziness. Thankfully, the team finally realized that they have way, way more Pokemon than necessary and they finally decided to just let us have them. Certain Pokemon are still missing but the Kalos region contains over 400 Pokemon that you can catch. The amount of new Pokemon is only about 60 or so but it's quality over quantity.

Pokemon X is very eager to impress and this has an adverse effect on the pacing. Pokemon X is so eager to rush you into the first gym that it almost takes you by surprise but then the game just stops. There is probably about a seven-hour gap between the first gym and the second gym. And after the 2nd gym, the next couple of gyms fall like dominoes. Don't get me wrong, you're getting stuff done in between the first two gyms but it's mostly filler.

Pokemon Black's post-game was nothing short of a joke. A steep difficulty curve, a lack of anything like the Pokeradar or Vs. Seeker and a lack of any actually interesting post-game content made Pokemon Black's post-game look about as enticing as a month-old roast. Non die-hards, like myself, found very little to do in Unova after the credits had rolled. Pokemon X's post-game takes steps to fix it and while it doesn't quite reach the bar that was set by the Sinnoh titles, it manages to save itself just enough that it'll be in 3DS for months to come. The return of the addicting Pokeradar almost makes up for the fact that Game Freak refuses to bring back the series' best item to date, the VS. Seeker.

For all its improvements and neat gimmicks, Pokemon X & Y might be one of the biggest offenders of the series resting on its laurels. Pokemon X & Y plays every trick in the book in order to pander to fans of Pokemon Red & Blue. From remixing classic songs to placing a baffling amount of emphasis on the Kanto starters, it's clear that Nintendo and Game Freak were hoping to capitalize on the nostalgic crowd who first got into Pokemon back in 1998. If that doesn't seal the deal, the marketing team even went back to the "Gotta Catch 'Em All" slogan which is forever ingrained into the mind of Pokemon fans. This is most certainly the Pokemon game for people who abandoned the series after it moved to the Game Boy Advance. People who have stuck with the series will undoubtedly love this newest installment but it's those old Generation 1 fans who might derive the most pleasure out of this newest game.

It's been a long time coming but Pokemon X and its sister title, Pokemon Y, are the next big leap in the series. It has made the games that came out in the past ten years seem like baby steps instead of full, complete games. Pokemon X and Y are one of the very few Pokemon games that I feel deserve the honor of being called a full-fledged Pokemon sequel. It's another feather in Nintendo's cap and one of the absolute best RPGs to come out this year. Warts and all, Pokemon X is one of the best titles on the system and the most refined entry in the series thus far.

Final Score: 7.0