Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

[Jonnas]

I can't say I understand where the hate for Ed Sheeran is coming from. He's a good, pleasant singer.

Also, his music isn't exactly the sort of uptempo schlager one associates with pop music: he presents himself as a guy with a guitar by a camping bonfire. He even did the main theme for one of the Hobbit films, and that turned out well.

All of the usual worries for "celebrity cameos" in videogames are justified, of course, it's just the dislike for the man's concrete work that I find surprising.

[Dcubed]

13 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

I can't say I understand where the hate for Ed Sheeran is coming from. He's a good, pleasant singer.

Also, his music isn't exactly the sort of uptempo schlager one associates with pop music: he presents himself as a guy with a guitar by a camping bonfire. He even did the main theme for one of the Hobbit films, and that turned out well.

All of the usual worries for "celebrity cameos" in videogames are justified, of course, it's just the dislike for the man's concrete work that I find surprising.

That's where the concern comes from.  Not from the use of Ed Sheeran himself, but from the use of real-life cameos and celebrity endorsement in an obstenably fantasy game.

It's all just so very tacky.  Pokemon doesn't need this stuff to sell the mainline games, it just feels oh so very skeevy.

[EEVILMURRAY]

1 hour ago, Jonnas said:

he presents himself as a guy with a guitar by a camping bonfire. 

He's already attempted that role and bombed, perhaps he's trying to expand his IMDb repertoire to find his acting niche?

I'm not surprised they're trying to shoehorn another pop act into this, after the Katy Perry stuff (which confused me as that Electric song was semi teased, then came out about a year [or more?!] and the video was tacky CGI shit) and then Post Malone bouncing around whilst Pokémon try to pretend he's not there.

 

But that video from yesterday... very painful to watch.

[Glen-i]

4 hours ago, Jonnas said:

I can't say I understand where the hate for Ed Sheeran is coming from. He's a good, pleasant singer.

I mean, he's fine. There are definitely worse out there.

But like @Dcubed said, it's the unnecessary cameos in games where it makes little sense that concerns me.

"Ariana Grande is my favourite Final Fantasy character" is something someone can say and actually be telling the truth, and that's terrible.

What's more concerning is that because of the appeal of open worlds and the Switch Effect, this game is likely going to sell insane numbers! Much like Sword/Shield did. And while I do think that's a solid game, it's no coincidence that we haven't had a game with a full National Dex since. The sales numbers don't lie, Game Freak figured they can get away with only having a selection of Pokémon.

EDIT: BTW, another "stream" from Iono is happening tomorrow at 2pm. Likely we'll see a new Pokémon or regional variant here.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Glen-i
Sorry, not today, typed that wrong.

[Hero-of-Time]

25 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

The sales numbers don't lie, Game Freak figured they can get away with only having a selection of Pokémon.

As you said, people will buy the game regardless, yourself included.  

It just goes to show the power of the brand as well as certain features not being that important for a lot of the fan base. Like a lot of gaming discussions, it's probably a case of the minority being very vocal.

With you arguably being the biggest Pokemon fan left on here, what would actually make you give up on the mainline franchise? I know you've not been happy with a lot of decisions made with recent entries and I was curious what would be your tipping point.

[Glen-i]

1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said:

With you arguably being the biggest Pokemon fan left on here, what would actually make you give up on the mainline franchise? I know you've not been happy with a lot of decisions made with recent entries and I was curious what would be your tipping point.

The battle system. If they changed that for the worse, that would probably be the moment I drop it. And I don't mean things like removing Mega Evolution, which I do lament, I mean big changes.

Say what you will about Pokémon, but as far as monster collecting RPG's go, none have managed to get close to the balance of low skill level required and incredible depth that the modern games have. The sheer amount of options you have mean that no team setup is ever going to be the best one.

Which is the biggest reason why I disliked Legends: Arceus and Let's GO. These two games strip back key features and change fundamental mechanics to simplify the battle system and end up with a couple of games where battling is discouraged.

Legends in particular was actually offensive to me. No abilities, making Pokémon with the same type feel redundant, a drastically cut moveset with a lot of those moves tweaked to be the same as other moves. The EV system changed to that god awful candy system, which strips away any chance of training a Pokémon to fulfill a specific role. (Why focus on one or two stats, when you can just max out everything with no downsides?) And status moves are mostly worthless, as well.

And then there's the switch to a more reactive combat system. Having turn order play out like it does in Final Fantasy X or Octopath Traveler is fine if your game is built around that, but Pokémon battles work so well because each person issues a command at the same time, leaving many opportunities for a skilled player to predict their opponent and gain momentum with a well timed switch or unexpected move. In Legends, you can't do anything to stop your opponent once it's their turn, so it just devolves into revenge killing. There's no nuance to it. It says a lot when you can trade Pokémon in that game, but you can't battle other players.

So yeah, I can deal with most crap, if it means the battles are still top notch, because nobody does it better.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Glen-i

[Ashley]

4 hours ago, Jonnas said:

Also, his music isn't exactly the sort of uptempo schlager one associates with pop music: he presents himself as a guy with a guitar by a camping bonfire.

You have thankfully peppered this thread with background information about Iberian culture and history to provide some context to the content of these games so let me fill you in with some British culture and history; we have way too many dudes playing guitars and they're all fucking annoying. At any house party if there's a guitar present someone is going to start playing Wonderwall thinking they're god's gift to music and it is time we, as a culture, put an end to this and it must start with Ed Sheeran. 

[Ashley]

Anyway, returning to the discussion about the new gym leader this is perfect:

 

[Glen-i]

Yep, it's a new Pokémon.

It's called Bellibolt, classified as the EleFrog Pokémon.

Quote

Bellibolt expands and contracts its elastic body to generate electricity in an organ that looks like a belly button. The huge amount of electricity generated this way is then discharged from the two bumps on either side of its head that resemble eyeballs. Its actual eyes are adorably small and round, so when it tries to be intimidating, it puts the eyelike bumps to good use

It is difficult to train Bellibolt to initiate a battle without it being attacked first. After the sun sets, you can hear strange noises coming from Bellibolt’s habitat. This noise is not Bellibolt’s cries, but a sound emitting from their stomachs–it is known that this sound signals that they are hungry.

Getting mad Palpitoad vibes from this. If it evolves into anything as cool as Seismitoad, then I'm all for it.

Greninja's hopes of getting into a mainline Pokémon game on Switch just got narrower.

EDIT: Artwork

It's Electric type and has a new ability called Electromorphosis. It raises the power of it's next Electric attack whenever it's hit by any attack. I assume it's like a free Charge, so I also assume it'll reset once that Electric attack is used.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Glen-i

[Ashley]

I just want to see it slapping it's belly

[S.C.G]

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Introduces New Pokémon Called Bellibolt

Now up on the main page.

Overview, an image and a couple of videos.

[MindFreak]

New trailer or information tomorrow:

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by MindFreak

[MindFreak]

That's cute. 

[bob]

18 hours ago, MindFreak said:

New trailer or information tomorrow:

 

Did she just die?

 

[MindFreak]

25 minutes ago, bob said:

Did she just die?

Erm.. Yeah, I think so. Crazy!

Quote

Category: Ghost Dog Pokémon
Type: Ghost
Height: 2′
Weight: 77.2 lbs.
Ability: Pickup

Normally, Greavard barely moves, resting peacefully underground. It pokes the topmost part of its head above ground and lights an eerie glow at its tip, then waits for someone to approach. When a person draws near, Greavard jumps out of the ground while letting out a spooky cry that would startle most unsuspecting people. However, it doesn’t appear to do this with ill intent.

Greavard has such a friendly and affectionate personality that paying it even the slightest bit of attention will make it so overjoyed that it will follow you wherever you go. Of all the Pokémon residing in the Paldea region, it is known to be especially easy to befriend. However, Greavard will slowly and inadvertently absorb the life-force of those around it, so it’s best not to play with it too much.

 

Edited October 25, 2022 by MindFreak

[S.C.G]

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Introduces New Pokémon Called Greavard

Now up on the main page.

Overview, an image, and intro video.

Edited October 26, 2022 by S.C.G

[Ike]

Not watched it but it has some Pokémon Go ties, like Meltan I think.

Was going to say I was surprised it took this long for a "Mimic" type Pokémon, but I guess technically it was Voltorb & Electrode.

[Glen-i]

44 minutes ago, Ike said:

Was going to say I was surprised it took this long for a "Mimic" type Pokémon, but I guess technically it was Voltorb & Electrode.

Foongus and Amoongus from Gen 5 did it as well, playing on the more detailed, but still top down perspective, of items in the overworld.

Of course, no-one remembers because Gen 5 unjustly continues to be the worst selling mainline games.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Glen-i

[Ashley]

2 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Of course, no-one remembers because Gen 5 unjustly continues to be the worst selling mainline games.

In fairness (Gen) 5 will make you get down, so its no wonder it didn't do well.

[Glen-i]

1 minute ago, Ashley said:

In fairness (Gen) 5 will make you get down, so its no wonder it didn't do well.

I'm sure this a reference to something, but I have no idea what, and explaining the joke is the worst thing to do, so I'm gonna leave that.

Anyway, weird that Pokémon decided to do a more traditional Mimic. I feel like treasure chests are a bit out of place in the setting. A mimic Pokémon that disguises itself as a chest of drawers would be funnier and more fitting.

[Glen-i]

Artwork and background.

Quote

These Gimmighoul hide inside sturdy treasure chests. While this provides them with a solid defense, the treasure chest's weight causes Gimmighoul to move slowly, making travel difficult. It is not uncommon for Chest Form Gimmighoul to be mistaken for an antique and taken home or sold to an antique store. When Gimmighoul senses a person or Pokémon draw near, it ambushes them. It then uses ghost energy to control its target, forcing them to collect coins. Because it often hides in warehouses, shop corners, and other places people and Pokémon don't frequent, it tends to keep persistent control of those it does manage to encounter.

Quote

It seems that Gimmighoul has a second form called Roaming Form Gimmighoul. This kind of Gimmighoul doesn’t hide in a treasure chest. It’s small, carries a single coin on its back, and can be found hiding all over Paldea. However, since they run away as soon as a person approaches, it seems not a single Trainer in Paldea has ever managed to catch one.

The treasure chest form is Ghost Type and has the Rattled ability. No word on if the roaming form differs.

The antique aspect is one I didn't consider, that's a bit more sensible then.

According to @Serebii, they've started showing up in Pokémon GO, but you can't catch them there.

Relieved it's not quite the same as Meltan, I don't wanna have to bum off of my cousin if I can help it. That was annoying.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Glen-i

[Ashley]

1 hour ago, Glen-i said:

I'm sure this a reference to something, but I have no idea what, and explaining the joke is the worst thing to do, so I'm gonna leave that.

 

[Glen-i]

I... Don't know what that is. Your music references are proper wasted on me.

Anyway, new trailer in just under 24 hours (2pm BST).

You know, in previous generations, I would've said I'd rather not see anything else so close to release, but nah. I need anything that will reassure me this won't be a bit crap in the overworld department.

[Ashley]

1 hour ago, Glen-i said:

I... Don't know what that is. Your music references are proper wasted on me.

You were alive in the 90s and don't know 5ive? What were you doing? 

Anyway, will be interesting to see how much of the leaks will be in the new trailer. Seeing some pop up including...

Spoiler

A Pokémon that feels kind of racist...

 

[Glen-i]

16 minutes ago, Ashley said:

You were alive in the 90s and don't know 5ive? What were you doing? 

Playing on my N64/Game Boy.

Your fatal mistake was assuming I listened to any kind of contemporary music when I was under 10.