Pokemon Y

Genre: Turn-Based Monster-Collecting JRPG

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local Wireless, Online), Online Content Sharing

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Review:

Pokemon Y, along with its counterpart Pokemon X, comprise the first games of “Generation 6” of the mainline Pokemon series. Released in 2013 on the Nintendo 3DS, these family-friendly Turn-Based Monster-Collecting JRPGs are one of the biggest advancements the franchise has ever seen, arguably second only to the leap the series made in Generation 2 (Pokemon Gold and Silver). This release features a number of new gameplay features, as well as a completely overhauled presentation.

This presentation, while perhaps not quite on par with the most visually-impressive of Nintendo 3DS games, is still a stunningly impressive undertaking. All 721 species of Pokemon seen in the game (more if you include the new “Mega Evolutions”) are all now rendered in full 3D with cel-shaded visuals, each fully-animated with their own personality. The amount of work it must have taken to do all of this is truly awe-inspiring, but on top of this, there’s a fully 3D world to explore. The game’s characters are all simply-rendered in an anime style in keeping with the series’ aesthetic. Players do not have control over the camera, which mostly hangs overhead save for a few scripted camera movements in some areas, with a more free-roaming camera in the game’s major central city of Lumiose, modeled after Paris (with this game’s Kalos region modeled loosely after France).

The sound doesn’t get quite as much of an overhaul. While Pokemon X and Pokemon Y do have a nice soundtrack, sadly I don’t think the series ever acclaimed the peak quality of iconic musical composition that was in the first game. Make no mistake, the game still sounds quite nice, but not quite as memorable. Meanwhile, the Pokemon sounds are all the tinny, digitized sounds they’ve had since the series’ start (well, they have been subtly updated, but still sound dated). There’s something to be said for that sort of consistency, but some will definitely feel like it’s unimpressive given the visual update this series received here. I should note that the human characters are still not voiced here.

When it comes to the gameplay, the core mechanics of Pokemon catching, breeding, and battling haven’t changed much since the early days of the franchise, which is to say they’re extremely accessible while hiding surprising depth, but longtime players may feel a sense of “been there, done that”. Of course, by now I think most longtime players of the Pokemon franchise have grown accustomed to the series’ rigid adherence to the series’ typical structure.

Having said that, Pokemon X and Pokemon Y do offer a slew of new features. This game introduces the first new elemental type to be added since Pokemon Gold and Silver, the fairy type. There’s the new roller skates, which allow for a free-roaming movement not seen prior to this in the series. There’s the new Wonder Trade feature, that allows you to trade Pokemon with other players anonymously online. There’s a new Virtual Pet-style minigame to interact with your Pokemon and raise your friendship level with them, Pokemon Amie. There’s new and somewhat gimmicky Sky Battles, which limit players to using only flying-type Pokemon. There are new horde encounter battles, which can have players encountering up to five Pokemon at a time in the wild. There’s the new “Super Training” feature to pump up your Pokemon’s “EV”s (more obscure stats – the kind of stuff more serious and professional players really care about). New customizable looks for your character… all in all, a mix of major and minor additions to the franchise.

And then there’s Mega Evolutions. While newer games in the franchise have moved away from this feature (according to Pokemon lore, as I understand it, this is harmful to the Pokemon), it’s little surprise that we’ve seen the suspiciously similar Dynamax and Gigantimax Pokemon pop up in later entries in the series. Mega Evolutions (as with these later derivative features) give players the option to temporarily supercharge one of their Pokemon in battle. Not all Pokemon can use this ability, and players can do this only once during battle, so players have an added level of strategy to consider, both when creating their team, as well as when deciding which of your Pokemon to Mega Evolve during battle.

When it comes to complaints… honestly, there’s not really much to point to. As noted before, there will be some that will complain at how little the series has changed over the years, but by this point I feel like either you’re onboard with that facet of the series or you’re not. Also, I know that serious Pokemon fans look down on this game for its flimsy plot and uninspired characters… but honestly, I kinda’ think that more or less describes most Pokemon games – these are not games you play for the plot, so much as the great gameplay and the enjoyable world.

Outside of these really minor gripes, Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are games that I feel are the absolute epitome of what a Pokemon game should be. Not only do they bring a ton of new features to the franchise, both big and small, but they also completely rework the visuals of the series in a truly impressive way. All of this while maintaining and evolving the core gameplay’s wonderful mix of accessibility and surprising depth, and the franchise’s overall delightful aesthetic and style. If you’re a Pokemon fan with a Nintendo 3DS, this game (or its counterpart) is an absolute must-have. If you’re an RPG fan with a Nintendo 3DS, you should strongly consider getting this game. And what’s more, if you’re a Pokemon fan without a Nintendo 3DS, it may well be worth your while to get a Nintendo 3DS just to play this game.

tl;dr – Pokemon Y (as well as its counterpart, Pokemon X) is a phenomenal entry in the mainline Pokemon franchise of family-friendly Turn-Based Monster-Collecting JRPGs that updates and modernizes the visuals, and adds numerous gameplay features and improvements. This is an absolute must-have for Pokemon fans, and even non-Pokemon fans who own a Nintendo 3DS may want to consider getting this game to see what the Pokemon franchise looks like when it’s at its best.

Grade: A+

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