Pokemon!

[Shinomi-chan 294]

I should watch the subbed version.. and 16th movie. MEWTWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[Pearl98 6]

I don't really watch the dubbed episodes, mostly just the Japanese with no subs. Tomorrow's episode sure is going to be one to remember, I'll definitely need to remember to have a box of tissues next to me when I watch it...

[Shinomi-chan 294]

I wish I could watch anime like that too Pearl.. o_o

[Skye Prower 386]

I know I popped it up on the status bar but here:  first teaser for the new PMD game.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQNNXJky5CE

 

*sniff* I have to wait almost a year... Silly release dates and region locking!  

 

 

[Device 6]

It looks pretty good! I might have to finally get back into the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. I loved the first one, so I bought the DS one. After starting it, I just kind of got distracted and never went back. ;/

[Shadow 43]

I'm very excited for this! I mean, Explorers of Sky is by far my favorite Spin-off game in like, ever. Gates to Infinity dissapointed me though, but this trailer already looks more interesting than the entirety of that game.

[Danny Felixe 330]

I think I already made it clear on various statuses but I'm really excited for this game too :P

 

It's kinda funny because I used to play the original game a lot then I got distracted/bored/stuck and stopped playing for a bit.I was just starting to begin playing again when I heard about this one. I might have to try and finish it now. I really enjoy it though.Playing as a Pokemon is fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun

[Device 6]

Playing as a Pokemon is fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun

 

Dylan likes being a pokemon? I would have never guessed! xP

 

I'll probably end up getting this one though.

[Seviper the Fang Snake 368]

When a Seviper gets to be a star of next Mystery Dungeon call me!

But I am excited for this game especially since you can play as a Fennekin!

[Skye Prower 386]

So a little update on the New Mystery Dungeon.

 

http://bulbanews.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Super_Mystery_Dungeon_information,_Japanese_preorder_gifts_revealed

 

So what's been revealed?  Well, from one trailer it looked like you could select which pokemon you are.  From another it showed you the personality quiz.

 

Turns out, both are true.  You can take the quiz or make the selection yourself.

 

I like that idea.

[Danny Felixe 330]

...

 

Brilliant! So I can just choose Fennekin straight off now? Yay!

[Skye Prower 386]

Sounds like it.

 

I wish this game would allow for two saves.  One for Fennekin, and one for whatever the quiz says I should be.

[Danny Felixe 330]

I don't want to do the quiz... I'll end up with one I care not for <_<

[Seviper the Fang Snake 368]

I'm no good at quizzes anyways. I'll just take the one I want.

[Shadow 43]

Guess I'll pass the quiz too. Well, might try it just for fun, but on the original PMD, I had to reset the game a lot of times before I finally got a pokemon to my liking >.< Don't want to go through that struggle again, even though I'll remain curious what Pokemon I will be this time.

[Skye Prower 386]

I took the quiz properly three times to see what I got in Explorers of Sky.  Got a Squirtle twice! ;-p 

 

I think the quiz is fun, it's just to hard to change if you don;t like the result, or have a specific one in mind.

 

Hopefully they'll have taken the gender restrictions away as well.

[Danny Felixe 330]

I swear Fennekins are more likely male than female anyway... so it shouldn't matter to me

[Skye Prower 386]

Yeah, but so are Eevees!

[Danny Felixe 330]

They are? Whoops! You're right! No gender restrictions then plz

[Geoffrey St John 175]

I prefer a little mystery so I will likely take the quiz. But since I have a fiery personality I will most likely get a fire type anyway.

[Skye Prower 386]

So..... I'm a little confused.

 

Amazon (the UK version) has started pre-ordered on Super Mystery Dungeon.  Not that surprising, except it's released 20th Nov this year.  Last I heard UK wasn't getting it till next year.  Now, a little tab says it's from 'Nintendo of America' but nowhere does it say if its the UK or US version.  Plus, amazon uk doesn't normally let you order US stuff.  So... what's going on here?

[Shadow 43]

Yup, we Europeans have to wait till somewhere early 2016. Extremely stupid, and it's going to be tough avoiding spoilers.

Also, there's a region-lock, so even if you buy the American version, you won't be able to play it on your 3ds.

[Danny Felixe 330]

That's a lot of effort just to stop us from playing... seems a little cruel

[Skye Prower 386]

Welcome to Nintendo's policy, where they only care about the Japanese market, so they region lock their games so local customers can't import the cheaper games from elsewhere.

 

And yeah, that's what I thoughty Cheery.  It's just strange to see Amazon UK offer a US only product, with pre-order, without a region lock warning.

[Skye Prower 386]

So I’ve got a few hours of Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon under my belt now, though not as many as you’d properly expect due to rl stuff.  So… my first impressions….

Eh……

First thing is the interface is a step back from the previous one, especially the blocky looking map.  If I didn’t know the release order of Explorers of Sky, Gates to Infinity and Super Mystery Dungeon, and just showed me the interfaces, I’d assume GtI was the newest one.  On the plus side, it does include a type match-up chart, and shows which moves will be super-effective etc before you use them.

In terms of gameplay, it’s some steps forward, and some back.  I haven’t played enough to work out which one has more steps.  On the plus side two of the biggest niggles from GtI have been fixed.  The gameplay is zoomed out more now, so you can see further than before.  And of course, there are all the pokemon ever in the game, plus way more varied dungeons.  And properly themed as well.  No more ice types showing up in a fire dungeon.   In addition it seems like all ranged attacks can pass over allies now, as opposed to very select ones, which makes the other pokemon in the team way more active.  There are some very useful shortcuts for the inventory, look around and message log, a way to heal while standing in place rather than walking, and new items called wands, single target orbs, which are really useful in the boss fights!  And there is actually, for once, a tutorial!  Though…. It does continue for a while, more on that later.

More negatively, the Hunger mechanic is back, and yeah, all it adds is just more annoying busywork in a dungeon and clogging up the inventory.  The only place it’s been implanted well is for the return Team Attacks from GiT, now called Alliances and only working on a single target, which rather than needed to defeat a number of pokemon to activate, now just deplete the hunger meter.  It is more difficult than GiT, but this isn’t really a bad point as it’s not as bad as EoS, yet the difficulty is bouncing all over the place.  A really bizarre annoyance is the implementation of a ‘push’ function.  In previous games, when you try to walk into a space where a team member is, you swap places.  Now, you push them forward a tile, which also drops your hunger meter. You can still swap tiles like before, but need to hold down a button for that.  Now why the heck isn’t it the other way around.  You often need to slide past teammates, but rarely need to push them (except for getting them to step on the darn wonder tiles).  It’s a very frustrating feature.

 

As for the story, well, it’s a step to the side.  It starts normally, waking up as a pokemon wondering ‘What the *bleep*’, going through some dungeons, meeting your partner and hearing their big dream.  But unlike previous games where you immediately help your partner build paradise, join the expedition society or whatever, here…. You’re going to school!  Cause you’re a baby pokemon now, so everyone sees you as a little kid.  And that’s why I mentioned the tutorial going on, cause that’s what school is.  I don’t mind it, but it is something that could rub people the wrong way.  As could, in what seems like an odd choice, your partner pokemon, who’s basically an ADHD kid.  Again, something that could put off people, so seems an odd choice for the character who will be with you for the whole game.

And the story did pull something that I hated.  An enforced failure.  Not as you might expect having an unwinnable fight, but having your character perform a certain action.  Now, this game is very clear from the get go that it is YOU who is getting turned into a pokemon, not some other human you’re controlling.  So let me tell you game, if I left a friend behind when exploring a dungeon, I’d go back to look for them.  I would NOT rush forward with my hyperactive partner assuming they were okay.  I’d drag my partner back by the tail to find them.  And I think most people would act as I would.  And what’s worse, you then get bother berated and teased for this.  Sorry SMD, but if you are trying to insist this in me, then let me control my actions.  Don’t force me to do something obviously idiotic like that.

*sighs*  I am enjoying the game, but there are so many niggles with it.  And to other people, these niggles could well be game breakers.  It’s a shame, it has so much going for it.  Hopefully it will get better.