|
Quote:
|
Video Game Music Extravaganza - Despot's Game, Vampire Survivors, Cult of the Lamb
Probably the final post before I stop writing for the day, or maybe not. We shall see, shall we? I may make one or two more posts but again, we'll see. I've been feeling the groove today so I'm all in. Anyway, Despot's Game has a great soundtrack. I think I talked about this game a few months back but I can't remember if I focused a lot on the soundtrack. Well, it's got a lot of bops. And of course the one that I tend to gravitate towards the most is the first one I heard when I started playing Despot's Game. Which is this track right here:
Spoiler for video:
It's probably my favorite track on the whole soundtrack, and there's a lot to love. But, I don't think any other track in any other game has had me continuously listening to it like this one from Vampire Survivors. Even listening to it now makes me want to listen to it ten more times on loop. Spoiler for video:
Honorable mention goes to Cult of the Lamb for also having a sick as **** soundtrack. Spoiler for video:
I've lost many hours working on my base and hearing this tune in the background. |
I was reading your journal as you were posting. Good read I have a few comments that I'll post about in a bit have a slightly busy morning though.
|
Appreciate it buddy. I may not be the best writer at times but I love video games and journals are fun
|
Video Game Music Extravaganza - Halo Infinite
I'm not really fond of Halo Infinite as a game these days, but I can't say that the soundtrack isn't great. It's Halo so you kind of know what to expect, but with the time that I spent on the campaign, I did enjoy hearing some familiar music in the background and I progressed. And this one should certainly sound familiar to anybody who's a fan of the series.
Spoiler for video:
|
Video Game Music Extravaganza - Divinity Original Sin
I think I've definitely talked about both Divinity Original Sin and Divinity Original Sin II often enough to where it won't surprise people to know that I really like the soundtrack of both. Both have very memorable pieces that get stuck in your head for days. I played the second game before I played the first, so I hadn't been exposed to the music of the first one for a while after its release. The one that stuck out to me the most is the track that shows up very early in the game. Hell, it's the main theme as far as I'm concerned:
Spoiler for video:
|
Introducing Pokémon Month
March Theme Month Welcome to...Pokémon Month! Introduction to Pokemon Month - > https://www.musicbanter.com/members-...ml#post2228904 It's time for another theme month and what better way to talk about a topic then to spend the entire month of March doing so. And this time we're talking about Pokémon! And while this is a gaming journal, Pokémon spans across multiple platforms whether it's television or video games, so I'm choosing not to be too specific about the games and to just talk about Pokémon in general. So sit back, enjoy, and Gotta Catch Em All! |
I want a Smash or Pass on all 1008 Pokemon.
|
Quote:
|
Pokemon Gold was my first and still my favorite. A whole other region to explore (Kanto, the OG) after completing the game on a dinky GameBoy cartridge was mindblowing back in the day. I haven't played Pokemon in quite a while though. But many good memories of bringing the link cable and trading Pokemon during recess in elementary school.
Tyranitar will always be my fav. :love: https://i.seadn.io/gae/jS8do9fUYqabt...=format&w=1000 |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I'm still currently working on Hogwarts Legacy. I'm at about 55% overall completion and I am going for the 100%. Little by little, but the game is still really fun so I'm just gonna keep going until I finish it. |
Quote:
|
Video Game Music Extravaganza - Pokemon Sword / Shield
Even though I'm going to be talking about Pokemon in a few days for a whole month, I wanted to post one more thing pertaining to video game music, and coincidentally the one I want to post is a Pokemon one. I suppose this is just a taste of what's to come. I've talked about Pokemon music before, but I think this one in particular is definitely one of my favorites. It's from Sword/Shield:
Spoiler for video:
|
Bro Feb 27 is Pokemon Day.
|
Holy ****, that's funny. I didn't even realize that, but ok that works!
|
Quote:
|
Introduction To Pokemon Month - Favorite Generation - Favorite Pokemon
Welcome to Pokemon Month! For the entire month of March, anything posted in this journal will in some way relate back to Pokemon whether we're talking about the video games or the cards, etc etc. I also want to preface this by saying that I'm not going to copy and paste the proper formatting of the name in every post given that it just takes too much time. So, you'll just have to deal with the word "Pokemon" without all the fancy lettering, etc. And, given that this is an introduction of sorts, I also want to take this time and start this month off by talking about two things right off the bat: my favorite Pokemon and my favorite generation of Pokemon. So, let's get right into it. As far as Pokemon games go, I haven't played all of them, but I have played a fair share of them. I started playing the series back when it released as Pokemon Yellow, and I've tried to keep up with them over time, but again, haven't played all of them, especially the ones that have been released recently. I think the last ones I played are Pokemon Let's Go Eevee, and Pokemon Sword. Both great. I would love to play all of them at some point, but I know some are better than others. I just sort of lost interest one would say, though I do still hold the games in high regard. I mean, just as a game series, it's impressive how long it's been around. Anyway, throughout my journey, I've had some favorites i.e. Pokemon Black 2 and some not so favorites i.e. Pokemon Diamond, but still, they've all got their strengths and weaknesses. However, the one that I would undoubtedly choose as my absolute favorite generation would have to go to the third generation i.e. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. I have thought about this one for a while and I always bounce between my experience with the Pokemon Black / White series and Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire and both are near and dear to my heart. Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire just have that extra umph that makes it standout just a little more. First off, the music. It's perhaps one of my favorite soundtracks when talking about any of the soundtracks, and the elite four music for this generation is simply fantastic. I could literally listen to that one track among many others over and over and I would probably still enjoy it. I unfortunately have not yet played the remakes of these games because at the time, it was just out of my price range. However, I have heard that they are worth playing if you love the generation. I have however played Heart Gold and that one is very close to taking my number one spot, but again, loses just slightly to both Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire. I also think the Pokemon designs themselves are some of the most fun and creative that the series has ever seen. Torchic being my favorite starter from this generation, I had a really good time playing through the game with Blaziken, despite it having far more weaknesses than I bargained for. Though, I had a pretty decent party so having a fairly weak Pokemon didn't break the sale for me too much. Blaziken has continued to be one of my personal favorite Pokemon and I would definitely use it again if I decide to somehow acquire a copy of Pokemon Ruby. Only time will tell I'm afraid. (also the rival battle when she or he has the Grovyle is still trapped in my brain and will never be forgotten) On top of all that, I just think the overall feeling of adventure is truly apparent throughout the entire game and it is just boosted overall with the inclusions of the legendary's. Kyogre, Groudon, Latios, Latias, Regis, the list goes on. I think those Pokemon in particular are some of the coolest legendary's the series has ever seen, but I'm also incredibly biased as I probably played this generation far more than any of the others. That's a testament to it as a game though, that even after beating it a few times, I also feel the urge to go back because the story just feels good to go through. The Pokemon are always interesting, and the battles throughout are typically tough but fair. Never seems too easy but never seems impossible if you trained right. Just an overall great generation of games and I certainly cherish the time that I spent on these games when I was younger. Some of my fondest memories of playing Pokemon, for sure. Now that we have that out of the way, we're going to talk about my favorite Pokemon. Of course, I also do have a top 10 of sorts as far as Pokemon go, but with as many as there are now, it's certainly getting a little more difficult to increase that list as I am continuously unfamiliar with the current gen and given that we have over 1000 of them to choose from, making top lists for things like this is rather difficult. So I'm just keeping it to Pokemon I've used myself and have grown to love for myself. And the one that always sticks out to me is - Vaporeon. And even more specifically the entire Eevee line, and even Eevee itself. But as far as specific Pokemon go, it's definitely Vaporeon. I always seem to gravitate more towards pretty looking Pokemon when discussing my favorites as opposed to which ones are technically better. I mean, that's what it's all about anyway. Vaporeon has been a Pokemon that I not only carried through many generations of Pokemon, but it was one of the few that I actually raised all the way to level 100. And despite it being a relatively weak Pokemon in general, it served it's purpose by feeling more like a buddy instead of a Pokemon, given that like I said, I carried it through many of the games. It ended up on a copy of Pokemon X a few years ago, and I have since lost that copy. So, somewhere out there, a level 100 Vaporeon lies on a cartridge unless it was deleted. That's ok though. I have a Vaporeon in Pokemon Go that follows me everywhere, I have posters of the Eevee line and Vaporeon on my walls and I have a super protected holo of Vaporeon in my card collection so I think I've made up for it. Though, what I would give to get my original Vaporeon back. Well that's as good of a welcome as you're gonna get from me for Pokemon Month! Strap yourselves in because this is going to be a fun ride! |
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire pt.2
I talked about Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire in my introduction post, but I wanted to talk more about it in a separate post as there's still I want to talk about it, and I've barely even made a dent. So here is part 2 of why the third generation of Pokemon games are my favorite. We talked about the fact that I like the overall designs of the Pokemon in this generation along with the legendary's as well as just enjoying the game altogether, but more specifically, I think the elite four in this generation along with the champion is one of the best examples of what an elite four should be in a Pokemon game. I talked a little bit about the game being it's own form of toughness without being too easy and too hard. It hits a balance quite nicely that gives you a challenge but nothing you can't overcome. That's especially true for this elite four, and I have lost count of how many times I have challenged the elite four in this generation. Because not only is it a good collection of battles to test you, it's a lot of fun to fight through it. And Steven is just one of the best champions ever. Definitely gives Lance something to gawk at despite Lance also being a fantastic champion. I think Steven just adds just a touch more to make him better. Let's not forget how good the elite four music is: Spoiler for video:
I also wanted to touch more on why I think the designs of this generation are some of my favorites, and it's quite simple - they're just cool. You've got Pokemon like Ralts, Gardevoir, Sceptile, Wailord, the list just goes on and on. If I were to choose one out of the bunch as my favorite, well, I mentioned it briefly before, but it would definitely go to Blaziken. I think as far as overall design, it's a great Pokemon. But then you get to its moves. Blaze Kick alone is worthy enough of being one of my favorites moves, but I also think the Blaziken line is especially cool. Torchic is very cute and Combusken is cool enough once it learned Double Kick. Again, it is a fire Pokemon so it's certainly weaker than a lot of others, but it's got such a cool design that it's hard to pass it up when the opportunity to use it presents itself. |
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Games I Have Played vs Pokemon Games I Have Not Played
Pokemon Games I Have Played vs Pokemon Games I Have Not Played
Honestly, the "vs" part doesn't really mean anything as I'm not putting these games head to head for any reason. I'm just posting about which Pokemon games I have played, and which ones I haven't, and maybe discuss a little bit about each. So: Have Played (in no order) Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald (obviously) Pokemon Fire Red / Leaf Green Pokemon Diamond / Pearl Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver Pokemon Red / Blue / Yellow Pokemon Green (way way back in the day) Pokemon Black / White, Pokemon Black 2 / White 2 Pokemon X / Y Pokemon Go Pokemon TCG Online Have Not Played (in no order) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team / Red Rescue Team Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness / Time Pokemon Platinum Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire Pokemon Sun / Moon Pokemon Legends Arceus Pokemon Scarlet / Violet Pokemon Colosseum I certainly may have missed a few here for both categories but I'm not really a big fan of the Pokemon games that aren't part of the mainline series of games. Games like Mystery Dungeon I may not even bother playing as the time has passed for me to really have any interest. Of all the games that are listen in my not played list, the one that I would probably be the most interested in is Pokemon Legends Arceus. I've seen a lot of gameplay of Scarlet and Violet and while it looks like a lot of fun, it doesn't seem like one that I'd enjoy very much. Pokemon Legends Arceus honestly looks like a fun time and one I would probably spent countless hours in. Everything from the gameplay to how the catching of Pokemon works just seems right up my alley. Of course, out of the ones that I have played, you already know which ones I would consider favorites, but if you are still curious, I've gone ahead and bolded the ones that I would most likely go back to. |
Pokemon Month - My First Experience: Pokemon Yellow
My First Experience: Pokemon Yellow
I still remember this day as if it was yesterday. It was my older brothers birthday, and my parents had gotten him the purple see through Game Boy Color with Pokemon Red. My younger brother and my birthday are in May, and as you can guess, my younger brother got a yellow Game Boy Color with Pokemon Blue, and I got a teal colored Game Boy Color with Pokemon Yellow. the minute we had all gotten our games, it was time to see who can get the better Pokemon party, and off we went. As much fun as I had playing Pokemon Yellow, I don't think either of my brothers got as attached to it as I did. To the point that I still like to play the games as they come out, whereas they pretty much have nothing to do with the game series at this point. Of course, that's how gaming goes. It's not for everybody, and not everyone is going to have the same experience. Mine however was a pretty good experience, and I always enjoyed playing Pokemon Yellow, especially since you could have a cute little Pikachu following you around everywhere which to me is amazing. There's simply nothing better than being able to take on a Pokemon world with your Pokemon right by your side. I definitely do credit my love of these games to how my experience was with Pokemon Yellow since it was the very first hands on experience I had with the games. And then of course I went onto playing the others as they came out. Next was Pokemon Gold naturally, but we'll wait to go more into depth on that since I kind of want to talk about both Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Heart Gold at the same time. Since I love both dearly. Pokemon Yellow will always be one of those games where even if it's ten or twenty years down the line, I will always find a way to play through it. That goes for any older generations of Pokemon because despite the games getting more fun and interesting, there's still a love to be had for the games released now over 20 years ago at this point. I certainly think the game were at their peak in the third generation as I said, and after that point I sort of just fell off, but my love of the originals and the second generation will always be there. |
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 1
Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 1
I'm sort of going to combine my video game music thread idea with the Pokemon month theme to create a sub topic of Pokemon Music from every generation that I have played. There's a lot of good tracks throughout the games and I want to touch on them individually instead of collectively so that I can focus on a certain generation instead of trying to talk about too much all at once. So, obviously we are starting with the first generation. Below you will see videos with music from the games that I consider my favorites: Trainer Battle Spoiler for video:
Champion Battle Spoiler for video:
Surfing Theme Spoiler for video:
And of course, the classic... Pallet Town Spoiler for video:
|
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 2
Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 2
And now we are moving onto generation 2 music. While similar to the first generation, this generation has some standout tracks that really push the envelope as far as video game music is concerned. I'll let your ears do the talking this time: Champion Theme Spoiler for video:
Route 29 Theme Spoiler for video:
Johto Gym Leader Spoiler for video:
While still sounding the same as the previous generation, I think this generations version of the track is so much better. Much more oomph. Trainer Battle (Gold / Silver) Spoiler for video:
Next up is Hoenn. There'll be a lot to talk about with that one as that one has most of my favorite Pokemon tracks ever. |
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 3
Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 3
We are now going to talk about my favorite tracks from my favorite generation of Pokemon: Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. Aaaaaand here we go! Trainer Battle Spoiler for video:
Elite Four Spoiler for video:
Gym Leader Spoiler for video:
There are honestly so many that I love that this is just the start. Here's some more: Bicycle Theme Spoiler for video:
Slateport City Spoiler for video:
Verdandurf Town Spoiler for video:
What, you want more? Sure let's keep going! This is bringing me a lot of nostalgia so I am here for it: Surfing Theme Spoiler for video:
I just love all the music from this generation so, well...I don't need to explain myself. Spoiler for video:
I honestly still don't think I've posted enough but we'll end it on this one. I could easily post more but I think this is plenty for now. Team Magma / Team Aqua Battle Theme Spoiler for video:
|
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 3 [pt.2]
Pokemon Music: My Favorite Tracks - Generation 3 [pt.2]
Guess what? I wasn't done talking about generation 3 music. So, let's continue: Petalburg City Spoiler for video:
Dewford Town Spoiler for video:
Dewford Town Spoiler for video:
Mt. Pyre Spoiler for video:
Fortree City Spoiler for video:
|
Pokemon Month: My Top 5 Favorite Pokemon From Generation 1
My Top 5 Favorite Pokemon From Generation 1
I will be doing this for the first three generation of Pokemon as I feel like I have the most knowledge of those games as far as favorite Pokemon is concerned. As the series went on, I found myself choosing favorites less and less, though that doesn't mean there aren't any that I like. I just know that most of the Pokemon that I consider favorites are definitely in the first three generations. And honestly, these lists aren't even exactly final verdicts, moreso I'm just going based on what I feel right now are my favorites from these generations. I'm sure the list would change if I were to approach the same question later on. But for now, these are the top 5 that I consider my favorites in the first generation of Pokemon games i.e. Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow: (in no particular order, other than #1) #1: Vaporeon If you've been reading so far, this one shouldn't be a surprise as I've mentioned several times that Vaporeon is my numero uno. For many reasons, though the main one being that I carried a Vaporeon through more games than I have with any other Pokemon. It was like having a pet of sorts, and it coming from Eevee, who resembles a cat, which is my favorite animal. It just all falls together nicely. I love the Eevee line but I love Eevee to Vaporeon the most. #2: Pikachu The first Pokemon game I ever played was Pokemon Yellow, so naturally Pikachu has to fall on this list. And it makes sense for it to come after my absolute favorite because well...I would definitely consider it my second favorite. Pokemon Yellow was a good time and a good way to introduce myself to the series as a whole. It was just so cool to have a Pikachu following you around. Really made the adventure feel unique and also personal. I'd play through the game again in a heartbeat. #3: Clefable If my memory serves me correctly, Clefable was the second Pokemon I ever trained all the way to level 100. And this was done on Pokemon Yellow, I believe. I must have caught a Clefairy in Mt. Moon and for some reason felt the need to level it all the way up. Thankfully I did because I remember Clefable being an absolute powerhouse once you leveled it all the way up. I just remember the HP and just having an overall good time using it as a main Pokemon. #4: Snorlax A lot of people would put Snorlax as their favorite, I'm sure. So I'm just adding to an already existing group of people. Snorlax is amazing. And the Pokemon only got better as time went on. With the introduction of leftovers as an item, it made Snorlax an absolute powerhouse to deal with. If you had one on your team though, you were wreaking havoc left and right. #5: Mew Mew is great. Need I say more? |
Pokemon Month: My Top 5 Favorite Pokemon From Generation 2
My Top 5 Favorite Pokemon From Generation 2
Moving onto the second generation: (in no particular order) #1: Cyndaquil When Gold / Silver came out, I already knew that Cyndaquil was going to be my main team member, but I had not prepared myself for how cool the evolution line would be. Typhlosion on its own is a cool as design for a Pokemon, but Cyndaquil is also very very cool and very cute. I've always enjoyed going through this generation with Cyndaquil because I knew that once it evolved to Typhlosion, it'd be a good time. #2: Pichu The introduction of baby Pokemon changed the game forever, and man, Pichu is awesome. I already mentioned that I love Pikachu and it is a favorite of mine, but Pichu is a close second in regards to its evolution line. Which obviously that would mean Raichu is third, which is fine. Pikachu was already cute as **** but man...Pichu is greatness. #3: Ampharos Any time I have ever gone through any version of Pokemon Gold / Silver, I always make sure to have an Ampharos on my team. I remember looking through the strategy guide as a kid, and the screenshots always had an Ampharos on the team, along with a Mantine, which is another Pokemon I've never really used enough. So, I started using Ampharos all the time, and man, what a kickass electric type Pokemon. Along with just having an overall cool design, the moveset that comes with it is amazing. Full on electric type moves and a powerful Pokemon at that. Good times using it in both Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Heart Gold. #4: Ho-Oh It's definitely hard to choose a favorite out of the two legendary birds in this generation, but I'm going to go with Ho-Oh since I played the game with his likeness on it. I'm sure the opposite would also be true had I played Silver originally instead of Gold. But as it stands, I think Ho-Oh takes it but by just a little bit. Lugia is in its own league but unfortunately does not make my top 5. Top 10 maybe. #5: Shuckle Shuckle is an interesting one because it wasn't originally one of my favorites. For a long time, actually. It wasn't until somebody broke it down and basically described why Shuckle is a powerhouse. And man, Shuckle really is a powerhouse. You wouldn't think it by looking at it but having a Shuckle on your team was definitely a good idea given that its defense stat is defaulted to 230. Which basically means its nearly unkillable. Put it on your team and watch it just sweep other teams. |
Pokemon Month: My Top 5 Favorite Pokemon From Generation 3
My Top 5 Favorite Pokemon From Generation 3
You already saw this coming. Let's dive in! (in no particular order) #1: Torchic Much like Vaporeon, this one shouldn't really be a surprise. I tried to see which out of Torchic and Blaziken I wanted to put on this list, and putting Torchic on the list just made more sense. Blaziken is a great Pokemon be it rather weak in the late game. But Torchic as a Pokemon with a cute design and everything else, it has to definitely be my favorite from the generation. But again, it's hard to say what I would answer with some time passing. As it currently stands, Torchic takes this spot. #2: Furret Going solely based on cuteness, both Zigzagoon and Furret take this, but I like Furret just a little bit more. It's a simple design but it works. It's a Pokemon you can get relatively early in a playthrough and it's honestly a lot of fun to have on the team. Once it gets higher level, it becomes a lot more useful, but definitely don't put a blind eye on Furret just because it's an early achievable Pokemon. Definitely an asset to any team. #3: Ralts Again, it really wouldn't surprise me to find out that a lot of people favorites is Ralts. As it is a pretty unique Pokemon that you find out about early on. And you can actually catch it in the same place as you find it for the first time. It's evolution line is great and it got better as time went on. Gardevoir is just a beast on its own but as a whole, it's a really cool and fun evolution line to use throughout your playthrough. #4: Seedot Just a very small and cute Pokemon. Pretty weak, but fun to use. #5: Swampert As much as I like Mudkip, I think Swampert takes this one. Specifically because I remember really liking muddy water as a move, and when Swampert has that move, hes nearly unstoppable. I carried Swampert through the elite four many times on one of my Pokemon Ruby playthroughs. Nearly unstoppable and super powerful. |
Pokemon Month: Let's Talk About...Pokemon Black / White // Black 2 / White 2
Let's Talk About...Pokemon Black / White // Black 2 / White 2
Although I have much more experience with Pokemon Black 2, I'm going to put these here together solely for the fact that it just makes more sense to have both here if I'm talking about them at all. As together they do make a pretty good team as far as Pokemon games go. I don't really remember how old I was or when I got my copy of Black 2, but what I remember the most, if anything, is how much I enjoyed playing through it. And I'll tell you why: Pokemon Black 2, to me, is one of the best stories in any of the Pokemon games. I haven't played every Pokemon game out there so perhaps that opinion is a bit of a stretch, and perhaps Pokemon Black / White have a better story, though as far as I can tell, the events from the first game lead into the second one. I just didn't play enough of it to know since I wanted to immediately go to the second game for some reason. I'm still not really sure why to be honest. However the reason why I'm saying this is because I don't remember another time (maybe perhaps with Heart Gold) when I was playing Pokemon and I was completely engrossed in the whole thing. The Pokemon were fascinating, the battles and adventuring aspects were really fun, the cities and towns you run into were incredibly well designed and gave us a look at what the future holds for Pokemon games. Everything just felt so massive and full of wonder, and I constantly found myself saying how much I was enjoying playing through it. I know I did say that I haven't really been all that impressed with the newer Pokemon games as far as Pokemon designs and overall appeal go, and I think that started to happen right around when I finished playing Pokemon Black 2. I don't know, but I just feel like this was the last really strong entry in the series before it kind of went a different direction. To me, between Pokemon X/Y, Sword/Shield, Sun/Moon, and the rest, there just doesn't seem to be any individual character and they all just feel the same at some point. Though that's mostly based on gameplay I've watched. The amount of originality and interesting things going on was certainly massive in Pokemon Black 2, because as I said, the cities and towns were big and fun to run through, but just the overall feel of the game and how things worked just felt so smooth and nice. Battles were quick and fun and it just felt like a purely good version of what Pokemon games should strive for. It didn't need to break any boundaries, it just is good. |
Pokemon Month - Favorite Location From Pokemon Black 2 / White 2: Castelia City
Favorite Location From Pokemon Black 2 / White 2
I honestly enjoy the regions for all the Pokemon games I've played, but I most definitely enjoyed Pokemon Black 2 almost if not the same as much as I did with Pokemon Ruby. The cities and towns were so well designed that it would be difficult to choose a favorite, but because this one in particular was the one that really made me sit back and appreciate what I was looking at, I decided to talk about it here: Castelia City This city is amazing. When I started playing Pokemon Black 2 I wasn't prepared for what I was getting myself into. I was enjoying the game a lot even before getting to this point in the game, but as soon as I got to Castelia City, I understood the depth of the game a lot more. I really wanted to take it in because it was pretty cool and a little crazy to see a city like this in a Pokemon game. Just when you're walking through the city, you feel like the skyscrapers and everything are just surrounding and towering over you really making you feel like you're running through a city. And for it to be accomplished on a handheld, that's pretty amazing. https://i.imgur.com/ubRoc8n.png Not to forget that it also has a pretty rad theme to carry it along: |
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
Pokemon Diamond / Pearl
I don't really talk about the fourth generation of Pokemon for a few reasons, one of which being that I really just don't like the games or the Pokemon that were introduced in this generation, minus some exceptions. I can't possibly dislike all of them, but in comparison to the other games I've played, I'd definitely say that Pokemon Diamond is my least favorite one. Again, it's got some good things going for it, but not enough for me to even want to finish it. I picked up Pokemon Diamond right around when Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 were released, and I wanted to get caught up with the generations, so I bought Pokemon Diamond, obviously not realizing that I was passing up the better game. Though how could I have known that at the time. Pokemon Diamond is also one of the very few times in my life where I returned the item. I played Pokemon Diamond about 2/3 of the way through, but then somehow found myself stuck and not knowing where to go next. It's definitely one of those games where you kind of have to figure things out for yourself. And being who I was at the time, I just simply couldn't figure out how to progress. I knew I had gotten pretty far in the game, but again, never finished it. I honestly doubt that even if I had figured it out, I probably would have still not finished it. I do like the legendaries in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl though, but not nearly as much as I like the legendaries in other Pokemon games. I think out of the bunch here, I'm more inclined to choose Dialga, depsite picking Palkia through my playthrough. I immediately regretted it since I really truly liked the design of Dialga a lot more. Palkia just seemed too common and didn't seem very interesting. And, well, I just ended up putting it in the PC and not using it. I would certainly love to at some point playthrough Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as I hear those games are really great remakes and fix a lot of the problems that a lot of people had with the originals. I have seen that I'm not the only one that felt like Pokemon Diamond and Pearl sort of missed a few important marks making it feel sort of like a slog to get through. People really love the Pokemon Black / White series of games and I am included in that. There really shouldn't be much of a surprise there. They're just better games. |
I'm with you on this one. I ended up skipping over Diamond/Pearl when it was released. I only recently started playing Brilliant Diamond when it came out. I don't even think I finished it though I feel like I'm halfway through maybe.
I caught both Dialga and Palkia in Pokemon Go and I think I'd prefer having Palkia over Dialga. |
Seems a lot of people think the same thing as far as whether they played diamond / pearl or not. I think they figured out what they were trying to do with diamond and pearl when black and white were released. I'm sure the games are great and I would love to play through brilliant diamond at some point. But if they decide to remake the black and white series, I will be beyond happy.
|
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Gold / Silver (Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver)
Pokemon Gold / Silver Are Great, And Here's Why
I was going to talk about Pokemon Gold / Silver in the same way that I've talked about the other games, but I wanted to change things up a bit. So instead, I'm simply going to bring up 5 reasons why Pokemon Gold / Silver are great. I really like the second generation because it not only gave you a new region of Johto to adventure through, but on top of that, you get to adventure through Kanto again. And to have two regions to go through, well that's just a recipe for success as far as I'm concerned. #1: Johto / Kanto I mentioned that I like the fact that Pokemon Gold / Silver have two regions, one new one, and one that should be familiar to you if you have played the first generation. It's nothing you haven't seen before in Kanto, however given that you are much further in the game when you first get to Kanto, it can still be a challenge if you're not fully prepared. But nothing too crazy. I do like Pokemon Gold / Silver's version of Kanto, just because it feels like there's more going on, which should be the case given that this is basically an improved version of the first game. #2: Cool Cartridges If I'm remembering this correctly, the game boy cartridges for Pokemon Gold / Silver were sparkly and almost holographic, right? If that's the case, god damn those were good times. I personally played Pokemon Gold and I just thought the cartridge alone looked good and it was certainly inviting. I played the **** out of that game. #3: 16 Badges Along with the addition of having both Johto and Kanto in this game, they also made it so that once you finished your adventure in Johto and defeated the Pokemon League, you are then presented with the task of taking on the original 8 gyms from the previous generation, with a few changes thrown in here and there. #2: Rival I love the third generation of games and I really think they nailed everything perfectly with Ruby / Sapphire, but I really really enjoy the rival fights and the overall feeling of the rival in Gold / Silver because as the games evolved, your rival or rivals sort of became your allies or friends, and Gold / Silver basically did away with that and set you up with a rival that can actually pose a challenge to your adventure. Plus, the music is dope: #1: It's just a gream game, really. I don't really know how else to put it other than that. Pokemon Gold / Silver are two of the finest made game boy games ever made, probably. I thought it was extra cool that these came out at a time where I personally was not too familiar with the idea of games having sequels. So, my excitement was definitely real when I found out that Pokemon Red / Blue were going to have sequels with Pokemon Gold / Silver. But, these games aren't just sequels. They're not just an overhaul of the previous game. In fact, both games look relatively the same as far as sprite art is concerned though graphically Pokemon Gold / Silver is far superior. On top of that though, they are just great games to playthrough in their own respects. Hell, I'd even say why bother starting with the first generation of games when Pokemon Gold / Silver are basically two games in one. Remember how I mentioned that the game has two regions, Johto and Kanto. Well, Kanto is the OG region taken directly out of Pokemon Red / Blue be it a few changes. So, y'know, you can easily start with Pokemon Gold / Silver and probably get close to the same if not much more enjoyment out of it than starting with the first games. I'd also like to mention that I am currently playing through Pokemon Red on my Game Boy Advance right now given that the copy I have of Pokemon Silver won't save. I'm still having a good time, but I'm eager to see if I can get my Pokemon Silver copy fixed. We'll see. It seems I rambled off into something else there but the point of all of this is simply to say that despite the third generation of games being my absolute favorite, I still have a humongous soft spot and love with the second generation. The legendaries Ho-Oh and Lugia and even Celebi to name a few are simply amazing, and a lot of fun to get to and catch in the games. I mean, you get to go to the top of a burnt tower to find Ho-Oh and take it on one on one. It's worth catching. It's a fun Pokemon to use for sure. They all are. Not just the legendaries though, all the new Pokemon that were introduced in this generation are awesome. I love the starters and like I said in a previous post, my main compadre was always Cyndaquil. But I definitely don't think you can go wrong with choosing any of them, because both Totodile and Chikorita are great, and turn into some serious powerhouses of their own at a certain point in your journey. You're good with whoever in this regard. Anyway, all of this really shouldn't be too much of a surprise given how much I have always said I have enjoyed these games. I mean, Pokemon Gold / Silver are pretty unanimously loved for a lot of the same reasons and more than I put here, certainly. I also want to briefly mention that while Pokemon Gold / Silver are great in their own respects, Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are amazing. I kind of relate these remakes to Fable Anniversary. Takes all the best things from the original and simply improves on them graphically and strengthens the mechanics within the games themselves making the games feel fresh though familiar given that they are remakes. I absolutely loved playing through Pokemon Heart Gold when I got my copy of it. It's just a much better version of the originals in the same way that Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green are just objectively better versions of themselves. And I think that's a pretty unanimous opinion, I think. So yeah, gen 2 is good ****. |
Pokemon Month - My Favorite Legendary Pokemon
My Favorite Legendary Pokemon
It really is hit or miss with me when it comes to legendary Pokemon. I think as the series has gone on, the legendaries have been decent to good but nothing all too crazy. The earlier generations of Pokemon are where I really think a lot of the cooler legendary Pokemon came out. That's not to say there are some redemption points to the later games, but I just know that a lot of my favorite legendary Pokemon are definitely from the earlier games. And we're going to talk about that now: Legendary Beasts: Entei It's a little tough to choose a favorite out of the legendary beast trio since all of them are amazing in their own right. However, Entei wins more points with me because I just really like the overall design of it over Suicune and Raikou. Both those are amazing designs in their own right, and I know Crystal focused more on Suicune, so as much as I'd think Suicune could take the spot, I'm going to go with Entei on this one. Weather Trio: Groudon You already know by now that generation three is my favorite, and that also comes with the fact that a lot of the legendaries if not all of them in this generation are my favorites. I like Latios and Latias, Rayquaza, Kyogre, Regi's, so I really just wanted to go with the one that I both have used the most out of any of these other ones but on top of that, I have a lot of different cool looking Groudon cards in my collection, so naturally I hold Groudon in pretty high regard. Not only can it be super strong in the late game once you give it Solarbeam and Thunderbolt, but the fact that it has an automatic sunny day just makes this combination that much stronger. Groundon all day, every day baby! Weather Trio: Rayquaza Yeah, I'm talking about two legendary Pokemon from the same generation. Why? Well, because I can. And I'm not purposefully excluding Kyogre or any other legendary for that matter, but I just don't have as much experience using Kyogre to really give much of an opinion. Rayquaza basically wins on design alone but otherwise a really strong Pokemon to add to your team. Especially since the building to get to him can be a chore if you mess up, but man is it worth it. Mew I've talked about Mew being one of my favorite Pokemon of all time a few times before, but I feel like it's just worth mentioning again since I just enjoy talking about it. Mew is a really cool Pokemon when you really dive deep into the history of its existence and how it lives its life. Mew and Mewtwo are both badass Pokemon in their own right, and the Mewtwo Strikes Back movie is one of my favorite movies of all time, still. And I watched it recently, it still holds up. Quite well, in fact. If you like Pokemon, the first movie is always a treat. As I mentioned briefly before, my favoritism of legendaries kind of fades a little bit as the generations go on because I feel the overall design of them along with some select generations of Pokemon just sort of lacked in originality or just weren't interesting enough to really consider a favorite. Granted, I'll still mention a couple that I would definitely use on my party given the chance: The Creation Trio: Dialga Aura Trio: Xerneas Legendary Pokemon are a staple in the Pokemon universe and while some designs may lack, a lot of them are really cool and somewhat rarely it's worthwhile to use them on your team. |
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Video Game Box Art
Pokemon Video Game Box Art
I've always enjoyed talking about video game box art and specifically Pokemon video game box art. There was nothing quite like seeing new games on the shelves of Blockbuster, or Hollywood Video, or any other stores that carried electronics. The box art would prove its use every time because I always looked through the locked glass doors at the box art hoping that one day I can pick up the game and play it. Well, that was most certainly true when Pokemon Gold / Silver came out, so that's the one I'm choosing to talk about today. Also the added fact that I feel like Pokemon Gold / Silver had the best box art out of any of the Pokemon games new or old. And i'll tell you why: When Pokemon Gold first came out, I was hoping I was going to be getting it for Christmas that coming December, but I wasn't totally sold on that idea since we didn't really get those kinds of gifts growing up. However, I remember a phone call that I had with my grandma at the time because it was a few days before Christmas and my mom had handed me the phone. My grandma then asked me "is there one thing you really want for Christmas?" And I said "Yes, the new Pokemon game. It has a bird on the front and it's gold colored." That was the only description I gave at the time because I honestly didn't know how to describe it otherwise. Christmas morning comes around and I was stoked because there was a square box wrapped for me from my grandma so I knew what it was already. Upon opening it, I was not only excited, but I was in awe of what the box art looked like up close: https://i.imgur.com/nKD6ZIT.jpg It is a memory that will forever stick in my brain because not only was it amazing to even get the game as a gift, but then upon playing it and subsequently playing through it, I realized just how amazing this game truly is. I talked about Pokemon Gold / Silver previously, so I don't want to go too in depth here, but I just remember starting with Cyndaquil on my first playthrough which is why he's my favorite starter of that generation. As far as box art goes in general, it's evident that there really isn't that much attention to it anymore which is probably why some of the quality of box arts has diminished. I'm not saying any box art now is bad, but it's definitely lost its touch a little bit with everything trying to go all digital. I get it, I have an all digital console as well. But, I do try to look for box art whenever I can just to add to my own little collection. I will be most happy when I do find a copy of Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver in their box art. I have Pokemon Silver now but only the cartridge. Anyway, yeah box art rules. |
Pokemon Month - My Favorite Locations From Pokemon Gold / Silver
My Favorite Locations From Pokemon Gold / Silver
And boy there are a lot to choose from. From the bug catching competition to where you find Sudowoodo to the Unown caves. In my opinion though, one of the best locations in Pokemon Gold / Silver would have to go to Goldenrod City: Spoiler for video:
I guess I just really love big cities in Pokemon games and Pokemon Gold / Silver did a really nice job of making Goldenrod City both feel big and have a lot to do with both the main gameplay and just other things. I'm also going to give a special mention to Lake of Rage because even though Pokemon has evolved so much, nothing will ever beat the OG red Gyarados. Just a really cool looking Pokemon who also packs a punch. Spoiler for video:
|
Pokemon Month - Pokemon Trading Card Game
Pokemon Trading Card Game
One of the best parts of my childhood was buying Pokemon booster packs from various shops that carried trading cards. I just remember going into shops like 7/11 or other small stores within malls that had cases upon cases of cards ranging from Yu-Gi-Oh, baseball cards, and of course Pokemon cards. At the time, I was only allowed to get maybe 1-2 booster packs each time I went since money was rather scarce growing up. Nowadays however, I just buy packs whenever I feel like having that rush feeling of opening booster packs. And whether i'm 10 years old opening booster packs or if i'm 32 years old opening booster packs, the excitement feeling never fades. And as much as I think that the Pokemon games have sort of reduced in quality over the years, in some cases not all, the Pokemon Trading Card Game has definitely improved over the years, one of my favorites in recent years being Primal Groudon https://product-images.tcgplayer.com...x437/95984.jpg I don't think my interest in the Pokemon TCG will ever fade though I will admit that I've only ever really gone as far as buying and collecting the cards. I have a nearly full binders worth full of Pokemon cards at home that I just organized so now I can just look at them all the time if I want to. I'm not super hardcore into it or anything but it's just one of those things that I will forever collect until they die out. And I honestly don't see that happening any time soon. I do think the competitive side of the Pokemon TCG is really neat and worth looking at if you have the time, because much like Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh, they do have big events that take place that revolve around the trading card games and it's always really cool to see communities of people get together to do something together that everybody enjoys. Once again, I don't see myself ever really getting into it competitively, but I do definitely enjoy watching people that are into it in that regard. I'll always probably just stick to collecting them. |
They got weekly Pokemon TCG events at my local comic book shop where everyone actually plays the game and I imagine they got the same where you are.
|
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:55 AM. |
© 2003-2025 Advameg, Inc.