Soul Silver: My Team and How It's Working Out

Teamwork. Advantages. Disadvantages. Strategy. These elements have been intertwined with the Pokemon series since it's inception, and are vital to one's success in training the monsters themselves. By understanding their strengths and weaknesesses, their individual potential, and being a stickler to dedication, it's easy to be overwhelmed by this daunting task.

It wasn't so hard when I was a kid. If you were my age when Pokemon was all the rage (About seven), you probably just filled your team up with the ever-popular Legendary Pokemon and whoever you chose at the start of the game, with some favorites you've picked up here and there. Now that I've grown older, I'm not so foolish and I tend to take my time when deciding who shall be my royal steeds. With a party of six, each with four attacks, it takes careful time and planning.

How about we take a look at my team?

Typhlosion
You remember that cute Cyndaquil from my last update? This is it's ultimate, completely awesome evolution. A pure Fire-type, Typhlosion (who I have named Blazer) is the main lead of the party and usually does one of three things: Fight the strongest opponent, help out in a pinch, or finish the job. My ultimate goal for him is to wield a powerful Fire attack (It has Lava Plume, but that's about to be kicked out by Flamethrower), learn an attack that makes use of its high attack power, and perhaps round it out by filling in two stats boosting abilities. It's tough work, but I think he'll be used as a last resort.

It was a no-brainer picking Cyndaquil. I mean, he was the starter Pokemon I chose in the original Silver. It's nice having a Fire-type that demolishes everything again.

Ampharos

This is the bipedal sheep I was talking about earlier. There's no doubt about it, Ampharos (also known as Wilder) kicks some serious ass. Another Silver veteran, it's a strong Special Attacker and this works in nicely with his Electric abilities. It's so satisfying to use a turn to Charge, then strike at a Pokemon with a nicely aimed THUNDER PUNCH. I'm also thinking of status-raisers for this sucker. An electric sheep. Who'da thunk it?

Slowking

Ladies and gentlemen, Nancy has transformed into a Slowking. Her beauty needs no words, as her serene grace sooths all who intereact with her.

Woops.

Being a Water/Psychic hybrid, Nancy is destined to be a very important Special Attacker on my team. With a strenghted Special Defense to guard against pesky Electric, Grass and Dark types, that just leaves me to fill in the blanks with the ever-useful Psychic attack and Ice Beam. Since she also knows Surf, she's useful in towing me across oceans and lakes.

Such a good girl.

At the moment, I've beaten the eight gym. I can go challenge the Elite Four if I feel like, but I'm thinking I'm going to add a Machop to my team, not to mention capturing my favorite Legendary Bird, Lugia.

Man, I have forgotten just how addicting these games are!

Full Week Impressions: Pokemon Soul Silver

So exactly one week ago, I bought the new Pokemon game that everyone and their mom has by now. Well, if you have a DS, that is. In any case, the hotly anticipated Pokemon Soul Silver and Heart Gold have finally hit the United States just as they did back on the Game Boy Color just about a decade ago.

Wait, Game Boy Color? That's right. If you were wondering why the names sounded so familiar, these games are none other then remakes for fan favorites Pokemon Gold and Silver, which hit purple handhelds all over ten years ago.

Ten years ago. Can you believe it? It feels just like yesterday that I was cruising through downtown Chinatown with Pokemon Silver in hand, burning Bellsprouts with my new fiery Cyndaquil.

Hey, now that I think about it, Pokemon Silver came out on a Sunday, too. Bless coincidences on your deity of choice.



Pokemon Gold and Silver are often touted as the pinnacle of the series, and regarded by many cynical fans as when the series hit its peak. I have a dissenting opinion on the matter, as I find Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, released for the Game Boy Advance back in 2003, to be the best. Ironically, those are everyone's least favorite. I'm willing to cede objectively, however, as there's really not much to find at fault with Silver. 250 Pokemon? Check. Two regions, one of which is a retread through Red and Blue's nostalgic Kanto? Check. Sixteen gyms? Check. Really goofy Japanese-inspired looking Pokemon? I'm not a big fan of most of them (The Cyndaquil/Mareep families and Lugia are an exception), but why not?

It's no wonder longtime fans were incredibly excited for news of this remake. I find it hard to get excited for games these days, as I don't find myself scavenging for every new piece of information as I used to. Nowadays, I prefer games to hit me by surprise. And I'm finding myself very surprised by Soul Silver, which is amazing considering how disappointed I've been with the series following Ruby.

The absolute core of the game, in which you battle and raise with your Pokemon, is obviously still present. Let me just say this right now. If this is your first foray into the series since forever, and you've encountered your first wild Pokemon, you're going to get the urge. The desire. If you thought had enough of raising these monsters, you're wrong. That unstoppable addiction going to come back, and you'll love every moment of it. After I've completed the main storyline, I'm immediately going to retaliate by raising that giant army of Pokemon I'll have captured over the game.

...you know, I might as well just get get out what I'm enjoying the most at this point. I am absolutely blown away by...well, how much hasn't changed. It's a remake, yes, but I'd say it is more properly a facelift. Other then mentioning/adding new features where appropriate (Pokemon natures/Wi-fi connection/etc.), it's still the same game. All of the NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) still spout their simplistic babble, the events of the main quest run exactly as they did back then, the Miltank in the third Gym still really pisses you off...I'm being completely serious here, it feels so surreal, and it is hands down the biggest nostalgic sweet spot for me. For those wondering whether or not it's worth it to going back to catching 'em all over again, this is exactly where'd I point and say, "There's still a place for you here."


Of course, the game gets right up to date with all the new-fangled features in which Pokemon has evolved over the years. A perfect example of this is Wi-Fi connection, in which you can go online and battle/trade with your friends. I actually haven't gotten around to it yet since my team is abysmal at the moment, but I sense fun times around the corner, complete with trash talking voice chat.

What I'm crazy about now, though, is a particularly minor feature. You remember how Pokemon Yellow's big thing was having Pikachu follow you around? You can do that here, but this time you have the ultimate choice of having any one of those awesome critters be your outside buddy. Yeah, I know, they don't do much, but when you talk to them and the game says they're hugging you or something, it just makes you feel fuzzy. It's just adorable.

So far, my party consists of Quilava, the Fire-type evolution of the above Cyndaquil, and Ampharos, a bipedal Electric-type sheep. I've also been enlisting the temporary help of Pidegotto and jumpy Furret, but they probably won't be around much longer, so I'm left unsure as to what to do with my main party. Lugia is a must, and I'm thinking I'm about to induct a Slowpoke, which I have named Nancy in honor of my Mom's phone gabbing friend, into the family. I've beaten the fifth gym and am taking a break from the main quest in order to build my party.

So yeah, this game is awesome.

You can expect a full review in about a month's time. Until then, I'll be updating frequently with not only reports of my progress, but about my repaired NES!

Finally!

Media Summit Excitement

Yikes, I intended to update more within last week, but it didn't quite work out. NES or no NES, I'm still going to make this work out.

BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT.

THIS IS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDe2h4lrFRY

(if someone can tell me how to embed youtube videos on here, please let me know!)

Greatest trailer ever? Well, it's pretty much impossible to top the first Brawl trailer, but this is a worthy contender.

I can't wait for this. Maybe the original Galaxy's linear level design turned off some (including myself, initially), but I've come to realize that it's quite possibly on the best designed video games in years and I can still pop it in and have fun. Not to mention it's orchestral soundtrack is pure bliss.

Can anyone else see the imagination just pop out of that trailer? Just look at what they've done with Yoshi!

Some other games I've noted from the Media Summit:

Metroid Other M: I'm sad to say that, while I still think that the original Metroid Prime is a fantastic game and one of the most absorbing titles out there, I've never really been all that into Metroid (although that is a problem I plan to remedy).

That's beside the point, though. When I saw the first trailer along with Galaxy 2 at the E3 Press Conference last year, my mouth dropped through the floor. Holy crap, did she just throw that bug creature across the room? Sweet lord, did Samus just PILEDRIVE A MONSTER into the ground and force her arm cannon into its mouth and unleash her silent fury? HOLY SHIT DID SHE JUST SHOOT THAT GUY IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD

yes.

From what I've heard of the impressions so far, it looks to be pretty neat. I've heard the voice acting is mediocre though, which I wouldn't care if this was a new entry to Star Fox, but since this is focusing on Samus's backstory you can't help but wonder if this blemish will dull it's supposed impact.

Can't wait for it to hit late June!

Sin and Punishment: Star Successor: I've heard that the N64 import title, of which this is based off of, is a great game but I haven't tried it out yet. Before this comes out I'll be sure to download it on Wii's Virtual Console to get a feel.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-eQo3Oqh40&feature=related

Monster Hunter 3 (Capcom): Anyone who says that the Wii doesn't have good third party games clearly hasn't been paying attention for about a year. Here's one right now!

In front of your face.

Breathing.

Begging.

To be played.

Don't worry, Monster Hunter. I'll be sure to check you out in all of your supposedly awesome glory. I mean, hey, the Japanese love it (It's the best selling third party game on Wii over there).

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XvxNCyUGJk

So, let's list the Wii titles I plan to play this year:

Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Other M
Tatsunoko VS Capcom
Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing
Sin and Punishment 2
Fragile
Arc Rise Fantasia
Monster Hunter 3

Hot. Damn.

There goes my wallet.

I haven't been this excited about the Wii in a very long time. ^_^

So, about Nintendo..

It was weird. Back when my brother played the Super Nintendo, I viewed it as just another toy to play with. Oh, sure, it was fun to pick up Super Mario World or Donkey Kong Country every now and then, but taking my Sesame Street stuffed animals on adventures and reading through The Berenstain Bears took top priority. It was just another toy, that SNES.

That all changed on January 1998, when my brother received a shiny, brand new Nintendo 64 for his birthday.

I immediately became a convert, and in the end I played the hell out of that thing way more then he ever did.

Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, and Star Fox all immediately captured my heart and refused to let go, and I played their games religiously. I chomped through each of their games hungrily, cementing my childhood with their parties and stories and raps and Gameshark codes. I fell willingly into the Pokemon craze, and I ravaged (literally) through my Nintendo Power magazines, eagerlyanticipating titles such as Mario Party and Pokemon Stadium. The Gamecube rocked my world and titles such as Super Smash Bros. Melee and Pikmin, as well as blasts from the pasts such as Earthbound and Kirby Super Star solidified my status as a Nintendo fanboy, and that was when I truly began to appreciate just how magical their games were. Third parties began to invade my life as well, with Sonic the Hedgehog and Aiai the Monkey from Super Monkey Ball joining the festivities. The Gamecube, despite some harsh criticism from people who didn't realize NINTENDO PLAYS BY THEIR OWN RULES BECAUSE THEY'RE AWESOME, enjoyed a healthy lifespan in terms of game quality and eventually give way to the Wii, where third parties became underappreciated and Nintendo received much unneeded nerd rage.

That's a really tiny nutshell of my life.

We're going to crack that shell open, but ever so slightly, and delicately. The tales I will share in this blog about these games are as close to my heart as those I've had in the real world, and I think it's time to define what it all means to me.

And maybe you'll get to know me a little better.

But first, I need to get this situation surrounding my NES to be cleared up, so the blog probably won't really start to get rolling until then.

So Who Are You?

I might as well introduce myself, shall I? ;)

My name is Anthony.

I would suppose the best way to describe me is that I'm just a good person in general. Maybe I don't always remember not to slurp, or take the trash downstairs, but I'm always open for a discussion and am very easy to approach. I am friendly, love to laugh and joke around, spend time with myself and contemplate, and play some video games and read some books.

Thanks to certain events in the past several years, I've gotten pretty pessimistic and I think I lost sight of what I truly enjoyed about life. I think at this point, I'm nearing the light at the end of the tunnel.

When I grow up, I want to live way, way into the country in a house surrounded by books, games and cats. I also want to write.

I guess that just about wraps it up.

Leave Luck To Heaven

Throughout the past few decades, video games have taken over as our primary source of entertainment. Popular terms such as "Game Over" and iconic characters such as Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog are recognized globally. The video game industry is raking in cash by the truckloads (Why, this past December was its biggest month ever!), and it is even toppling the movie industry. Games such as Super Mario Bros., Grand Theft Auto, Pokemon Red and Blue, Halo, and Wii Sports all instantaneously etched their way into cultural subconsciousness, and are looked upon very fondly. In short, video games have made a rather large impact.

I've spent twelve years playing video games. It's been quite a journey. It's been awesome, it's been rough, and I've even cried. I've had so much fun with video games, however, that I would not trade them for anything else. I do not regret one single moment.

In my first post of Leave Luck To Heaven, I'd like to take the opportunity to answer two pivotal questions: What should I expect to see in this blog, and what is its purpose?

The What:

-This is probably the most important bit. This blog will, for the most part, follow the passion of my life: Nintendo. If you love plumbers, timeline theories, pocket monsters, barrel rolls, final smashes, peanut cheese bars, and purple Pikmin as well, then I'd say you have quite the ballgame in your hands here. If these things don't appeal to you, however, then I'd advise you to get the hell out.

-In Leave Luck To Heaven, I'm going to be writing about video games. Now that we've gotten the obvious out of the way, I suppose I should list what exactly I will be writing:

• What's been going on in my life in terms of video games, such as getting the NES to work or what I've been playing recently.
• Deep thoughts and reflections about Nintendo's titles and the impact they've had on me. These will be very in-depth and, depending on the game, the time spent on these will vary.
• Various pieces of my life with Nintendo. This may or may not be combined with other pieces.
• Posting awesome official game art/fanart I find. This will probably be once a week.
• I'll also be posting game music in the form of Youtube videos. I'll be sharing my passion for game music and why I love it so much.
• My opinions on game announcements and what's been going on in the industry.
• Occasionally, maybe rants on why Nintendo fans today suck so much.

For those not in the knowhow of video games, I'll be taking extra care in making sure you all know what's going on in these posts and that you all have fun reading it.

Also, every now and then, I'll probably get off-topic and rave about how awesome One Piece is or something. Man, do I love that series.

The Why of Fry:

-I aim to be a writer. I love to read, and I love to write. I am interested in working in bookstores and daycare centers, but my ultimate goal in life is to write. The problem is, I haven't exactly made the best use of my time in the past several years and it's a bit obvious I've turned rusty with my writing skills. Perhaps I've even gotten somewhat lazy.

With Leave Luck To Heaven, I will dedicate myself to fix this. This blog shall serve as a "workstation" of sorts, where I shall be constantly honing my writing abilities. I often find that it's a lot easier for me to write about things I'm interested about. Of course, video games work very well with this advantage. I think it will be a great learning experience.

-As I've previously stated, I've been playing video games for twelve years. When you've spent that long with something, you can't help but be a little philosophic. What exactly appeals to you about Mario? Why do you feel so fuzzy on the inside while playing Kirby? Are more violent games such as Grand Theft Auto and Halo as great as their teenage fanbase makes them out to be? Why do you constantly sing the praises of the Earthbound (Mother) series, which you believe to be the finest game series ever crafted? How does it feel to still be playing video games this long, and why do you still enjoy playing them?

In this blog, I intend to not only answer these questions, but perhaps make my own hobby more clear to myself.

And that's about it.

I think I'm ready to start this thing. Get yourself buckled up, because it's going to be one heck of a ride.