Video Game Review: Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Brandon G.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet were developed by the video game development company called Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022. They are reported to have sold more than 10 million copies combined in the first 3 days of sales. These games are completely different from all the previous installments in the series and considered the first role playing games in the 9^th generation of Pokémon.

The games have 3 separate story lines, each of which you can explore however you want and in any order you want. These open worlds allow you, the player, to travel wherever you want to, which is a first in a Pokémon game. It seems though that this feature may not have been fully though through, because as soon as you start the game and travel to somewhere far away from where you started, all of the Pokémon are at a higher level and can easily defeat you.

After playing through the game, I realized that there was a designated path that the player should have followed in a certain order. When you do this, in the correct order, then when you get to the higher levels, you are much more able to handle the stronger Pokémon and trainers. A major problem with this new release is the massive amount of performance issues, bugs, and frame rate issues. Many times, textures do not load properly and Pokémon models pop in and out constantly. There are also lighting problems, and crashes happen, more so than normal.

The idea of an open-world Pokémon game is very good in theory. I actually love the idea, but the execution of it did not turn out that well. I really liked everything else that was added into the game. If you look past the technical glitches of the game it is really fun and enjoyable. It’s definitely a different take on past versions of the Pokémon franchise and I do like the direction they are heading with the open world concept. I would recommend this game to anyone who already enjoys the Pokémon games have perhaps played some before and want to move further through the series. However, if you are new to Pokémon games in general, I would recommend that you play some of the other games available in the series prior to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet first, so that you can get a true feel for what the series is really all about and experience the game play that has made Pokémon a worldwide phenomenon.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Jasper D.

I like to consider myself a Pokemon connoisseur. I have played all of the Pokemon games at least 3 times each and would like to think that I have a good understanding of which of these games and my favorite and which ones I would recommend playing.

This game combines the fun of catching and battling a wide variety of Pokemon throughout a specific region. It also has the same open-world charm that Breath Of The Wild had in the Zelda franchise.

The backstory behind this game is that for one, it takes place in the Sinnoh region, the fourth region in the Pokemon franchise. The first games that featured this region came out in September of 2006. They were the original Diamond and Pearl. They showcased brand new Pokemon and even brand new mechanics such as the Underground, where a player can dig for fossils which had never been featured prior to this game.

In November of last year, the Pokemon company released Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. These were the faithful Gen 4 remakes that most Pokemon fans were hoping for. This game added more mechanics related to the Underground, such as new areas where Pokemon could spawn. This was a really good way to acquire some rare Pokemon that could only be obtained by trade between other consoles.

This was the only new feature that they added to this game, so people were not that happy about this because they wanted new mechanics. Oh, but what they didn’t know was that they would get what could very be the best Pokemon game ever made up to this day.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes place in the Hisui region which is what the Sinnoh region was called in the past. This game has a story about how the Sinnoh region came to be and takes place very far in the past regarding the Sinnoh region. The part of the name with the word Arceus is also the name of the supposed god of all of the Pokemon universe. This game focuses on how Arceus came to be and how the world of Pokemon was created.

Now onto the mechanics of the game. The first noticeable one is the feature of Outbreaks. Once you get far enough into the game, everytime you move between locations, each location has a change to have an outbreak of a specific Pokemon. This means that you will be able to locate and catch 4-12 of the same Pokemon. These also have a very boosted Shiny chance.

Just a bit of background info, a Shiny is a Pokemon that has a different color than its original version, and are very rare and prized possessions.

These are all ways to improve your in game experience and trust me when I say, this game is the peak of Pokemon as of right now.

-Jasper D.

Game Review: Pokémon X and Y

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Sriram V.

Pokémon is a game in which you catch creatures called “Pokémon” and battle with them. Each “Pokémon” has their own types and abilities. It’s an extremely popular game that was released in 1996 by Game Freak Inc. Over time, however, there has been different versions of these games.

Pokémon X and Y was a new version of Pokémon, and the story was based in France. It was known to be the first ever 3D Pokémon game to be released and brought a new perspective to the game. It was also known for Mega Evolution, a temporary type of evolution that made your transformed your Pokémon into stronger ones. They also introduced the all new Fairy-type Pokémon.

The game story is about you (and your friends!) trying to stop the criminal organization: Team Flare. Team Flare has a view of the world that humans, and Pokémon should be destroyed so the world could return to a peaceful state. The only people that would live, would be Team Flare.

I think the story was pretty OK, and climax was AMAZING. Near the end of the story, you get to see the new legendary, the fairy type Xerneas (Pokemon X) or the flying/dark type Yvetlal (Pokemon Y). I think the design was great, and both are overall probably my favorite legendries in Pokémon.

However, some people say that the story was rather undeveloped and rushed. At the beginning of the story, it starts off really slow and boring and as you progress, it picks up really fast.

So do I recommend Pokemon XY? Yes, and I would give it a 7.5/10. Pokemon XY brought Pokemon to a new level, and the game is played by thousands every day.

-Siriam V.

A Return to Pokemon Go

Posted on March 5, 2021 by prestonv3

The popular game Pokemon Go, a free app might I add, is once again making a comeback in 2021. If you had the app and forgot about it, or if you never quite bought into the experience, let me try to explain why you may want to give this another go.

The Pokemon Go game is formatted to get you outside and walking. You have to go to Poke stops often located near parks, sports fields, hiking and walking trails like the Oso Trail, and even shopping centers like the Irvine Spectrum. Our own Mission Viejo Library has Pokestops you might want to come to visit if the game sounds like something you might try. Once you go to the Poke stops, you can spin the stops to collect items you will need to play. This makes you go seek out Poke stops and move around your city in order to play the game.

What you do in the game is try to catch pokemon that you would like to keep and/or evolve. It starts off easy to catch the little pokemon and it gets harder the better you get in the game. You will join a team once you have played for a while, choose your team color, and advance to placing your pokemon in gyms to get them experience and earn you credit in the game as well.

How far you go in the game is up to you and this is part of the fun. When you go out poke hunting, you will soon hear fellow pedestrians talking about the Bulbasaur that is near, and you will know you are part of a larger community who is also out there hunting as a part of the game.

-Preston V.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Arushi S.

Although this movie released in May, I didn’t see it in theaters because the feedback wasn’t all that stellar. In fact, I only got around to watching it today, and only because my sister called in a favor I owed her.

Despite the mostly-negative feedback, I was kind of excited to watch it, since I’m a fan of Ryan Reynolds. I don’t know much about Pokemon, I must admit, and I have never played any form of it. All I know is the theme song and a couple of characters. However, even with my very limited knowledge, the movie was great.

It was a little confusing, and had a couple of plot holes, but nothing that couldn’t be ignored. Although it was not an Oscar-worthy piece of art, and the predictable plot and less-than-perfect CGI were questionable, I enjoyed it, and so did the rest of my family. It was funny and lighthearted, perfect for a family movie night of a laid-back night with friends.

The characters were dynamic, and the plot was cute, and predictable to a certain extent. Or maybe I’m just spoiled by the horrible plot twists gifted to viewers by Marvel. Either way, the movie managed to make it onto my good list despite a few flaws. If you are looking for an airy and light film to watch with a family of friends, or both, this may be it for you. It’s funny, dynamic, and has a really happy ending.

-Arushi S.

Pokemon VS Digimon

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Kayla H.

Many people can argue that Pokemon or Digimon is better. In reality, Pokemon had better ratings and Digimon ceased to exist. I love them both, and wish that Digimon could be back. Both of these games/tv shows had a similar idea about raising these animals into strong ones, and fight with them. They are both really fun to play/watch. Now I will compare these two.

Pokemon has had may movies and its own series. It started out in 1995 and is still active. The animated series came out in 1997 and is still currently running. It has over 900 episodes! The video games all start out as a new trainer who becomes a trainer, and has to become the best in order to will all his/her badges and beat the elite four. The game itself can now be on the 3 DS, and has been for Game Boy Advanced and the DS. Pokemon is such a fun game that my generation grew up watching and playing. After a while it can be addicting, but it’s extremely fun!

It’s a shame that Digimon didn’t last long. The series was from 1999- 2003. Sadly I wasn’t old enough to watch Cartoon Network at the time. Once I grew a little older, I watched the old episodes on YouTube, and it was amazing! I was sad to find out that Digimon couldn’t keep up with Pokemon, so the gave in. I honestly prefer Digimon, not because of its plot, but because that it’s a harder and more challenging game than Pokemon. I recommend everyone to play Digimon

Which game do you prefer?

-Kayla H.

Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice

Teens tell you what's what!

Tag Archives: pokemon