Pokemon: Five Ideas For The Future

...Gotta catch em'all....when I find the time.

Pokemon is pretty much the most successful RPG around. Fifteen years after we first meet Pikachu, Charizard and company the game is still selling millions upon millions of copies around the world. The most recent entries in the main series, Black and White, have breathed new life into the franchise with a better story, more interesting characters, and a new land modeled after a major metropolitan city outside of Japan (New York City.) Some are even saying that they might be the best pair of games since the originals.

But even though Pokemon has stayed relevant and maintained a rabid fan base, there are also plenty of people calling for even more change. And really, it;s hard to argue with them. Despite the fact that the main series of games spans five 'generations', each with two or three titles in it, the game has largely been the same since Red and Blue. Thats not a bad thing because Pokemon has a formula that just works, but in order to avoid alienating even more people, and to really bring the franchise to the next decade, some more changes are necessary. Here are a few good places to start.



Honorable Mention - Enough Legendary's

This is one that put here simply because I think it needs to be said. There are too many legendary pokemon. The term used to apply to pokemon that were extremely hard to obtain, or were the best of the best. Now there are some that are about as easy to obtain as normal ones, and some are even given away. In my eyes, that diminishes their importance, and just clogs the games up with too many superpowerful monsters. Refocus the importance of these pokemon, or make them harder to get, that way getting them means much more than it currently does.



#5. Some Character Creation

I'm not necessarily a fan of this idea, but I recognize that it's an idea that would certainly make quite a few people happy. Pokemon has always forced you to play as a child. While initially you could only play as a boy, Game Freak did bring the option to play as a girl in Gold and Silver. Since then nothing has really changed character wise. In fact, that was one of the reasons I really enjoyed Black and White. The finally introduced playable characters who were teenagers. Now maybe it's because I am no longer ten, but playing as kid every single Pokemon game just gets a little old. It'd be nice to let you truly step into the world of Pokemon as yourself. Everyone likes to see themselves in their favourite games, and might even make your adventure a little more memorable.



#4. Let Us Visit Every Region 

I'll admit, this is one I personally want to see quite a bit. There are now five regions in the Pokemon world, and other than Gold, Silver, And Crystal (and their remakes) we've never been able to visit other regions of the Pokemon world in the same game. It's not like it's impossible to do so either, characters from other regions frequently show up in different games. It'd make for one monstrous game, certainly something that would require a long term commitment. Sadly, that is one of the many pitfalls of trying to pull this off however. There's lots of other problems and questions, some with easy answers, many where outside the box thinking is probably necessary. Still, it would be nice to be in Goldenrod, and then go visit Castelia City without changing which game I'm playing.

#3. Even More Online Options

This is one we all can benefit from. The online options have gotten much better with Black and White than the previous versions, now with the ability to simply challenge anyone online instead of needing to be in the same general area, or have a friend code. Previous games have also had some kind of fun diversions, and have even started allowing players to team up in the game in certain areas. Yet, as nice as it's gotten, it could be even better. Ash pals around with two people in the anime. Always does. So why not let us roam around the Pokeworld with our own friends? It'd make for even more fun for everyone when you can pal around with your buddies, and could even open up new options for gameplay options and challenges. It'd also be nice to have some more options when facing another person online. The way it is now, your getting luck of the draw, and sometimes you'll be facing people with some pretty tough pokemon. There should be more of a system in place for who you get matched up with. Also, item trading. Get on it Game Freak. Like, now.

#2. Even More Story Improvements 

Black and White made some big steps in the right direction with this, but it still needs to go even further. Every game is set up much the same story wise. X bad guy group wants to achieve Y objective while you face eight gyms spread through a region and then challenge the elite four to become the Pokemon Champion. Even Black and White stick somewhat to that formula, and it's starting to get a little stale. Change the gyms, give us a true Pokemon League Tournament. Make it be one bad guy instead of a group, make the objectives of said bad person more interesting, have more characters in the game play into the whole story. There are so many ways the story could get better. I know some people are seeing this and saying "How could he think such thoughts! This is part of what makes Pokemon Pokemon!" While that is true to a certain point, I think Game Freak could make a game that doesn't stick to those rules and still have it feel like a pokemon game. After all, the Pokemon Ranger games have done a good job of telling different stories, and while Ash is usually chasing gym badge, he still finds time for some pretty lengthy side stories. Let us experience some of that too.

#1. Graphics Upgrade

This is the one just about everyone is calling for at this point. The graphics style is one of the most recognizable parts of the Pokemon games. It is also showing it's also showing it's age and despite the attempts to slap new coats of paint over the framework, it is just about time to ditch the 2D sprites all together. There might be some people who won't be happy about it but with the power of the 3DS' graphics, there is no longer any excuse to keep the game stuck in even partial 2D. We have seen plenty of Pokemon games outside the main series that have featured 3D and some have looked pretty good at their launch. It seems like such a trivial thing, and yet it could really bring a fresh feeling to the next game. They don't have to change perspectives, and they do not need to change the battle style. They just need to break free from the sprites.


That's all I got for now. Given this list is just a few of the things they could do, this is certainly a good place to start. Future Pokemainiacs will appreciate this changes as much as current ones do, and most of these can come about without sacrificing the feel of the game at all, which is an important key to any change to a long running franchise.


To wrap this up, I just want to say Extra Life 2011 went very well. If you didn't donate, but still want to and think it's too late, there is a small window of time to get late donations in, but do it ASAP please. I appreciate it all the same.

And with that, I bid thee farewell for now.

Mass Effect 3 - Why Multiplayer Is and Is Not a Big Deal

...Once you co-op.

While the news seemed unsure at first, Casey Hudson put the doubts to rest once and for all with a simple tweet:

Yes, co-op MP missions for #ME3: they're real, and they're spectacular. Rest assured it's nothing of what you've feared. More soon...

So, now we know the truth. The very thing some of us were dreading has become reality.

And it is nowhere near as big a deal as we think it is.

Don't get me wrong now, as Mass Effect and Bioware diehard, I'm a bit concerned about what this co-op will be like exactly, but I'm not nearly as concerned as some are. Maybe it's because I trust Bioware to do the series justice, just as they usually do. Reguardless of what EA may say or have in store for Bioware's development plans, Bioware has almost never stumbled, and is always listening to fans reactions and opinions.But there's more to it than that.

When the initial rumors of multiplayer started spawning a few months back a lot of people thought immediately that we were dealing with something along the lines of Call of Duty or Gears or something similar to that. Very few people thought the rumors might mean co-op. It's important to not the difference because this means that, while it will take plenty of work to do right, it won't take nearly as much as a full on multiplayer mode. In fact, depending on how they do it (it won't take anything away from singleplayer we've been told) , it could open up new stories or moments. At the very least, we can see it as just another feature, and instead of taking something away from the game, it instead adds to an already incredible experience.

However, as I said, I have my concerns.

The biggest one with me is why they're introducing something like this in the final game of the Mass Effect trilogy. Bioware has said before they plan for Mass Effect to continue long after ME3's final credits role. So why add this in now? Why not wait until the next game to do something like this? In a series that has been all singleplayer, all the time up to this point it seems a somewhat fairly sized risk to me. It might even lend evidence to the rumors that EA has started demanding there to be some kind of multiplayer mode in all it's games.These are all questions that will be answered as we move along I'm sure but I almost feel like I was lied to by Bioware in a way. They said time and time again that Mass Effect 3 would not deviate very far from Mass Effect 2. This co-op mode seems like a pretty big step away from what Mass Effect 2 was.

Yet, the one reassuring thing for me, that allows me to remain cautiously optomistic about the co-op mode, is how the changes from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2 went. Story wise, there were some slight steps backwards, but gameplay wise I felt the game was much smoother and much more fun. Every moment of the combat felt active and tension mounted several times for me during key firefights, whereas in Mass Effect some fights felt kind of dull and uninspired in retrospect. Bioware boldly made changes to the Mass Effect formula, knowing that they could have played it safe instead, and while not everything went over so smooth (I.E. fewer RPG elements), the game as a whole felt much stronger than the first title.

As long as Bioware keeps their word that the co-op and singleplayer won't mix, I see no reason why we can't wait and see on how this turns out. Who knows? Maybe it will be even more of the awesomeness that is Mass Effect.

One side note here:

Extra Life is almost here! I have managed to raise some money, but time is nearly up and I could still use help. I'd really love to see a lot of last minute donations from you people out there, even if it's small amounts. I'm super excited for this, and I can't wait to get to work!

One last thing! Marshmallow Fluff! has a facebook page now, so go like it, and you can get direct links to this blog, as well as links to interesting stories, info, and pictures about all things gaming.
Marshamllow Fluff! Facebook Page

And with that, I will bow out until next time...

Steve Jobs: 1955-2011

...Rest in Peace.

By now, most people who have been anywhere near a social network or news site know: Steve Jobs, founder of Apple has passed away at age 56 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. I'm not a huge Apple person myself, but some of you may have heard of this little thing called the iPod. Or maybe the Mac. Or quite possibly the iPhone or iPad. Or maybe you know about Pixar's amazing films. Or perhaps you know he was a techological wizard.

My point is, Steve had a huge impact on the world as we know it today. Seriously, he's responsible for more than you think. Without the iPod, music sharing and the mp3 has we have come to know them today would not exist. Hell do a quick check with your friends and see if more than half don't own an iPod. I know among my friends I'm the only one that doesn't. He was one of the first to realize the potential of the mouse driven graphic interface, the very computer interface most of us use every single day at home. He is responsible for a large chunk of the technology we use today either directly or indirectly. He's also partly responsible for Pixar's venture into films with Disney. Pixar was not initially a film making company, they produced software. In fact, if you look in the credits of Toy Story, you will see Steve Jobs listed as Executive Producer.

Steve's importance the on these past fifteen years of technology is obvious. His ideas have ingrained themselves in our everyday livelihoods and no one speaks about Apple without at least mentioning Steve Jobs name a few times. When we talk about mp3 players, we immediately think 'iPod'. When we think of someone who leads the innovation of our technological world, he is usually one of the biggest names in the discussion. Losing him is a significant blow for the technology world. Few people have had the impact he has had on the world and without him there is a significant hole in the tech world. The legacy he leaves behind will be felt for years to come, far off into the foreseeable future at the very least.

It speaks levels about how influential he was that people from all over are mourning his passing. I've seen facebook posts from bands like Blink-182 and The Ataris. I've seen them from fan groups of all sorts of organizations that are in whole other ballpark from Apple or Steve's work. And of course, from more obvious places like G4TV and Kotaku.

In fact, it's so hard to believe he's gone, I've been writing 'he is' most of this article instead of 'he was'. And I sincerely felt sadness at having to change that.

Goodbye Steve, we will all miss you greatly.

Show Some Appreciation - We Don't Have To Have Betas

... I love the metro.

The Battlefield 3 Beta has been live for about a week now for those who had early access, and somehow the complaining has been constant it seems. There is plenty that needs fixing but, hey it's a beta, not a finished product, and the whole point of having a beta is to see what is working right and what isn't. That said we're supposed to be as judgmental as possible so the developer can see what isn't working, and what people like or don't like about the game. This gives them time to fix things up a bit before the game is released.

But what I don't get is why people are complaining about what ISN'T in the beta.

I'm with you guys who want another map, it'd be cool if we could roll around in vehicles and uh....test that too. But at the end of the day, this is not the full game, and things are going to be missing, and we can't get the full experience until we buy the game.


Bu if you think that I'm just pointing out the people who just want a new map, your wrong. Some people were downright angry when DICE announced that Operation: Metro was the one, and only, map in the beta. There was such a negative reaction to the announcement that PR rep Daniel Matros went off on the EA forums for Battlefield a week and a half ago, saying, "The vibe I'm getting now is just that tons of ungrateful people don't understand how much work we are putting on this game how many overtime hours we are doing and also how many meetings we are in to ship a game like this."


He did go on to explain why they picked Metro, but the point is valid. I think we sometimes forget the hell developers go through in the final month of development. If you think it's some kind of joke, or don't believe the crunch is all that difficult, trust me, look it up sometime. The last month of game development is filled with all-nighters, late night meetings, last minute changes to complex part of the game, and in some cases this comes with very little room for error. It's not fun, and only those who truly love what they do would go through it. Now factor running a beta into that mess. Do you really think the developer needs to hear whining about what map the picked to put in the beta? 


I'm not saying you can be upset with things that are in the beta, or be disappointed by the map because you played it and didn't like it, but complaining before the Beta was even out, or complaining that they should "have to" release a map with vehicles on it isn't okay.

We've forgotten that Beta's aren't something we are entitled to have. It is a developers choice, and when people pull of the stunts they've been pulling with the Battlefield 3 Beta, it might make other developers hesitant about releasing one. For me, nothing is more satisfying then having played a game early and given feedback that will help shape the game in some way or form, so why do some people think it's a demo of a finished project, or that they should be getting more than what they are already given (for free I might add.) Yes it is a developers job, of sorts, to listen to the player during a beta. But not about why their map selection blows. That doesn't help make the game better. 


But maybe I'm a minority here, and that's fine with me. 


Battlefield 3: Ungrateful Fans Get an Earful From DICE

Alright, this will probably be my last chance to ask before the big day comes around, but I'm still looking for donations for Extra Life. It's coming up really soon (the 15th of October) and I really want to try and top the measly little dollar figure I got for Fletcher Allen last year.

The link at the top of the right hand page will take you to my donation page where you can learn more and donate. I will seriously be forever indebted to those of who put something forward. Every cent really does help, and the appreciation I have for every cent is huge.

Until next time people...