Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Why Pokemon Amie is a great feature (rant)

   File:Pokémon-Amie artwork.png




     OK I'm going to get a lot of hate for this but I love Pokemon Amie. While I never what to see a game built solely around this type of gameplay I don't love it for its gameplay of simple mini-games and petting and feeding Pokemon, but rather its whole concept.

     You see I play Pokemon differently from most people in that I don't make my team around whose has the most stats or even who looks the coolest but rather who feels right for the team. For example in the Glistening Cave in Pokemon X I caught a Cubone because... because it seemed lonely. I know that seems ridiculous since its a video game character but something just made me think "this is a Pokemon that needs me." And I can go back in my past and bring up some sob story about how Pokemon helped me and I was just returning the favor or something but I won't.

     So let us look at Pokemon Amie. What is it? Well it is a feature in Pokemon X, Y, Alpha Sapphire, and Omega Ruby that lets you play with your Pokemon and just love on one another. So this is right up my alley. And lets look at the some of the battle quotes when you increase a Pokemon's affection

Being sent out:

  • <Pokémon> trusts <Trainer> to come up with the best strategy!
  • <Pokémon> turned back toward <Trainer> and nodded in understanding!
  • <Pokémon> and <Trainer> are breathing in perfect sync with one another!
  • <Pokémon> trusts <Trainer> to come up with the best strategy!
Come on guys these all show how much the Pokemon trusts you. Even if you've never won a battle they still know that you both will try your best.

Recovering from a status condition
  • <Pokémon> managed to expel the poison so that <Trainer> wouldn't worry!
All of them end like that: So that <Trainer> wouldn't worry. Even in the middle of a battle the Pokemon is less concerned about the poison actually hurting or being frozen but more about not letting you worry.

And come on guys, every Pokemon essentially getting Natural Cure, getting increased chance to dodge moves even those with 100% accuracy and getting an increased change of critical hitting. Even if that last one occasionally comes at bad times but it comes in handy more often then not. 

What I want to say is that I play Pokemon with sentiment and Pokemon Amie has definitely helped with that and is why I think it is now a necessary Pokemon feature now.



Picture from bulbipedia.com
   

Friday, August 7, 2015

The Fireflies and the Stars



   How similar they are,

the firefly and the star
Both give us light
from here or from afar.
How much like the storyteller are
none seek fame,
but all give light.
And how silly a thing:
to give in a world of take
But the beacons of light care not
it is after all,
their duty to answer the call,
and give light to this dark and greedy world
“In hope that one day,”
All three say.
“Our light will be outshone
by the One who created this Stone
that we call Earth.”