Happy birthday, Pokemon. As is customary for game developers and Hobbits, a game’s anniversary (in this case the congratulations go to twins Red & Green) is a chance to give something back to their fans, friends, and distant relations. This year, Pokemon made a completely unexpected move and announced 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon Legends: Z & A. Or is that Z-A?
For those of you una💯ware of Pokemon’s history, Red & Green were the first games released in Japan on February 27, 1996. Blue was released as a special edition later that year, and was inc♏luded with Red in the global releases in 1998 and 1999, at the expense of Green.
There’s lots to discuss in the relevance of Z-A, what it means for the giant AZ, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the eternal mystery of Pokemon Z, but there was another, quieter reveal at the end of today’s Pokemon Presents. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mega Evolution is retur𝓀nin🦩g. The problem is, it should have never gone away.
Mega Evolution was introduced in Gen 6, the generation that also brought us to Kalos and Lumiose City, which seems to be the focus of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. So it makes sense to bring 𓃲it back for a Legends game seemingly set in the region’s past to bring the gimmick back.
Think back to Gen 6, an unfairly disparaged region.﷽ I get it, Pokemon X & Y were the beginning of the decline for vaguely difficult Pokemon games (especially after Black 2 & White 2’s hard mode). There are too many free heals, too few difficult battles, and your companions-slash-rivals are a bunch of wet wipes. Team Flare could have been iconic French fashionistas, but are damp embers instead of roaring flames.
Then remember the good. What about the route design, especially that memorable coastal path along the cliffꦇs of Muraille Coast? Few Pokemon games have played with verticality like that, and it worked to perfection. Lumiose City is a well-designed city considering the hardware limitations of the 3DS, and a more powerful console will hopefully remove all the loading screens and taxi rides.
Add the Fairy-type, Mega Evolution, and more lore than any Pokemon before or since (ba✱rring maybe Legends: Arceus), and you’ve got a hugely exciting game. The jubilant mood when playing is dampened by the (lack of) difficulty and how that impacts the core gameplay loop,🎉 but there’s a lot to celebrate in Kalos.
The lore of X & Y cannot be extricated from Mega Evolution. The entire story is based on figuring out how it w🌟orks. Team Flare wants to harness its power, and the mysterious AZ seems to have something to do with the great Mega Energy weapon, too. References to the Pokemon War are made for the first time since the original games, and a confusing locked door in the Power Plant led to intense speculation about Zygarde’s role in proceedings, too. While players wanted Pokemon Z to clear things up, I think I can speak for most of us when I say that Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a worthy alternaꦇtive.
The thing is, you couldn’t have a Pokemon game set in Kalos without mentioning Mega Evolution. Sure, Pokemon already has a multiverse (168澳洲幸运5开奖网:all꧑ remakes are set in alternate dimensions, probably created🐻 by Hoopa), but the Kalos in X & Y was, quite literally, built on Mega Energy.
Mega Evolution was the perfect gimmick. Pokemon nailed it on its first try. Not only did Mega Pokemon have fantastic designs across the board, they were generally well balanced. They got stat boosts and new abilities to go with their new forms, but they took a turn to Mega Evolve, granting opponents a chance ꦅto counter, and were easily telegraphed due to the small number of Pokemon with available evolutions.
Speed Boost Mega-Blaziken and Parental Bond Mega-Kangaskhan were completely broken, but for the most part the ‘m▨ons were well-balanced.
Sun & Moon followed with the horrendously broken Z-moves that were completely untelegraphed and far too powerful. I liked Sword & Shield’s Dynamax as they fit the vibe of Galar’s football stadium kaiju battles, but it always felt like Mega Evolution-lite. While Scarlet & Violet’s Terastalisation takes a turn to come into effect like Mega Evolving and Dynamaxing, it’s too unpredictable to be competitive, and grinding Tera Shards is theꦗ worst gameplay that Pokemon has put into any Pokemon game ever. And yes, I’m including the level spike at Blackthorn City Gym.
I wonder if the trailer might be hinting at the monsters getting new Mega Evolutions in 🅺Legends: Z-A? Pikachu is the mascot, ineligible. In the futuristic grids of proto-Lumiose, however, we see Pyroar (a Gen 6 Pokemon perfect to be a marque Mega) and Dragonair (Mega Dragonite would go hard). The scene with Flabebe, Furfrou, and Klefki is probably just showing off Kalos Pokemon, and the same could be said for the two Fletchling. Mega Talonflame though, anyone? The ri🌼ver section of the trailer shows Gyarados (Mega already available), Hippopotas, Emolga, Hawlucha, and Gogoat. Sylveon, Aegislash, and Krookodile follow, and while this trio would all make excellent Megas, I think Pokemon is just showing Kalos Pokemon at this point.
As we approach Prism Tower, the number of Pokemon reaches ridiculous levels and my theory is debunked. Onix, Bellsprout, Pinsir, Azumarill – half of them have Megas already and the others seem unlikely. I think there might have been an Ursaring, too, which I highly doubt gets a Mega after two forms of Ursaluna have released🦄 with the past two games. Still, Dragonair feels like an odd one out of this showcase, so don’t rule out Mega Dragonite.
Wild theories aside, Pokemon has beaten around the Mega Evolution bush for years now, trying to replicate the unmitigated success and falling short each time. I’m glad that it has finally decided to bring it back, but let’s face it, it should have never gone away. Welcome back, Meꦰga Gengar, the best shiny in existence. I’ve missed you.
