The
Pokemon machine just doesn't stop.
Pokemon Pearl was available at GDC on a pretty pink DS Lite, and while no one was looking, I got to get my hands on it. While the
Pokemon franchise isn't known for its graphics, the first thing I noticed as a long-time
Pokemon fan was how improved the graphics have become. The screens may not show it off too well, but the game features much better character sprites in the game world. Looking at the aliasing issues in the game, it appears that the world may even have a psuedo-3D engine behind it as well. Unfortunately, the battles haven't received as nice of a makeover: they still look incredibly primitive, even by GBA standards: the uninspired battle animations certainly don't leave a good impression.
Other than the cosmetic changes, it doesn't appear as though the world of
Pokemon has changed too much. Like previous iterations of the franchise, this version introduces even more pocket monsters to capture ... but not much else. The game doesn't stray far from the original
Pokemon formula: classic elements, such as being forced into a fight when spotted by a rival trainer, are still retained in this latest update.
Strangely, use of the touch screen seems conspicuously absent. Of course, with other titles like
Pokemon Ranger trying to take the franchise in a different direction, maybe it's best that
Pokemon remains unchanged for its next major DS release.
As you may have heard, there's some serious Pokémon action this week, and the sheer magnitude of that spotlight has somewhat dwarfed everything else -- but fear not, there are other games for those who aren't Poké-fans. Note that we're not promising they're good ... we're just saying that they are, in fact, games. We're curious how SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters turns out, definitely, since we've heard mixed reports.
If you've been on the fence about this whole Pokémon thing, just waiting to be convinced about the monster-collecting genre (thus giving away your rock-underside-located residential status) then Nintendo knows just how to tempt you: free junk. Preorder the new DS Poké-games, Diamond and Pearl, from the Gamestop -EB mega-retail conglomerate and you'll be rewarded with a stylus! Also included is a ... stylus ... holder! It's a holder for your stylus! (Back in our day, we had stylus holders too. We called them DSes.)
Some details about Pokemon Diamond/Pearl's battle and trading systems have been revealed for all of you chomping at the bit needing your daily Pokemon fix.
Pokemon, Pokemon, Pokemon. Seems like that's all you hear about today besides Final Fantasy.
