Pokemon Y user review

Pokemon at its best

Review written by
Dragonessa

June 4th, 2014

This is what happens when Pokemon is given amazing potential and runs with it. In essence, its as if the fans asked for everything and got what they wished for in one fell swoop.

The majority of the game is the same as most Pokemon games are; defeat gym leaders, defeat the Elite Four and stop the bad guys from taking over the world... and of course catch Pokemon to fill up the Pokedex. What makes Pokemon Y so different from the others is the fact that it takes those basic story elements and makes them into a wonderful tale of friendship and fun.

The major changes to the Pokemon world however are mainly online features in which you can interact with thousands of players from all over the world. The Player Search Service (or PSS for short) is what allows you to connect to anyone in the world, including friends you've already added on to your 3DS console's list. Some of the new features included in the PSS are Wonder Trade (give up a random Pokemon, get a random one in return), Battle Spot (engage in various types of Pokemon battles with or without special rules), and the Holo Caster (collect PokeMiles - a special currency and exchange them for in-game items).

Plenty of features have remained the same; albeit with a few tweaks here and there. The fan-favorite GTS (Global Trade Station) has been refined and it is easier than ever to search for a favorite pokemon to obtain. Unfortunately, I found the GTS is rampant these days with folks seeking out Legendary pokemon so the trading is somewhat slim.

Of course there are plenty of new Pokemon in the Kalos region to find, from Vivillion (a butterfly-like Pokemon) to the new legendary Yveltal (a giant bird). However there aren't as many new Pokemon to find as there have been in previous series entries which for some may be a relief. However this means that the total of Pokemon across generations is nearing over 700!

Hope you're ready to catch 'em all.

There are of course, Event Pokemon offered on rare occasion as well so keep your eyes out for those.

The game succeeds truly on many levels, however there are some flaws. For one, the story is rather short and takes little time to complete. The Elite Four, supposedly the best trainers in the game seem to be much easier to defeat than in the previous gens (the Unova Elite four come to mind here as some of the hardest to beat) which may prove disappointing for some. The camera angle changes when going through certain cities can also be disorienting with Lumiose City as the biggest offender here.

Yet for the most part, this is a game that can be considered one of the best for the 3DS so far and the sales figures don't lie. Over 3 million copies sold on its first day of release definitely tells us that Pokemon is here to stay.