I have a friend who despises both Garchomp and Lucario, simply because my other friend loves them.
Friendships are weird.
Well a lot of people hate certain Pokemon simply because its popular. Like a lot of people hate my favorite Pokemon, Charizard, for that very reason. They don't have anything against the Pokemon itself, but the way people put it on the pedestal and praise it (sometimes ignoring its faults) grinds on some people's nerves. This could also be due to that person's favorite Pokemon not being a popular one. Or it could simply be they just want to be a bit rebellious or differ themselves from others. Basic human nature.
Okay, to clarify my position on potential DLC:
1) I don't think it will happen. In fact I said as much when I brought it up. But I do think it would be a good idea.
2) No selling power - that means, for example, paying for Mega Stones is right out. We already have event Pokemon which are bad enough. Potential DLC candidates would be stuff like extra post-game sidequests, an expanded battle facility and/or new minigames, or more customisation options for the player character's appearance (but I'm talking really small microtransactions for that last one, like ten cents for a hat or something).
Honestly the only DLC I see them doing is clothes. Anything else would have BS called out on them (heck, I'm sure even clothes DLC will be called out on). Pokemon is experimenting with micro-transactions with a side game and though I heard its an okay game the micro-transactions part no one likes. Personally I hope for the entire gaming community that the trend of micro-transactions goes away.
But anyway DLC won't really fix anything I think, especially about the game release issue. As I said the third version is usually where the bulk of the story for that gen is (Gen V being the exception, though it was on the same handheld as Gen IV so I think that's why they were able to be more story-based), you get rid of that and the gen may come out a bit flat. Gen VI is already pretty flat, we kind of need a third version to fill in stuff. That said we can only hope they at least keep the third version interesting.
^I touched upon it in my post. Basically, a big part of the game experience is taken away after the first play through, as you lose the exploration aspect on your second play. There's also the issue with the game putting you in the same fundamental situation at the end of every play through anyway. There's not much you can do differently in the post game with multiple files...
Also, there's the financial argument: GameFreak wants to sell as many games as possible, and having multiple save files on one cartridge would mean players could share games => Less revenue.
The only way I can see them doing multiple save files if they maybe add in different challenge modes, like an official way to do a Nuzlocke challenge or a Single Pokemon run. But considering those features go a bit away from the main mechanics of the franchise I doubt it'll happen.
Anyway, if it means multiple player files in one game, then I'm against it.
Because otherwise, people aren't buying their own copies.
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I hate Ash. I want him to be replaced with someone similar to Alain.
Pokemon really isn't attracting kids nowadays. Youkai Watch took everything.
Kids relate themselves to Youkai Watch a lot more than Pokemon, and they are all for Youkai Watch.
I just think Pokemon should switch to an older group of target audience.
They'll never do full multiple save files, though the idea of having back up saves of previous time you saved doesn't sound like a bad idea. Instead of overwriting the same file each time you have like 3 slots to create essentially save states of your adventure. We all do things we regret, and heck sometimes files become corrupted.
Well Ash and Alain seems to be meeting each other soon if the new opener and merch are anything to go by. Hopefully that'll maybe kick some character development in the permanent 10 year old (and then have it reset when the next gen comes). The anime does need to kick up its game, heck if the writers just bothered to follow the game's story at least it'll have some story connecting the adventure together. The anime just had the episode in the Poke Ball Factory and TEAM FLARE HAS YET TO APPEAR! Lysandre has appeared in the Mega Evo special and that's it, had they learned nothing from Gen V? DON'T WAIT! Just introduce the villains, what are you waiting for? The anime is a commercial for the games, it should be doing stuff the game does because that's why it's being watched. I have this weird feeling the writers either don't care or have their own vision of how the story goes. That's all well and good, but when it starts effecting the story that should be there and that is in the games that's a problem. If you can't incorporate the game's story and your ideas, then you shouldn't be a writer. And if you don't care at this point then you should just be fired.
While I know about Yo-Kai Watch (yes, that's what it's being called in the US, might as well have people in the west pronouncing it right) from an outside view I don't really know much about the game's mechanics itself. How deep are the games mechanics? Are they as deep as Pokemon's? If not at least Pokemon has maybe that over it. Also Pokemon isn't restricted to Japanese culture (yes, I know Yo-Kai Watch's 3rd game takes place in the US and they have Yokai based on US stuff... but from what I seen of the Yokai they're kind of reaching...) so I think compared with the Yokai the Pokemon can maybe have more variety (come on, just do a Greek region so we can have Greek Mythology Pokemon).
However I think the main thing is that Pokemon is kind of common place now. It's the status quo and is showing its age. Yo-Kai Watch is new, has cool merch with the watch and cards you can scan into the watch which gives you Yokai in the game, and even look much more vibrant than Pokemon. At this point maybe Pokemon should think about experimenting, with Yo-Kai Watch filling the niche it used to its maybe time Pokemon moved onto less crowed pastures.
Cresselia~~ : I honestly had to Google Youkai Watch. It seems it's a Japan-only thing, though at least Nintendo are planning on a Western release (remember this is a company that had planned to restrict Xenoblade Chronicles of all things to Japan, until huge consumer pressure forced them to rethink).
Seeing Level 5's name attached to the game doesn't convince me that it will be able to rival Pokemon in the West to be honest. Level 5 are a very unique company, but the games they make are pretty niche titles. Ni No Kuni, probably Level 5's greatest achievement, was universally lauded by critics, but the 1 million copies or so it shifted (still really good sales, mind you) doesn't hold a candle to Pokemon's numbers.
Oh hindsight, you can be so hilarious.
I find generic NPC's to be overall way more interesting, helpful, and deep then most of the "unique" characters (gym leaders, elite four, professors, etc.)
Part of it is the mystery since they do get very little screen-time to work with, but the other half is the bar is set so low for NPC's that when one surprises me it seems like more of an accomplishment. To contrast, when a cool looking gym-leader utterly fails at helping the plot it just frustrates me in a "you had so much potential" kind of way.
Some examples:
-The friendly Team Plasma Grunt from B2W2, the one that infiltrated evil group and helps you out in their bases (generally giving tips and spotting for you while you nap). Bro's got your back more than Hugh.
-Cameron the photo-guy from HGSS. Mostly for the Earthbound reference
-The masked superheroes that are totally not Sycamore's researchers (although this might be cheating, since they did have unique masked models...)
-Anytime there's a former Team "___" member, but spotlight on the Rocket Grunt from Gold/Silver in Misty's Gym who quits and shows up in B/W having cleaned up his act.
-The Winstrate Family in Ruby/Sapphire, and their eldest son who appears on Victory Road.
-Anything to do with Sea Mauville in ORAS.
Yeah there are a batch of one-off trainers who I sort of want to get to know more about after hearing a little of their story. Like in XY there's that Hex Maniac who reveals she's just pretending to be like the other Hex Maniacs though doesn't think she can be one and there's a female Veteran who is waiting for her love to return only to reveal after the battle she's been waiting for him to return for years yet can't move on. Oh, and how about the Ferris Wheel "Dates" in the Gen V games? And in the same vein as the Rocket Grunt, in BW2 the house is occupied by a former Magma and Aqua grunt couple who don't want to reveal they were part of a villain team to the other (sadly this means they aren't the Magma-Aqua grunt couple from ORAS, though its interesting that there's two such couples out there). Another thing from BW (did I ever say Gen V is my favorite gen?) is that many of the Plasma characters are interesting. One which stands out is a Doctor in BW2 on the Plasma Frigate who will heal your Pokemon after beating him because, though he's part of Team Plasma and wants to stop you, he can't let a Pokemon go hurt even if being commanded by an enemy. And though I know they aren't characters, I do find the PokeStudio movies interesting (if I was any good at writing fanfic I'd totally write a complete movie script based on them).
