I'll give you Swellow being dumb, but the idle poses weren't meant to look like that all the time. Only when a Pokemon isn't attacking.I was going to post this in the unpopular opinions thread but I don't really think it's that unpopular. The BW animated sprites are the best of the entire series. The crappy resolution doesn't bother me; in fact I didn't even know that the resolution was worse than that of the DP sprites until much later since I don't really have an eye for it. They are certainly a lot more lively than many of the Gen 6 and 7 models. Here are some comparisons:
BW Kyurem looks like an absolute terror, moving around erratically and slamming its fists into the ground. The flashing tail part adds so much drama to it. Modern Kyurem kinda just sits there breathing heavily.
BW Swellow is randomly twitching with its beak, wings, and tail separately, with a little puff of the chest. Modern Swellow is a neat sprite but dumb in context of the battle. It clearly looks like it's meant to be in flight, but the battle is stationary so it's kinda just floating. It takes all the spunk away.
BW Weavile is hopping around but still flashing its claws like a menace. It's showing off its moves while telling the enemy that it can rip it to shreds. Modern Weavile is so devoid of life and awkwardly hunched over, and doesn't look anything like the killer it should be portrayed as.
Sorry, I'm not an art critic and it is late so this is mostly just sleepy me typing, but the difference is obvious.
To be fair, the BW animations are idle too. Even if nothing interesting happens, the Pokémon still move with a bit more vigor than the 3D models do. The vast majority of the 3D models move in a way that can best be described as "calm bobbing", with nowhere near the same level of emotion as the sprites before them had.I'll give you Swellow being dumb, but the idle poses weren't meant to look like that all the time. Only when a Pokemon isn't attacking.
But that's also because it's the only animation they have in BW.To be fair, the BW animations are idle too. Even if nothing interesting happens, the Pokémon still move with a bit more vigor than the 3D models do. The vast majority of the 3D models move in a way that can best be described as "calm bobbing", with nowhere near the same level of emotion as the sprites before them had.
I wouldn't necessarily mind that lol. Granted it would be kind of weird to see Weavile dancing around that much in 3D, but there could easily be a middle ground between that and looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.To be fair to Gamefreak though, when you have a 3D game, people would expect you to have 3D sprites too. Imagine what would have happened if they still retained the old animations! Even if they do look more lively.
Yes, for XY it was understandable why they went for more "default" poses because they had 600+ Pokemon to make into models.To be fair to Gamefreak though, when you have a 3D game, people would expect you to have 3D sprites too. Imagine what would have happened if they still retained the old animations! Even if they do look more lively.
They don't need to have Weavile hopping around (if anything that would be an attacking animation of it leaping forward). Instead I see more Weavile doing a sort of boxer dodging and weaving movement, but instead of clenched fists it would have it's claws spread out and wiggling/twitching them (thus putting your attention towards them).I wouldn't necessarily mind that lol. Granted it would be kind of weird to see Weavile dancing around that much in 3D, but there could easily be a middle ground between that and looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
A think the biggest disappointment comes with winged Pokemon. I almost showed Skarmory over Swellow, but the latter is one of my favorite Pokemon ever so it's more disappointing. Latios and Latias suffer the same fate (also they have the most anticlimactic cries of any Pokemon, but that's a topic for another time).
Naganadel also has that problem of not having a prime Speed (the closest numbers to its actual Speed stat being 113 and 127).Someone posted this about the UBs having prime number base stats before, but Necrozma has a rather unique design detail to it and I don't quite know why it ended up this way:
Form: HP/Atk/Def/SpA/SpD/Spe
Necrozma: 97/107/101/127/89/79
Dusk Mane Necrozma: 97/157/127/113/109/77
Dawn Wings Necrozma: 97/113/109/157/127/77
Ultra Necrozma: 97/167/97/167/97/129
All of Necrozma's stats are prime to begin with, but when it consumes Solgaleo/Lunala the Speed stats become blum integers while the rest become other prime numbers. This seems to just be a random detail put in there for a reason I can't find, but I am sure there is some neat rationale in there.
It is a little annoying to know that we could have had an all prime base 131 Speed Ultra Necrozma though.
All of Necrozma's stats are prime to begin with, but when it consumes Solgaleo/Lunala the Speed stats become blum integers while the rest become other prime numbers. This seems to just be a random detail put in there for a reason I can't find, but I am sure there is some neat rationale in there.
Due to this also happening to Naganadel, I wouldn't say it's a Blum Integer but rather it's just a plain ol' Semiprime as 77 is both but 121 is only a semiprime.Naganadel also has that problem of not having a prime Speed (the closest numbers to its actual Speed stat being 113 and 127).
That would actually make sense, as 129 is also a semiprime number.Due to this also happening to Naganadel, I wouldn't say it's a Blum Integer but rather it's just a plain ol' Semiprime as 77 is both but 121 is only a semiprime.
It's always nice whenever a Gym looks to have a secondary function aside where you go to have a boss battle. Gen V notably did that with a lot of their Gyms and ORAS tried converting the Hoenn Gyms to also be like this. Looking through them:I imagine Valerie's gym would be good for plays and such -- she is quite the performer, after all. I can imagine quite a few shows taking place there.
Alright, I'm like an adult with a job and I really need to think about getting my life together and not spending cash on frivolities.
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I NEED IT.
I'm pretty sure Pikachu is a metaphor for the Disney company at this point, inspiring a wave of copycats but will ultimately integrate the successful ones into itself until there's just Pikachu.
Mimikyu: Am I... a joke to you? I dressed as you to try and get some of the love you have lots of... and now you're dressing AS ME to take that AWAY FROM ME...
I wouldn't really call Aurora Veil a buff to Ice types, in the same way I wouldn't consider Reflect and Light Screen to be buffs to Psychic types. It's a buff to Hail though, as is Slush Rush, though in Slush Rush's case, it lacks a really powerful user that can effectively be paired with Alolan Ninetales in higher tiers the same way Tyranitar and Excadrill pair so well together.Aurora Veil provides a much needed defensive buff to Ice Types providing a much needed in both spectrum.
I don't think anyone was arguing that it's the worst legendary. Not when Regigigas, Cosmog, Cosmoem, and Phione exist.I like Articuno and I don't think its the worst Legendary.
The problem with Ice-types (okay, one of the many, many problems) is that Game Freak seems to want them to be slow and defensive. But because of Ice's horrible type chart interactions, they are as functional in this role as shields made of paper. Meanwhile, their offensive presence is almost negligible. To me, Aurora Veil really seemed like a stubborn attempt to make the Ice-type work in their badly assigned role. A move that halves the damage taken on both sides of the spectrum would be completely busted for any other type, but it's the tool Ice is given because it takes that much to make Ice-types work defensively.Aurora Veil provides a much needed defensive buff to Ice Types providing a much needed in both spectrum.