SPOILERS! Pokemon Legends: Arceus *Leak Thread*

Don't do that. Don't give me hope.
View attachment 401903
I want to believe.
Ok so I'm not sure if you're aware already, but as I alluded to in my first post there is some context behind expecting a new Stadium.

Throughout 2021, there were a few domain registrations. By looking up "pokemon.com" on this web certificate search site and searching through it you can find the following:

55306611162021-11-022021-11-022022-12-01stadium.stadium-prod.pokemon.comstadium.stadium-prod.pokemon.comC=US, O=Amazon, OU=Server CA 1B, CN=Amazon
55306610222021-11-022021-11-022022-12-01stadium.stadium-prod.pokemon.comstadium.stadium-prod.pokemon.comC=US, O=Amazon, OU=Server CA 1B, CN=Amazon

49115248832021-07-222021-07-222022-08-22stadium.admin-prod.pokemon.comstadium.admin-prod.pokemon.comC=US, O=DigiCert Inc, CN=DigiCert TLS RSA SHA256 2020 CA1

45502510142021-05-182021-05-182022-06-16stadium.admin-prod.pokemon.comstadium.admin-prod.pokemon.comC=US, O=Amazon, OU=Server CA 1B, CN=Amazon

There's also some more meta stuff worth considering like the immense success of New Snap potentially promoting Game Freak and friends to dust off more old spinoff names and the fact a new Stadium could have a major new draw in having all the Pokemon, as well as potentially being a new hub for VGC to let Game Freak focus fully on making the main series satisfying single player experiences
 
To be fair, BDSP and Lets Go couldn't even crack 80, and SwSh was a pretty big drop from SM in the low 80s.

Yeah the mainstream press ain't perfect in many respects, and they aren't going to notice a lot of flaws us super hardcore nerds would, but its not like Nintendo can just buy them off either, and in particular they've been harsher on a lot of Pokemon stuff lately.
For context, here are the Metacritic scores for all mainline Pokemon games from 6th gen (as well as the SWSH DLCs since those were scored separately) onwards:

XY: 87 (X) 88 (Y)
ORAS: 83 (OR) 82 (AS)
SM: 87
USUM: 84
LGPE: 79 (LGP) 80 (LGE)
SWSH: 80
IOA: 69
CT: 75
BDSP: 73
PLA: 86

As you can see, the Metacritic scores for mainline games have been somewhat declining since USUM, but the PLA Metacritic score is much closer to the highs of XY and SM. Obviously all opinions are subjective and that includes those of game journalists, but this pattern is pretty curious :blobshrug:
 
SWSH got updated with all the moves, forms and Pokemon
I'm going to be optimistic, I think if SwSh actually get the compatibility with LA pokes, it's going to be pretty much "full" compatibility.
I think it's reasonable since they will want to keep people busy with VGC until gen 9 releases way later this year, and unless they plan on going a full 8 months of the same format (which, we know they will), the best option to keep people playing AND possibly get them to buy LA is to let them be able to use their shiny new toys in VGC or at very least in battles with friends.

Now, this'd be a logical argument and we know GF only rarely does logic, so i'll get my COPIUM vial already.

We'll get a new pokemon stadium

It's a gacha game
Sir stop giving them ideas

So reviews are in for PLA, seems like its got an 85 on Metacritic at the moment!

Now, Metacritic and Open Critic aren't the be all end alls (though it can be very useful for gathering reviews, and also helping you avoid stinkers like the GTA trilogy last year!), but something I noticed when reading reviews, is that they seemed very akin to Halo Infinite: basically, a game that, while doesn't nail everything, has a strong core gameplay loop and is generally considered a bold new direction for the series.

Honestly, it seems pretty exciting. Probably the first time I've been excited for a single player Pokemon experience (not counting spinoffs like New Snap) since the OG DP!

EDIT: LOL its at 86 now!
as for this...

I've seen multiple reviews and from what I can see from the leaks on top of them, I think there's a good chance LA is indeed a solid game even without the whole Pokemon brand boost.

However, multiple reviews I've read agree that (as many here also think) the fact the graphics are still landing on Playstation2-tier backgrounds is starting to become a big inexcusable and the one big issue this game faces.

.....but hey, I really hope they are as fun as they look. We'll know in a few days.

I want to be optimistic because the ideas behind Legends are very nice, the series could really use more entries that don't follow the main formula to give a bit of variety, and if Legends Arceus succeeds, there's going to be potentially more of these more ambitious projects in the future.
....also because at least if this succeeds it would mean that BDSP died for a good cause
 
I'm going to be optimistic, I think if SwSh actually get the compatibility with LA pokes, it's going to be pretty much "full" compatibility.
I think it's reasonable since they will want to keep people busy with VGC until gen 9 releases way later this year, and unless they plan on going a full 8 months of the same format (which, we know they will), the best option to keep people playing AND possibly get them to buy LA is to let them be able to use their shiny new toys in VGC or at very least in battles with friends.

Now, this'd be a logical argument and we know GF only rarely does logic, so i'll get my COPIUM vial already.
I mean you & I have definitely talked about this before, how it would make sense as both incentive to get the games and to inject a little variety into the last year of VGC, but as time has gone on (& especially now that no PLA did not try to bring in the other remaining pokemon) I have decided to err on the side of caution.

Though I do think the new moves, Dialga/Palkia forms, and enamorus would be a relatively "guaranteed" infusion into VGC regardless of how hit or miss the other stuff would be.

Would be nice to know when that home update is coming though. Maybe we'll find out by Pokemon Day!
 
So, if SwSh got updated to include all the mons that are available in BDSP and PLA, as well as regional variants thereof, what percentage of the Pokedex is still unavailable in Galar?

1643227341137.png


So, the first 4 columns, Samurott (hoping regular Samurott gets included), and the new 'mons and formes.

I am salty at Rowlet instead of Chespin, by the way; Alolan starters were in SwSh, but thus far Kalos is the sole region to not have any starter usable in gen VIII.


Also, please give us an online Stadium. Singles/Doubles/Triples/Rotation, megas, Z-moves AND dynamax, and all 3 consistent restrictions (Little Cup, Poke Cup (AKA no special Pokemon) and Prime Cup (everything is allowed)) would actually be hype, now that the proper games still have yet to reach the level of content the last handheld games had.
 
Last edited:
I would think it would make sense, at minimum, to introduce Arceus itself into SwSh. It's the only uber-level legendary still missing, it's consistently been an extremely popular Pokemon, and it makes sense to use it to promote the new game if people can see others using it in multiplayer raids etc.
 
Feeling extremely annoyed regarding team building this game. Hisuian Zoroark is extremely cool but you can’t get it until basically the very end of the game. A lot of the new designs I like and are rather early (Overqwil, Basculegion) are screwed over by their awful movepools. Others, like Kleavor and Hisuian Lilligant, just don’t appeal to me. Arcanine doesn’t show up until the third area, and Sneasler the fourth. I do know I want Samurott (favorite starter since it isn’t garbage in movepool/stats like Decidueye is and I like its design unlike Typhlosion), Sylveon (favorite Pokémon but haven’t used it in a playthrough since Y and without abilities it’s the perfect time to use it again) and Ursaluna (amazing stats and lovely design lol), but I’m in a pickle for the rest. I was trying to have Sylveon be the only old mon I use but idk what to do at this point. Maybe I’m thinking about team building all wrong? I could use some advice from y’all.
 
Sorry to break it to everyone, but at this point it's obvious SWSH is not getting any kind of new Pokemon update. The Sinnoh revisits were announced at the beginning of last year. The new VGC ruleset was announced earlier this month. At no point in that interval or afterward have they even hinted at so much as completing the original Sinnoh roster, let alone filling out all of Gens 1-3 + Hisui stuff. I get there's reason to doubt the reliability of Game Freak and friends' communication on this topic after the whole debacle of them not making it clear more Pokemon would be added in via update at the peak of the Dexit fiasco, but we're long past the point of plausible deniability by now. Even just finishing original Sinnoh would add in a bunch of Pokemon that would shake up various formats like Gliscor, Infernape and Staraptor, and that's before factoring in BDSP/PLA movepool updates or the potential for the aforementioned further Pokemon. VGC players are already planning their teams and making preliminary VRs, they can't just drop such a bombshell on them at this point. As for why they've made this decision, it's probably a mix of Covid wrecking Gen 8 VGC to a point where they don't feel it's worth expending the effort on a stillborn format and not wanting to seem like they're 100% backpedalling after the fuss at the start of the gen.

Feeling extremely annoyed regarding team building this game. Hisuian Zoroark is extremely cool but you can’t get it until basically the very end of the game. A lot of the new designs I like and are rather early (Overqwil, Basculegion) are screwed over by their awful movepools. Others, like Kleavor and Hisuian Lilligant, just don’t appeal to me. Arcanine doesn’t show up until the third area, and Sneasler the fourth. I do know I want Samurott (favorite starter since it isn’t garbage in movepool/stats like Decidueye is and I like its design unlike Typhlosion), Sylveon (favorite Pokémon but haven’t used it in a playthrough since Y and without abilities it’s the perfect time to use it again) and Ursaluna (amazing stats and lovely design lol), but I’m in a pickle for the rest. I was trying to have Sylveon be the only old mon I use but idk what to do at this point. Maybe I’m thinking about team building all wrong? I could use some advice from y’all.
I think your and many others in this thread's mistake here is treating Hisui's new additions like any other new Pokemon roster in terms of new vs old when in reality it's more meant to be looked at as a Gen 4 expansion pack. Less than 20 new fully evolved mons is just not feasable for varied team compositions, especially if you want to do repeat playthroughs. Stuff like Hisuian Zoroark, Sneasler and Wyrdeer should be and are treated by the game with similar gravitas to OGs like Empoleon, Lucario and Electivire.
 
Stuff like Hisuian Zoroark, Sneasler and Wyrdeer should be and are treated by the game with similar gravitas to OGs like Empoleon, Lucario and Electivire.
This is probably dumb but what do you mean by this? Just a bit confused. (If it helps I wasn't exactly here for Gen 4 lol)
 
Feeling extremely annoyed regarding team building this game. Hisuian Zoroark is extremely cool but you can’t get it until basically the very end of the game. A lot of the new designs I like and are rather early (Overqwil, Basculegion) are screwed over by their awful movepools. Others, like Kleavor and Hisuian Lilligant, just don’t appeal to me. Arcanine doesn’t show up until the third area, and Sneasler the fourth. I do know I want Samurott (favorite starter since it isn’t garbage in movepool/stats like Decidueye is and I like its design unlike Typhlosion), Sylveon (favorite Pokémon but haven’t used it in a playthrough since Y and without abilities it’s the perfect time to use it again) and Ursaluna (amazing stats and lovely design lol), but I’m in a pickle for the rest. I was trying to have Sylveon be the only old mon I use but idk what to do at this point. Maybe I’m thinking about team building all wrong? I could use some advice from y’all.


I heard the stat improvement system is similar to Let's Go. Doesn't that mean that you can run both physical and special moves just fine on most Pokemon since you can max out all stats anyways? While Overqwil only has Base 65 Special Attack, but Basculegion in both forms have good enough stats to go mixed,
 
From what I can see, the combination of low PP on signature moves that legendaries get and the doubled PP cost for "modded" moves means their ability to use those moves is very limited. It doesn't look like PP Ups are in this game, so you get a whole 3-5 uses of the legendary moves before having to somehow recover PP. Does that mean, when using legendaries, that PP will be a massive limiting factor, to the point that it will typically be useful to have a second move of the same type?
 
View attachment 401952

So, the first 4 columns, Samurott (hoping regular Samurott gets included), and the new 'mons and formes.

I am salty at Rowlet instead of Chespin, by the way; Alolan starters were in SwSh, but thus far Kalos is the sole region to not have any starter usable in gen VIII.


Also, please give us an online Stadium. Singles/Doubles/Triples/Rotation, megas, Z-moves AND dynamax, and all 3 consistent restrictions (Little Cup, Poke Cup (AKA no special Pokemon) and Prime Cup (everything is allowed)) would actually be hype, now that the proper games still have yet to reach the level of content the last handheld games had.
If they do add Samurott, I could see them adding Serperior and Emboar just to complete the set (considering how many people hated base game SwSh having Charizard just for Leon and then neither of the other Kanto starters).
 
This is probably dumb but what do you mean by this? Just a bit confused. (If it helps I wasn't exactly here for Gen 4 lol)
What I mean is that unlike a brand new region, the line between new Pokemon and forms and what came before isn't as clearly drawn. Legends Arceus at its core is a Sinnoh game. Its mascot is Arceus, the box shows the new starters posing alongside staples like Bidoof and Shinx, and many of the new NPCs use Pokemon like Munchlax and Leafeon as their aces. The actual new designs just serve as an extension to the 107 Pokemon introduced in DP 15 years ago, covering types that they could've used more of the first go-around like Fire and Rock. The homegrown Fire type roster of Hisui isn't just Typhlosion and Arcanine, but also Magmortar and Infernape. They may have been designed years apart, but in the context of this game they are equally important.
 
Literally the last place anyone should go for an opinion on the quality of a Pokémon game are pre-release game journalist reviews who were given early copies by Nintendo.

Tbh just wait until your favorite YouTuber or whatever that you trust talks about it. Remember IGN gave SwSh a 9.3 out of 10.

kUuDn9g.png


How do you go from bashing IGN to endorsing the one litmus test that is unironically worse???

At least journalists have to play the game before they hand down their lopsided verdicts.

You wanna hear something awesome? Togekiss finally got access to moonblast in PLA. Moonblast is gonna be downright nasty with serene grace since it will have a 60% chance to drop special attack thanks to serene grace. Also, I honestly do not know why togekiss never had moonblast in the first place, since there was no reason not to give it moonblast since it is a special attacking fairy type and most special attacking fairies get it.

Moonblast has damaged this game like no other attack since Gen 4 Outrage. That such a move should be the poster Fairy STAB and that such monstrous wallbreakers as Togekiss and Tapu Koko should feel its absence are proof that the Fairy type is grossly unbalanced even as it's starved for options. This is to say nothing of the type chart or the mere one non-signature Fairy move introduced since XY. I am firmly of the opinion that "Moonquake" should be permanently nerfed before it falls into Toge's hands, and I will die on this hill.

Feeling extremely annoyed regarding team building this game. Hisuian Zoroark is extremely cool but you can’t get it until basically the very end of the game. A lot of the new designs I like and are rather early (Overqwil, Basculegion) are screwed over by their awful movepools. Others, like Kleavor and Hisuian Lilligant, just don’t appeal to me. Arcanine doesn’t show up until the third area, and Sneasler the fourth. I do know I want Samurott (favorite starter since it isn’t garbage in movepool/stats like Decidueye is and I like its design unlike Typhlosion), Sylveon (favorite Pokémon but haven’t used it in a playthrough since Y and without abilities it’s the perfect time to use it again) and Ursaluna (amazing stats and lovely design lol), but I’m in a pickle for the rest. I was trying to have Sylveon be the only old mon I use but idk what to do at this point. Maybe I’m thinking about team building all wrong? I could use some advice from y’all.

Some fun ideas:
  • All starters with new forms are available via spacetime distortions. Cyndaquil appears in Area 2.
  • Goomy/H-Sliggoo can be obtained much earlier than intended in Area 2 with a precise Wyrdeer jump.
  • There is an Area 1 sidequest that nets the player a Shiny Ponyta.
  • Porygon-Z is obtainable without back-to-back trading for once.
  • I bet there's a Bug-type you've never trained before. Give Paras or Burmy a chance.
 
I think your and many others in this thread's mistake here is treating Hisui's new additions like any other new Pokemon roster in terms of new vs old when in reality it's more meant to be looked at as a Gen 4 expansion pack. Less than 20 new fully evolved mons is just not feasable for varied team compositions, especially if you want to do repeat playthroughs. Stuff like Hisuian Zoroark, Sneasler and Wyrdeer should be and are treated by the game with similar gravitas to OGs like Empoleon, Lucario and Electivire.
What I mean is that unlike a brand new region, the line between new Pokemon and forms and what came before isn't as clearly drawn. Legends Arceus at its core is a Sinnoh game. Its mascot is Arceus, the box shows the new starters posing alongside staples like Bidoof and Shinx, and many of the new NPCs use Pokemon like Munchlax and Leafeon as their aces. The actual new designs just serve as an extension to the 107 Pokemon introduced in DP 15 years ago, covering types that they could've used more of the first go-around like Fire and Rock. The homegrown Fire type roster of Hisui isn't just Typhlosion and Arcanine, but also Magmortar and Infernape. They may have been designed years apart, but in the context of this game they are equally important.

100% this. PLA is a Sinnoh game first and foremost, and while I can understand the process of people trying to exclusively use Hisuian forms or evos, I for one am not gonna do it like that, and when I play the game I am going to throw some classic Sinnoh/Gen 4 mons into my team alongside my own starter and the new forms/evos. Like yeah, I'm not starting with Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup this time around but I will use the classic Sinnoh picks like Staraptor, Luxray, and Lucario just like I did back in Platinum, and throw them in alongside a few Hisuian evos/forms like Ursaluna and Hisuian Arcanine.

I am not going to exclusively use new Hisuian Forms/evos on my team, this is a Sinnoh game, and a Sinnoh remake in its own right, and I will sure as hell mix and match with the classic Gen 4 mons. The good ol' Staraptor and Luxray are going to be on my team on my first playthrough. I will probably throw in some old original Gen 4 evos like Roserade, Mismagius, and Glaceon into the mix on my team too. Maybe I'm one of the few who will approach it like this, but to me this is the most ideal way to approach building teams for this game and that's how I'm gonna roll when I get my hands on Legends: Arceus.
 
Feeling extremely annoyed regarding team building this game. Hisuian Zoroark is extremely cool but you can’t get it until basically the very end of the game. A lot of the new designs I like and are rather early (Overqwil, Basculegion) are screwed over by their awful movepools. Others, like Kleavor and Hisuian Lilligant, just don’t appeal to me. Arcanine doesn’t show up until the third area, and Sneasler the fourth. I do know I want Samurott (favorite starter since it isn’t garbage in movepool/stats like Decidueye is and I like its design unlike Typhlosion), Sylveon (favorite Pokémon but haven’t used it in a playthrough since Y and without abilities it’s the perfect time to use it again) and Ursaluna (amazing stats and lovely design lol), but I’m in a pickle for the rest. I was trying to have Sylveon be the only old mon I use but idk what to do at this point. Maybe I’m thinking about team building all wrong? I could use some advice from y’all.

Team building in this game feels really odd, because this isn't a traditional Pokemon game. There's no gyms, or Elite 4 + Champion, no major inclusions for battling beyond the Noble Pokemon, Alpha Pokemon and a few story battles here and there. It's primarily a story mode with Pokedex completion, so I think building your team with that in mind might be better? Rather than the traditional "party of 6 who you catch and grow with throughout your journey" this time you're training Pokemon for specific missions - need to take on Noble Arcanine? Better train up some Water and Ground types! Oh is Noble Lilligant the next challenge? Flying types ahoy - your team would rotate to fit those challenges. Not necessarily battling ones either - I believe the Manaphy "event" requires a Mantyke + Buizel + Overqwil to access, so maybe you train up an Overqwil for that specific task.

That's how I'm gonna approach things with a team - I'll likely use the ride Pokemon (Braviary / Sneasler / Wyrdeer / Basculegion / Ursaluna) to imagine that they're my Pokemon I'm riding around on + my starter + the Hisuian forms I like, and take out the ones necessary for particular tasks and fill the gaps with, well, type-effective filler. I'll have my traditional team of 6 (Decidueye / Kleavor / Goodra / Sneasler / Ursaluna / Basculegion) who are my main guys, but if a challenge comes up where one of them isn't helpful I'll either replace them with a different Hisuian form who does help, or a filler option I can train for the Pokedex + to take on that mission.

Anywho... gimme a Stadium game for the Switch please and thank you, but I want the Pokemon Battle Revolution caster/announcer including his over-the-top commentaries on moves - "rrrrrrripped by Roar of Time!" is iconic for me! Heck having modes where you can do Rotation battles, Triple battles, Mega Evolution, Z Moves, Dynamax/Gigantamax, etc. could be awesome!
 
Last edited:
Sorry to break it to everyone, but at this point it's obvious SWSH is not getting any kind of new Pokemon update. The Sinnoh revisits were announced at the beginning of last year. The new VGC ruleset was announced earlier this month. At no point in that interval or afterward have they even hinted at so much as completing the original Sinnoh roster, let alone filling out all of Gens 1-3 + Hisui stuff. I get there's reason to doubt the reliability of Game Freak and friends' communication on this topic after the whole debacle of them not making it clear more Pokemon would be added in via update at the peak of the Dexit fiasco, but we're long past the point of plausible deniability by now. Even just finishing original Sinnoh would add in a bunch of Pokemon that would shake up various formats like Gliscor, Infernape and Staraptor, and that's before factoring in BDSP/PLA movepool updates or the potential for the aforementioned further Pokemon. VGC players are already planning their teams and making preliminary VRs, they can't just drop such a bombshell on them at this point. As for why they've made this decision, it's probably a mix of Covid wrecking Gen 8 VGC to a point where they don't feel it's worth expending the effort on a stillborn format and not wanting to seem like they're 100% backpedalling after the fuss at the start of the gen.
While I don't disagree totally, I'd mention that with "coming" i mean "coming somewhere around august. As in, basically to give something to play with in the last 3-4 months of the generation.

I don't expect in the slightest any of the BDSP or LA pokemon (if they come to SwSh) to show up for the actual VGC worlds. But after? Yeh why not.

Then again, I myself don't think we're getting them. I'm just feeding on Copium as I said.
 
So if an actual Stadium game is revealed it could potentially be a huge deal. If Dexit is reversed it would let Gamefreak insert as many battle slaves as they want per game. I don't think anyone gives a fuck how big the regional Pokedex is, they just don't want their Crabominable to be trapped in Pokemon Home for 5+ years. VGC is also in an awkward place as it's locked into SwSh despite being like 4 games behind at that point. But reversing Dexit for a battle simulator could be done by a relatively small team from a third party company. Imagine if the Showdown staff were hired lol.

The original Stadium / PBR games actually had sleep and freeze clause as well as a ton of other options for PVP. 3v3, 6v6, whatever the fuck you want. Add in doubles, triples if they're ambitious. Megas if they really want the community to collectively cum. Or if we're being extreme here, the option to TURN OFF THE BATTLE TIMER.

Outside the PVP aspect Stadium actually had a lot of cups to battle in. Stadium 2 even had Little Cup! Additional cups outside of standard VGC could be things like "no rules" where legends are legal, monotype cups, BST limited cups, and so on. They even had a Mewtwo battle which could be replaced by something like a Totem battle with Arceus holding the Legend Plate or w/e the new broken item is. Even generating random NPCs is relatively easy. Just pick some STABs and coverage moves. It's 4 slots to pick from a pool of moves where only like 1% is even vaguely usable. Showdown sort of does this with randbats.

Stadium also had Oak's Lab. Easy, just link to Home.

Gym Leader castle? Expand it to all gym leaders and E4 from all games. That's literally tens of hours of gameplay. They can even port the models from XY or Sun Moon directly. Legends Arceus graphically looks like a DS game, no one gives a shit!

Game Boy / Doduo / Dodrio Tower? Lets get maximum ambition here and have all DS titles released on the Switch, where they can be played at 2 or 4x speed.

Lastly we have the minigame thing. Honestly it's 2022. Just shove some minimalist generic Mario Party re-skins in and the community will collectively pee their pants. Metapod Harden gameplay literally consists of hitting A. Snore War also is just hit A. Magikarp Splash is A. Thundering Dynamo is also A... a lot. These games were so bad but it doesn't matter as long as you got a few more stars than your friend playing next to you.

Come on Gamefreak do Stadium right.
 
Back
Top