Wow, people in this thread unironically defending Arceus being locked behind a PLA save because "past distributions were worse". You are the reason GameFreak never learns.
A practice thats been in the business for well over 2 decades? Yeah im shocked GF even caught up to that point
This, honestly. Save bonuses have been around for a while now. My first experience was getting some extra items in Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World on Wii for having a Game Cube Memory Card with a save file of the original Tales of Symphonia on it plugged into the system.
Well first, responding to
Nokocchi, it has been discussed before that due to the Pokemon games allowing you to transfer Pokemon up from previous gens, things are a bit different concerning Pokemon when they do something like introduce a new mechanic or, in this case, implement a new event distribution which affects how the games are played.
Mechanic wise, let's take the super forms, specifically Mega Evolution. They've designed completely new Pokemon forms for it, made even more Mega Evos in the remake, had them carried over to the next gen... and then they decided to not use them except on special occasions.
"Well other games constantly switch up mechanics, like Mario and Zelda". Yes, many Mario and Zelda games do have a central mechanic they focus on which exist in that one game. But that's the thing, each game is isolated from one another; you can't bring a Mario from Galaxy into Odyssey or a Link from a Link Between Worlds into Breath of the Wild.
However, as I said, with Pokemon you're able to bring up one form a past gen into the new gen. So they introduced a new mechanic that radically changed how some Pokemon played, usually for the better, so when they decide to end it not only does that design go away but also rips away a valuable tool for that Pokemon's playstyle.
Some could say Z-Moves and Dynamax are in the same boat, but at least with those they were only around for one gen and they didn't make new designs for Pokemon. Unfortunately they didn't learn their lesson with Megas and did make new designs for the Gigantamax. At least Mega Evos have a chance of coming back in some form as they're just super power-ups, but they'll have a hard time finding reasons for ever bringing back the Gmax forms unless they severely shrink them down (which essentially would just make them Mega Evos with a different name... though then again that's what they did for the Primal Reversions and Battle Bond Greninja).
So, what about this new event distribution where they're locking Mythicals behind other Pokemon games?
Well, first off, this is a radical change from previously where the Mythicals were distributed usually via a free method. Connecting to the internet, having to go to a store to get a code card, Arceus forbid the freakin' newsletter. While yes those themselves had certain limitations, you weren't asked to just so happen to own another $60 game to get a Pokemon that previously would have just been an event giveaway.
"Well you don't get the game to get the Pokemon, you get the game because you want it; the Mythical is just a bonus". Very true, but from GF's perspective it's an excuse not having to do any additional event distributions for past Mythicals which they had to do in prior gens. Now, in GF's eyes, they only need to do distributions for at least the new Mythicals (because I'm pretty sure you'll have a problem if they locked a new Mythical behind having to own another game, right? And, if you do, why is this different for a past Mythical?). It's easy for many of us to overlook it as we likely have participated in enough events we have all the Mythicals by now, but for newcomers (especially younger players) this is actually a bigger hurdle then just having internet connection or going down to the closest game store; especially those who don't have disposable income. And, before you say it, look, some kids just may not have friends they can coordinate with so that they can swap around games to have save files for.
"Other games have done it". And what did those games unlock? Just bonus equipment or party member you can only use in that game? A secret boss battle or story campaign that, since it was locked behind owning another game, is completely separate from the main story? Certainly neat, but even if the game it unlocks something in will unlock something in a future title it won't be the same stuff. Meanwhile, in Pokemon, that Mythical can be transferred up to newer games making it alone a more valuable unlockable. And, since GF may also see this as having done an event distribution for that Pokemon, who knows when the next chance to get that Mythical may be, maybe not for the next couple of generations. Yes, theoretically as long as those games exist, especially in digital form, you can save up to get them later to not only experience the game but get those bonus unlocks for those Mythicals. But that's a batch of loops to jump through when they could have just distributed the Mythical online.
OR, they can have the other game unlock, but then at a certain time or maybe even at the very end of that game's cycle just do an event that unlocks that Pokemon for everyone. Those how had the required game just got to have it as an early bonus for having both required games.
OR, instead of locking much wanted Mythicals behind this paywall, make it another special Pokemon like a Shiny Legendary or a Pokemon with a special move or Hidden Ability.
Another suggestion: If you're just gonna have the Mythical in the game how about start demoting Mythicals to simple Legendary status. In one game they're a unlockable, but then in the next game they're included in the next Legendary Hunt with all the other Legendaries. Why not have Mew, Jirachi, Deoxys, and Keldeo (and if Legends count, all the Sinnoh Mythicals) join the others in Scarlet & Violet's Legendary Hunt (could even make them version exclusives)?
You know what? Past distributions were worse, but not in the sense that they were necessarily bad- rather, that this one is great! Instead of being locked to a specific timeframe where if you miss it you're screwed, as long as you have the necessary games, you have infinite access to Arceus moving forward, and it's not even Shiny locked!
Timeframe: Yes, in this way it feels like these Pokemon will always be available... but if you really think about it not really. Think about this: what if there is a jump to the next gen console? Now, if someone who wants the Switch game unlocks cause they weren't playing then, needs to potentially add the purchase of a previous gen console to get them if they don't have the console. Which doesn't sound bad now because everyone has a Switch, but how long till it does? And once again not everyone has the disposable income to buy a new console outright, some may need to trade in their old console to get the new one. So now they need to hold off getting the new console and possibly new gen to be able to get the money needed to get the save files to get the unlocks, and very likely each day they need to wait the value of the previous console they're playing goes down meaning they would have to pay more then they would have originally to get the new console with a trade-in.
Time-based does suck especially since its artificially enforced and there's no reason not to keep the distribution always available (and some could be easily spoofed, especially the Gen IV ones), though they're also done during the height of the focus on that gen so everyone who is playing the game at that time has a higher chance of getting it no matter their financial situation.
And so what if this means you need to have completed two different games to get this thing- it's the literal god of the Pokémon world, what do you want them to do, just hand it to you on a silver platter?
Given On A Silver Platter: Um, the reason some of us are upset about this change is BECAUSE they've usually given us Mythicals on a silver platter. When before it was "Oh, I want that Mythical, better go online/to my local game store" now it's "Oh. I want that Mythical, wait, I need to buy an entire game to just get it?".
Let's take me for example. I don't want to buy Let's Go, and I don't want to buy BDSP. Now in SwSh I lost access to Gigantamax Pikachu & Eevee, but that was alright as they later gave them out. But since I don't want BDSP that now means I can't get Darkrai in Legends. However if I for some reason decide to buy BDSP, while I'll be able to get the Jirachi and Arceus, I won't be able to get the Mew (which is a bit rarer to get I notice) cause I don't own Let's Go (which itself had ways of getting Mew so having BDSP offering a Mew for having Let's Go feels a bit redundant). And if this trend continues what Mythical Pokemon would I be missing out on in Scarlet & Violet because I didn't want to get BDSP?
Interacting with multiple games to get certain Pokémon in certain games has always, always, always been a thing in this franchise. Version exclusives are this at its most basic. Dual slot mode in Gen 4 was absolutely necessary for Pokédex completion back in the day. Wanted a Surfing Pikachu back then and missed the Yellow Forest event for the Pokéwalker? Better have Battle Revolution! Wanted Lugia and Ho-Oh in Gen 3? Colosseum and XD were must-haves for this purpose. You had to not only buy Pokémon Ranger to get Manaphy way back when, but if it was a used copy, you better hope the previous owner didn't get one, because it was one Manaphy Egg per copy, not per save file! And then you got the save file bonuses we've been getting so far.
Version Exclusives: Mythicals aren't version exclusive. At most Legendaries are but with games now doing Legendary Hunts plus players replaying the game to get multiples (especially with the Switch having multiple profiles) plus them doing some events which gives out the other version Legendaries this isn't that big of an issue when compared to Mythicals that are traditionally only given out via events.
Dual Slots: Didn't offer Mythicals. It offered Pokemon you could get in those GBA games just saving the hassle of transferring them up.
Surfing Pikachu: It's only a Pikachu with Surf, which then could become a Raichu with Surf. While neat still doesn't quite equal up to a Mythical status. Plus they now like to give out Surfing and Flying Pikachu whenever they have an event surrounding the electric mouse mascot.
Lugia & Ho-Oh: Don't forget at the time they had the timed event to get them in Emerald and FRLG. This was also around that awkward time when, due to the GB being incompatible with the GBA, they couldn't do the normal transfer method so really had to find all sort of methods to give out the Gen I and especially Gen II Pokemon, both com mons and Legendaries. And finally when HGSS came out this was no longer an issue and hasn't been... until now with the closing of the 3DS eShop meaning now forming a cutoff at the Gen VI & VII games (gee GF, thanks for removing a direct method to transfer Pokemon up within the game and instead making it an app, the damage your short sightedness causes never ceases).
Manaphy: Alright, that one you have a point with, though at the time it was an exception that proved the rule. Doesn't make it any better, but it was an isolated thing. And yeah, even then the one per cart thing was REALLY stupid and was never done again. At the very least the other Ranger titles also always offered a Manaphy so it was at least a consistent exception (sorta like how Meltan and Melmetal are exclusive to GO) and Manaphy was also a timed event for BDSP. Oh, and now you can just get a Manaphy in Legends: Arceus. So it took a while, but at least Manaphy is no longer an issue as it gone the way of Deoxys and Keldeo by becoming a widely available Mythical.
Gigantamax Pikachu and Eevee in SwSh. Mew and Jirachi in BDSP. Darkrai and Shaymin in Legends: Arceus. But this, easily the best one of the bunch, the only one that isn't Shiny-locked, this is where y'all draw the line and start complaining? They didn't have to implement the Azure Flute event at all. We are not entitled to it. They could have easily deemed the Arceus we get in Legends: Arceus to be enough for us and left it at that, but they didn't, and now people are complaining because this previous completely inaccessible event isn't even more accessible than they saw fit to make it? I'm sorry, but that comes off as entitled to me and it doesn't sit well with me at all. I for one am happy that we got the event at all.
I'll give you that for Arceus, since its widely available in Legends, isn't that big of a deal. But what about those who don't want Let's Go but would have liked that BDSP Mew? What about those who didn't want BDSP but now can't get Legend's Darkrai? Two Pokemon which previously had just been an event distribution now locked away in a game they own because GF wants them to also buy another game which they don't want. And I've included alternatives around this: Have an event at the end of that game's cycle where they unlock all the game locked Pokemon, even if its only for a limited amount of time, so those who own the game at the moment can at the very least get them. But they didn't, and I doubt they're waiting for the end of the gen.
I do not want this to become the future of Mythical event distributions because, sure, they're now longer available, but the requirement has changed to "do it within this time limit of a few weeks" to "buy another $60 game", and I feel the latter one is more exclusive.
If you could get absolutely everything out of the copy of the game you bought all by yourself with no outside help whatsoever, then what would even be the point of linking together with friends to trade?
So they can battle each other? Also this wasn't an argument about version exclusives, it was about locking Mythicals behind a $60 paywall.
Some people are willing to go that extra mile, and some aren't, and that's OK, because the first group is now in a position where they can help the second group out so they don't totally miss out. People reach out for the help, arrange some trades, maybe even make new friends in the process.
Except you only get one Mythical unless you're willing to replay the game over and over to get extra. And you're really only going to do that for friends you already know or are feeling extra charitable and look through Pokemon fan forums and reddit for a request board for those Pokemon.
Also, if GF really cared about the trading process, they would have the actual GTS in the game instead of mitigated to HOME.
Nobody is forcing anybody to pay extra for the thing, because nobody is forcing anybody to get the thing. It's seriously not a big deal if someone doesn't get Arceus, or Mew, or whatever. Arceus and Mew and all those mythicals do not matter. They are extras. Bonuses. Non-essential. You don't need them.
If it's not a big deal, then why are you defending a predatory practice? I'm just asking to keep Mythicals free and distributed to as wide an audience as possible.
This post has been kinda hostile, so I want close it by saying that if you're getting this upset over whether or not someone can obtain a virtual monster, you should reexamine what Pokemon means to you, because it doesn't seem healthy.
Geez, this argument got heated quickly.
I'm not sure if this would have been targeted at me had I been part of the discussion, though since it's targeted at someone who had the same views I'll give my take:
Nowadays Pokemon is a game I play to relieve stress, escape to a fantasy world where even a little kid can become the most strongest person ever (granted via control by an unseen force making all the decisions, though then again you're also supposed to put yourself in the kids position, going back to simpler times when the only thing you had to care about was hanging with friends, playing games,
and taking down the local gang). Once could say the "end goal" for a Pokemon game doesn't matter as we all know we become Champion, so its a game more about the journey, forming a team of elemental monsters whether planned or just using what you get, and making that team the best it can be (which isn't that difficult with the current difficulty but I digress).
Alright, so that's what Pokemon means to me. You may notice at no point I talked about event distribution theology, cause that has NOTHING to do with each other. Come now, you're saying someone who thinks as wide an audience as possible should be able to get a fun Pokemon without having to own a game they don't want is unhealthy? Look, I get we live in late stage capitalism, but relax:
but you all need to remember that GameFreak can do whatever they want with any of their content.
AND as a paying customer I have the right to complain about these choices if I don't agree with them and see a possible bad outcome if GF decides for this to be the ONLY* method to distribute the older event Pokemon.
* Actually, let me quickly mention that, if they had normal Event Distributions via internet/code for Mythicals along with this, I would be fine with this. It would be an "okay, for this gen these older Mythicals were internet/code events and these older mythicals were unlock bonuses". And then next gen and future gens they keep mixing it up so all Mythicals would have a share as being an internet/code distribution and unlock bonus. But right there is the problem, GF is lazy, and its a business, and so if they see players are willingly letting the ONLY do unlock bonus events then they'll stop doing the internet/code distributions because why bother? A fun bonus for the players? Pfft, whoever heard of a children's video game series doing anything out of the kindness of their heart?