Those of you who are regular readers of my reviews may recall that I recently reviewed the latest instalment of the globe-spanning mega-franchise, Yu-Gi-Tic-Tac-Toh. Today, I would like to introduce you all to an older franchise, perhaps one of the first, or even perhaps the first, truly global franchise to not so much sweep the video gaming world, but more to invade, conquer, and occupy a large portion of it permanently. Welcome to the world of Pokéman.
Just like the aforementioned Yu-Gi-Tic-Tac-Toh, Pokéman has a massive string of merchandise behind it, only Pokéman’s is much more diverse. Not only are there cartoon shows, T-shirts and lunchboxes, but there are also such inane items as pencil sets, make up kits, toilet paper, and a brand of anti-bacterial surface cleaner. When you can get your favourite Pokéman characters as pasta shapes in ‘a delicious tomato flavoured sauce’, it’s obvious that the game is somewhat popular.
Pink?
As with many gaming franchises, there are a variety of different versions for players to choose from. One of the interesting variations on this theme that Pokéman presents, however, is a choice between different variants of the same game, with minor differences between each one. Regardless of whether you pick Pokéman Pink, Beige, Chartreuse, or Tartan, it’s the same story, the same game mechanics, but depending on which version you opt for, you’ll be playing with, wait for it, a different colour character!
Before you start turning away with disgust, bear with me, because this seemingly superficial element of the game does hold some small significance. The colour of your character will affect your ‘affinity’ to the various elements set out in the game, and early on this will affect which areas it is safe to travel in, and which Pokémen will react favourably to the main character.
But I’m getting ahead of myself!
Pokéman: Gotta Hire ‘Em All!
The world of Pokéman is, on the surface, not so unlike the world that you and I live in. There are cities, populated by normal human beings, or a close approximation, and a wide variety of geography covering the rest of the world, populated, for the most part, by various kinds of wildlife. The game will, in traditionally linear RPG style, have the main character visiting most parts of the map, visiting the cities as you go. This brings me on to the subject of who precisely the main character is.
A fair proportion of the wildlife inhabiting the world of Pokéman is smarter than the average squirrel or badger that you might normally encounter in the wilderness. Indeed, the creatures can talk to each other, and they have used this gift to spread the knowledge of one very special and powerful secret: In the human world, contracts are law.
Why is this important? Well, in the current game world it has become one of the greatest sports to pitch humans in one on one combat against each other, training the various skills of their professions to the highest level so that they can out battle all opposition that they face. This combat is orchestrated by the Pokéman Trainers and Pokéman Masters of the world, who have convinced certain humans to sign unbreakable contracts and become ‘Pokémen’, pledging themselves to follow the commands of the Pokéman trainer they have signed up to, and fight in their name.
The main character in this game is one such aspiring Pokéman Trainer, a young (and strangely pink, in this version of the game) beaver called Nash. It is Nash’s ultimate dream to become the greatest of the Pokéman Masters, one of the most honoured positions that any animal could aspire to. But, as the game starts, he has a long way to go.
Even Beavers Can Oversleep
Nash wakes up on the first day of his career as a Pokéman Trainer, on which he is supposed to visit his good squirrel friend, Professor McNutty, and receive his first Pokéman. Unfortunately, Nash has overslept, and is forced to run all the way to Professor McNutty’s tree, only to find that the other Trainers have already left with their Pokémen, and Nash is forced to take the last one available. In Pokéman Pink, this is a Businessman, as business newspapers often come on pink sheets, hence the colour affinity.
Here, Nash learns one of the most important skills that any Pokéman Trainer needs; how to catch a Pokéman. This is done by wearing down a ‘wild’ human with attacks from another Pokéman, stunning them into greater and greater levels of confusion. Before they pass out from the confusion, however, the Trainer must thrown a Pokécontract at the human, hoping that, in his weakened and dazed state, he will sign the contract, no questions asked. If he does, then the magic of the contract shrinks the man down and seals him inside the small, pocket sized contract (Hence, Pokéman – literally translated as ‘Pocket Man’), to be released when it is time to fight. Otherwise, if the human does not submit and sign, he needs to be worn down some more before another Pokécontract is used.
Nash’s Businessman is, sensibly, affiliated to the ‘Business’ element, and will be strong (although not immune) to Business-based attacks and powers. His own attacks are also Business-based. He also has a resistance to the ‘Bureaucracy’ element, but is weak to the ‘Comedy’ and ‘Traffic’ elements. This means that, while he would be strong against a Junioraccountant, which is strong in Bureaucracy, but weak in Business, the Businessman might struggle against the might of the Taxidriver or Circusclown.
There are many different elements that the 8953 kinds of Pokéman can be affiliated to, so it is always worth keeping a wide variety of Pokémen in your active collection, just in case something unexpected shows up. Only six Pokémen can be in your active collection at any one time, those being the Pokémen you can switch between freely in battle, although these can be switched with any other Pokémen in your total collection (which can be limitless in size), any time you reach a Poképoint in the game.
Beginning the Journey
Since his first Pokéman is strong in the Business element, it is best to have Nash initially travel to the centre of the local human settlement, Mallet Town, as he is more likely to find other humans there that he will be strong against, allowing his Businessman to pick up some experience for the battles ahead. Fortunately, it is a small town, home to few big businesses, so Nash will not encounter such Pokémen as Companydirectordude and Managingdirectordude, both of which are more advanced forms of the Businessman, and though strong and weak in the same elements, would crush Nash’s poor Businessman with their greater strength.
Nash’s first encounter is with a wild Flowershopowner, who throws themselves from behind a suspiciously placed wooden crate. Nash immediately produces his Businessman’s Pokécontract, and releases his Pokéman into battle! Nash gets the advantage, and orders his Businessman to use his Briefcase attack. Businessman does so and flings his heavy briefcase at his opponent, reducing Flowershopowner’s health by a fraction. Flowershopowner responds with Petal Spray, which sends a cloud of petals into the air, making it harder for attacks to be landed on him.
Businessman is ordered to respond with Buzzwords, a power of business lingo that reduces the opponent’s resistance to Business based attacks. It works, but is countered by a Poison Ivy attack from the Flowershopowner, whipping him with poisonous vines and poisoning the Businessman for the remainder of the battle, causing his health to be sapped point by point. Undaunted, Nash orders an attack with Paperwork Storm, which cuts through the Petal Spray and is extra effective because of the previous effect of Jargon, reducing Flowershopowner’s resistance to such Business-based moves.
Flowershopowner responds with Hayfever, causing irritation in the Businessman’s eyes and further reducing his ability to hit with attacks. Nash, however, has had enough, and decides, with Flowershopowner’s health already low, to try and hire him with a Pokécontract. He throws the contract out towards the Flowershopowner who, looking dazed and confused from the battle, stumbles a little, looks at the contract, and signs! Immediately, the magic takes effect and the Flowershopowner is sealed into the contract. Businessman also returns to his contract, after gaining some vital experience points. Nash now has two Pokémen to battle with!
Everything Comes With Experience
As Nash continues to fight other Pokémen, some of which will be owned by other Pokéman Trainers, given that there is such a strong rivalry between Trainers, he will move towards his ultimate goal of reaching the Grand Pokéman Tournament, the winner of which will be granted the title of Pokéman Master. In order to enter, he must first prove himself, which involves visiting all the cities in the world and finding the Employment Office in each one. Inside each, there is a Pokéman Master, who will challenge Nash to a Pokéman battle. If Nash wins, he gains the business card of that Pokéman Master, all eight of which are required to enter the tournament.
While travelling, Nash’s Pokémen will gain experience and increase in level, earning new attacks as they go. However, after reaching certain levels, they will earn a promotion! This involves them transforming into a new type of Pokéman, superior to their previous form. Nash’s Businessman, for example, will eventually be promoted to a Companydirectordude, and then a Managingdirectordude, the Flowershopowner will eventually become a Gardeningshowhost, and so on. There are a myriad of promotions and Pokémen out there, and it is quite fun discovering them all.
Straight As A Die
It’s a good thing, however, that the collecting and promoting of Pokémen is so much fun, however, as the plot itself will leave the majority of players cold. There is no twisting tale of life, death, and the end of the world, and no real supply of sidequests or other such distraction to pull players into the game world.
Rather, the puzzles are simplistic, the plot is very linear – you will always be told where to head next, and the story is just about one young beaver aspiring to reach the top of his sport. It would feel like a fresh focus, after playing so many ‘save the world’ RPGs, and it might even be a heart-warming tale of one beaver against all odds, if it weren’t for the fact that, beyond the Pokémen, the game never truly, deeply, involves the player.
Except from a couple of brief battles with a gang of Pokémen stealing thieves, Team Croquet, and the search for one mysterious, virtually impossible to get Pokéman, the Masterninja, the plot is entirely composed of a series of journeying to a town, battling the Pokéman Master at the Employment Centre, journeying to the next town, and so on. Finally, after eight repetitions, there is the journey to the battle arena for the tournament, which ironically, is very close to the starting location of Mallet Town, bar for a coincidental twist of geography that has provided a wall of mountains meaning players have to traverse the entire map, through all eight cities to get there. Finally, there is the tournament itself, comprising five battles, each harder than the last, until Nash is crowned Pokéman Master. And the ending sequence also leaves a lot to be desired. It is uninspiring, at best.
The Ultimate Pokéman Master
Of course, anything I say here won’t affect the runaway popularity of these games, and perhaps it shouldn’t, because in the end, these games were originally aimed at the younger player, who isn’t so interested in labyrinthine plots and character interaction. Having seen kids in the local games store chatting about the various Pokémen available, and raving about their favourites, I can assume that the game is perfectly pitched at its target audience. If any older players like the game as well, then that’s just a bonus.
Personally, my recommendation is that, if you are over the age of twelve, this might not be for you. If you spend your time playing Final Flantasy and World of Normalcraft, it almost certainly isn’t. But if you are after something that is a little unusual, and doesn’t require a lot of concentration to follow, or if you just like collecting and exploring, then this might just be up your street.
And me, well, I won’t be selling my copy just yet. I just hired a Privateye, and I’m not ready to quit until I’ve promoted him all the way to a Specialagent. Then, maybe, just maybe, we’ll talk.
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