The original 151 Pokemon have come and went and here we are on the first Pokemon installment for the Nintendo 3DS system. As with all entries into the popular gaming series, it was expected to do well from the very beginning and we all knew it was going to be one of the year’s must have games. Nintendo teased us in the months leading up to its October release, but it was only on day 1 that we finally got to see the full game in action and see the obvious and the subtle design specifics that would turn this game from not only “Another Pokemon game,” but rather a revolutionary and ground breaking entry into the series that rivals the original Red, Blue and Yellow editions.
1. 3D Graphics, Of Course!
You cannot talk about Pokemon X and Y and not talk about the revamped graphics. Fans have been calling for this for years, but until now, their pleas were just after thoughts in the company’s plans. No more do you play as a sprite that is recognizable as a human only because you see some eyes and it is wearing a hat, and no more are your previous Pokemon that you spend days catching just pixelated stills on the screen that vibrate in place. Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are the first 3D games in the main Pokemon series, and Game Freak did more than just provide the bare minimum level of 3D graphics and pushed their designs to a higher level.
Not only can you finally clearly see features on the playable and non-playable characters, but your Pokemon are life-like and responsive. They move and react to the attacks they are delivering and receiving, and the battle sequences finally reflect the natural environment around you instead of just a generic battle scene. Every little detail was considered in vamping the graphics. Players were improved, Pokemon were improved; the environment was improved; towns and cities were brought to life and drastically improved, battles were improved…
Pokemon X and Y will likely be known as THE game that ushered in a new era for graphical respect in the Pokemon series.
2. NintenDogs ala Pokemon Style:
NintenDogs was a huge hit on the DS because it offered up adorable pets in a portable machine that allowed gamers and casual players to enjoy pets without the messy lifelike hard work. You could bathe them, pet them, feed them… and form bonds with cute puppies and kittens. It was huge at the time and it has only been made better with Pokemon Amie. Now you can take that same idea and actually interact with your captured Pokemon.
So many Pokemon species are absolutely adorable, but before now, you could not do anything beyond put it in a box or fight with it. I don’t know about you, but I will be taking Psyduck and spoiling the heck out of it on the new Pokemon Amie mode. This mode also allows for game changing interactions such as increased happiness, which causes some species to evolve.
3. Mega Evolution Means Mega Life for Old Pokemon:
Mewtwo was one cool G back in the day. Since his time though, we have had legendary after legendary Pokemon come and go and even Arceus has topped him for having the highest base stats. A lot of the older generation Pokemon were being left behind and simply used as fillers for pages in the Pokedex as new species were generated every generation.
Pokemon X and Pokemon Y introduces Mega Stones that can induce temporary Mega Evolutions. Not only will the evolved Pokemon grow stronger, but they will even change types, changing the dynamic of battles. More importantly, it makes older Pokemon more relevant again as something new and exciting can be applied towards them to give you a reason to put them in your 6 man team once again.
4. O-Powers is Omazing
If you hadn’t noticed yet, some guy will appear in most cities and offer you a chance to bond with him and give you a new O Power or a power enhancement. These can provide more money in your battle victories, heal your Pokemon in battle, increase attack/defense stats and a whole list of much more. As you use them more and more they become stronger. Even more exciting, you can give power to other trainers, adding a new element to the connectivity and trade feature of the Pokemon games that was the basis for the original games to begin with.
5. Mr. Mime is a Fairy…
We all saw that coming… It was obvious from the beginning that Pokemon such as Jigglypuff, Chansey, Togepi, Clefairy were MORE that just Normal type Pokemon, but it took until the 6th generation for Nintendo and Game Freak to finally give us the long deserved and obvious addition to the type family. Fairy type has led to older Pokemon’s types being adjusted and for their real potential to finally be realized.
In addition to that, the outrageous focus the company has spent on the dragon type for the past several generations is finally being marginally diminished. There was no reason for them to ever take Dragon to the level they did in the first place. Fairy type Pokemon is a welcome and needed addition to the series.
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What are your thoughts? Did Pokemon X and Y meet your expectations, and will it be remembered as a defining moment in the series? Share your top 5 features for the game with us on Facebook. 
