Pokemon

[Nel_Annette]

From what I've seen so far, this is one of the least interesting 'third' Pokemon entries in a generation. And that's saying something. Definitely passing.

Agreed. Every third version they've ever done has had at least one thing to really entice me, but this one is looking like the exact same game with some extra forms. Nothing remotely interesting has been shown. And there's two versions of this? Come'on, GF, give us something. Throw some curveballs in the plot, have something in those empty lots. Something.

[Ranadiel]

Agreed. Every third version they've ever done has had at least one thing to really entice me, but this one is looking like the exact same game with some extra forms. Nothing remotely interesting has been shown. And there's two versions of this? Come'on, GF, give us something. Throw some curveballs in the plot, have something in those empty lots. Something.

Well it isn't like they have talked about it much yet, so we will likely be getting info on additional stuff later. So at this point I would say it is more of "we don't know what they are doing yet," than "we know they aren't doing anything."

[Hathen]

I've heard a lot of people make that point, but I'm not really willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here. Their last 3 releases they splurged almost the entire game (as far as new features go) via marketing before release, and I doubt they'd suddenly change up their marketing strategy now. I think the most irritating one was with the lack of Battle Frontier in OR/AS- not so much that it wasn't in the game, but that in interviews they were asked about it before release and they basically dodged the question in a way that implied it might be in the game.

Maybe they'll surprise me, but it just doesn't match up with what they've been doing for several years now.

[Ranadiel]

Well waiting to see what is in it is perfectly fine. I expect that we're going to start seeing information come out more frequently from now on though.

[Nel_Annette]

I'm hoping there's some CoroCoro feature coming up that provides more insightful info or something. I just find it strange that we went so long between the game's initial announcement up to now with basically nothing being said about the game, and when they finally do have news, it's just... Lycanroc with a half-baked form.

It makes me feel like there's not much going for this update and they know it. I'm hoping I'm wrong. I want to be excited for a Pokemon game. It's got nothing to do with Stars or the Switch rumors or anything, I never had any expectations for that. I'm just not seeing anything that says they're worth checking out yet.

[Ranadiel]

In terms of time from announcement to first news, USUM is actually about on track with previous entries. It is just that USUM was announced several months closer to release than previous entries, so it feels like they are behind schedule. I imagine they will have less to reveal since this won't be a new generation. But w/e I'll keep everyone up to date with the news as it trickles out.

There is a Corocoro coming out in a week. The first scans are out, but they are just two pages about Dusk Lycanroc. If it is 4-6 pages then there will still potentially be new news when the full scans come out, but still too early to tell.

[Ranadiel]

Well yesterday's announcement was interesting, as there is now an old tradition that has been broken. One that I was honestly not expecting to ever to broken...we now appear to have new Pokémon mid generation. The question now becomes, how many (if any) are there besides these two.

[Hathen]

Gumshoos wasn't enough, now a giant brick wall too?

Okay, obvious joke out of the way. I'm intrigued, but not sold. I do expect them to drop some big news next month since that'll probably be their last chance before the game launches. More UBs can be fun, but the quest to get them in SM felt really tacked on and an underuse of the UB concept (it was pretty much just "go revisit this area and catch this" repeated a few times), so some indication they'll actually put some effort into that this time would be cool. Really even the Nihilego realm you got to visit was just a hallway really, visual uniqueness aside.

[Ranadiel]

One possibility that has occurred to me is that Necrozma might be getting an evolution. If you put the two covers together there is a being of white light in the center of the combined image (that people strongly suspect is connected to Necrozma), and it doesn't make sense to me for Necrozma to have a third form. So with confirmation of new Pokémon, I can't help but feel that being of light is going to be a new evolution.

[Klutz64]

Officially glad I skipped the original releases of Sun & Moon. The protags for Ultra look so much less dorky.

[Ranadiel]

So a new trailer.

https://youtu.be/bucxOT8zudk

Seems we will get to go to some new areas via an Ultra Wormhole. Also we are now up to three new UBs. Also seems we are getting a new "evil" team with different members depending on which version you have.

[Electricb7]

I keep buying Pokemon games because of nostalgia and my respect for the first 2 generations. I cant even be bothered to finish them now. I dont agree with any of the decision they have made going forth with each new game. I'm not just talking about the videogames but the cartoon and trading card game as well. But mostly its the game. The potential is through the roof but Game-freak is just such trash imo.
I usually just sloth through Moon when I'm sitting getting my car worked on.

[Hathen]

The first two generations of the Pokemon games did have a specific charm to them. They had this really weird ambiance and the Pokemon designs were generally a lot simpler. There was also a lot more left to the players' imagination. There's a reason why creepypastas and the like use Gen 1 as their basis. Gen 3 onwards really makes me wonder how much of that was intentional though, rather than just something that resulted from the limitations of the GB/GBC.

As for the new trailer- going to the UB realms was something that really felt like it should've been in SM to begin with, so it being in USUM is nice. Kinda disappointed that it looks like all the realms will just be essentially a hallway like the Nihilego one (with varying wallpaper) though. UB Adhesion is IMO the most disappointing UB design so far. Every other UB is just this weird monstrosity whereas Adhesion kinda looks like one of those Mew variants we get every gen. Gameplay-wise it's a disappointingly mundane typing too.

[Nel_Annette]

I am glad that I was wrong and there appears to be plenty of new content, but some of these story changes seem like something I'd only appreciate because I played the originals. The whole futuristic Ultra Space city with Necrozma just seems sooooo out there that I hope there's a proper build-up to it.

I agree with Hathen. I like Kanto and Johto. You were just a kid traveling the region, stopping the Mafia, maybe finding an old ruin here or there. Now it's just crazier and crazier world-ending schemes and I'm tired of it.

On notes of positivity, it is nice to see the trials getting a revamp, Mina finally getting the trial she should have had to begin with, and those empty lots getting filled. Makes me wonder how easy it'll be to go back to the first iterations after playing these.

[Ranadiel]

So there is some new Pokemon news. Going to spoiler block this...

Spoiler: show

Team Rocket is showing up in USUM.

And this happens to correspond with a possible leak from a few months ago...

Spoiler: show

That the game would include a Team Rainbow Rocket (Team Rocket R is rainbow colored in one of the screenshots) comprising villians from alternate timelines where they won and have their corresponding legendaries on their team. Speculation at the moment is that this will be the post game episode and will probably be tied to catching legendaries in Ultra Space which was recently confirmed to be possible (e.g., beat Giovanni to cause Mewtwo to show up in Ultra Space).