Pokémon XD: Gale Of Darkness

"...you won't get a whole lot new with the Colosseum follow-up. Pokemon XD has merit on its own for players who may not have experienced the first GameCube design, but as a sequel this one doesn't have nearly the same "oomph" as the original."

"As far as Nintendo seems to be concerned, at least until the first DS outing, Pokémon begins and ends with the Game Boy. Pokémon XD is tedious and restrictive. The message is clear: if you want Pokémon, crack open a GBA."

"Is Pokemon still cool? Of course it is! We can't believe you just asked us that! A little while ago I was at a game event and one of the journalists there started bashing Pokemon, basically going off about how Nintendo milks the franchise and how that's going to doom the company. It made me laugh (on the inside). Like it or not, there are some games that sell themselves regardless of what us "experts" think. One only has to recall the madness at Nintendo's E3 booth to understand this, as thousands upon thousands of hungry gamers flocked to catch a glimpse of the upcoming GameCube RPG, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Actually, they probably also wanted the free Pokemon plush dolls that some of the Nintendo reps were handing out, but regardless, Pokemon's still huge, and Gale of Darkness will be another feather in the publisher's already decorated cap. For the most part, Gale of Darkness bears a striking resemblance to Pokemon Coliseum in that the graphics and the gameplay are very similar in design. You're still going to bring in two Poke critters and pit their special abilities against another pair, though there are a few special features that make this title somewhat different than its enjoyable predecessor. Naturally (or perhaps unnaturally, if you've played Pokemon Emerald), we're being treated to an entirely new story. The XD in this game's title stands for Xtra Dimension, and that's certainly apropos considering that it takes place in an alternate universe where Shadow Pokemon reside, dark beings who have had their hearts locked by a mysterious force. It's up to you to find the proverbial key to unlock their hearts (awwww) and lay the smack down upon whatever evil has poisoned the land. Shadow Pokemon look exactly like their more normal counterparts except that they all have different attacks. A Shadow Pikachu, for example, doesn't have access to lightning strikes, so initially you won't know what to expect, though you can always figure out if a Pokemon is a Shadow type by scanning it. However, just because these creatures have new move lists doesn't mean they're more difficult to defeat. When I played the demo, I had no trouble showing dark Pikachu who was boss and then snagging him in a Poke Ball, much to the chagrin of his muscle-bound trainer, who fled shortly after I established my dominance. As I previously mentioned, Gale of Darkness' visuals remind me a lot of Pokemon Coliseum. Not that that's a bad thing, but much like its Game Boy Advance Pokemon titles, Nintendo and the developers aren't pushing the hardware. However, attack effects are still quite dazzling, and the game's simple yet colorful appearance is very effective. Unfortunately, Nintendo hasn't revealed many details, so we're just going to have to wait to see if there are more gameplay features that haven't been mentioned (likely) or whether we'll be able to share data between Gale of Darkness and past Pokemon titles. I'll return with a more in depth preview before the game ships this fall. Just keep in mind that Shadow Pokemon need love too."