October has already seen a lot of fantastic, highly-anticipated technological releases such as iOS7, GTA V, and the remake of Zelda: Wind Waker for the Wii U. October 12th will bring about yet another huge release for arguably one of the best franchises around: Pokemon X and Y versions.
Designed specifically for the 3DS, Pokemon X and Y is the newest generation of mainstream games, and brings about some of the biggest changes that the franchise has ever seen. A new type, new evolutions, and trainer customization are some of the most-talked about additions to the new games. This is the first time since second generation Gold and Silver versions that a new type has been added to the type pool. (I’ll do my best to avoid huge spoilers here, because a lot of people would prefer to keep the game a mystery so they can truly appreciate the feel of a brand new game.) This is also the first Pokemon game that will allow diagonal movement – which for some reason has caused an enormous positive reaction from among the fans. I guess 15 years of forward, back, left, and right got old.
Game Freak, the company who makes Pokemon games, was going to try for their first international release in an attempt to level the playing field for trainers worldwide so that for once no country was ahead of the other. Sadly, some game distributors had other plans, and a few copies of the new games have been released early. For the Pokemon fandom, this is big news, because we get a sneak peak at all the cool new features added and get confirmation for a lot of the rumors that circulate the internet.
These leakers who are willing to share their XY experiences only increase the hype for Pokemon fans. Getting to watch others livestream their playthroughs only seems to increase the demand for Pokemon XY. This is possibly one of the best things that will happen to Game Freak – lately their games have been met with less-than-impressed fans and mixed feelings regarding the new Pokemon. But with the mounting hype for XY, this game is shaping up to be every trainer’s dream, whether they’ve been with the franchise all 15 years or if this will be their first experience with the series.
Personally, I’m right there with all the rabid fans. I’m dying to receive my copy of XY already. I preordered it from GameStop the day that preorders opened up. As I sit back and occasionally check credible fansites like Bulbapedia and Serebii for any fresh news, I can’t help but already plan out my own personal adventure.