Pokémon X and Y

Pokémon X Pokémon Y
North American packaging artwork for Pokémon X, depicting the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas. The Pokémon Y box art depicts the Legendary Pokémon Yveltal.
Developer(s)	Game Freak
Publisher(s)	The Pokémon Company
Distributor(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Junichi Masuda
Producer(s)	Satoshi Tajiri Junichi Masuda Hitoshi Yamagami Shusaku Egami Takato Utsunomiya
Artist(s)	Ken Sugimori
Writer(s)	Toshinobu Matsumiya Masafumi Nukita Suguru Nakatsui
Composer(s)	Shota Kageyama Minako Adachi Hitomi Sato Junichi Masuda
Series	Pokémon
Platform(s)	Nintendo 3DS
Release date(s)	WW October 12, 2013[1]
Genre(s)	Role-playing video game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y (ポケットモンスター X・Y, Poketto Monsutā Ekkusu & Wai) are role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the sixth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games. First announced on January 8, 2013, by Satoru Iwata through a special Nintendo Direct,^[2] both X and Y were released worldwide on October 12, 2013,^[1] making them the first Nintendo-published retail games to have such a global simultaneous release in all key regions.^[3]

As with previous installments, each game follows the journey of a young Pokémon trainer (and the trainer's friends) as they train Pokémon. This time, the game takes place in the Kalos region—based on France—with the object of the game being to thwart the schemes of the nefarious criminal organization Team Flare, all while attempting to challenge the Pokémon League Champion. X and Y introduced 70 new Pokémon species, and includes new features such as the new Fairy type, character customization, updated battle and training mechanics, and completely rendered polygonal 3D graphics (as opposed to the sprites used in previous generations). A new form of Pokémon evolution, known as "Mega Evolution," allows players to further evolve many species of fully evolved Pokémon, with 30 evolutions currently available. Both titles are independent of each other, but feature largely the same plot, and while either can be played separately, trading Pokémon between the two games is, as with past titles, necessary in order for a player to obtain every Pokémon species.

Upon release, X and Y received positive reviews from critics who praised the advancements in the gameplay and the large innovation that the developers brought to the franchise. The highly anticipated games were a commercial success, selling four million copies worldwide in the first weekend,^[4] beating Black and White's record and making them the fastest-selling games on the 3DS.^[5] As of December 2015, the games have sold 14.46 million copies,^[6] becoming the best-selling games on the system.

Gameplay

Pokémon X and Y are role-playing video games with adventure elements, presented in a third-person, overhead perspective. It is also the first Pokémon game to have 3D functions. The player controls a young trainer who goes on a quest to catch and train creatures known as Pokémon, and win battles against other trainers. By defeating enemy Pokémon in turn-based battles, the player's Pokémon gains experience, allowing them to level up and increase their battle statistics, learn new battle techniques, and in some cases, evolve into more powerful Pokémon. Alternatively, players can capture wild Pokémon, found during random encounters, by weakening them in battle and catching them with Poké Balls, allowing them to be added to their party. Players are also able to battle and trade Pokémon with other human players using the Nintendo 3DS's connectivity features. Like in previous games in the series, certain Pokémon are only obtainable in either X or Y, with players encouraged to trade with others in order to obtain all Pokémon from both versions.

New features

Pokémon X and Y are the first titles in the main series presented in fully 3D polygonal graphics, allowing for more interactivity with the overworld and more dynamic action during battles.^[7] Players are also able to customize their Pokémon trainer's appearance, choosing gender, skin tone and hair color at the start of the game, and can later acquire outfits and accessories to change their character's look. Joining the previous generations of Pokémon are all new species, such as the new Starter Pokémon; Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie, and the Pokémon that are, within the fictional Pokémon world, described as legendary, namely Xerneas, Yveltal and Zygarde.^[8][9] Players will also be able to choose from one of the classic starter Pokémon from Pokémon Red and Blue later on in the game.^[10] The new Fairy-type is introduced for both new and old Pokémon, the first new type added to the series since Pokémon Gold and Silver.^[11] Game developers stated the addition was used to balance the Dragon-type.^[11] In battles, certain moves can interact with background objects, including rocks, bushes, and sand dunes, to uncover items that are difficult or impossible to obtain otherwise.

A new element in the series is Mega Evolution, in which fully evolved Pokémon, such as Mewtwo and Lucario, can use special items to temporarily evolve further into Mega Evolved forms (final forms for one evolution families and true/second final forms for two-evolution families) during battle,^[12] with some Pokémon having more than one possible Mega form available.^[13] Also introduced are Sky Battles, mid-air trainer battles that only flying Pokémon can participate in, and Horde Encounters, in which players must battle against multiple wild Pokémon at once.^[14] Pokémon-Amie lets players interact with their Pokémon using the 3DS' touchscreen and camera, playing with them and giving them treats to strengthen their bonds, ultimately affecting the way the Pokémon acts during battle. Super Training features various minigames that help build the base stats of the player's Pokémon, which in turn unlocks training bags that can be used by Pokémon to grow stronger on their own.

Connectivity to other devices

There are various improvements to the communication features. Using the Player Search System (PSS), players can keep track of various online players, including strangers, allowing them to easily initiate battles or trades. The Holo Caster allows the player to receive messages and updates from NPCs via StreetPass and SpotPass. Wonder Trade is a new trading feature that lets players make blind trades with anyone in the world. Other features include O-Powers, temporary powers that can increase stats and can be exchanged with other players, and improvements to the Global Trade System, allowing players to request Pokémon they have not encountered. At certain points in the game, players will be able to take in-game screenshots, which they can then share on the Pokémon Global Link site.

Pokémon Bank is an optional paid cloud storage service that allows players to store up to 3,000 Pokémon online to be shared amongst whichever physical or downloaded copies of the games they may own. Another application called Poké Transporter allows players to upload Pokémon owned in Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 to the Bank, which can then be imported into X and Y. There are plans to use these applications for future games in the series. These applications, announced for release in December 27, 2013, were postponed to February 5, 2014, due to the volume of traffic on the Nintendo Network service.^[15]

Story

Setting

The game takes place in the star-shaped Kalos Region (カロス地方, Karosu-chihō), with Lumiose City at its center. Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokémon Company, has attributed the region's appearance to be inspired by the country of France, with many structures influenced by landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower.^[16] In a developer roundtable, he stated "France is one of the many countries that has a focus on the beauty, and beauty was one of the themes that we had with Pokémon X and Y, so we wanted to see how we could express that beauty in the games".^[17]

Plot

Similarly to previous Pokémon games, X and Y both follow a linear storyline; the main events occur in a fixed order. The protagonist of Pokémon X and Y is a young teenager who had just moved to Vaniville Town who, along with his or her friends; Shauna, Calem/Serena, Tierno, and Trevor, set out on a journey through Kalos to become Pokémon masters. At the beginning of the games, the player chooses either Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie as their starter Pokémon from one of their friends, later receiving either Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, from the Kalos Region's leading scientist Professor Sycamore.^[18] The player's primary goal is to obtain the eight Gym Badges of Kalos and ultimately challenge the Elite Four of the Pokémon League, and its Champion, to win the game. Obstructing their way is the villainous Team Flare (フレア団, Furea-dan), whose goals at first seem to be geared towards making money off of Pokémon, but it is later revealed that their desire for beauty extends worldwide and they wish to wipe out humanity and civilization to keep the planet in its pristine and beautiful state. To that end, Team Flare seeks out the Mega Stones to understand their secret and Xerneas (X)/Yveltal (Y) to power a weapon to meet their goal. Also involved is the mysterious man AZ, whom Team Flare sees as instrumental to their plans.

After becoming Champion, the player can participate in the Battle Maison, taking the place of previous games' Battle Towers and Battle Subways. Players can also seek out the hidden Mega Stones, available only at a certain time of day. Another side quest involves the character Looker, originally introduced in Pokémon Platinum, with the player assisting the man in investigating a series of mysteries around Lumiose City.

Development

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were first shown on January 8, 2013, in a Nintendo Direct presentation, along with the first gameplay footage. They are the first games in the main series for the Nintendo 3DS and the first to be presented with full 3D graphics. Nintendo announced plans for a worldwide release (the game was first in the series to release in all key regions at the same time) to be held on October 12, 2013.^[1] However, some retailers in Canada and Italy broke street date on October 1, 2013.^[19] Many other retailers followed suit two to three days prior to the official date.

All copies of the games released in the key regions (except Chinese territories ) are identical in content, as it is possible to play the games in seven official languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and Korean) regardless of region origin, being introduced as an option during start-up (although it cannot be changed again during gameplay). Despite this, the regional game versions remain region-locked like most Nintendo 3DS games.

Music

An official soundtrack titled Nintendo 3DS Pokémon X-Y Super Music Collection (ニンテンドー3DS ポケモン Ｘ・Ｙ スーパーミュージックコレクション, Nintendō Surī Dī Esu Pokemon Ekkusu Wai Sūpā Myūjikku Korekushon) was released on November 13, 2013.^[20] The soundtrack has official artwork of Xerneas and Yveltal on the front cover and Mega Mewtwo Y on the back. The soundtrack was released worldwide digitally on iTunes as Pokémon X & Pokémon Y: Super Music Collection.

Promotion

For a limited time starting from the game's release on October 12, 2013, until January 15, 2014,^[23] players could download a special Torchic, possessing its hidden ability "Speed Boost" and a Blazikenite that allows players to utilize the Mega Pokémon Mega Blaziken.^[12]

In promoting the game's new Mega Evolution feature, Mega Mewtwo Y (then known as "Awakened Mewtwo") was featured in a special episode of the anime titled "Mewtwo: Prologue to Awakening" and then the film ExtremeSpeed Genesect: Mewtwo Awakens, released in Japan on July 13, 2013. Mega Evolution was also featured in the TV special Pokémon Origins, which was a re-telling of the original Pokémon Red and Blue games, and included a surprise appearance of Mega Charizard X. The upcoming season of the Pokémon anime series based on these games, titled Pokémon the Series: XY, began airing in Japan on October 17, 2013, and was previewed in North America and Europe on October 19, 2013.^[24]

A special Nintendo 3DS XL depicting Xerneas and Yveltal in blue or red colors was released in North America and Europe on September 27, 2013, and in Japan on October 12, 2013. Japan will also receive a premium gold version depicting Xerneas on the front, and Yveltal and the three starters on the back with either X or Y pre-installed.^[25][26]

On October 2, 2013, The X Factor UK series 9 semifinalists Union J revealed via their social media outlets that they would be involved in the British release of X and Y.^[27]

Between March 1 and 31, North American Club Nintendo members could get a free download code for Pokémon X or Y as long as they registered a 2DS, 3DS or 3DS XL and one of six qualifying games. However, any products registered before this time are said to be ineligible.^[28]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 87.26% (X)[29] 87.89% (Y)[30] Metacritic 87/100 (X)[31] 88/100 (Y)[32] Review scores Publication Score Edge 8/10[33] Eurogamer 9/10[34] Famitsu 39/40[35] Game Informer 8.75/10[36] GameSpot 8.5/10[37] IGN 9/10[38] Joystiq [39] Nintendo World Report 8/10[40]

Pokémon X and Y received universal acclaim. According to Media Create sales data, over 1.26 million copies of Pokémon X and Y were pre-ordered in Japan, not including copies bundled with Nintendo 3DS hardware, making it the most reserved Nintendo 3DS title to date in the region.^[41] Reviews for Pokémon X and Y have been positive. Editors of Weekly Famitsu magazine awarded the game a near-perfect 39 out of 40 possible score based on individual reviews of 9, 10, 10, and 10, earning it the publication's Platinum Award.^[35] Over four million copies of the games were sold worldwide in the first weekend.^[4]

IGN found that the game was "a successful transition to a 3D world", calling it "an even more social, beautiful, and strategic game" compared to its predecessors. The website added that many of the new Pokémon's 3D models and animations complemented their individual species' personalities, and that the new Mega Evolutions were "similarly impressive".^[38] While they felt that the game refined many of the series' familiar features such as battling and trading, the story and character personalities were considered "pretty disappointing for a predominantly single-player RPG."^[38] Eurogamer similarly complimented the game's "smooth transition" to 3D, declaring that "Pokémon X & Y is the finest expression of Satoshi Tajiri's obsessive vision yet."^[34]

While Game Informer found the title's gameplay additions to be mostly positive, the magazine also felt that they ultimately did not "break the mold" of what players expected from the franchise, stating that "It still feels like a Pokémon game, but the ease of player control, the updated art direction, 3D graphics, and the scaling of the world make everything more inviting, attractive, and fun."^[36] Joystiq called the game "hands-down the best in the series", and that it could be enjoyed equally by both veterans and newcomers to the franchise.^[39] Nintendo World Report also gave positive reviews about the 3D graphics, music, characters, and the changes to battles, but criticized the inconsistencies in the presentation overall and found the new battle types not that exciting.^[40] While Edge praised the 3D graphics: "If X and Y aren’t the prettiest games on 3DS, their world is rich in detail and flavour, from the stately majesty of the affluent areas to a dilapidated, overgrown hotel whose only guests are squatting punks" and the frequent surprises, they claimed some of the series' "original magic had been lost across so many iterative updates" and criticized the framerate which "dips dramatically, occasionally approaching single digits" when in 3D mode.^[33]

As of December 31, 2015, the games together have worldwide sales of 14.46 million.^[6] As of August 2014, in the United States, Pokemon X has sold 2.10 million copies and Pokemon Y has sold 2.01 million copies.^[42]

References

External links

• Official website
• Official website (Japanese)
• Pokémon Global Link
• Official "Pokémon Direct" announcement from Nintendo