Nintendo Launches Pokemon GTS Website

September 18, 2007 | 22 Comments

In case you might not have heard the news Nintendo just launched a live website that lets you take a look into the GTS! This amazing site gives you a graphical look into the goings on at the Global Trade Station. I took some time to look it over and I am going to both review the site here and provide some screen shots.

The site will let users see which Pokémon are the most popular to trade, provide statistics about the number of trades completed and allow them to bookmark their favorite Pokémon. The site will operate in seven different languages and inform users about the nation they’re “visiting” electronically. Visitors can even listen to audio files to learn how to say “hello” and “thank you” in select countries languages.

– Nintendo Press Release

GTS shot 1The first thing you see once you enter the site (and pass through the opening loading screen) is a large globe of the Earth with flags all over the place. This globe is a live representation of what is going on in the GTS at any given time. The lines you see crossing the globe are Pokemon trades in progress. In fact the information block on the left and right are both halves of one trade currently in progress.

GTS Search Strip

Clicking on the Pokemon Search button will bring up a listing of Pokemon in National Dex order. These Pokemon are displayed in groups of 50. To the right of the display area is a drop down box that allows you to select which group of 50 you want to see. Clicking on a Pokemon in the display area will bring up data on that Pokemon and list ones that are currently up for trade in the GTS. Some Pokemon (event Pokemon) can not be selected. I do not know if this is because there are none on GTS or not but I could not select any event Pokemon (the next three do not show up, not even Darkrai). I also could not select Phione or Manaphy.

GTS Close UpAs you can clearly see from the image at right clicking on the Pokemon in question brings up a good bit of information consisting of; moves, gender, location and item held (if any). Notice anything missing? I do but I will cover it later.

The yellow line points back to the globe to let you know where in the world this Pokemon currently resides. Because 5 Pokemon will be displayed at one time 5 yellow PokeBalls can be seen on the map to indicate where the other Pokemon are.

So, what other information can we see by looking at this particular page? One thing we can see is a listing of the Pokemon that are the Top 10 most deposited Pokemon that people have deposited looking to trade for this Pokemon. Behind that is a second tab area that lists the Top 10 most traded Pokemon that have been traded for this Pokemon. That’s a mouth-full eh?

GTS Top Ten Deposited PokemonNow that is just strange! The most deposited Pokemon deposited by people looking for an Eevee is an Eevee! it might just be people looking for an Eevee with a better nature of looking to trade males for females. The data only ever shows type.

So, is there anything else about the GTS worth talking about? So far it’s just a bunch of information and nothing is exactly useful because there is no way to really use this information effectively when planning your trades. I have to admit that there is one huge failing on this site and I will get to that. Before I do let me show you another of the nice informational pieces.

Let me now show you three screen shots of one of the most interesting statistics areas on the site; the Top 50 lists.

GTS Top 50 Most Traded Pokemon GTS Top 50 Most Wanted Pokemon GTS Top 50 Most Deposited Pokemon
GTS Top 50 Most Traded Pokemon GTS Top 50 Most Wanted Pokemon GTS Top 50 Most Deposited Pokemon

The above three screen shots show the three top 50 lists. You can use that information to get a rough idea of how in demand the Pokemon you have are. At this point I was getting pretty happy. I was beginning to think that this GTS site would have it all…

GTS Trade in ProgressEven though the GTS site has cool things such as a graphic display of Pokemon trades as they happen there is one thing that the GTS web site (like the real GTS) lacks. Have you figured out what that is?

You can’t search by Pokemon wanted!!!

Yes, the one feature I desperately need is the ability to find out what Pokemon people are looking for and what they want for them. Many times I have found myself with a good Pokemon that I wanted to trade away but I just did not know what to ask for. I would think to myself, “if only the GTS allowed me to search not for offered Pokemon but search by what people are looking for!”

Yes, the one big failing is that the GTS web site does not allow you to search for what people want. Not only that but even when you find a Pokemon you want on the GTS web site there is no way to find out what they want in exchange! Even if you are lucky enough to have your DS on and be in the GTS while looking at the site you may not even see any of the Pokemon from the site on your DS. If you do you have to match them up based on level and item held (if any) because the web site does not give you the trainer name.

Sadly I must conclude that the GTS web site is just a big piece of eye candy. You can’t really do anything with it and in that I am disappointed.

Posted by HMTKSteve | Filed Under Diamond, News, Pearl, Review 

Game Review: Pokemon Ranger

January 1, 2007 | 20 Comments

The newest non-traditional Pokémon video game for Nintendo DS is Pokémon Ranger.

I’m going to take a few minutes to review this game and give you my opinion as to how good the game is. I will also go over a few points that make the game different than the Pokémon games that have been released thus far.

Overview:

You take on the role of a Pokémon Ranger in the Fiore Region. Unlike in previous games there are no Pokéballs in this game. Instead you will be using a stylus to temporarily capture Pokémon.

As a low level Pokémon Ranger you will have access to stylus that gets more powerful as you gain in experience. Your Ranger level will slowly rise as you complete missions. As your level increases you will be able to capture more Pokémon and use more powerful Poké assist powers.

The game has a linear story path that you must complete before the game is considered complete.

You will be able to capture and interact with more than 200 Pokémon. Because you are a ranger and not a trainer, after you use a Pokémon’s power you must release it.

This is what I really like about Pokémon Ranger; it’s more in tune with the idea of Pokémon as you are not simply building a battle squad but are instead befriending Pokémon who then assist you and leave.

Stylus:

No Pokéballs in this game, instead you use the stylus on the DS touch screen to capture Pokémon.

I have to admit, when I first heard about that I thought it was crazy! Draw a line around a Pokémon until they get dizzy and then you capture them?

Have no fear, the system does work and it works well.

When you walk into a wild Pokémon (or an antagonist battle) you go into capture mode. Yes, evn battles are a capture as you are freeing the Pokémon from the bad guys!

You have to draw a line around the Pokémon a set number of times that varies by the power of the Pokémon. i.e. a weak Pokémon such as Magnamite can be captured with as few as three circles while a more powerful Pokémon such as Salamence may take 15+ circles to capture!

If your stylus hits the Pokémon while capturing your line is broken and your stylus takes damage. If the Pokémon attacks or walks into your circle it is also broken and you have to start over again.

Electric Pokémon can be used to recharge your stylus.

Poké Assists:

Sometimes a Pokémon is so powerful that you need a little bit of help to capture them, this is where the Poké Assist powers come in.

When capturing a Pokémon you can use the power of any Pokémon on your team to help.

For example: IF you were trying to capture a water Pokémon you could use a grass Pokémon to assist you. Because of the type advantage it’s Poké Assist power would be even more potent!

Once you use a Pokémon in this manner it is set free, unless it is your main Pokémon Plusle or Minun.

There are many different Poké Assist powers available in the game and the key to wining the story mode is to pay attention and use the appropriate Poké Assist power at the right time.

Field Moves:

As well as the Poké Assist powers many Pokémon also have Field Moves.

These range from basic things such as fire Pokémon being able to burn down obstacles and others having cut to knock down fences.

All Pokémon who have Field Moves have them at one of three power levels: one, two or three. Some obstacles are easy to pass and only require a level one Field Move while more difficult ones require a level three Field Move. No, you can not use three Pokémon with level one Field Moves to pass a level three obstacle.

Conclusion:

Unlike the prior offering of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, I find Pokémon Ranger to be a very enjoyable game. It’s not overly difficult and there is nothing random about it.

It is enjoable to capture the Pokémon with the stylus and knowing that they will be set free after you use them it forces you to better think out your strategies.

Even though the storyline is linear I have no problem with it. I have not yet completed the game but there is something after that called “Ranger Net” which will allow you to take on missions to capture legendary Pokémon such as Kyogre, Groudon and even Mew!

If you are looking for something to while away the hours until April when Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are released then you should pick this game up, it is worth it.

The only bad thing about this game is the lack of a multi-player aspect. Then again, I don’t know how you would have multi-player in this game!

For more information check out the Official Website.

UPDATE 1
I have now completed the game. Though Pokemon Ranger does not track amount of time played the following is now known to me:
No. of Steps Walked: 16990
No. of Conversations: 126
Targets Schecked: 201
Capture Attempts: 348
Pokemon Captured: 468
Abandoned Attempts (Fled): 6
Capture Line Length: 2300 feet
No. of Loops: 5667
Poke Assists Used: 179
No. of Times Minun Helped: 60
No. of Times the Styler Broke: 3
No. of Saves: 133
Current Exp. Points: 23795
Total Play Time: 9:21

Ranger Net is now available to me and… I now have the power to take Pokemon out of their natural environments! This means I can catch a Pokemon in the woods and then go to the jungle and they will not have to leave me.



Posted by Jolly | Filed Under News, Ranger, Review 

Game Review: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

September 29, 2006 | 25 Comments

The newest Pokemon game has arrived, but how does it stack up?

The Blue Rescue Team game is for the DS and the Red Rescue Team is for the GBA. Both play similar but Blue Rescue Team takes good advantage of the touch screen and the dual display.

I own one of each so I will attempt to tell you about them.

In Pokemon Mystery Dungeon you take on the role of a Pokemon. The Pokemon you start with depends on a series of questions the game asks you and how you answer them. A guide for this has been posted HERE for your reading pleasure. Based on who you end up as will also dictate who you get to select from as your partner.

The game starts off with you and your partner going on a rescue mission to the “Tiny Woods” to rescue a Caterpie. The missions are what this game is all about and I will get into that in due time…

For those who are used to playing the GBA Pokemon games you will find one very big surprise. No, it’s not the lack of trainers and your being a Pokemon, it is the removal of the start button as a way to access the menu system. In Pokemon Mystery Dungeon you use the *B* button to access your menu.

It’s a stumbling block for those of us who are set in our ways and I don’t understand why Nintendo chose to change this most basic of functions, but they did.

DS Note: Users of the DS game have access to the menu at the bottom of the touch screen and can easily use the stylus to navigate through the menu system.

When your Pokemon is involved in a battle you are allowed to “set” a move and use it by holding down the “Left” button while pressing the “A” button. Pressing the “A” button by itself has your Pokemon do a very basic attack similar to a tackle attack. Because of this, all Pokemon could be considered to have 5 attacks. If you want to use an attack other then the basic attack or your set move you need to hit the “B” button to access the menu, select “Moves” and then choose the attack to use.

It seems complicated at first but you will quickly get used to the change.

One very big advantage of the DS version is the use of the top screen to display the status of your Pokemon friends. In the GBA game you only see the hit points for yourself at the top of the screen. Pressing the “B” button will give you a quick look at everyone’s hit points but the DS is so much nicer in that, while in a dungeon, you have a constant visual of your friend’s hit points.

The “B” button has a few other uses aside from bringing up the menu. If you hold it down while moving you will run. If you hold the “A” and “B” buttons down simultaneously time will move faster.

Why would you want time to move faster? Because you heal naturally as time goes by. you also get hungry so be sure to pack some food in your Rescue Kit.

What’s a “Rescue Kit” you ask? It is a special box which holds your items. There is a small limit to the number of items you can store in the kit and each Pokemon can carry one item as well.

Now, because you can not directly control what your friends do you need an alternate way to let them know what you want them to do. This is where Pokemon “tactics” come in.

You can give each Pokemon a general command such as “stay close together” or “attack all enemies” or even “get away” when times get tough. I try to leave my friends on “attack all enemies” but it does backfire on me sometimes. Especially when you run down a hallway and one of your friends takes a turn towards an enemy you did not see. Now you are stuck 6 spaces away from them (or more) and once combat begins you can only move one space at a time!

When you defeat a wild Pokemon there is a chance they will join you. The only way to get one to join you is if the leader deals the knock-out blow and you have a spare slot on your team. It’s good to accumulate friends as later on in the game you will be able to change who is the leader and play without your two starting Pokemon.

Combat is turn-based but you no longer have a Speed score, instead everyone attacks once (or moves one space) and then a new combat turn begins. Although there is no Speed score moves that affect speed are very useful in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon as they allow you to attack multiple times in a combat turn.

In fact, many “so-so” moves in the past Pokemon games became far more valuable in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. For instance, the move Swords Dance only gave you a bonus in one combat in the old games but, in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, the bonus lasts for the whole level!

You also gain the ability to “link” moves. What this means is that instead of doing Growl one round and then Tackle the next you can set a linked move to do both at the same time! This is a very important strategy when facing tough opponents such as legendary Pokemon.

Let’s say you have a Mudkip with Water Gun, Whirlpool, Growl and Tackle and you are facing off against Groudon… By having your moves linked you could effectively use all four moves at the same time. It is the equivalent of getting in four attacks at once! Your chance of winning just went up four-fold!

I do not want to get too deep into the game play as that might give away to many spoilers. Suffice to say, I enjoy the game. It grew on me. With that said, there are a few things that might bother the existing Pokemon players:

1) You can not trade Pokemon… Ever.
2) You can not evolve your Pokemon until you reach a certain point in the game.
3) There are a lot of “cut scenes” that advance the plot but can take up to five minutes or more to get through.

One of the nice features is the use of the “dual slot” mode where you can put one game in the DS slot and another in the GBA slot and trade items and rescue codes.

Oh yes, I almost forgot!

One of the big things you are able to do in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is get help from a friend.

If you get knocked out in a dungeon you can give a code to your friend so that they can rescue you! Once the rescue you they send you a code back and you are revived where you fainted. The rescuer earns some rescue points and an item for doing the job!

If you find yourself knocked out I highly suggest you go to the PokeFarm Forums where there is a thread just for rescue requests.

That about raps up my review.

Happy rescuing!

UPDATE
I’ve had the games for a while now and I have to say that PMD will not stand the test of time. I’m already tired of it (though my daughter is not) and I’m back to playing my Emerald/Ruby/Leaf Green games.

Posted by Jolly | Filed Under News, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Review