Pokemon atempts to go badass, ans does so decently
STORY
Unlike most pokemon games, this one is for home console. However, unlike stadium (N64), coleseum retraces its itself by having you run around as a trainer. But not just any trainer, an ex-member of Team {insert name here}. How cool is that? If, y'know, it carried more weight in the story. Its only brought up about 3 times, including the epilouge. Anyway, you decide to quit the gang of thugs by stealing they're prototype portable snag machine, which allows you to catch other trainers pokemon as if they were wild. Now, we could have had an intriguing moral-conflict plot. However, this is technically a kids game, so you HAVE to be a hero. it all starts when, honestly, someone who makes me think she's cosplaying misty, is kidnapped and you unintentionally rescue her. Long story with vaguely interesting dialouge (again, kids game, charcteriztion isn't the main focus), a new evil organiztion is on the loose, CIPHER. Their plan? World dominination, what else? Howver, the plan is perhaps the greatest idea ever. Unlike team rocket, who uses pokemon like tools. CIPHER turns pokemon into tools! They somehow "close their heart", which turns them into mindless beasts that only care about fighting... wait a minute. You think they already act like that? Well, imagine turning an olympic boxer into an asassin via mind-control, and you get a better understanding. You must "snag" all the shadow pokemon from CIPHER, return them to their normal, friendly-fight loving selves, and ruin their plans of the obvious.
GAMEPLAY
Now, this is the interesting part. The setting is Orre, a very harsh, desert land in poke-world. Therefore, there are no wild pokemon. So, how can you get more? Well, as part of the plot, you HAVE to snag shadow pokemon to build your team. Also, there are only about 50 pokemon in-game. So, you're limited to how to build it. I find this game to be much more challenging in that sense. Also, every battle is a double battle (I guess it originated in Orre). This results in having much more competant AI, as they had more strategy to work with. It also presents the art of "snagging" to be a challenge, as you could have the shadow pokemon asleep, but have that teammate of his annoying you. It also doesn't help that shadow pokemon are stronger, which means even if you get the shadow pokemon all alone, it can wipe out your ENTIRE team is 6 turns! Now, if you think creating a team you like is hard, try raising a shadow pokemon. Since it's a fighting "machine", it can't gain EXP. So, until you purify it, it's stuck at its current level. Don't worry, it will regain it once it becomes pure. However, it does present a problem at times. Although there is a balancing mechanism. Shadow pokemon will occasionally "malfunction", or go into "hyper mode". when this happens, it deals more damage, recieves more damage, and almost always lands critical hits. However, the initial activation of hyper uses a turn, and you can't contol it, whic can reslut in bad timing and it getting KO'ed. It also will decide to disobey occasionally. So it has its ups and downs. However, you can undo hyper mode by doing the best thing they ever put in a pokemon game. You can call out to your pokemon. Not only foes it snap shadow pokemon out of hyper mode, but can also wake up slepping pokemon, and even snap them out of confusion! I don't know why they don't have this in other games!
Oh, and if you simply wish to use your Gameboy pokemon on the big screen, there's an entire battle mode for you. Several tournaments, on several difficulties. There is even a 100 battle challenge for the truly dedicated pokemon trainer.
DESIGN
While most pokemon games are all colorful and bright, coleseum is darker and more gritty. With sleezy, run down towns, to the massive wasetland you get to traverse by motorcyle (screw you, bicylce vouchers!), you can tell they were really trying to make a different kind of pokemon game. Characters need more (or less) animation though, they cycle pretty quick and it tends to result in some rather odd, yet amusing, dancing (when its supposed to be crying) the pokemon themselves (y'know, the real stars?) are practacally flawless, a few oddities here and there, but for the most part excellent. battle effects are beautiful, but awful bright, and prolonged battles had left me with a minor headache or two.
SOUND
Obviously, its better than anything the portables had at the time, considering they had better audio capabilities to work with. They really gave you a variety of music too. From simple country twang for villages, to jazz for more urban enviorments, to orechesrtaed boss music. They really poured alot into this game.
CONCLUSION
It's different, and while Its story is lacking compared to its current portable counterparts. Its a good change of pace. It offers more challenge compared to other pokemon games, and doesn't do a bad job of showing off either. It gets 777, one for personal opinion, one for unbiased opinion, and one for overall.