How many of you got it for the Lugia?
Pokémon has always offered us gamers a great immersive rpg experience and of course tons of fans would agree. Back during September 28th of 2005 a new game that was a direct follow up to the best seller Pokémon Colosseum hit the GameCube! It was Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness featuring the infamous shadow Lugia on the front cover. Poke fans like me rejoiced when they saw this game! But sadly that rejoicing turned into a disappointing and short lived experience. This game to me ended up being the most disappointing Pokémon game I played on GameCube. Let me explain to you my disappointment in this review.
Storyline: Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness is a direct sequel to Pokémon Colosseum. It picks up 5 years after the Orre Region was saved from Evice and his legion of Shadow Pokémon. In this game you are playing as a Shonen Jump knock off kid named Michael who lives in a laboratory with a few people and with Professor Chucky err... Krane. Krane is working on his new invention which ironically is a Snag Machine used for snagging Pokémon in the first one. Only this time it's more hi-tech and it can pick up a weird purple energy that Shadow Pokémon give off. As soon as you put it on almost like magic Cipher wants to attack Chucky and you are introduced to your first Shadow Pokémon. A flipping Teddyursa... This game was good but it just leaves a bitter after taste once you've completed it. Let's get to Game play have before I just get mad all over again.
Gameplay: Just like the previous game but only this time you have a purification chamber to help you purify Pokemon faster. Much of the same areas are back also which just pissed me off. Tons of Shadow Pokémon are to be snagged over that measly 48 in this one and more box space has of course been added. Your pay off in the end will be the Shadow Lugia but just to let you know he will not be staying in that cool Shadow form! Very unhappy I found out also that much of this game is recycled and there aren't many things to be unlocked once the story is over. You fight in some pretty cool arenas in this game but you won't be unlocking them in multiplayer. Much of this game is just the same except disappointing. The first one had better Shadow Pokemon to be snagged.
Graphics: The graphics have been made a little more detailed on characters and Pokémon. The music score is better also but much throughout the game I kept wondering why I didn't hear any Firered tunes? I think this game just was missing a couple of things that really should have been added. Another thing on graphics note is that Flamethrower and Ice beam look very stupid now.
Value: I'm a little biased here. After I beat this game I could not find very many people to rebattle besides the rainbow six power rangers. I was very disappointed again to find out that I couldn't unlock Phenic Colosseum in multiplayer. I couldn't even get Bonsly or Muchlax either! Unless you have a Nintendo GameCube Link Cable accessory you will be up the creek without a paddle in disappointment. The Shadow Lugia may ease the disappointment until you purify it or find out you can't trade its shadow form to Kanto or Hoenn.
Overall: I expected better... I did. But I was sorely disappointed in the end. My only pay off was the Shadow Lugia I named XD001. The whole game is a tired repeat and a disgrace to Pokémon Colosseum. If I were to walk into room full of poke fans that own this game I would ask: "How many of you got it for the Lugia?" This game is only good for 1 free Lugia.
Uh... Link will win. This review remake was brought to you by Wolflink001.