20 years. It’s been 20 years since the very first Pokémon games – Pokémon Red and Blue – were released in the United States and sparked a revolution that still resonates to this day. 20 years later, Pikachu remains one of the most immediately recognizable and iconic mascots in all of gaming, right up there with his stablemate, Mario. […]

The new catching mechanics are lifted wholesale from Pokémon Go. Gone is the traditional way of catching Pokémon, whittling down its health and afflicting it with status ailments to increase your chances of a successful catch. Instead, you’re presented with a system that incorporates manual aiming and a continuously shrinking green, yellow, orange or red ring, indicating […]

The opening sequence of Pokémon Ultra Sun is so…frustrating. It’s been a long time since I’ve played a game that’s so mind-numbingly, frustratingly linear as the opening to Pokémon Ultra Sun. This sequence flat out refused to let me explore and seemed practically allergic to allowing gameplay to happen organically. And it’s not that the […]

The opening sequence of Pokémon Ultra Sun is so…frustrating. It’s been a long time since I’ve played a game that’s so mind-numbingly, frustratingly linear as the opening to Pokémon Ultra Sun. This sequence flat out refused to let me explore and seemed practically allergic to allowing gameplay to happen organically. And it’s not that the game penalizes you for stepping […]