Rat er of the Lost Art:

Laura Mooney
Arts Editor
Psienen is back and better than

ever in the newest installment to the
worldwide phenomenon of handheld
games, with Pokémon X and Y versions.
With a whole new look and special
additions to the game, Pokémon X and
Y look to be two of the most successful
and unique games in the series since
the original Red and Blue versions, and
it is a great addition to any Pokémon
lover's collection.

On par with every other Pokémon
game, it begins with you playing

as a young Pokémon trainer who is
starting their first journey through the
Pokémon region called Kalos, based
off of France's geography. Each
young trainer gets a starter Pokémon
of their choosing, either the fire type
Fennekin, water type Froakie, or grass
type Chespin. Each one has their own
advantages and disadvantages

that make them

unique, your
choice simply
depends
on your
Q

preference
SS
or, as
C 3)

—~Q

with many Pokémon players, loyalties to
a certain type. Once you choose your
starter, you are off on your Pokémon
adventure to battle gym leaders, train
as many Pokémon as you can, and
even save the Pokémon world from the
likes of team Flare.

While the main play through of
Pokémon X and Y is essentially the
same as every other Pokémon game
on the market, the game designers
added in a few fun surprises that
make X and Y stand out from the rest
of the pack. First and foremost is the
noticeable redesign to the game's
appearance. This is the first Pokémon
game that has been specifically
designed for the Nintendo 3DS, and
the game designers expertly rose to
the challenge of creating a game that
would feature 3D elements. The game
now has a freer feel as the character
now has more control than ever
before over how their character looks,
including choice of skin and hair color,
and has access to clothing store to
customize what their character wears.
Besides character appearance, the
setting now features even more three
dimensional elements, such as being
able to see background mountains or
oceans in many of the towns, adding a

more realistic appearance to the game.

Overall Pokémon X and Y are by far
the best looking Pokémon games in
recent history, and are showing that
even a series as old as this one is stil
able to refresh its image and keep up
with changing technology.

Next is the addition of the brand
new mega-evolutions. While most of
the Pokémon in the game have the
standard two level or three level
evolutions, Pokémon X and

Y introduces a whole new level of
power fo some of the game's most
popular characters. Pokémon like the
classic Charizard and Blaziken are
now able to temporarily evolve one
stage further, unlocking hidden power
to completely annihilate your foes. Not
only do the mega-evolutions get some
incredible boosted stats, they also
receive stylistic makeovers, making the
mega-evolutions even more exciting.

Other exciting additions include new,
fun modes of transportation such

as roller skates and monorails, new
gyms each with their own twists and
surprises, and new cities, some of
which you could literally spend hours
exploring. You can now get a real

feel for city life by sitting down in a
Pokémon café for a cup of coffee

and a quick battle, or if you are the
more stylish type, you can visit salons
dedicated to making both you and
your Pokémon beautitul. One other
interesting element is the new sky
battles. Trainers can now fight with
their flying Pokémon high up in the sky.
The only catch is that once you are out
of flying Pokémon, you have lost the
battle, so for those who are not so
fond of bird Pokémon, you may be out
of luck.

Finally, and perhaps the best addition
to Pokémon X and Y, is the introduction
of the brand new fairy type. This type
is exceptionally powerful and is a
welcome addition to long time players
of the Pokémon series, simply as a
type that can finally stand up to those
pesky dragon types.
While many of the
older Pokémon
seen in past games
have been converted
to a fairy type, such a
Snubble or Jigglypuff,
the game designers have
created a few brand new
fairy Pokémon, including
a new Eevee evolution
called Sylveon. This is the
first time a new Pokémon
type has been introduced
to the games since steel
and dark were introduced

in Pokémon Silver and Gold back in
2000, and just goes to show that the
game designers still have a few tricks
up their sleeves atter all these years.

So while Pokémon X and Pokémon Y
are typical Pokémon games on the
surface, all of the new added elements
make it feel as though you are playing
something fresh and new, while still
maintaining the familiar aspects of

the classic game everyone knows

and loves. It just goes to show that

no matter how old you are, you can
still enjoy the same games you did as

a child, for they are changing just as
readily as you are, almost as if the
games themselves are growing up with
the audience.