Update: 7 April 2013

In a quite shocking turn of events, Nintendo has revealed a new Pokemon–one that looks uncannily related to the classic Pokemon Mewtwo. It is unclear at this time if it is a new Pokemon entirely or an alternate form to the famous monster. Nothing else has been revealed, including its name and typing.

Original Article

Every few years, the power couple that is Nintendo and developer GAMEFREAK ushers in a new era of their uber-franchise, Pokemon. For nearly two decades now, the series has introduced a horde of games and nearly seven-hundred of the titular pocket monsters. The most recent ‘generation’ of Pokemon games, Black, White, Black 2 and White 2, were critically acclaimed for moving the admittedly stale franchise forward in an exciting and fresh direction.

It now seems that the Pokemon franchise is moving forward once again. Pokemon X and Y have been announced for a simultaneous worldwide release sometime this October. This 6th generation of Pokemon introduces some truly huge departures for the series, as well as more Pokemon to catch, train and battle.

Pokemon X and Y will have fully-realized 3D graphics. The series will no longer be sprite based, as it has been done since the original games, Red and Blue. Everything, from your player character to the Pokemon themselves, has a unique character model. Despite this, movement in the field appears to still be grid-based. That means your player character will only move up, down, left or right, with no diagonal movement possible.

Battles are also fully realized. For example, Pokemon will react to being hit by certain moves. This builds on the previous generation’s gameplay enhancements, with Pokemon having moving sprites during battle. Attack effects have also been enhanced and look even more dynamic than ever. The environments in which battles take place are even fully three-dimensional.

Pokemon X and Y will be exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS, and unavailable for any incarnation of the Nintendo DS. Both games will be available to download directly to the 3DS via Nintendo’s popular e-Shop application. It should be noted that this is the first time a Pokemon game will be available at the same time in Japan as the rest of the world. This means Pokefans across the world can experience the new games together.

Pokemon X and Y Official Reveal Trailer

This new, dynamic world looks to be very detailed and very fun. Pokemon X and Y will be set in a new region, the name of which is currently unknown. It does appear to at least be inspired by Europe (more specifically, France) the same way the previous generation’s region, Unova, was directly inspired by New York City.

Pokemon X and Y will return to the series norm of including older Pokemon along with brand-new ones in the main part of each game’s story. In Black and White, by contrast, the player couldn’t even witness Pokemon of past generations until finishing the game’s main narrative.

With every new set of Pokemon games comes, of course, new Pokemon. As of this update, there are six known official new Pokemon being debuted in X and Y. They are:

Froakie, Fennekin, and Chespin

These three constitute this new region’s starter Pokemon. Like all starter trios in the Pokemon series, they are typed as Water, Fire and Grass respectively. These are the only new Pokemon whose types are officially revealed. At this time, there has been no official reveal of each starter’s evolution family. Chespin appears to be based on a hedgehog and/or porcupine, making it the first Grass-type starter to not be reptilian. Fennekin most likely uses the real-life fennec fox for its inspiration, while Froakie is obviously based on a frog.

Xerneas and Yveltal

These formidable looking creatures appear to be the stars or ‘version mascots’ of Pokemon X and Y, respectively. Virtually nothing is known of them yet, including their types. You can see the ‘X’ and ‘Y’ motifs that each beast is designed after, however. Xerneas and Yveltal may be the most confusing Pokemon names yet; proper pronunciation of each is ‘ZURR-nee-us’ and ‘ee-VELL-tall.’

Sylveon

Arguably the most controversial new Pokemon so far revealed is Sylveon. It is the newest in the ‘Eeveelution’ family of Pokemon, or different creatures that share a common base form in the classic Pokemon Eevee. Due to their designs, this collection of Pokemon is incredibly popular, and Sylveon is already forming a fanbase all its own. Like Xerneas and Yveltal, its type has not been officially revealed.

Little is known about Pokemon X and Y, but the games are already shaping up to be nothing short of revolutionary. As the October 2013 release date approaches more information will be made available. Keep it here at inMotion Gaming for Pokemon X and Y news updates you can trust.

That being said, I think Chespin is the coolest starter out of the new three, by far. Disagree? Let us know which your favorite is in the comments below!

Written by

Christopher A. Carlson

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JRPGs, or Japanese Role Playing Games, have always been a touchy subject within the gaming community. They were (and to some, still are) insanely popular, especially in the 90’s and early 00’s, with such classic masterpieces as Chrono Trigger, most of the numbered Final Fantasies, Secret of Mana, and so on. They are directly responsible for some modern gaming trends. At least two or three of them usually fall on the average gamer’s best games ever made list. Despite all this, the JRPG subgenre has been the target of multiple recent criticisms. Most claim this style of gaming has gotten ‘stale,’ with the cliche’d plot of ‘teenage boy and girl fall in love, save the world’ running rampant throughout many titles calling themselves JRPGs. If the plot bears at least some originality, then it’s the character design being called out; both males and females in this flavor of role-players end up looking awkwardly feminine most of the time.

As much as this editor loves the JRPG genre, he has to admit that most of those aforementioned criticisms do ring true. However, some titles released over the past few years do give us some hope. Despite some criticisms due to a very linear story, Final Fantasy XIII was a fine game; its sequel was even better. Two JRPGs released state-side last year, The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles, were both brilliant titles that brought some much-needed ingenuity to the dying genre. And now another promising title, Pandora’s Tower, is being localized for the United States, and is due for an April 16th release on the Nintendo Wii.

Pandora’s Tower is an action/RPG that was released in Japan about two years ago. It was developed by Japanese studio Ganbarion, and will be published in North America under XSEED Games. Pandora’s Tower is the third in a trio of games being localized due to the continuing efforts of Operation Rainfall, a fan-mounted movement asking for the localization of quality JRPGs. The other games have already been brought over; they were The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles.

Although Pandora’s Tower dips into the cliche’d ‘boy must save his girlfriend’ trope, the game offers so much more than a fantasy love story. Pandora’s Tower follows a young man named Aeron as he sets out to break a terrible curse placed on his love, Elena. This is achieved by traversing thirteen towers and slaying certain beasts within each. Aeron must work quickly, however–he only has a limited time before Elena is lost for good.

If Pandora’s Tower is already sounding like a JRPG version of Shadow of the Colossus meets Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, don’t worry–that’s a good thing. Both were incredible games; the former being the primary argument for games being art, with the latter as one of the more unique titles in one of gaming’s most iconic franchises.

Pandora’s Tower Trailer

If you’re reading this in an RSS feed or an email, click here to watch the video.

Pandora’s Tower looks to be a rather enjoyable spin on the JRPG genre. Check back with inMotion Gaming after the game’s April 16th release for a full review.

Written by

Christopher A. Carlson

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Subscribe to iMG, and get our articles and reviews directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

What We Know

And a brand new story it is. Black 2 and White 2 takes place two years after the events of their predecessors. The games focus on a new pair of protagonists, who hail from the newly-developed southwestern corner of the Unova region, which is only accessible via boat. Team Plasma, the criminal organization from Black and White, has split into two warring factions. New Team Plasma, lead by one of the previous games’ Plasma Sages, seeks to dominate Unova by capturing the legendary Pokemon, Kyurem.

As usual, collecting all eight Gym Badges and conquering the Pokemon League is your character’s primary mission. As players journey across the slightly altered Unova region, they will encounter new and familiar faces alike—some in new roles with new responsibilities. For example, Cheren—the previous games’ rival character—is now a Gym Leader. Unlike in Black and White, older Pokemon now roam free in Unova’s wilderness.

There are a host of new features headed to Black 2 and White 2. Largely replacing the unpopular musicals from BW is ‘PokeStar Studios,’ a Hollywood-esque mini-game featuring mock battles being ‘filmed’ on the set of a movie. There is a bigger focus on player connectivity, with several of Black and White’s EntraLink features being expanded upon. Some legendary Pokemon are getting new forms, including Black- and White- Forms for Kyurem, and Resolute Form for Keldeo.  In the same vain as Black and White, there are certain aesthetic changes to certain areas in Unova.  For example, there’s a cave that holds an underground river in Black 2, whilst in the same cave in White 2, there’s a subterranean lava flow.

Another significance Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 hold is that they are not being developed exclusively for the 3DS. Just as Black and White were, their sequels will be made available to owners of older DS models. As you might expect, this was met with quite a bit of public opinion. On one hand, Nintendo doesn’t want to isolate their DS market base—the millions of people who still game on their DS Lites and DSIs. Even after last year’s price drop, the 3DS still retails at $170. It’s understandable that Nintendo would make the DS family’s strongest selling franchise available to the widest margin of people possible, if only from a marketing perspective.

On the other hand, not developing a key title for their newest handheld may be a costly mistake. The 3DS has seen a small but stellar influx of key Nintendo IP’s in its year lifespan, from Zelda to Mario, Mario Kart to Star Fox. These have all been developed with the 3DS’s processing power in mind. To withhold Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 from the 3DS’s hardware capabilities can be seen as counterproductive, and even detrimental to the 3DS’s success.

However, there is a 3DS Download game being slated for release alongside Pokemon Black and White 2, entitled Pokemon Dream Radar. This game serves as an extension to the main games, and is an augmented reality shooter in which the player attempts to catch different Pokemon. If successful, they can be transferred to the player’s B2W2 save file.

How do you think these sequels will play out? Let us know in the comments below. Stay tuned for a detailed review from iMG when the games are released worldwide on October 7th, 2012.

Written by

Christopher A. Carlson

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Subscribe to iMG, and get our articles and reviews directly to your inbox or RSS reader.

Update: Check out our Theatrythm Review.

What We Know

The game features yet another conflict between deities Chaos and Cosmos, as previously seen in the Dissidia: Final Fantasy series of fighting games. Like in Dissidia, the game pools heroes and characters together from nearly every aspect of Final Fantasy lore. Unlike Dissidia, however, said heroes aren’t being pitted against each other or their respective rivals–they’re squaring off against some of the more famous beasts from across the Final Fantasy franchise.

One key thing to note is the art direction in Theatrythm. To liken it to a ‘kid-friendly’ rendition of the Dissidia games wouldn’t be inaccurate. Specifically, the heroes depicted in the game are Chibi versions of their regular artwork. Even the monsters and bosses you face off against are getting the cute treatment.

Of course, for this rhythm/RPG hybrid to work, you’d need troves of well-loved, quality pieces of music. Thankfully, the Final Fantasy series just may have the largest catalog of renowned game soundtracks in the history of video gaming. At least three of each Final Fantasy main series games’ best known pieces of music are featured in Theatrythm. Each piece falls into a separate category: field, battle, and event. For example, Final Fantasy V’s ‘Four Hearts’ represents that game’s field music, while ‘Battle on the Big Bridge’ shows up as its battle music. There have even been reports of DLC in the works, which will supposedly add even more tracks to the game’s already impressive library. This in itself is notable, as it will effectively be the first bit of 3DS DLC to be released, period.

Some Tracks that Theatrythm will Feature

• The opening theme from Final Fantasy
• Final Fantasy IV’s ‘Theme of Love’
• Final Fantasy VI’s ‘Dancing Mad’
• Final Fantasy VII’s ‘One Winged Angel’ and ‘J-E-N-O-V-A’
• Final Fantasy VIII’s ‘The Man With the Machine Gun’
• Final Fantasy X’s ‘Suteki da ne’
• Final Fantasy XIII’s ‘Blinded By Light’

Gameplay is split between field and battle modes. These are aesthetically different, but what you’re physically doing is exactly the same between both. The top screen contains the in-game action, and shows different directional arrows that move from left to right. As they move toward the right end of the screen, you either swipe or tap your stylus on the bottom screen in the indicated direction.

During battles, you control a party of up to four. Battles are shown as you’d see them throughout any older Final Fantasy title; the monster/boss is on the left, and your party is on the right. As notes and indicators move towards your characters, performing the correct stylus maneuver will damage your opponent—this is how you attack. It is also possible to use summoned monsters during battle. These include standard FF appearances, such as Ifrit, Shiva, etc. Field sequences, on the other hand, merely feature your lead character walking through environments based on the various Final Fantasy games. You still interact with the music during these parts of gameplay, however.

It was announced on April 19th that the North American pre-order bonus for Theatrythm will include a high-quality, Final Fantasy-themed stylus for your 3DS, complete with stickers depicting the game’s characters to decorate it with. There are reportedly seventeen different stickers that come in the kit.

What character will you put on your stylus? Let us know in the comments below, and keep it here at inMotion Gaming for a full review after the game launches on July 3rd.

Written by

Christopher A. Carlson

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Update: Check out our Dawnguard review.

For a game as mind-numbingly massive as Skyrim, you would expect an outright expansion to be enormous. Thankfully, Bethesda plans to deliver. In previous reports, they’ve assured players that Skyrim’s proper DLC packs would be ‘meaty.’ If Dawnguard is to be any indicator, that promise will be kept. The upcoming expansion is reported to add 10-15 hours of bonus content to Skyrim’s already expansive experience.

What we know about the Dawnguard Expansion

Dawnguard, its questline anyway, will focus on a compelling vampire subplot. The entire questline will be integrated into the main game so that any player, from any level, at any point in the game can fully enjoy it. Your character simply needs to overhear a certain conversation from city guards. Throughout your adventures in vampirism, you will ultimately be given a choice–become a Vampire Lord and feast on the souls of innocents, or join the titular Dawnguard, and wipe them out.

Choosing to become a Vampire Lord will unlock a dedicated perk tree exclusively for that power. This Vampire Lord differs from the usual vampirism found throughout the Elder Scrolls series: your character turns into a gargoyle-esque demon, complete with Life Draining powers and the ability to glide around over the ground. Not much is known about the vampire agenda, other than it consists of a plot to ‘blot out the sun.’ Choosing to side with the Dawnguard, however, will give you exclusive access to the group’s powerful blacksmith resources and a brand-new weapon–the crossbow. Joining the group of vampire hunters will also allow you to commandeer what appears to be an armored troll companion.

In addition to the vampire/vampire hunter plot, the Dawnguard expansion appears to add a few other pieces of content. One of the most significant additions is a new steed–a new, flaming steed. It also seems that dragons have gained the pesky ability to attack from underwater. A dedicated perk tree for werewolves is also included in the new content. Lastly, the Dawnguard expansion adds a new dragon shout, called Soul Tear–which rends the soul from an enemy, turning them into your new pawn.

Skyrim: Dawnguard – Official Trailer

The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim: Dawnguard launches June 26th. Look for inMotion Gaming’s full review of the expansion soon after it launches.

Written by

Christopher A. Carlson

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The Diablo series has been around for quite some time, albeit with only two titles in the series. The PC-based hack ‘n slash RPG series began with Diablo in 1996, and then continued with Diablo II in 2000, with its expansion pack the following year. In the eleven years since we’ve seen a release in the series, Diablo’s certainly left the spotlight but hasn’t really ever gone away—there are still tons of people running around Battle.net in Diablo II.

Since Diablo III was announced, the gaming world was set ablaze with joy, anticipation, and expectations. A follow-up to the classic Diablo II is something asked for by fans for years, and at long last has a release date: May 15th, 2012.

Diablo III will take place nearly two decades after Diablo II, with a new wave of evil approaching and a new generation of heroes to combat it. Due to the conclusion of the Diablo II expansion ‘Lord of Destruction,’ the world has been reformed and geography has shifted.

Gameplay is reported to stay tried and true to its predecessors, while still managing to sneak some new features in. You will no longer have to click on piles of gold to collect it; simply running over them will do the trick. Enemies are reported to drop orbs that replenish health upon defeat, eliminating the need for a potion bar on the HUD. Another enemy drop is an item called a skill rune, which, when allocated to a certain skill, will work to enhance that skill and bump up its damage. Blizzard is implementing a new feature called the auction house, which will allow players to buy and sell in-game items, for either in-game gold or real-life money. PvP will return in D3, although according to Blizzard, it won’t be available at launch.

There will be five playable classes from day one: barbarian, demon hunter, wizard, monk, and with hunter. The barbarian and wizard return from Diablo II, while the rest are entirely new classes. Previous classes that are not present here return “in spirit” through some of the newer classes. For example, the demon hunter has been reported to contain essences of the amazon and assassin from D2. Whereas in Diablo III’s predecessors, each class had a set gender, this time around each class can be customized to be either male or female.

Blizzard has expressed interest in developing a console version of Diablo III, which is sure to over joy many a fan who have PC’s not able to run top-of-the-line games. Blizzard has even allocated a team specifically for a possible console port, although are still refusing to give any concrete confirmations regarding it.

Diablo III Trailer

Pre-order Diablo III

To avoid disappointment, secure your copy of Diablo III by pre-ordering today:

Diablo III: Standard Edition | Diablo III: Collector’s Edition

Diablo III launches on May 15th, 2012. Which class will you play? Let us know in the comments below, and keep it here at inMotion Gaming for our own detailed review!

Sources Cited: IGN, Wikipedia

Written by

Christopher A. Carlson

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the “Like”, “Tweet”, “+1” buttons, or sharing it using the share icons below. Want to read more articles like this? Subscribe to our Updates, and get our articles directly to your inbox or RSS reader.