Pokémon X & Y: 3DS Game Review

Toss that Pokeball!Courtesy of Nintendo

Full disclosure: I have never played one of the main entries in the hugely popular Pokémon series, until now. Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, on Nintendo 3DS, are my first real steps into this gaming world.

A lot of you reading this probably know more about Pokémon than I do, my true knowledge of the series is fairly weak and I can't compare X and Y it to what's come before other than the obvious. But what I can do is give you a fresh perspective as a newcomer to the series.

I'll cut to the chase...Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, are fantastic games.

Navigate 3D towns for the first time. Courtesy of Nintendo

I get it, I finally appreciate the love so many of you have had for this game series over the years. I'm not particularly a big RPG player normally, but Pokémon X and Y completely enraptured me. I was surprised how quickly and easily everything was presented to me as I usually find in games of this sort that I spend the first few hours slowly stumbling through a town.

But while playing through Pokémon X, within five minutes, a messaged arrived, stating I had been chosen to be a Pokémon Trainer and partake on an adventure.  Soon after I met some new friends, was given the basic instructions on how the game mechanics work and in no time was throwing out Pokeballs, capturing as many Pokémon as I could. Battles with other trainers became second nature as I learned to match up my Pokémon to pummel the opposition with great results. It all starts easy and intuitively, water > fire > grass > etc, then it builds from there. The game is open to new comers despite being a series steeped in years of updates and revisions.

The battles between Pokemon are awesome to watch.Courtesy of Nintendo

Pokémon X and Y are also gorgeous games on the 3DS and really are a big departure from any other hand-held Pokémon, finally taking the series into 3D. Each and every Pokémon has been modeled in 3D with a great anime style and the animations of each are adorable. Pokémon are even able to Mega Evolve after hitting their max evolution stage which doesn't just change their appearance, it can also change their "type" which can sometimes significantly alter the dynamics of an ongoing battle. You are only able to do this once in a battle though, and not every Pokémon is affected the same when it Mega Evolves.

Pokémon X and Y Trailer

Bottom line is, they are fun. A lot of fun. I've sunk about 40hrs into the games so far and I'm still going. There's a "Super Training" portion to Pokémon X and Y that allows you to level up your stats on Pokémon by playing through mini-game type events. If you spend some time with it, your able to significantly improve your Pokémon, this is going to be a big focus for those that really like to play competitively via WiFi against real world opponents. You're going to want to put in that time if you want to be a champion...or have really tempting trades.

If you're a fan of the series, you're probably already playing Pokémon X and/or Y. But if you're new to the series or still just haven't had a chance to play it, I think you'll find a lot to enjoy here. Pokémon X and Pokémon Y have definitely made a new fan out of me.

Now if you'll excuse me, my Pokedex is in need of an update.

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y is available in stores now, for the Nintendo 3DS

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Have Your Say!

Are you a big fan of the series? Are you already on your way to becoming a Champion Pokémon Trainer? Let me know in the comments below!