Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl

[EnemaEms]

So, who here is going to catch 'em all? I am going to pick up my 1st Pokemon game this week and start it after I finish Hotel Dusk. I'll probably buy both so the 8 year old can play one and I can play the other...then we can battle. Anyone here playing this yet?

 

-Dean-

[Mark E]

Oh yeah, I picked up my first Pokemon game yesterday, actually.

 

I've put very little time into it thus far, but I'm enjoying what I've seen. Right now I'm holding off going too in depth with it since I'm in the middle of another RPG and Castlevania, but hopefully soon I'll get to dive into this puppy.

[EnemaEms]

Mark,

 

Which one did you pick up?

 

-Dean-

[Tom]

I picked this up today, after trying it out on Mark's DS. I bought Pearl so that he and I could trade back and forth between my copy of Pearl and his copy of Diamond.

 

My first Pokemon game. I feel quite dirty, and dirty is good. Hopefully this game keeps my attention going.

[Mark E]

As Tom noted, I'm playing Diamond, Dean.

 

Right now I'm in Jubilife City finishing training up my Shinx that I caught last night before I turned in. I like the Shinx a lot, a bit more than my Turtleaf anyway.

 

Why do I feel such shame when it comes to Pokemon names?

[MastaRedSnappa]

My 7 year old son bought Diamond so I'm renting Pearl right now from Gamefly. I've already got like 11 hours of time played in it. The game is so ridiculously simple in terms of graphics and old-school in terms of gameplay compared to recent games but there's just something that's incredibly addicting about it. They should call it Crakemon.

[Mark E]

I think the old-school is the reason I like it, Jeff.

 

God forbid, there's some actual strategy to the game too. Do I want to my pokemon to forget a skill to gain a new one? Will the new one suck?

 

I just finished up the first gym battle in Oreburgh and even with some pretty levelled critters it was harder than I was expecting. Once I finish off Final Fantasy VI this is going to be my RPG for the next little while, as I find there's a ton to love about it.

 

Ignore the hype! Play the game!

[EnemaEms]

Holy shit is this game addicting. I started Diamond yesterday and already logged 3.5 hours in the game. I just finished the 1st gym battle and my Level 20 Penguin destroyed the Gym Master there.

 

-Dean-

[Tom]

I hear ya Dean, I'm actually trying to resist the games crack-like tendencies (Being addicted to Catan on the 360 helps), but everytime the wife yoinks the TV this is beating out both Puzzle Quest and WoW for my attention.

 

I'm just about to hit the first gym, one of my dudes (Turtle) is level 13, but I've been power leveling up my Shinx to get him to the same level as I find they tag team nicely.

[Tonner Cyn]

I'll be picking up the Diamond version this afternoon. I'll have to figure out when to play it as, like Tom, Catan and Puzzle Quest have been taking up my gaming time.

 

Might this game be comparable to Enchanted Arms (a 360 rpg)? I mean in the sense that the creatures you get at the beginning will probably be replaced by better creatures later in the game? Or can you level early pokemon enough where they will be useful even in the later stages?

[Mark E]

James, I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that your Pokemon stay useful. Keep in mind that though they can only "know" four skills at once, you are constantly getting new skills every 5-6 levels for them that you can replace other skills with, to keep them fresh and in fighting form.

 

Also, Pokemon at the beginning of the game tend to be the smaller creatures, but they can evolve through a variety of means into bigger, stronger creatures. Some just take levelling, a few require that they are traded to another player, others need special items. So the creatures from the start can stay useful since they'll turn into bigger guns for the end .

[EnemaEms]

Anyone know how to breed Pokemon?

 

-Dean-

[Mark E]

Haven't found a way yet, Dean...

 

I'm just shy of clocking the 15 hour mark with this game and I have to say, I'm loving it to bits. There's just something very satisfying about a game where you're breeding your own team to go and kick the arse of some punk-ass computer opponent who thinks they know breeding .

 

Two bits of fun I will pass along. One, if you get the Exp. Share, it's worth your while to level the godawful MAGIKARP to level 20, it then morphs to its evolved form, which is totally kick ass. Trading for one would definitely help with this process from the boosted xp.

 

Also, even if you don't grow one (and you should because they're awesome versus fire pokemon ), save a BUIZEL to trade for a CHATOT later on. The CHATOT is hysterical because it gains the ability "chatter" which launches a confusion attack by mimicking human speech. And, yes, you get to program the speech via the DS's microphone. Having a pokemon that launches into battle screeching a warbly, barely-sensible, "ARSE!" is probably the most fun I've had on my DS in years :tu

[Covak]

I finally tried one of these games the other day.

 

You're all crazy.

[Mark E]

Phew, holy smokes, finally made it to the end of the game today, beating the current Sinnoh Champion at the Pokemon League. I really enjoyed how the game was structured, with the Team Galactic plot leading you through the towns and gyms and then finally wrapping up just before you head to the final gym and then the League battles.

 

Those league battles, by the way, are head and shoulders above any encounters you might find elsewhere. I seriously retried the last fight versus the champion about 10-12 times before pulling out a squeaker of a win and it took as much luck as anything else.

 

Still, so glad I played this and I hope the June release for the Wii furthers the adventures of my crew of dedicated battlers. I used pretty much the same group from the get-go (including my intial Turtwig, damn he was awesome, you rock Sped!) and am looking forward to bringing them back for an encore. Hell, I feel like tracking down the last GBA release and playing that...

[MastaRedSnappa]

Nice job, gratz Mark!

 

Out of curiosity, what was your core group?

[Tonner Cyn]

I still haven't gotten around to trying this out yet. I did pick up a Diamond edition thinking that if my daughter did okay with it I could get her a Pearl later on, but I have been so stuck playing Puzzle Quest that I haven't done anything else. I keep telling myself that since PQ is coming to the 360 I might as well move on, but...

[Mark E]

Out of curiosity, what was your core group?

 

My core group ended up being:

Sped (my initial Turtwig, evolved twice to Torterra, grass type)

Sheba (Shinx, evolved twice to Luxray, electric type)

Zippo (Ponyta, evolved once to Rapidash, fire type)

Mofo (Buizel, evolved once to Floatzel, water type)

Swoop (Starly, evolved twice to Staraptor, flying type)

Chrono (Dialga. steel/dragon legendary Pokemon)

 

Chrono I picked up for completing the main part of the game with Team Galactic and I swapped him in in place of Kazaa, the Abra you can trade for. The psychic-type moves are super powerful but the Abras are so damn weak physically that they tend to get knocked out a stupid amount.

 

Of the ones that I used, I'd consider the Dialga, Luxray, Torterra, and Staraptor to be the most useful at the end. The Buizel was decent but not great and I kept trying to make something out of the Rapidash and it never really clicked. They could easily have been replaced; if I had it back I think I would have kept my Gyarados instead of a Buizel and probably put my Chatot back in for a second flyer.

 

I cannot overemphasize how useful flying type Pokemon are in this game. A LOT of opponents use grass or bug type and flyers will just mop the floor with them. I'd consider a Starly to be a must-have from as early as you can catch one and level the hell out of it. They are just damage dealing machines.

[MastaRedSnappa]

Mark, I have a question about Pokemon disobeying/ignoring orders. Is that related to how happy they are? My Charap (level 37 or so) is a disobedient little bitch. At his worst, he probably completely ignored my orders (and did nothing) or ignored them and chose some other power to use about 4 out of every 5 moves. On the Friendship Poketch app, clicking on him only gave 1 little heart. Recently, I started feeding him the poffins he likes and gave him the Soothe Bell. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or not (I just started trying to raise his happiness so it's kind of early to tell) but he seems to disobey me only about half the time now. Now when I click on him, he gives 2 little hearts (my other Pokemon give 2 big hearts). Just wanted to get a confirmation on this. Thanks.

[Mark E]

Jeff, far as I know, obedience is only related to the number of badges you have. Once you get enough gym badges you get traded pokemon obeying you up 'til 30, then 70, then infinity when you get all 8.

 

Happiness apparently just affects certain moves and evolutions, far as I could ever find out

[MastaRedSnappa]

Mark, thanks for the info. Charap's disobedience did seem to occur when he hit lvl 30 or so. I guess I just need to get moving on the gym badge collecting (I think I have 4 now).

[Tonner Cyn]

I just got the second badge during my lunch break. My main Pokemon have been:

Starly -> Staravia level 20: did seem vulnerable at earlier levels, but Wing Attack is quite good

Shinx -> Luxio level 20: wasn't all that impressed at first, but now that he has the electrical attack he is quite good; I reluctantly had to remove him from the starting 6 for a time right now but he will be back

Chimchar -> Monferno level 20: starting Pokemon, and he has been pretty useful throughout; I do wonder if it makes sense to have more than one Fire Pokemon on the team, but I do like the look of Ponyta, and is Charizard in the game?

Bidoof -> Bibarel level 20: another one who seemed a bit useless, but I was able to put Rock Smash on him and then he got Headbutt, and now he is pretty good; depending on how much Rock Smash is needed he may take a break soon to bring back Luxio

Margikarp -> Gyarados level 21: this guy seems like a beast, though he doesn't have a Water attack yet; at that point I would think Bibarel would definitely become redundant

 

I am working on getting Zubat and Buneary (he has Cut on him right now) levelled, and I think Geodude or Onix may be worth levelling as well. I already evolved Abra to Kadabra, but I haven't even used him. I am working on Charap since he has the XP boost.

 

I'm having fun with this game, though I wonder if I am levelling too much. Do your own Pokemon (non-traded that is) have obedience problems at higher levels? Or is that just traded ones?

[Mark E]

James, no Charizard to be captured at any rate.

 

I honestly think you should stay away from Ponyta in favor of the Chimchar. I never used the latter, but was not impressed as much with the former.

 

And it's just traded pokemon that have obedience issues, anything you capture and level up yourself never turns or disobeys.