MORE POKEMON GAMING?

[soloist]

Earlier today, IGN passed along a few unconfirmed reports from Japan indicating that Pokemon Pearl & Diamond would be seeing Japanese DS release in 2006 instead of 2005. We now have confirmation. The games are scheduled for simultaneous Japanese release some time next year. A US release will presumably follow some time next year as well.<
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>Nintendo seems to be putting a whole lot into the development of these two titles. Owners of the Game Boy Advance Pokemon games will be able to hook up their cartridges to the DS and take along their GBA Pokemon for the adventure. The company is planning for much more than this, though. We'll have to wait for details to follow.<
>While details on Pearl & Diamond are still scarce, we have learned a bit. Nintendo plans on taking the franchise to an all new land for the big DS debut. Currently, the developers are deciding on how to start off your quest, determining the number of Pokemon that should accompany you from the start. This is an area that required fine tuning even for Ruby & Silver, with the developers originally experimenting with having anywhere between one and five Pokemon at the outset.<
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>Regarding Pokemon types, Nintendo has revealed that it does not plan on going beyond the current seventeen forms of Pokemon. However, there will be additional combination types. You can also count on seeing additional skills for your favorite Pokemon.<
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>The biggest new bit we've learned concerns Nintendo's plans for wireless connectivity with the titles. The DS allows for 16 players to communicate via WiFi. Pokemon Diamond & Pearl will make full use of this capability. Specifics will be revealed later, but just imagine hooking up with fifteen players!<
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>Also mentioned in our previous report was Pokemon Ranger, a new Pokemon project set for release in 2006. It's unclear at this point if Ranger is actually a game. Based on what we've heard, Ranger seems like it could be a game based around next year's movie.<
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>It's unfortunate that Diamond & Pearl won't be arriving in 2005, but given the effort Nintendo seems to be putting into the title, we'll gladly wait a few extra months. With Diamond & Pearl, and the mysterious Pokemon Ranger, Pokemon fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming year.<
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>-IGN- <i></i>

[NOAImawario]

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>Finally REAL ONLINE POKéMON! <
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[soloist]

Indeed! This idea should have<
>been used a long time ago,<
>but I guess as with any<
>series, spurts of ext-<
>ras help to prolon-<
>g the fans inter-<
>est... but if e-<
>xtended too <
>long, the f-<
>ans may b-<
>e lost. L-<
>et us h-<
>ope t-<
>his d-<
>oes<
>not ha-<
>ppen in th-<
>e realm of Po-<
>kemon gaming w-<
>ith the fan-base bei-<
>ng as large as it is des-<
>pite losing many of its yo-<
>unger audience to Yugi Oh!!! <i></i>

[NOAImawario]

It will be fun to actually battle some of you people though. <
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[soloist]

With my minimal knowledge of<
>Pokemon, not much of a t-<
>rue competitor I would<
>make... though I a-<
>m certain to win<
>a few matche-<
>s even if b-<
>y luck (l-<
>augh-<
>s)!<
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> <i></i>

[NOAImawario]

Only if you have as much luck as the computer does in the Battle Frontier on emerald, Soloist. I hate how the computer cheats and gives itself incredible luck. <
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[soloist]

I do not mind the idea of a little luck,<
>but cheating in such a competitiv-<
>e game is beyond my realm of<
>comprehension. The only w-<
>ay to accomplish this I b-<
>elieve is via a cheati-<
>ng device, but I k-<
>now the AI doe-<
>s major in m-<
>iraculous h-<
>appenin-<
>gs oft-<
>en!!<
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>(laughs) <i></i>

[NOAImawario]

It's Ridiculous too. <
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[soloist]

Tis a programming trick to make the<
>gamer feel as though they are be-<
>ing challenged... but such a st-<
>rategic measure is ancient<
>and have been used on<
>older games due to<
>lack of sufficen-<
>t memory. W-<
>hat then is<
>the excu-<
>se no-<
>w?<
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>(laughs) <i></i>

[NOAImawario]

It's just dumb that they can make the game to where it kills all skill and makes it luck vs luck. The computer is rigged, so the computer wins... <
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[soloist]

At least it does challenge the player and<
>by the end of the game, you are a<
>more skilled gamer (or shoul-<
>d be). With more gamer-<
>s becoming even mo-<
>re skilled after e-<
>ach sequel, s-<
>omething <
>must <
>b-<
>e do-<
>ne to m-<
>ake sure th-<
>at they do not b-<
>reeze through it wit-<
>h ease. Sure younger an-<
>d less experienced players wi-<
>ll have a difficult time, but the ch-<
>allenge does improves one skill (or det-<
>er the poor soul from playing ever again)!!!<
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>(laughs) <i></i>

[NOAImawario]

Soloist, in this case, it doesn't make you more skilled. I have all the skill I can probably get at the game. This time, it just frustrates you.... Grrrrrrrrrr <
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[soloist]

Actually, it can... because after suffering<
>so many defeats with the AI using p-<
>etty tricks to successfully beat<
>the player; one is forced <
>to employ other str-<
>ategies to gain<
>the advant-<
>age ins-<
>tea-<
>d of re-<
>lying on th-<
>e same old tac-<
>tic that work over<
>and over again. For in-<
>stance, if when playing Su-<
>per Smash Bros. Melee, and yo-<
>u discovered an attack that Mario h-<
>as which always can be used to defeat a-<
>n opponent, would you really use another at-<
>tack to complete the game if you really did not h-<
>ave to? Though frustrating... a lesson exists here in!! <i></i>

[NOAImawario]

Soloist, I still say skill plays no part in it. It simply involves finding a way to beat the computer before it beats you. <
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>True skill comes in playing against real people. <
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[soloist]

Tis good that you believe as you do and for the reasons<
>which you do; for my aim is not to force people int-<
>o my beliefs. My wish is only to provide my opi-<
>nions for those interested in it. Alway good<
>I say to learn of others opinions, becaus-<
>se they tend to provide people with a-<
>nother perspective which they may<
>not have known. In my opinion,<
>playing skilled players does i-<
>ncrease ones level of gam-<
>ing potency, however, p-<
>laying against quality<
>AI can do the sam-<
>e until one lear-<
>ns all of the<
>program-<
>med ro-<
>utine-<
>s!!!<
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>(laughs) <i></i>