Bulbagarden Forums - Blogs - The Best of Pokémon by Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/ Bulbagarden - The original Pokémon Community en Wed, 22 May 2013 02:40:53 GMT vBulletin 60 http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/images/styles/Millenium/misc/rss.jpg Bulbagarden Forums - Blogs - The Best of Pokémon by Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/ How much for a new/used Pokémon game on Amazon? http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/how-much-new-used-pok%C3%A9mon-game-amazon-58231/ Mon, 20 May 2013 07:31:21 GMT Hi, sorry for not being active on my blog. I hope to finish all my projects one day. Now, I did this in February 2012, but got the urge to do it again.

So I went to Amazon to see what the main series games were going for out of curiosity. Here's what the cheapest offers are for new and used copies. The cost of shipping is added. Dubious and new sellers' (less than 5 ratings) prices are omitted, as well as used prices that are higher than new.

Key: ETR-equivalent to Red, 2TR-seller was much cheaper but rated 100% by 2 raters, ETB-eq. to Blue, NE-no eq. outside of Japan, DB-dead battery, UB-unknown battery (likely dead), FCE-for Celebi event, NB-new battery

Game New Used Notes
Red (J) $109.98 $16.28 ETR
Green (J) $93.99 $18.19 2TR, ETB
Blue (J) $90.52 $18.25 NE
Red $404.97 $24.98
Blue $697.50 $25.50
Yellow $203.98 $38.48
Gold $153.51 $24.39 DB
Silver $133.99 $19.88 DB
Crystal (J) $89.79 $19.97 UB, FCE
Crystal $283.99 $28.99 DB
Ruby $167.98 $21.44 UB
Sapphire $121.98 $21.99 DB
FireRed $128.98 $31.83
LeafGreen $118.94 $28.06
Emerald $218.98 $34.99 NB
Diamond $49.99 $20.97
Pearl $48.80 $17.49
Platinum $49.55 $28.97
HeartGold $58.90 $40.97
SoulSilver $59.49 $38.96
Black $31 $24.98
White $30.91 $25.49
Black 2 $30.95
White 2 $31.31
X $39.96
Y $39.96

The green and red figures represent lower and higher prices compared to last time. The prices last time were:
Red (J)- $18.99
Green (J)- $128.98 new, $30.44 used
Blue (J)- $28.49 used
Red- $253.94 new, $30.98 used
Blue- $24.22 used
Yellow- $333.98 new, $34.50 used
Gold- $153.94 new, $18.94 used, $21.94 used (game saves)
Silver- $123.99 new, $26.94 used (unknown battery status), $28.93 used (new battery)
Crystal- $32.94 used (game saves)
Ruby- $150.86 new, $23.47 used (unknown battery status), $25.98 used (new battery)
Sapphire- $163.93 new, $22.98 used (dry battery), $26.98 used (new battery)
FireRed- $191.99 new, $38.96 used
LeafGreen- $118.99 new, $31.99 used
Emerald- $194.71 new, $44.60 used (unknown battery status)
Diamond- $48.94 new, $17.88 used
Pearl- $44.94 new, $18.47 used
Platinum- $50.93 new, $28.98 used
SoulSilver- $38.98 new, $29.73 used
HeartGold- $32.98 new, $28.88 used
Black- $31.96 new, $31.45 used
White- $32.54 new, $30.99 used ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/how-much-new-used-pok%C3%A9mon-game-amazon-58231/ A blog post about something other than Pokémon X and Y http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/blog-post-about-something-other-than-pok%C3%A9mon-x-y-55460/ Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:13:27 GMT Lol no. Of course I'm gonna talk about them.




First off, Chespin is the best starter, so all ya'll best back up. Oh look, another fox that looks like an Eevee with Zorua's ridiculous body proportions. No way! Another frog, but you don't have to wait until the second evolution for this one to be ugly! Yeah. I'll have me an adorable hedgehog with an Andes cap any day over those.


The whole world's in 3D? Battles in 3D? The complete abolition of sprites? Finally. This should have been done in the DS games.


International release date? Again, finally. You're gonna release them in NA and Europe anyway, why start localizing after release?


My only problem with the overworld are the body proportions of the player character (and I could assume, of all the people). The head is square​ and the trunk way too big. It's not bad, but it's so slightly off that it bothers me.
The design of the female PC is great, but the guy is strange as well. The setting of the game appears to be Europe, specifically France with the obvious Eiffel Tower and other buildings in Gothic style.


To clear up any confusion, the X legendary is the deer and the Y is the Flying-type. I first thought that X was another Musketeer, and then when I saw the big rainbow antlers, I kinda stared in dumbfoundation (a word I invented just now). I wasn't a fan. Its design is just too over the top.
Y is something else. When I first got a look at its body, it looked exactly like Avion from Shadow of the Colossus: thick wings, short neck, and a broad, ribbon-like tail. I have no idea what its other type will be.


Whelp, that's my review. Enjoy some fanart.

]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/blog-post-about-something-other-than-pok%C3%A9mon-x-y-55460/ Best Sprites of Each Pokémon: 351-365 http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/best-sprites-each-pok%C3%A9mon-351-365-52672/ Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:34:50 GMT Phew, I haven't done a BSoEP in 5 months. I'm bad. Here, enjoy. Please, comment, comment, comment, suggest, point out, criticize, hate on, proclaim you undying love for, whatever.

351. Castform ~ D/P ___ ___ B/W ___ ___ ___
This is no contest. D/P (Normal Castform) looks much more lively and cute than its competition. As for the rest of its forms, Gen IV copies straight from Gen III, and Gen V is just Gen III floating around.

352. Kecleon ~ E ___
I don't get why Kecleon always seems to be doing the Thriller dance, but it could certainly do with some variety in poses. This was left to a battle of the animations, which E's sudden motion and vanishing wins easily.

353. Shuppet ~ Tie ~ Ru/Sa, B/W ___ ___
Okay, what. Shuppet goes from this creepy-looking spirit in Gen III to a wide-eyed little imp in Gen IV, and then this adorable little guy in Gen V. I like both extremes, frankly. Don't judge me.

354. Banette ~ D/P ___
For the record, Banette is grey, not dull blue (Gen III), not dull purple (above). Like scary Shuppet previously, Banette looks best immobile. Look at Banette. Look at its eyes. You think you caught it off-guard? Think you have the upper hand? Got you. Now you're in the sights of a doll animated by pure hatred.

355. Duskull ~ Pt ___
Duskull was hard to judge, mainly because it's the créme de la créme of expressionless Pokémon: no face, one eye that can't even wink, a blob-like body shape, and a rigid, unmoving head made of bone. These, coupled with the spriters' inability to give me interesting and varied sprites, leaves me troubled. I chose this one for its ghostly, vanishing look.

356. Dusclops ~ D/P ___
So each sprite has its hands reaching out "menacingly," and much in the same fashion. Again, Dusclops has no face or means of conveying emotion. Hence, it's up to body language. Some appear to be off-balance or just plain awkward-looking, but D/P has a solid, threatening pose.

357. Tropius ~ Ru/Sa ___
Right off the bat, Pt and B/W are eliminated for their sheer normalcy, and E's animation doesn't seem worth it. The remaining pair are very different. The grand pose that D/P takes is severely hindered by the overall silliness of its look, so Ru/Sa's standard, saurian pose wins. Better safe than sorry.

358. Chimecho ~ D/P ___
Chimecho's face remains the same throughout the generations (think of the one James's Chimecho has after it goes "Chiiiiiiiiiiiiime!"), so this rests in the body position and flapping of its tail. D/P appears to be gently and naturally descending from above, lifting its tail.

359. Absol ~ Pt ___
Absol generally has the same pose in all of its sprites, just from different angles. Pt, however, has a strong, unique pose.

360. Wynaut ~ E ___
No contest, nope. E looks more joyous than D/P and more lively than B/W.

361. Snorunt ~ D/P ___
None of Snorunt's sprites are all that great, really. It takes on a more squat appearance starting in Pt, and there is some variety in the sprites, but overall none really excel. D/P at least has a unique perspective and looks more active.

362. Glalie ~ D/P ___
D/P is by far the most detailed and well-shaded of Glalie's sprites. Glalie is just a big, floating glare, so its sprite should demonstrate this well.

363. Spheal ~ B/W ___
I nearly included E as well, but... it's just hilarious. Spheal spins like a wheel. Anyway, I picked B/W because it fixes all of the mistakes of the previous generation; namely, the derpface and orientation of the body.

364. Sealeo ~ D/P ___
It seem like every generation so far has had to fix something about most of the Pokémon in their debut games. Sealeo, for example, lost a lot of weight. B/W is okay too, but D/P has a better face and mannerism.

365. Walrein ~ D/P ___
Its poses are virtually the same throughout the generations, save for the bloated Gen III. B/W's animation is pointless*, so D/P's decent look wins by default.

*When I say pointless, I mean that it was a waste of time to animate it because of the... you know what, I'll just say it... shitty result the animator produced. Wanna know what Walrein's long-awaited, fully animated sprite does? The one that shows it alive in battle, supposedly enhancing the dynamic experience? It breathes heavily and opens its mouth a little wider once in a while. Dusclops? It breathes heavily and shifts its feet from side to side once in a while. There are so many clearly uninspired animations. It's really disappointing to the fans. ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/best-sprites-each-pok%C3%A9mon-351-365-52672/ Yellow Nuzlocke Challenge, Ep. 7 http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/yellow-nuzlocke-challenge-ep-7-52605/ Sun, 30 Sep 2012 16:01:13 GMT After... what the?! 10 months?!!?
Wow. All I can say is, "Life happens."

Here's is the much-awaited seventh installment in my holycrapIhavenoplanforthepaceofthisseries-part series, Yellow Nuzlocke Challenge. Since most of you have no idea what is happening, just click the blog category below and view the previous six episodes.

In this episode, Luke leaves the lab, but receives a strange invitation from an unfamiliar face...

Again, if you can't see the whole comic, zoom out with [Ctrl] and [-], or right-click on the image and open it in a new tab/window.

]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/yellow-nuzlocke-challenge-ep-7-52605/ BDP: Growlithe-Arcanine http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/bdp-growlithe-arcanine-48800/ Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:34:56 GMT Note: Arcanine seriously has tons of artwork, both TCG and fanart. Yes, it has 8 Favorite Renditions, and that's after I raised the standards (had I not, it would have perhaps double that number). And, much like Ninetales, there are... one might say... unorthodox depictions of the Legendary Pokémon.




58. Growlithe

Form: 8.5. Now that's how you make an ordinary animal interesting. As if the impressive explosion of chest fur wasn't enough, Growlithe has a prominent crest of fur and thick, bushy tail, all of which are uniquely designed for Growlithe. Interestingly, the front and rear paws looks very different; the front paws look more solid and have two claws, and the rear ones look more mammalian and have soft pads.
Color: 8. Obviously the most prominent design aspect of both Growlithe and its evolution are the stylistic black streaks across its body. Really, if you didn't know that they were Fire-types, which would you have guessed? Normal? Ground? Even the orange fur doesn't quite give it away. How a few bold stripes can make an otherwise drab-colored Pokémon look so unique!
Originality: 7.5. Growlithe is based on the shisa of Japanese mythology. This "lion-dog" is ultimately derived from the shíshī of Chinese mythology. These guardian dog statues are placed in front and on the roofs of homes and temples to ward off evil spirits and invite good ones. Does Growlithe have the power to dispel evil spirits with its roar? Not specifically, but it and Vulpix were the first Pokémon to learn Roar naturally. The black stripes clearly indicate its origin, as the shisa draws from lions, dogs, and tigers. Overall, a pretty good adaptation.
Design: 8
Favorite Renditions: One, maquenda, Petah55, Tyt0Alba
Best TCG Art (Tie): 1. Secret Wonders 89/132 by Kagemaru Himeno
2. HeartGold & SoulSilver 65/123 by Naoki Saito



59. Arcanine

Form: 9.5 Arcanine now embodies its inspiration in the fullest: it is no mere puppy, it is the Legendary Pokémon. Like Nidoking, it is often seen used by elite Trainers in the anime. This large beast takes dynamic fur to a whole new level. Apart from the epic mane covering its head and neck, it has tufts on its ankles and an ever bushier tail. Despite the apparently post-puberty hair growth, Arcanine's entire aesthetic screams "sleek." The fur jets backward, ears are diagonal and pointed, the legs long, and the paws soft-soled for running.
Color: 8.5 Really the only difference is the number of black stripes and their angles. It still makes for a great design aspect and contrasts the harmonious rust-orange and cream fur nicely.
Originality: 8.5. Arcanine is based on the komainu, which is virtually identical to the shisa and also based on the Chinese shíshī. Arcanine, however, is not known for being a guard dog with an evil-dispelling roar, so it does not embody the abilities of its inspiration much. That is more than made up for by the fact that Arcanine looks very much like a lion-tiger-dog hybrid, as well as having an instantly recognizable design.
Design: 8.8
Favorite Renditions: Tacimur, Kezrek, CrystalMewtwo, cottondragon, `hibbary, Plaguedog, Kay-Ra, Todorlich, CaptainMorwen
Best TCG Art (Tie): 1. EX Sandstorm 15/100 by Hajime Kusajima
2. HeartGold & SoulSilver 1/123 by Naoki Saito ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/bdp-growlithe-arcanine-48800/ Best Sprites of Each Pokémon: 335-350 http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/best-sprites-each-pok%C3%A9mon-335-350-47076/ Thu, 10 May 2012 23:09:38 GMT • • • It's been a while, huh? Pace is slow due to school, especially as I finish the semester in the next two weeks. A new episode of my Yellow Nuzlocke Challenge is almost done. Just need to finish a few more panels. I really need to pick up the pace or else it'll take forever and people will lose interest (if there even is any?). After YNC Ep. 7 I'll do BDP: Growlithe-Arcanine.



335. Zangoose ~ Ru/Sa ___
I don't care that Gen III is yet again discolored with purple claws instead of dark grey. That pose is so awesome to behold, like the epic look of a combatant the moment before he or she slides into battle position. E and B/W are pointless animations, and D/P is good but not nearly as awesome as Ru/Sa.


336. Seviper ~ B/W ___
Seviper has some decent sprites, but each seems awkward and cramped. Gen III is very cramped and looks like it's recoiling in fear. D/P looks bloated and the like-colored fangs and tongue make for a messy head. B/W looks like it can finally breathe.


337. Lunatone ~ Tie ~ Ru/Sa, D/P ___ ___
Two sprites, two looks. Ru/Sa has a very realistic design, with a stone-brown body and large, blood-red scleras in its eyes. The shading is subtle and Lunatone doesn't even look alive here. Indeed, it reminds me very much of the Moon from Majora's Mask. D/P is more accurate to Lunatone's offical art and anime design, and features deeper 3D shading. E and B/W are pointless yet again.


338. Solrock ~ Ru/Sa ___
For the third time so far, the animations are pointless. This leaves only two contenders, Ru/Sa and D/P. Though both have virtually the same orientation, Ru/Sa wins thanks to its much better detail. The "rays" actually look like rock and the body has great shading.


339. Barboach ~ E ___
After all that, something so insignificant as Barboach gets a decent variety of sprites. And by decent, I mean "not awful, but still not exciting." E looks like it leaped from the water and flops around with vitality.


340. Whiscash ~ Pt ___
Oh look, it's the Porygon of Gen III. Being an Earthquake-causing menace doesn't stop Whiscash from showing off its derp face. Pt wins over the only other contender, D/P, due to its stupid face and genitalia-shaped tail, even though it's more detailed.


341. Corphish ~ B/W __
No. Competition. Whatsoever.


342. Crawdaunt ~ D/P ___
Oddly enough, the DS sprites are just as detailed and lushly colored as the GBA ones. Then B/W came along and ruined the color, likely for the near future. D/P prevails over Gen III for its superior pose, with claws spread wide and menacingly, not limp and low.


343. Baltoy ~ Ru/Sa ___
Expressionless Pokémon really waste my time. I mean sure, it's a lot faster to just rant about how an inanimate toy shouldn't be a Pokémon and then pick the least awful of the sprites, but still. Ru/Sa wins because E and B/W are poor excuses for animation and D/P just turned its body and has shorter arms.


344. Claydol ~ E ___
Clever name. Anyway, Claydol was even easier than Baltoy. Ru/Sa and D/P look the same, and B/W's animation is severely lacking. At least E looks like it's actually spinning.


345. Lileep ~ E ___
Despite having orange tentacles in Gens III and IV, it has always had purple ones in the anime and official art. I like orange better since it gives more color variety, but I digress. E shows what a real Lileep would likely do at times, curl in its tentacles for protection.


346. Cradily ~ B/W ___
Ru/Sa and D/P aren't doing much of anything, so it's left to the animations once again to give the Pokémon some form of presence. E jerks too suddenly for an ocean-floor Pokémon and doesn't impress even then. B/W jiggles left and right and curls its tentacles inward like Lileep's E.


347. Anorith ~ B/W ___
Much like Linoone, the difference between Ru/Sa and D/P is just a few pixels. Laziness aside, neither is interesting, and E shakes in a very unnatural fashion, so B/W's fluttering-in-water motion wins.


348. Armaldo ~ D/P ___
Once again, Ru/Sa and D/P are the same. Unfortunately, neither of the animations improve the static sprites, and since D/P is more accurate to the official art, D/P wins.


349. Feebas ~ D/P ___
Feebas took me a little while to decide because of the (and i can't believe I'm typing this) variety of different sprites it has. Pt and B/W were the first to be ruled out because one isn't focused on the battle at all and the other's another pointless animation. E's decent Splash motion beat out Ru/Sa, so leaving it against D/P. The more I looked at E, though, the more I was revolted. The thing looks like it could die any minute. D/P wins for its half-decent sprite and not looking like a fish that's been dead for a week.


350. Milotic ~ D/P ___
Right off the bat, not only is Gen III discolored, but the face... the hair... it's so human-looking it's scary. Ru/Sa isn't bad, but E is another pointless animation (but it turns blue! omg!) Pt looks so awkwardly coiled up it's embarassing. B/W's animation looks awful; no animal moves that poorly. D/P looks majestic, swirling about in the sea. It wins hands-down.





So apparently Black 2 and White 2 will have some new animated sprites. I'll tell you now, I'm not busting my balls again looking for them just to judge them ASAP. I'm going to wait until someone posts a complete list, or at least a zip file with the ripped sprites. Then, I'll judge each new sprite of a Pokémon with its current Best Sprite and replace it if it's better, tie if it's exactly as good, or replace one sprite in a tie.


As always, enjoy my selections and tell me what you think! ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/best-sprites-each-pok%C3%A9mon-335-350-47076/ Pokémon Battle Royale art gallery http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/pok%C3%A9mon-battle-royale-art-gallery-46305/ Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:58:50 GMT Zelda Informer: Gorgeous Pokémon Art Gallery: Pokémon Battle Royale The “Pokémon Battle Royale” project is an art gallery featuring all of the original Pokémon, illustrated by 151 different acclaimed artists (varying from Zac Gorman to Kris Anka, just to name two examples). The gallery went... Zelda Informer: Gorgeous Pokémon Art Gallery: Pokémon Battle Royale

The “Pokémon Battle Royale” project is an art gallery featuring all of the original Pokémon, illustrated by 151 different acclaimed artists (varying from Zac Gorman to Kris Anka, just to name two examples). The gallery went live at the Light Grey Art Lab in Minnesota a little while ago, but all of the images are viewable in the online gallery - and prints can be ordered online.

I try very hard to be open to modern art, but I still ended up disliking about 2/3 of these renditions of the beloved 151. Some are so weird it's bothersome, others are seemingly intentionally offensive, and others are just all wrong. Nevertheless, there were some that I did like, and some of those will be implemented into Best Designed Pokémon's Favorite Renditions!

So, what do you think of the gallery? Did any works stand out to you? There seem to be a set of repeating styles used by the various artists; which interest you? ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/pok%C3%A9mon-battle-royale-art-gallery-46305/ PokéQuizzes and Rock Tunnel fanimation http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/pok%C3%A9quizzes-rock-tunnel-fanimation-45707/ Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:46:53 GMT Think you know Pokémon? Take these quizzes to find out how wrong you are.

I got 132/151 Can you name the Pokémon Characters (Generation 1)? | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle
Lightest, biggest, shortest, etc. I got 41/64. Can you name the Pokemon Extremes (Gen I.)? by Gangsterls | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle
I got 8/13. Can you name the Pokemon whose name includes only one syllable? | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle
I got 16/17 plus the 2 bonus types. Can you name the Pokemon Types? | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle

Take this if you're really ambitious. I got 108/200. I hit several walls, lol. Can you name the Pokemon from Gens 1-4 (NO STARTERS OR LEGENDARIES)? by SecondPlaceEagle | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle

There are other quizzes of course. Go here for many, many more: Pokémon Quizzes and Games | Online Games & Trivia by Sporcle


Also, the guys at TerminalMontage have pretty much summed up the dark caves in Generation I. It gets very creepy very quickly. You should watch it.

]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/pok%C3%A9quizzes-rock-tunnel-fanimation-45707/ PokéCans http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/pok%C3%A9cans-45557/ Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:34:14 GMT PokeCans

Do you like Pokémon? 'Course you do. Do you like junkcraft, in which creative people craft beautiful and interesting works of art from everyday rubbish? You should. An artist named Dakota has decided to combine the two and over the past year has created over 170 PokéCans—regular aluminum cans cut up into sculptures of Pokémon—and they look great. This artist has been featured on PokéMemes before, but I just now got to looking at all of their works.
Of them, I like Latios, Skarmory, Porygon, Heracross, Articuno (both versions), Omanyte, Sandslash, Nidoking, Scyther, shiny Rapidash, Rapidash, Solosis, Electabuzz, Magikarp (latest version), Starmie, Gyarados, Totodile, Ninetales, Arcanine, Blastoise, Rayquaza, Kabutops, Raikou, and Moltres.

You can use the Guide or Archive links at the top of the page to view all the PokéCans. ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/pok%C3%A9cans-45557/ Red vs. Blue http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/red-vs-blue-45360/ Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:55:03 GMT Not the popular web series.



I'm talking (typing?) about the 1996 revolutionary phenomenon we call Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue. Specifically, their differences. We all know that they differ in cover art, regional Pokémon, encounter rates, and so on, but I've always heard that Blue supposedly has better graphics and sound, as well as altered dialogue. Is that true? I can't find anything on the Internet that shows side-by-side those differences.

Also, according to How Pokemon Red is blatantly better than Pokemon Blue -Destructoid, Red is better. Which opens up another discussion: Which do you like better? Red or Blue? Or FireRed or LeafGreen? Or are you all "NAA Gen I sucks I only play games less than 10 years old now watch me compare Garbodor to Muk blah blah"? ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/red-vs-blue-45360/ BDP: Mankey-Primeape http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/bdp-mankey-primeape-45311/ Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:09:28 GMT
56. Mankey

Form: 7.5. Mankey's body is truly bizarre. Its head, neck, torso, and abdomen are all fused into one hairy sphere. The thin limbs are typical of tree-dwelling primates, but the cat-like ears just up the oddity. I do like how the hands have evolved into primitive fists for performing Fighting attacks. The feet are rather ugly and atypical of primates, but they look adept for perching on tree limbs. Its face matches its personality as an easily-angered being.
Color: 6.5. Sure, it's not as colorful as a mandrill, but it's a monkey Pokémon. The appendages of the light tan body are dipped in brown, emphasizing the physical moves it uses. The fiery red eyes further show its personality.
Originality: 7. Mankey and Primeape are based on the baboon in terms of both appearance and behavior. Appearance-wise, however, most people couldn't tell which animal it is beyond a monkey. This touchy furball of a Pokémon manages to embody an animal known for its temper yet also retain a style of its own.
Design: 7
Favorite Renditions: zednanreh-c, BigTreeWorld, GamerGuy165
Best TCG Art: Tie - Brock's Mankey (Gym Heroes 67/132) by Atsuko Nishida
Blaine's Mankey (Gym Challenge 63/132) by Atsuko Nishida



57. Primeape



Form: 6. Primeape's head/torso ball is just a bigger Mankey. Essentially the only difference is the limbs. The fingers and toes have morphed into freakish fusions of flesh, turning into boxing gloves and thick foot pads. This indicates that it no longer lives in trees (even though it's been seen to still do) or needs the ability of dexterity, and instead lives life on the ground. The tail is gone as well, further making tree life unlikely. It always has metal weights on its wrists and ankles for weight training, which presents the first instance of a repeated issue. Where do Primeape get the weights? They seem to materialize out of nowhere when evolved in the anime, but how else would they realistically get them? There's no way those undeveloped meat-fists could fashion the weights themselves. NEEDS EXPLANATION, GAME FREAK.
Color: 4. I think Mankey de-volved. Yeah, yeah, the limbs are brown, the fur is tan, and the nose and inner ears are pink... boring. The black weights do attract attention to its fighting assets, but... damn, there's just no flow of colors. The eyes are just black, the body is so bland... ugh.
Originality: 6. It is based on the baboon, but is noticeably less primate and more humanoid in appearance. It may also be so in intelligence, since it can apparently smith metal weights, which it somehow has learned can increase strength (yet it defeats the purpose since they're never taken off). No doubt it certainly behaves more like a human: it is clearly built to walk around on two feet, fight like a kickboxer, and has about as much self-control as a beer-guzzling bro-tard.
Design: 5.3
Favorite Renditions: RtRadke, Shinigami-GFX, PikachuProdigy, zacharyxbinks
Best TCG Art: Supreme Victors 39/147 by Midori Harada



I stumble upon some interesting things when I browse the web, and this... sure is interesting. Do you like anime girls? ' Course you do. Do you like Pokémon? Well, duh. The artist shoxxe does too. That's why he or she made fan art of anime girls wearing PokéCosplay. Enjoy.
Fanart - Anime by shoxxe on deviantART, pg 2 and 5 ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/bdp-mankey-primeape-45311/ Best Sprites of Each Pokémon: 316-334 http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/best-sprites-each-pok%C3%A9mon-316-334-45039/ Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:42:40 GMT 316. Gulpin ~ D/P ___
It's not like any of its sprites do anything at all, even the animated ones, whose animations just seem to be fidgeting about. Gen III is misshapen, has small lips, and a short appendage on its head. D/P is all-around decent.

317. Swalot ~ E ___
For some reason, its eyes are red in Gen III and its official artwork, yet is purple in Gen IV-V and the anime. Nevertheless, E wins because it is the only one actually doing anything, even if it obscures its own face.

318. Carvanha ~ E ___
I considered having it tie with B/W, but I figured that E's ferocity was better than B/W's lurking motion.

319. Sharpedo ~ Ru/Sa ___
B/W's animation is pointless, E is bouncing around like a fish out of water, and D/P is good but really not doing anything. Ru/Sa wins.

320. Wailmer ~ D/P ___
I really dislike having to review such a static Pokémon. Its face never changes, so character goes out the window. That being said, each generation of Wailmer sprites has a different perspective. Ru/Sa looks like a deflated basketball on the floor, with tiny, limp fins. B/W inflates its belly like a toad and waves its fins as it were floating in the liquid stupidity its look excretes. D/P at least looks like its official art.

321. Wailord ~ D/P ___
Gen III's blimp-like sprites look good, but too many details are missing due to perspective. Gen V's robtoic waving of fins looks ridiculous, so D/P's decent sprite wins.

322. Numel ~ Ru/Sa ___
Numel's sprites all have the same face. B/W and E's animations just rock up and down, while D/P looks too docile. Ru/Sa has a battle-ready stance and great shading.

323. Camerupt ~ E ___
D/P cocks its head like a cutesy Pokémon and B/W appears to be fidgeting about from fleas. E's earth-shaking sprite wins.

324. Torkoal ~ E ___
All of Torkoal's sprites have essentially the same pose, the only difference being the direction D/P's body is facing. B/W's billowing smoke is very choppy and boring. E wins because of the sudden tremble and glow of magma.

325. Spoink ~ E ___
I don't even care anymore about Gen III's discoloration. According to the Pokédex, all non-animated Spoink should be dead of cardiac arrest, so animation is obligatory. Since B/W's body doesn't react at all to the bouncing, E wins.

326. Grumpig ~ D/P ___
E's hopping isn't necessary, really, and B/W isn't doing anything. Ru/Sa was pretty good, but its face is obscured and D/P has more detail.

327. Spinda ~ B/W ___
Spinda is a gimmick Pokémon which comes in 8,589,934,592 varieties and learns some rare moves but doesn't have the stats to be useful. Its point is to dance erratically to confuse opponents, which B/W best portrays.

328. Trapinch ~ E ___
D/P looks static and top-heavy and B/W's nibbling isn't impressive. E stands its ground and chomps away.

329. Vibrava ~ D/P ___
Vibrava has some good sprites. Ru/Sa would be fine, static as it is. E adds some vibrating wing flaps. B/W has the same pose, but flutters up a little. D/P is unique and looks good flying skyward.

330. Flygon ~ Ru/Sa ___
Finally, some varied sprites. E "flies" around with poorly-animated wing-flapping. B/W's flying looks better, but really is nothing special. Lastly, D/P seems to be saying "Look at my crotch!" Ru/Sa has a solid, battle-ready pose.

331. Cacnea ~ D/P ___
D/P has great shading, color, and pose. Ru/Sa and E aren't bad, but they pale in comparison to D/P.

332. Cacturne ~ Ru/Sa ___
Cacturne's sprites are all pretty bland. Ru/Sa has the best color; its greens are much more vivid than its successors'.

333. Swablu ~ E ___
This is another case of the GBA's greater detail beating out the DS's higher pixel count and whatever else it has. Gen III Swablu sprites have 3 blues and 3 whites, but Pt and B/W have just 2 each. D/P does have 3 each, but the pose is literally off. E adds a gentle flutter to the already-good Ru/Sa sprite.

334. Altaria ~ D/P ___
Altaria indeed has a variety of sprites, each with pros and cons. E and B/W's animations are both squawking in a ridiculous fasion, so they're out. Now it's hard. I must pick one of the remaining three: Ru/Sa's solid and intimidating yet inactive pose, D/P's great in-flight form but with undefined wing positions, or Pt's great, yet undetailed swoop? After much deliberation, I chose D/P. ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/best-sprites-each-pok%C3%A9mon-316-334-45039/ BDP: Psyduck-Golduck http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/bdp-psyduck-golduck-44851/ Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:56:31 GMT Another edition of Best Designed Pokémon. Some notes: I have tweaked the scores of a few previous Pokémon slightly, new Favorite Rendition artwork has been added for Venusaur, Caterpie, Metapod, Gloom, and Vileplume (all by the artist Petah55), and I have given the grade *Variety* a new name:... Another edition of Best Designed Pokémon. Some notes: I have tweaked the scores of a few previous Pokémon slightly, new Favorite Rendition artwork has been added for Venusaur, Caterpie, Metapod, Gloom, and Vileplume (all by the artist Petah55), and I have given the grade Variety a new name: Originality. This is to clear up my own confusion of the term. Previously I had been judging this grade by how original a Pokémon looked, not on how original its concept is. Lastly, I'm entertaining the idea of putting the name and image of the Pokémon in the center instead of along the left. Please let me know how revolutionary this idea is.

54. Psyduck


Form: 1.5. So, so, so, so plain. The body has no detail whatsoever. It really couldn't be more plain. The only things I could talk about would be the hairs on its head and strangely pointy tail, and I'm stumped as to what I could say of them. They're there, and that's it.
Color: 4. There's a strange appeal to its simple color scheme. Lemon yellow fur/feathers give an otherwise normal-looking duck a unique look. The cream-colored beak and feet simultaneously cover up and compliment the monotonous yellow, and the black hairs give it a pitifully cute appearance.
Originality: 5. Psyduck looks like a platypus trying to be a duck. According to the Pokédex, it merely gives off the appearance of weakness to trick enemies. The key to its psychic powers is its incessant headache. Its appearance is nothing more than a bland platypus/duck creature, but the more low-key aspects of its being give it an interesting story.
Design: 3.5
Favorite Renditions: RacieB, RtRadke, Petah55
Best TCG Art: Team Rocket 65/82 by Mitsuhiro Arita



55. Golduck


Form: 7.5. The only reason one would think that Psyduck and Golduck are related is their names. Golduck's body is so different. Its limbs and tail are sleek and long, the head's feathers shoot back into spikes, and the face is determined, not blank. It has also grown another claw on the back of its feet and a forehead gem like Persian. However, the uncomfortable look of its hands and feet perturbs me. It just looks like it would be impractical and troublesome to have webbed phalanges with long claws. The torso and tail are also quite plain.
Color: 7.5. The cobalt blue looks very good on Golduck, letting it blend in with the waters it swims in. The minor colors red and cream add some variety to the mix, but it is still vastly blue. Too blue.
Originality: 8. Golduck is loosely based on the kappa, a Japanese mythical creature that inhabits ponds and rivers. Good thing, too, because behavior such as raping women, drowning people, and eating children isn't exactly kid-friendly. Golduck itself takes the platypus/duck concept and adds mythological inspiration. With a unique look, respectable demeanor, and status as the fastest-swimming Pokémon, Golduck has the kind of Originality that make Pokémon so interesting even to adults.
Design: 7.7
Favorite Renditions: RacieB, spoonerman, AnnaJ, ShakShakalut, knocknoc (stupid sexy Golduck!)
Best TCG Art: Platinum 29/127 by Kouki Saitou


I have two other propositions as well. Would it be better to split Originality into two grades: one for how well a Pokémon expresses its inspiration, and another for that Pokémon's unique attributes and lore? Currently I combine both (like for Psyduck, its appearance was a 3 and its attributes were a 7). My other proposition is an old one that no one's talked about: Top Cosplayer. I'd look for the best cosplayer's costume of the Pokémon, male or female, which does a great job of anthropomorphizing it. Let me know what you think. ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/bdp-psyduck-golduck-44851/ Wobbuffet vs. Wobbuffet http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/wobbuffet-vs-wobbuffet-44762/ Sat, 24 Mar 2012 02:28:59 GMT Are you serious. http://i41.tinypic.com/2v8onk0.jpg Stadium 2. Prime Cup, Poké Ball. Blackbelt Yang. Screw him. Screw him so hard. I thought I could win if I just went to use Struggle to defeat his Wobbuffet, and then Counter his other Pokémon to defeat. Then he switched to it, and it... Are you serious.




Stadium 2. Prime Cup, Poké Ball. Blackbelt Yang. Screw him. Screw him so hard.

I thought I could win if I just went to use Struggle to defeat his Wobbuffet, and then Counter his other Pokémon to defeat. Then he switched to it, and it was a Hitmonchan that knew Dynamicpunch, Thunderpunch, Mach Punch, and either Fire Punch or Detect (can't remember).

Try as I could, I couldn't beat the AI. I first used Counter, but it used Thunderpunch. Then I Countered again, thinking it would go physical, but no. I would have had better luck predicting a coin toss than Hitmonchan's moves. I lost.
This is my second try at the Prime Cup, and I'm only on the first Ball. Last time I got all the way to the Final before losing (oh, how I raged).

If anyone has a good rental team, please let me know. The only one I saw online was Zapdos/Slowking/Jynx/Wobbuffet/Dodrio/Primeape, which I modified to replace Slowking with Quagsire the first time (when I got to the Final). This second time I also swapped Zapdos with Magneton.

I just want to beat this freaking game. Stadium 1 was nowhere near as hard as this.
]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/wobbuffet-vs-wobbuffet-44762/ The Origin of Mewtwo - The rarely-seen opening of Mewtwo Strikes Back http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/origin-mewtwo-rarely-seen-opening-mewtwo-strikes-back-44721/ Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:30:35 GMT Some of you may have heard that Mewtwo Strikes Back had a very important intro cut out which was included in the Japanese theatrical release. The opening dealt with the origin, infancy, and character shaping of Mewtwo, something so vital to the story it's a mystery why they didn't extend the barely 1.5-hour long English dub by a measly 10 minutes to show it.

The opening was later released in Japan as a standalone CD called The Birth of Mewtwo. The opening was first available in English only on the Japanese DVD of Mewtwo Strikes Back. It was finally released to the West as an added feature to the Mewtwo Returns DVD, called "Origin of Mewtwo".

My point is, I've found it online, but only in English (sorry weaboos). All joking aside, I tried but could not for the life of me find it subbed anywhere. I gave up and went to YouTube, where a few versions of it do exist, but they're all terrible in their own ways.

So what I did was play the highest visual quality video and the highest audio quality at the same time, muting the visual one. I played this video (better audio) and then went over to this video (better visuals) and pressed play at exactly 0:14. That should give the best experience. And yes, the better-visuals video is recorded from camera, but it's still better than all else. Stop complaining. :P

Well I hope you liked my little guide and of course the "Origin of Mewtwo". This post was inspired by this blog by @Destiny Queen. ]]> Aviator Zero http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/blogs/43658/origin-mewtwo-rarely-seen-opening-mewtwo-strikes-back-44721/