inazumaarion

It crazy to think that over the last twenty five years Pokemon has been around, we basically had access to the Kanto Region on every single handheld device. Sure there are plenty of games that made references to Generation One. But when you really think about it, the Kanto Region was always in arm's reach.

Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal allowed you to explore Kanto during the Post Game. The Gameboy Advance had solid remakes for Red and Green. The DS had remakes for Gold and Silver. The 3DS put all of the Generation One games on Virtual Console. And the Switch had remakes for Pokemon Yellow.

It's honestly astonishing to see Game Freak create so many unique ways to experience the humble beginnings of Pocket Monsters without forcing any tired RPG tropes. But with so many ports available, you can't help but ask the million dollar question, what is the best way to experience Kanto?

While the modern ports have more content, the classic ports feel a bit more unique with their limitations and atmosphere. And that's a big reason why I enjoy Pokémon Yellow so much. Because it represents a time where the Pokemon world was a bit more ruthless.

As much as I love the gorgeous colors of the remakes, I also enjoy the mean spirited environment of Generation One. The illegal Game Corner, the reports of Pokemon murder, the creepy channelers in Pokemon Tower. The lightly colored backgrounds accompanied by 8-Bit soundtrack created this more engaging yet threatening environment. An environment that can drive your imagination crazy.

Though personally, I do prefer to play Pokémon Yellow over Red and Blue because Pikachu is the only Pokemon at the time, you could truly interact with. He hates you at first, but grows to like you the more as the journey progresses. Making the bond between Pokemon and trainer feel more believable.

These are two essential elements that in my opinion, create the ideal Pokemon game. Having a visually interesting environment and animal-like companions to interact with. As much as I love the set pieces of old school Pokemon, the fact that I couldn't interact with my team made them feel more like tools than companions.

In fact, I go as far and say that without Pikachu's influence, the main message of treating your Pokemon with love and respect wouldn't have any meaning behind it. Professor Oak reminds your Rival that he lost because he forgot to treat his Pokemon with care and the player is supposed to be in the right. But that holds no meaning in Pokemon Red and Blue, because you can't actually interact with them.

You couldn't feed them or play games with them. They were just a means to an end. Ironically, Pokemon Trainers were almost identical to Team Rocket. And that's why I think Pokemon Yellow has so much meaning behind it. It added that missing ingredient to Pokemon's secret sauce.

I highly recommend this game. Though if you're having trouble with the bosses, I suggest you worry more about having Pokemon with good stats and move sets rather than spending hours grinding for experience. My team consisted of Pikachu, Nidoqueen, Charizard, Blastoise, Kadabra, and Snorlax.

I'd recommend taking advantage of moves that can stun the opponent with paralysis like Body Slam and Thunder Wave. Which not only limits their movement, but can also cut their speed in half. And if you're still worried, stock up on plenty of healing items if you're prepared to treat the game like a classic RPG. It may not be perfect game, but it was responsible for helping Pokemon become the iconic series it is today.

Well I've watched every single Yu-Gi-Oh anime, might as well talk about my favorite one. As I get used to experiencing disappointment from this franchise, I like to think back to those dazzling memories from my childhood when I watched 5D's for the first time. It was the first rematch between Yusei Fudo and Officer Trudge and it was epic. The monsters, the speed, the motocross action, it was the perfect combination of adrenaline.

I still think Synchro Summoning is the most creative summoning method to come out of this franchise. It's like you're tuning up the monsters like race cars. And combined with great motocross action it's like a blend of Pokémon and Akira.

But what usually kills it for me is the god awful English Dub. I can usually tolerate 4Kids fine in family shows like the Kirby anime, but 5D's was clearly designed for a teen rated audience, and the over censorship really did a number on the story. Characters can't die, bad jokes ruin the tension, and an entire season is cut out. Good God, they erased another Yu-Gi-Oh finale from America.

Of course I won't reveal what happens in the end, but you'd better stick the sub version if you want your sanity to stay intact. Though I do also feel bad saying that, because I liked the voice actors they picked for this show. Everybody sounds like they're having a ball, even while holding such a cheesy script.

Gregory Abbey somehow went from playing one of the most forgettable characters in Duel Monsters to playing one of the most complex characters in 5D's. And he is just nailing Yusei Fudo's character. Always acting in a very organized yet energetic fashion. Rarely expressing joy, yet beneath the stoic exterior lies an intense passion for dueling.

It's these elements that I'd argue make Yusei Fudo, the best written Yu-Gi-Oh protagonist. And with a story that does a good job of alerting the audience he's not invincible with flashbacks and a near death experience with Kalin Kessler, it makes his journey to restore order to his unbalanced city all the more satisfying. Seeing him speed up, slow down, and then speed up again is instant adrenaline.

Like I said earlier, I have had a lot of annoying experience with the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. The anime has hundreds of annoying moments and I have yet to play a good Yu-Gi-Oh video game. I have plenty of frustration bottled up regarding Konami's shortcomings.

But when I watch the legendary dragons of red and white clash as Yusei explains his former best friend about how he inspired him to become a master duelist, while using those mastered techniques to defeat his foes, Everything just comes together like a well tailored suit. Each thread connects with another.

I cannot deny awesome writing. The rivalry between Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas might be better than Yugi and Kaiba's. And that's really saying something, because I also like those characters a lot.

Honestly most of the modern Yu-Gi-Oh anime these days seems to pander towards younger kids. Though I would love to see a return to teen rated Yu-Gi-Oh with exciting storytelling. Definitely take notes from 5D's. Aside from a few bad filler episodes and the 4kids dub, I still found this show to be really enjoyable. I would love to see a concept as creative as card games on motorcycles in future installments. With a much more professional English dub of course. Rev it up and check it out today.