Looking Forward: 3:10 to Hoenn: Outlook and Speculation from a Lifelong Die-Hard

[BulbaBot]

Looking Forward: 3:10 to Hoenn: Outlook and Speculation from a Lifelong Die-Hard

Let’s rewind to 2003: we’re set to be introduced to a new region, set far away from our old stomping grounds, filled with more new Pokémon than old, set to introduce a new battle system, and mark a new beginning for this beloved franchise. Doesn’t that sound like an ironic echo as we await the releases of Pokémon Black and White? Generation V has more than a few parallels to the last odd numbered generation and therein could lie trouble.

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[Kamex]

I think Black and White will be better accepted by fans than Ruby and Sapphire. The main flaw was probably seen in the games' inability to connect with its predecessors. Seeing how Black and White will include connectivity with the previous games, I don't think there will be any problem. Personally, I didn't find the Hoenn-based games bad at all, but Black and White do seem better in a lot of ways.

 

[Cross Poison]

Lets count how many people say "tis isnt newz1!!1!"

Good read, I got into the franchise at gen III.

 

[The Outrage]

I like how this article points out people's hypocrisy. When you hate Gen III, people seem to see B/W as a throwback to Gen I only :/

 

[FullMetal]

I don't understand why people hate the 3rd generation. Sure, I mean I hated that you couldn't trade between the 3rd and 2nd gens. But I still enjoyed playing Ruby. In fact I'm going to restart my Sapphire soon.

 

[Eldritch_One]

This article is a bit funny to me, only because Gen III was my FAVORITE. Gen I was cool, and started everything, and Gen II was awesome, but Gen III has most of my favorite Pre-Gen IV Pokemon. I loved Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald.

Cue Haters.

 

[Sanic Hegehog]

Well to be fair, It makes sense that Game Freak couldn't allow past games to be compatible with Gen III games because the IV and EV systems are notably different and the fact natures and abilities were included in the new games. In theory if the games were compatible, it would cause a lot of problems in the games internal coding and cause ether nasty Glitch Pokemon to pop up or even freezing.


Black/White allows transferring to past games because the game mechanics are almost unchanged from Gen IV games.

Just pointing out this little tidbit for people that are still pissed at the transfer situation in Gen III games

 

[Zesty Cactus]

I always forget I'm the only person who wasn't enraged that I couldn't move Pokemon from Generation II to Generation III.

I do like that this column points out a lot of the hypocrisy surrounding peoples's hate for Gen III. There are a lot of paralells, but apparently (according to some folks) Gen III still sucks and Gen V is ~*~like omg different cuz its better and i can migrate my generation IV pokemons~*~

 

[Kamex]

Well to be fair, It makes sense that Game Freak couldn't allow past games to be compatible with Gen III games because the IV and EV systems are notably different and the fact natures and abilities were included in the new games. In theory if the games were compatible, it would cause a lot of problems in the games internal coding and cause ether nasty Glitch Pokemon to pop up or even freezing.


Black/White allows transferring to past games because the game mechanics are almost unchanged from Gen IV games.

Just pointing out this little tidbit for people that are still pissed at the transfer situation in Gen III games

I agree with you completely. Plus, if something is set as a new beginning, it makes sense not to include a lotof stuff from previous games. Although RSE could have had a day/night system, to be fair. But otherwise, the gen III games were still great. Personally, I find it even more interesting with the majority of Pokémon being completely new.

 

[Garren]

I don't get what you meant by "complicated" though.

Like, I don't see any Gen III Pokemon being complicated, nor do I find any Gen V Pokemon to be complicated. Is there any Pokemon in particular from Gen III that people use to cite this fact, or is it just people being purposefully obscure and making abstract statements?

People list things like Gothiruselle as "complicated", or that's a popular one I see, but really it's pretty simplistic and perfectly symmetrical.

 

[GreatLiver]

I loved Gen III too. Not being able to import old pokemon from the start felt fresh. Filling the Pokedex actually meant something in that game. I hated Gen II, didn't care for the remakes either. That's probably why I wasn't bothered by the fact that you couldn't transfer in your GSC pokemon.

 

[alpha48135]

I also liked the Gen III games. I used Emerald when the 10th anniversary celebration came to town for the video game contest. I also liked the Battle Frontier there.

 

[GodofPH]

I don't get what you meant by "complicated" though.

Like, I don't see any Gen III Pokemon being complicated, nor do I find any Gen V Pokemon to be complicated. Is there any Pokemon in particular from Gen III that people use to cite this fact, or is it just people being purposefully obscure and making abstract statements?

The Fire Starters will sum up my point:

Gen I:

Gen III:

Again, I wasn't criticizing Gen III for the designs. I was pointing out the difference in style, and how that had been an aspect of criticism.

 

[Keldora Dragon]

To this day I still don't see what's so super complex about Blaziken's design. I see very little difference in fire starters. Though it's interesting you mentioned simplicity returning to Gen.IV since Infernape far more complex in design than Blaziken.

 

[Garren]

Well, yeah, Blaziken has a bit more features on it than Charizard, but then compare it to say, Magmar, and both of them are about on the same level of "complexity".

 

[Ranger Jack Walker]

Blaziken is certainly more complicated than Charizard but that could be attributed to Charizard simplistic design. The European Dragon design has been used so many times in all fantasy franchises that Blaziken's design could seem more complicated

 

[VentusVictory]

I rather liked Hoenn, and look forward to Isshu with Great Expections. I think games should move forward, so new features and more complex designs should be welcomed. However, it isn't right to turn a cold shoulder to the past, such as making the Johto starters, Lugia, and Ho-oh difficult to get until HGSS by yourself. I'm gonna miss some of the old Pokemon in Isshu though (Pikachu, Eevee).

 

[GrassStarterFan715]

Hoenn was my favorite generation too. Ruby and Sapphire were the first games I was really old enough to "understand" what the whole point of the games was, so my fond memories of pokemon were from there! I plan to get a Sapphire remake if there is one! :-D

 

[V Faction]

Why does the first half of this article sound like it's speaking for the masses and trying to paint a horrible picture?

"Remember those dark times of Ruby and Sapphire". I.... really don't actually. I find it odd to consider any game in the series to be unenjoyable.

I remember, at twelve years old, being furious I couldn’t transfer my mighty Missingno-empowered monsters I’d had with me since Blue.

Are you still holding that grudge?

Let's settle this once and for all.

In order to transfer from the Gameboy or Gameboy color, you would've needed a special transfer device or piece of equipment. Not only did they have new 'tech' in the GBA, but even little things like the link cable slot were different.

Backward compatibility for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games is provided by an 4/8 MHz Z80 coprocessor (which Game Boy Advance software can use the audio tone generators to supplement the primary sound system)...

Basically, the hassle wouldn't have been worth it (nor the money). Instead they put their time, energy, and resources into making a better game and other cooler things, like the Wireless Adapter.

The restructuring of the game data itself was a natural process of dealing with a new engine, new hardware, new everything (from a design standpoint). The old system was archaic and out of date. I'm sure you can find the appropriate info by scouring Google and Wikipedia, but the Pokemon were set with a limit on the number in the first two generations. The Pokemon data itself needed a good scrubbing. A Rattata you caught in Gold/Silver/Crystal is nothing like one you could catch in FireRed/LeafGreen.

So they basically set out to give the stats, moves, abilities (new), natures (new), breeding mechanics, experience gains, EVs, IVs, and everything else a standard by which to operate. Even now, Gen IV's battling operates based on those implementations (even with the addition of the Phys/Special split), and it looks like Gen V will be doing the same barring some weird change we haven't seen yet.

Again, I wasn't criticizing Gen III for the designs. I was pointing out the difference in style, and how that had been an aspect of criticism.

To this day, newer generations are still the aspect of criticism. I was talking to another poster on a different forum just the other day, practically the same age as me, and you know what he was saying? That the designs of Generation V Pokemon were uncreative and unoriginal -- that they were leftovers from a previous gen. He could only hope that they'd be half as good as the Generation IV Pokemon designs eventually! Isn't that something?? It seems no matter what, designs will be lambasted, whether new or different. Saying Gen III is a contention for criticism is saying ALL the gens are a contention for criticism.

For instance:

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All these 1st generation Pokemon share striking similarities in their creation. Bipedal, large feet and thighs with pronged toes, and 3-finger largehands. They basically reused the same structure with different parts. The same goes for the starters as well. Now, it's a clear indication of the style used by Sugimori and Tajiri back in the old days, but what if they came out today? People would criticize them for having so many similarities. In other words, stupid reasons, just like the equally as stupid reasons we get nowadays harping on newer generations.

But you know, Pat, what gets me isn't the whole problem people have with designs or the technology... It's that this subject matter keeps getting brought up again and again. When is it going to be enough? Couldn't this have been more an article of "What Generation V is doing right" or "...is doing what we like" instead of "What Generation III did wrong"?

 

[Turtle Tamer Kammy]

But you know, Pat, what gets me isn't the whole problem people have with designs or the technology... It's that this subject matter keeps getting brought up again and again. When is it going to be enough? Couldn't this have been more an article of "What Generation V is doing right" or "...is doing what we like" instead of "What Generation III did wrong"?

Agreed. Gen 3, to this day, remains my favorite generation. I loved the starters, the region, the "villians", the secret bases (way better than the ones in DPPt), I could go on and on. I have a great aunt who is still pissed that the Dodgers left Brooklyn (52 years ago), and Pat reminds me of her. Let it go, man.