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Generation Five Retrospective

Generation 5 saw its release in 2010, releasing on the still active and highly successful Nintendo DS system, as Pokemon Black and White versions. They’d be sure to sell well, Pokemon never tends to come up short, but it’s possible the developers realized they couldn’t just reuse the same Pokemon format with the same sets of tried and true Pokemon and regional aesthetics. They’d technically be competing with themselves since Diamond and Pearl already existed on the system. So, Game Freak took a leap, and created a Generation almost wholly detached from the previous four.

Gen 5 as a whole was wildly unique for the time. Unova, its region, was the first in Pokemon’s main series to not be based on a region of Japan, and instead took its inspiration from New York City and its surrounding land, over in America. Gen 5 also saw the largest new introduction of Pokemon to date, a whopping 156, beating out even the original set of 151 from Gen 1. This was likely in part because Gen 5 restricted all available Pokemon during its main story to those new to the region, reserving all returning ‘mons for post-game areas and trainers.

That isn’t even to mention all the changes brought about by Gen 5 as well. Gen 5 introduced Seasons, allowing the overworld to change dynamically based upon the month you were playing in. It finally allowed TMs, items used to teach Pokemon moves, to become infinite use rather than limited to their quantity. Pokemon sprites finally animated during battle continuously rather than just on entry. HM usage was drastically toned back compared to Gen 4. Routes and caves were overall more streamlined, making for easier traversal while still offering several side paths and secret areas for players to explore or revisit once progressing further in the game. Even the experience system was optimized, to give players more EXP based upon the next major boss opponent, and softly plateauing them from overleveling past that. Pokemon Black and White would even be home to Pokemon’s strongest narrative yet (in my opinion), driving most of the game’s playthrough beyond just the need to Be a Pokemon Master, and giving the player character some actual stake in the story and villainous team rather than just being a trainer who was in the right place at the right time.

And man. People hated Gen 5 when it came out. Really, truly despised it. When I say ‘people,’ I mean extremely vocal old-school Pokemon fans online who played the games when they first released in Japan and had the benefit of driving most of the discussion before the rest of the world really got their hands on the games. What happened to old my old Pokemon, they decried. Where’s Pikachu and Charizard, how come all the new Pokemon are just bootleg repeats of old ones? Roggenrola? That’s just a worse Geodude! They seriously made a TRASH BAG and ICE CREAM Pokemon?! Man, Pokemon designers are creatively bankrupt. This game is awful.

Honestly I can’t fathom this mindset whatsoever. You can criticize Trubbish and Vanillite for ‘just’ being normal objects all you want, but that kind of thing has existed in literally every Pokemon generation. Geodude is just a rock, Sunflora is just a sunflower, Luvdisc is just a heart, Drifloon is just a balloon. And so what if Gen 5 has some repeated concepts among its roster? In real life there isn’t just one Horse or one Bat or one Stone. Pokemon like Roggenrola, Timburr, Woobat, Blitzle, and more follow similar ideas to their Gen 1 counterparts, but take them in different directions that helps flesh them out as more original, and often more creative, creatures. Roggenrola isn’t just a living rock, it’s an extreme troglobite that evolved without eyes and instead a central ear. Blitzle isn’t another flaming horse, but instead an electrical zebra, playing off the animal’s striped pattern, like how Ponyta may be a play on the term 'trailblazer.'

Even as a kid who grew up with Generations 2-4 before playing 5, I saw listings of the new Pokemon on sites like Serebii and were enamored by them, designs like Galvantula, Scrafty, and Chandelure instantly captivated me. Even seeing the conceptual repeats didn't bother me, because they were still new designs that were breaking the mold from the stuff that had been used for years prior. Gen 5 felt different. It felt fresh.

I’m not the one who made this observation first, but I think the reason why people got so angry with this new Pokemon roster is that they were forced to use ‘mons they hadn't seen before, and couldn't fall back on familiar ones they understood. They couldn't just box whatever starter they were required to pick up and use a Gyarados and Pidgeot like they always had, and being forced to use new Pokemon made those players hate them just out of principle.

On one hand, I kinda get it, it may feel claustrophobic to have to use Pokemon you don't like because no other options exist. Personally though, this is more or less how I try to experience every Generation, at least the first time I play them. I want to at least give the new guys a chance to prove themselves, and on my first playthroughs I always use that Generation's newbies, and don't fallback on what I already know. After all, the rest of the Generation, its locations, its characters, and more are all new and unfamiliar, so why shouldn't the Pokemon be also? I'd love it if every new Generation was like Unova, forcing you to start fresh with all-new Pokemon, but such a philosophy would require a plethora of new design work to be done at Game Freak that just isn't practical with these games' rigid development paces. It makes Black and White all the more special, I guess.

Even beyond just the new Pokemon, Gen 5 is great in nearly all its aspects. Unova sets itself apart from previous regions by its large, flashy urban expanses and varied landscapes, combining both Hoenn's strong suits and improving upon Kanto's larger cities. Something about Unova and Gen 5 as a whole still feels incredibly modern and up-to-date for me, even over a decade after its release. Maybe it's to do with several cities' fascinations with high-tech machinery and glowing neon lighting, or all the merchandise and promotional material using sleek hexagonal black-and-white grids as backdrops for all their art.

Gen 5's also where Pokemon's got its strongest story, in my opinion. As I previously mentioned it feels like the first time the player character actually matters to the narrative, even if they're still a silent protagonist that doesn't really give input on the events that happen. Still, your Pokemon journey is given a little more context and stakes, being that you've got to beat your main rival N - who also happens to be the ruler of the local villainous organization Team Plasma - from reaching the Pokemon League and becoming the Champion, and commanding trainers across the region to give up their Pokemon, separating the connections between people and Pokemon and making both groups as distant as the colors black and white - ha. I won't give an extremely detailed plot summary - these articles are supposed to be on Pokemon designs rather than the games as a whole - but I still think it deserved mention since, alongside the strength of the new designs, such large improvements on Pokemon's general presentation and content is what makes me like Gen 5 so much all these years later.

Oh man, I didn't even get to Black 2 and White 2 yet, the first games since Gold and Silver to be direct sequels, and the first to be set in the same region. They add so much to to the Unovan experience, expanding the region with new locations and content, adding stuff like Pokestar Studios and the Pokemon World Tournament (where you can fight every previous Gym Leader and Champion in tourney brackets!!), adding old Pokemon back into the main game's areas, piling on even more post-game content to do after the credits roll, and a plethora of new and helpful UI and QoL changes. As I said before, these aren't meant to be gameplay critiques or anything, but at least come away from this article knowing that I think Black 2 and White 2 are the strongest games in the series by a wide margin.

With ALL THAT preamble out of the way, let's wrap things up in summation. Gen 5 is an extremely strong way to reinvigorate Pokemon's core style and aesthetic, and gave us a wide helping of unique, creative, and dynamic designs, and even those that retread on concepts already portrayed in the series, usually did so with a new angle or creative spark that helps them to stand separate. It was a great way to usher in a new 'era,' of Pokemon, and did an excellent job wrapping up the first, coincidentally also being the last Pokemon game portrayed in classic 2D.

I haven't tallied it up myself, but I think this Generation has the strongest density of S-B ranks of all Gens so far, wildly impressive considering its size.

My Personal Favorites

Despite all my heaping praises for this Generation, picking my top six is actually pretty easy. Then again, that's due in part to just how much I've thought about it and how much I love all these little freaks, and the ones residing at the top of my list have remained unchanged for quite a while. The newest addition though is Eelektross, who I already like a good deal before writing the reviews but found a lot of new appreciation for once getting to its article. Honorable mentions also go out to Samurott (I still like Dewott better, sorry!), Jellicent, Volcarona, Reuniclus, Leavanny, and more. There were a ton of S Ranks this time around. I could honestly make a top twelve favorites if I really wanted to...

My All-Time Favorites

And would you look at that! Wow! Four additions to my top 10! That's unprecedented! Gen 4 and even 3 only had an impact of three 'mons! Gen 5's just that good, I guess. I should mention, for the record, as time goes on my appreciation for Porygon-Z continues to grow, so consider it tied with Eelektross, just tucked off to the side out of frame.

My Black/White Team

At least in the in-game playthroughs I can show some of my other favorites some love, so let's all give appreciation to the other star members that didn't get included in the Top 6. But wait - where are my other favorites?

My Black 2/White 2 Team

There they are. Usually I don't include two separate teams depending on a game's slightly different versions, but Black/White 1 are pretty substantially different to Black/White 2, so I wanted to give both games some team compositions for fun.

The Coolest

This was THE Generation for radical Dark types - they're even more chock-full of character and badass prowess than normal. Even besides those, you've got real slick heavy hitters like the scarred, sharp-bladed Excadrill and eerily beautiful Chandelure as well. Coolest Gen 5 'mons is another category I could do twice over, but I'll spare you the excess listings.

The Cutest

Another tough contest. Most of these are pretty safe picks, I feel like anyone with a heart will agree on these guys' cuteness, but I also had to give Roggenrola a chance in the spotlight too. YES, I find the little rock pebble cute. Is that so WRONG.

The Most Creative

All those no-fun fuddy-duddies who say Gen 5 is when Game Freak ran out of ideas clearly have no idea what they're talking about. I'm sorry the Nazca-line sentry drone and shedded-skin hoodlum lizard don't tickle your inspirational bone, maybe you just need to expand your palette or something.

Also yes, I put Garbodor on my list of most creative designs. I honestly think the idea of a shambling garbage monster with an exposed rebar skeleton and squirting nozzle-fingers is quite the interesting and special design, SORRY.

My Least Favorites

I struggled to fill this one out. Besides Landorus and the monkeys, I had to go back and check what 'mons I really disliked. Pignite is kinda stretch, I'm perfectly willing to accept its existence but definitely wish it could've been better.

Also yeah, sorry elemental monkey fans, I'm still not big on them. It's nice that you like them, I'm glad they have their fans. Still not for me though.

Gen 5 in a Nutshell

In my mind, Gen 5 has several iconic Pokemon, but I think when you really get down to the nitty gritty and consider all the advertising and promotional material, these are the six that best represent what this region's got on offer, and all six are pretty strong, noteworthy designs. They've got everything, from impressive elegance, to cute charm, and appealing cool factors. And Trubbish, who's there because it's delightful and what everyone thinks of when Gen 5 comes up in discussion. I'm NOT saying Gen 5 is trash. I LIKE Trubbish and do honestly think it represents the region's feel, in a way.

Gen 1 Parallel Hall of Fame

For better or for worse, as I've stated a dozen times before, Gen 5 is well known for its repeat of Gen 1 concepts and ideas, but most of the time the end product is a pretty charming and interesting retooling of the core idea. Seen above are the six I feel do the best jobs with the ideas they're revisiting. I wouldn't say all of them are explicitly superior to their originals, but all are at least successful at standing apart and being unique, fresh designs based on old concepts.

Well, that does it then. Gen 5's all wrapped up and finished. It felt nice revisiting all these designs, putting into words what I really loved about all my favorites, and finding what I appreciated from the more unlikely specimen. I really do think Gen 5 is the best Pokemon's ever gotten... which also means that it's kinda all downhill from here. Oops. It's not all bad, the next two Generations have got some real good stuff I'm looking forward to talking about. So, always... stay tuned! There's always more where this comes from.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #gen 5 #pokemon bw #pokemon bw2 #retrospective

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BONUS: Pokestar Studios

When expanding the region of Unova for the Black and White sequel games, Game Freak decided to include some additional references to American cultural icons, with one being Pokestar Studios, Pokemon’s version of Hollywood in its prime. Only, since Unova is based on New York, I guess they moved out of California all the way over to the East coast.

Pokestar Studios is a pretty interesting side attraction to the main game shenanigans, since the player can participate as an actor in various movie sets, engaging in Pokemon battles more as preset puzzles than monster fighting. Using rental Pokemon, you’ve got to follow a script, and know when’s the right time to make certain moves, take falls, or wait around for your next cue, with dialogue choices in between, all with the goal of making the best crowd-pleasing box office success. While it is pretty straightforward, and the use of rental acting Pokemon makes most of the puzzles pretty simple, I did always enjoy this alternative to the regular gameplay loop, and how much depth it was given. What’s really special is that you can use your own Pokemon when reshooting a completed movie, and if you’re clever enough can even find secret hidden endings that will make your movie an infamous cult classic, and make your Pokemon a well-known movie star.

What makes Pokestar Studios noteworthy enough for a Bonus Article though, is that the opponents you fight in movies aren’t limited to just other human trainers and Pokemon. Even the fantastical world of Pokemon needs some fictional movie monsters in their theaters, and some of them get pretty out there compared to the usual Pikachu and Charizard. Since Game Freak isn’t likely to give them any attention anytime soon, I thought it was worthwhile to shed some light on these lesser known official Pokemon creations.

Black Door & White Door

Starting off strong with these two magical doors, opponents from a medieval fairy tale style movie. Specialized opponents like these are usually represented with just a green screen prop during the actual recording session, but once the movie is completed they’re replaced with what is presumably CGI. That’s kinda funny.

The Black and White Doors are Grass and Fire types respectively, strangely enough. I really enjoy how multilayered their designs are, how behind the central lock and chains you can see shadowy eyes and a thick-lipped smile and big yellow teeth on the main door. It definitely has the feeling of some grimdark fairy tale monster to it.

The weird snakes coiling around the pillars and gripping the chains are pretty charming too, I love their toothy overbites and protruding eyes. Strangely enough, they share a strong resemblance to Applin, a Pokemon from all the way forward in Generation Eight. They share the same eyes and serpentine bodies, so I wonder if the connection was even considered by the devs or if this is just a happy coincidence. Either way, both the snakes and doors are pretty fun.

The ‘trainer’ that uses both doors is also a gatekeeper represented by a giant Substitute doll. Now that’s a real bummer, people are already begging for the Substitute doll to be the inspiration for a real Pokemon, and here’s a lovely giant plush toy sprite and everything. Just look at that excess stitching and exposed fluff. It would’ve been a great Normal/Ghost type.

MT & MT2

Of course, since Tyranitar is Pokemon’s version of Godzilla, Pokemon’s Hollywood has to go an make a series of movies with a Mechagodzilla too. MT, obviously short for Mecha Tyranitar, is a well designed robot counterpart to the Rock/Dark type we all know. I appreciate with how intricately it’s detailed, without appearing too complex. All the metallic seams and rivets are great, and I like how all the joints on its limbs and tails are defined and visible. Vents appearing to reside in Tyranitar’s weird chest cavities are a good touch too.

MT2 has a sick coloration too. I wish that was reflective of Shiny Tyranitar’s palette. If they were to ever change it one day, I’d like for it to be black and red like this one.

F-00

Awww, now this one really stinks. There aren’t enough fully mechanical Pokemon as there should be, and this adorable little toy robot would be an EXCELLENT addition to the roster. It’s so obviously designed to be cutesy, but in just the right ways. I really enjoy its LED screen face, and the little heartbeat monitor on its chest. The superfluous screw on top of its head is a classic touch too.

But THEN, it also has a big, broken, malfunctioning form that makes everything ten times better. If this wasn’t a robot, it’d be one of the most gory designs out there. Just look at it, all its limbs are stretched apart with exposed, torn wires, and its whole facial screen is hanging out of the head. I really enjoy how broken and malformed this thing is, and to make matters better it’s only an alternate form to the cute robot. So, if it were an available Pokemon, both would be equally available to players rather one being locked to a stronger evolution.

What GIVES. Why reserve such a nice design to a one-game minigame feature, one where you can’t even use it, huh??? Some super fan of F-00’s movies out there really needs to get to creating it in real life for future Pokemon trainers to catch and use on their journeys. Just look at that great curved posture in that malfunctioning portrait. What a TEASE.

Invaders

There’s an Alien Invasion movie series as well, and features a bunch of beehive hairdo-wearing feminine aliens invading a major city in giant Cascoon-like UFOs. It’s interesting to try and read into the interpretation that the creatives in the Pokemon universe would try to base an extraterrestrial ship off an insect cocoon of all things, even if I don’t know exactly what to glean from it. The sprite is really excellently drawn though, like wow. Look at all those futuristic lines and glowing screens. The sheen across the top of the shell is really well done too. Great job, guys.

The metallic womanly alien is nice too, and feels right out of a classic alien monster b-movie. I’m not an expert of anything but I feel like there was a trend for a while to make aliens seem metallic or robotic in nature, rather than slimy space freaks. Maybe it has to do with the fancy futuristic feel of chrome. Everything’s chrome in the future.

Old Statue

These next two monsters come from a movie series called Ghost Eraser, where your character is tasked with finding people who have been possessed by spirits and cleansing them and capturing the lingering ghosts. Most people assume this to be a reference to Ghostbusters, and I could definitely see that considering the final antagonist of the movies. However, the director of all of them is credited as John Pokenter (ha), so who’s to say exactly.

Anyways, the first fully original monster is actually another weird ‘trainer,’ you never fight it directly since it instead commands a Golurk, but this Old Statue is another quite intricate and interestingly detailed design. I guess because the designers knew they never had to worry about accommodating for it becoming a Pokemon that would be drawn several times over by various artists, they didn’t hold back on how detailed their designs were. The weird, lopsided painted face is cool, as are the strange, ribbed anatomy it seems to have and goofy face. Of course special mention goes to the plasma ball it holds too. This would be an excellent, welcome addition to Pokemon’s set of ancient relics alongside Claydol and Golurk.

Majin

Majin takes the role as Ghost Eraser’s final boss, making it Pokemon’s Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. I like what it goes for, being a big, green smog demon covered in building debris and rebar. Remember from Garbodor’s review how appealing I find rebar anatomy, for some reason? Yeah. Maijin has various pipes covering its body too, which each expel puffs of smoke at various intervals, including with its nose. That’s goofy. I really like its jagged jack-o-lantern smile too. Definitely would be welcome among Pokemon’s roster.

It’s also a Dark/Ghost type ancient evil that used to be sealed in a relic, that being the previous Old Statue. I wonder if Maijin is some fictionalized version of Pokemon’s own Spiritomb considering their similarities. That’d be a neat little detail.

Humanoid & Monster

Finally are these two monsters, from a horror movie series also by John Pokenter. Manifesting from an otherworldly fog gives us these two strange creatures, the lesser Humanoid and the Monster that commands them. The splotchy red and purple texture gives me the impression of these things having a claylike texture, molded together from various substances. The Humanoid even remains rooted to the ground, as if sprouting up from the muck. I like the stomach eye and how in its idle animation is sways around lazily, as if unable to stay upright or trying to poorly imitate a human posture. Definitely feels like an uncanny person lookalike that are popular in horror spheres nowadays.

Then here’s the big bad Monster, a weird fleshy nodule with several branching tentacles, seemingly connected to it like various roots stemming from its source. I’m quite a big fan of weird, meaty monsters acting like overgrown plant life as horror concepts, so this Monster does appeal to me well. It retains the weird purple splotches of the Humanoid, but with more clear swirls and patterns, which makes sense since this is likely the more well-defined ‘true’ form. That big, wide eye is great too. A real sick design, and I’d love to be able to use something so alien and unusual alongside the rest of Pokemon’s roster, but alas…

I’ll wrap things up there, and while Pokestar Studios does have a couple other unique opponents to battle, these were the ones I felt most noteworthy of discussion. Once again, it’s a great shame that all of these interesting and unorthodox designs ended up being thrown to the wayside, forgotten and tucked away in a side activity unlikely to ever be referenced in the series again. The way that they break from Pokemon norms is what makes them so enticing, but also would explain why they’ve never returned. As I said earlier, they were likely designed with that in mind. Knowing that these designs would never get used again, the artists went all out and didn’t hold back by usual restrictions. I guess my main point is that it’s sad seeing what they’re capable of but usually can’t achieve. I love a lot of preexisting Pokemon of course, but seeing the more out-there official designs still does raise my curiosity on what more Could Be. If that makes sense. Ah well, that’s enough time spent in Hollywood for one article.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #pokestar studios #pokemon bw #pokemon bw2

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Genesect

Genesect thankfully shakes things up by being a special Mythical Pokemon with some depth to it, funnily enough. It's actually Gen 5's third Bug/Steel type, a combo I'm surprised got this many individual members. This cyborg 'sect is stated to actually be some primordial super-predator, since revived by the villainous Team Plasma and outfitted with all sorts of high-tech weaponry and a giant laser cannon on its back. Now that's some legendary-tier material!

Sadly we can never know too much about Genesect since its status as a Mythical prohibits it from showing up or being referenced in-game whatsoever (which is really stupid for your MONSTER COLLECTING GAME, by the way. Mew was at least talked about frequently in a ruined laboratory), especially with its connections the Generation's villainous organization. You'd think it'd show up as the main antagonist's fall-back plan B superweapon, but no. It never got past its prototype phase or something. I guess.

Events mean you can typically only get one Genesect at a time practically, but the anime treats them like they can be mass-produced, which does make sense honestly. After cloning technology proved to be a success with Mewtwo, you could just keep cloning Genesect from one fossil sample and pumping them through an assembly line to outfit them. Funnily enough, this was acknowledged in Genesect's obligatory anime movie, where a whole squad of them formed a rivalry with Mewtwo and clashed for about an hour and a half. We never get to see Genesect's version of Mew, though.

Genesect even has a dash of Transformer in it, since it can apparently bundle up into this little flying disk-shape when it needs to get around quickly, which is amusing.

Oh yeah I should talk about its design.

Genesect certainly fits the part of cool-looking cyborg superweapon. Purple is a good color to represent that, and does make it look flashy as opposed to silvery grey. I like its glassy red bug eyes, which do a nice, simple job communicating its buggy origins alongside its wasplike abdomen. The big cannon on its back also is placed nicely on its silhouette, in just the right spot where Genesect doesn't look too top heavy and adding to its shape well. the curved covering of its plating helps too in marking it feel like its all part of the same unfurled robotic armor. So, all in all, great job Genesect!

Score: 4.5/5

I just wish you weren't event exclusive. Not your fault, but still.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #genesect

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Meloetta

Now getting back into the event-exclusive Mythical Pokemon, we get the Normal/Psychic type Meloetta. Being perfectly honest, I never got Meloetta. Meloetta unfortunately lacks a lot of in-game references or lore to characterize it or contextualize it in some way. It just kinda exists hidden away in the code, waiting for Nintendo and The Pokemon Company to allow players to download its data one day. It doesn't even get a special temple or landmark to call home. It's sole event cutscene happens inside a coffee shop hidden in an alleyway. Okay.

I mean, as a design Meloetta is kinda charming. It's a little songstress fairy-thing themed around music, with its hair being a whole staff and the earpiece and microphone on the side of its head resembling a treble clef.

Meloetta also gets a Normal/Fighting 'Pirouette' form it can morph into once it uses its signature move. I guess that makes sense, to have one form based on signing and another on dancing, and I'm glad they were condensed into one Pokemon rather than making them two extremely similar designs.

But like, is there any reason why Meloetta is a legendary?? Does it have any significance to its region and history, or any special powers whatsoever?? Why couldn't it just be a normal non-evolver, maybe just reserved for a special gift if anything? Let's check the 'dex and see what it says.

...uh. okay. That didn't really answer anything. Most people have their emotions swayed by music, I'd imagine.

Score: 3/5

I mean it's got good elements, really! I just don't know WHY I'm supposed to revere it.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #meloetta

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Reshiram, Zekrom, & Kyurem

So finally we come to the big mascot Legendaries of the Generation, starting off with the Dragon/Fire type Reshiram, the mascot of Pokemon... Black. Yeah, they had the mascots reversed, but I guess it was to help them stand out against the thematic backgrounds. There's also potentially clever story reason for it, but I may save that for the retrospective.

Anyways, Reshiram isn't too bad as far as the big dragon icons go. The fact that it consists of one big, solid color is nicely offset but the multitude of different fluffy tufts and spikes making up its coat. The wispy bits at the back of Reshiram's head and its tail resembling smoke is a nice touch and connection to its Fire type too. Its tail looking like a jet turbine and even heating up and glowing red as it flies is pretty amusing too.

Something about it feels off though, like the body is too bottom heavy, or how its arms are always held up and spread out. The detailed look of its calves also doesn't match the rest of its anatomy, which is weird. Not a huge problem, I like Reshiram's overall appearance, but some finer details feel off.

Score: 3.5/5

Zekrom is Reshiram's counterpart, holding the Dragon/Electric typing and being all rad and pure black. Something about Zekrom feels so emblematic of the Generation as a whole, more so than what its fellow mascot holds. I think it's just the sleek jet-black look its got, and all the seams and geometric bits across its body. The aesthetic of Gen 5 was not only all about Black and White contrast, but also hexagonal grid patterns and outlines. Zekrom feels like a perfect encapsulation of that, so it gets some extra points for that too.

It's also just got a nice, cohesive dino-dragon appearance to itself too. Like Reshiram, Zekrom doesn't muddy itself up with too many colors or details, just having shades of black and dark grey defining its body. The light blue shading it's got in the artwork though looks especially nice, giving it a cool electrical sheen that reflects its type well. Its tail isn't quite as fitting as Reshiram's jet engine, but being a conical generator fits its element fine as well.

Score: 4/5

Effectively cool.

Then there's the Dragon/Ice type Kyurem, the Giratina to Reshiram and Zekrom's Dialga and Palkia. Though much more modest in appearance, Kyurem is the far more interesting specimen of the three. This ramshackle, asymmetrical grouch is quite literally shattered, its body left an incomplete husk after some great tragedy in the past split it apart. In Pokemon's lore, Kyurem, Reshiram, and Zekrom were once all the same ultra-powerful dragon deity, before it came crashing to Earth as a terrible meteor, leaving a great impact crater and splitting into three beings, Reshiram and Zekrom both being halves of the original dragon's spirit and leaving Kyurem behind as the empty shell of its original body.

I like how Kyurem's design characterizes this, since not only is it primarily grey (both a cheeky since its a mix of black and white, as well as communicating how unsaturated and lifeless it is), but also with its wings and even face being so lopsided and mismatched. The Ice typing is great too, as the crater left by Kyurem's impact is quite cold, and residing their for so long seems to have left Kyurem partially frozen, its own body not generating any heat to prevent the ice from forming. I just wish it had a liiiittle more ice covering its body, or was broken up just a biiit more. Still great as-is though.

Kyurem is also reduced to a mindless monster in this state, since the town closest to its crater has apparently had to go through history erecting walls to keep it out whenever it wanders outside, with fears that it may break into civilization and start eating people. The story still gets shared in the modern day, but few people can claim to have seen it. I'm glad in addition to being a frozen cadaver of a dragon god Kyurem also gets to be a folktale bogeyman too.

Score: 4.5/5

Come Black 2 and White 2, Kyurem actually does get the opportunity to restore itself to glory somewhat, but still remains incomplete. The full, original dragon has never been shown in a complete state, only these half-measures, but I think that's alright. It's better to keep it a mystery and let the lore stay ambiguous and interesting.

Anyways, White Kyurem here is the fusion between Kyurem and Reshiram. It certainly looks like a haphazard fusion between these two dragons, though not quite in a way I would've liked. I get Kyurem has to still look appealing and marketable in these forms as it's now a mascot legendary too, but I would've enjoyed if it remained messed up and malformed as a fusion, if not more. Just a real disturbing and asymmetrical mess that shows that these two are still not complete without their third wheel. Kyurem's overall shape is a lot more balanced here, but still has weird traits that stick out like the big fluff of Reshiram's tail in the back. It's like it's being pulled in two different directions, one trying to make it more coherent and one trying to keep it weird and mismatched. Make up your mind, guys!

Black Kyurem falls victim to the same problem, but Zekrom's lack of fluffy fur and use of smooth lines helps it feel a little better put together. The tail isn't quite as egregious, for example. I'd still prefer if the arms or wings were more mismatched in shape, though.

Score: 3/5

I'm not a big fan of Pokemon Fusions in general, really.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #reshiram #zekrom #kyurem #white kyurem #black kyurem

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The Forces of Nature

Not content with just one lesser-Legendary group, Gen 5 also gives us the Forces of Nature, a bunch of weird muscular oni-genies that characterize intense weather phenomena. Like other Gen 5 oddballs though, they're subjects of frequent fan ire and criticism, and unfortunately I'm not one of their stronger defenders. Though, I'll still try to give them some credit.

Tornadus starts the group off, being the bringer of harsh windstorms and hurricanes, and being one of Pokemon's only pure Flying types. Its status as a Legendary-tier 'mon and resemblance to an oni draws connections to Fūjin, the Shinto god of wind. Fūjin is also typically portrayed with green skin, something Tornadus is usually criticized for, so it at least makes sense considering its inspiration.

It does fit for the first pure Flying type to be a Wind Elemental, but... Tornadus getting that award is a little shallow. It doesn't quite feel like a pure wind being, does it? It just has that curling tail with symbolic curves on it. It's not like, a living tornado or cloud or something. I dunno.

Each of these Forces of Nature also have more distinct Therian forms, which change their stat spreads and abilities. Therian Tornadus takes on the appearance of a big bird, sourced from the Vermilion Bird of the Chinese Four Symbols, a group of mythological creatures seen in constellations. Tornadus's connection to it aren't especially strong, asides from a bird being befitting of a wind being.

In terms of my opinion on the design, eh. It's weird, I've criticized other Pokemon in the past for appearing too humanoid, or praising others for being less humanoid, but seeing Tornadus completely lose its humanity and become a big bird guy just feels strange. The purple splotches on its body also give me the impression its body isn't feathery but instead has some coarse skin texture, which I also don't like a bird having.

Score: 2/5

Not a big fan, but it's still got some depth.

Tornadus's rival is Thundurus, and Electric/Flying type and Pokemon's version of Raijin, the Shinto thunder god and Fūjin's brother. It's overall a much stronger design than Tornadus was, in my opinion. The spiked balls along Thundurus's tail bring to mind the Tomoe symbols used by Raijin (and other Japanese media) to represent electricity. Similarly, Thundurus's jagged, spikier hairdo and light-blue coloration symbolize its electrical tendencies as well. Besides the loose Tomoe connection, it's pretty surface level, but it's at least something.

Thundurus's Therian form makes it some weird, ambiguous beast. I can actually appreciate this one more than Tornadus as well because of how ambiguous it is, as well as it still remaining in some weird bipedal body shape. One would be lead to assume it's a dragon, as it best matches the Azure Dragon of the Four Symbols when trying to fit it into that dynamic. Sure, the more weirdly shaped dragons the better.

Therian Thundurus also displays how I would've liked all these weird genies to have been in the first place. Instead of just being mostly samey humanoids with clouds below their torsos, they should've been more monstrous humanoids with clouds covering their anatomies like Therian Thundurus has got on its hands here. It could still do with more, I wouldn't mind the idea of clouds covering its lower body as long as the general silhouette of its body shape remained in tact. I feel like if, from the start, the Forces of Nature weren't all just samey cloud dudes they'd resonate a lot more with fans, but even just viewing them by their Therian forms they still need some work.

Score: 3.5/5

Thundurus is alright though.

Then we get to Landorus, the Ground/Flying embodiment of... uh... well, it's signature move would lead you to believe sandstorms, but it's apparently revered as a god of agriculture and bountiful harvests, and the mediator to Tornadus and Thundurus's ceaseless quarrels. Landorus lacks a direct Shinto god for its inspiration, leaving it as the odd one out between Tornadus and Thundurus in the three's debut games.

I don't like it. The weird tail its got is really unclear, what am I supposed to be reading from it exactly?? How does that represent earth, or sandstorm or whatever Landrous is supposed to be?? Why is the deity of harvest and farming a sky-dwelling cloud deity anyways?? If it has to be, shouldn't it be one themed around rain rather than dry, searing winds?? Maybe I'm just ignorant and Don't Get It, but Landorus feels like a combination of conflicting ideas squeezed into a duo dynamic that functioned fine without it.

Therian Landorus also exists, and results in it becoming a tiger. The one thing I like about it is the weird mustache getting sharp bits near the nose like fangs. The rest though really doesn't work for me. Once again, it completely drops its humanoid qualities and fully becomes some weird animal-god, but with the same specific hairdo that its Incarnate Form has.

Also, like, I know this shouldn't really be counted against a Pokemon when talking about its aesthetic design, but I'm pretty sick of Therian Landorus for how oppressive it is in competitive battling. It gets to stick around in the average, non-legendaries non-Uber tiers since it's more of a blocker to big, heavy-hitters than a team wiper itself, but it's still overly obnoxious. The fact that I haven't an iota of appreciation for its design doesn't help matters, and seeing it get brought up so frequently as an answer to why some of my more preferred designs can't see widespread success just puts that extra salt on the wound.

Doesn't help that Landorus is also obnoxious to obtain in-game too. It's not event-exclusive, but you do need both Tornadus and Thundurus in your party to find it. Unfortunately, Tornadus and Thundurus are both version exclusives, meaning you've got to trade with someone to get the one your game is missing. And both of them are roaming legendaries, meaning they're a pain in the ass to pin down and catch themselves. What a bother.

Score: 1/5

I'm sure there's some people out there that like Landorus because of its usefulness in competitive, but I'm not one of them. The design's not appealing anyways.

Then, surprise surprise, come Legends Arceus in Gen 8, a fourth member of the Forces of Nature was added, resulting in the Fairy/Flying type Enamorus. While quite odd amongst the samey muscle bros of Gen 5, Emarous's more feminine appearance does actually come with a bit of inspiration. It is based on a Shinto kami just as Tornadus and Thundurus were, likely being Ugajin, an actual harvest and fertility god portrayed as a snake with the head of a man, or woman based on the interpretation. Enamorus remains as a cloud-legged humanoid, but its tail coils around its shoulders and neck as if it were a snake, with false eyespots and scale-like patterns as well.

Enamorus also lives up to its fertility origins by symbolizing the end of Winter and start of Spring, its winds allowing for the rebirth of nature. It apparently is quite vengeful though, enacting harsh wraths on those that disrespect it and the nature it works to blossom, so that's neat. Glad it's got a little character to it beyond raging storm demon.

Enamorus gets a Therian form too, and while I still don't like that it fully becomes an animalistic design, I do admit it meshes well with its standard design. Enamorus now draws a connection to the Black Tortoise of the Four Symbols, its body now looking like a soft-shelled turtle. Interestingly, the Black Tortoise is often accompanied by a snake, which Enamorus keeps with the snake-like tail of its Incarnate form, coiling on its back like a shell, though still with its fail head raised. I overall still not a huge fan of the design, but I do admit there is some good work being done here to make it as connected with the standard form as it can be.

Score: 3.5/5

Not for me, but I respect the effort.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #tornadus #thundurus #landorus #enamorus

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shoppncarticles · 9 months

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The Swords of Justice

Now it’s time for the regional Legendary Trio, and this time we’ve got a group of ungulates based on the Three Musketeers, surprisingly. Huh. I’ve never been a big fan of either this group or the source material but I guess they get some credit for being a peculiar combination of ideas.

Cobalion is a Steel/Fighting type, likely based around the character of Athos, the leader of the musketeers, since it’s also the leader and eldest member of the Swords of Justice. I’m not sure where exactly the Steel type comes in other than reflecting the original’s use of swords. The design’s not all that bad, I like the combination of an old dude and goat/deer it’s got going on, and the overall blue color is nice. It just never really struck me as a legendary though, for as subjective as that statement is. Cobalion (and the rest of the Swords) always kinda felt like beefier, non-evolving Pokemon you’d find in later game routes, like Tropius actually.

Score: 3.5/5

Terrakion is a Rock/Fighting type, based upon the character Porthos, who is also the heaviest, though strongest of the group. Terrakion does at least reflect its type somewhat. It’s got a more craggy appearance with some shards jutting off here and there. The big downward-facing horns are nice too, and alongside its bulkier body give Terrakion a resemblance to a bighorn sheep, which is charming. It’s also got the most manlike face, which actually does make it feel somewhat like a mythical creature. Like a manticore or something. Guess it’s my favorite based on that.

Score: 4/5

Virizion’s type is Grass/Fighting, and it resembles Aramis, who’s said to be the vain romantic of the group. Virizion fits that basic description well, being the more dainty and feminine looking one. I’d like if maybe it had a blooming rose sprouting from that neck-leaf though, just to play up the theatrical drama character I presume good ol’ Aramis has. Virizion is okay, though my least favorite of the three. Not bad, just not a big hitter.

Score: 3/5

BUT, things don’t stop there because there’s actually a fourth member to this group, based around the character of d’Artagnan. Like its inspiration, Keldeo is characterized as the newest addition to the Swords of Justice with a lot to prove, out of place and inexperienced among its fellow well-known crusaders. Unfortunately for Keldeo, this means it’s also treated with a lot more mystique, and was relegated to event-only exclusivity in its home generation.

That, alongside with Keldeo’s apparent need for an alternate, powered-up form that actually does nothing mechanically is what really tanks my potential enjoyment of it, for however minor that would’ve been. Keldeo feels like some over-advertised toy to me, some keystone to a collector’s item that makes the group it's apart of ACTUALLY complete. Keldeo’s thin, skin-tone body and overly-fluffy hair and tail just kinda get to me in some way I can’t describe.

Being perfectly honest it may be because it reminds me too much of plastic My Little Pony dolls with the brushable hair. Something about those things always bugged me, the hair specifically. Not even based on touch or feel, just looking at them. This is a tangent I won’t go further into but it’s just some weird personal thing that make Keldeo unpleasant to me. That and the way it’s sectioned off from the other Swords as some extra special event-exclusive accessory. I guess from a more objective stance that doesn’t really impact its design, but this is MY blog and I get to rank the Pokemon HOWEVER I WANT.

Apparently d'Artagnan is usually portrayed with an iconic feathered hat, which I will admit normal-form Keldeo does an alright job of portraying with its mane. I felt it was at least worth mentioning.

Score: 1/5

But if you like Keldeo fine that’s okay, I guess I can see where that comes from. It’s a cutesy pony-horse, people tend to love those.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #cobalion #terrakion #virizion #keldeo

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shoppncarticles · 9 months

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The Larvesta Family

Though not a pseudo-legendary, Gen 5 does come packaged with another ultra-strong evolutionary family at the end of its ‘dex, starring the fuzzy moth caterpillar Larvesta. If you notice the squiggly red-orange growths around Larvesta’s head, you may be clued in that it’s Pokemon’s first Bug/Fire type, as they’re meant to resemble cartoon sunbeams. Mythology states that Larvesta was born from, or even fell from the sun, with one ‘dex entry even christening it as the Larva that Stole the Sun. Quite a cool title, and does a good job paving the way for its evolution.

Larvesta skips over having a pupa stage, apparently bathing itself in fire and evolving directly into its adult moth form, Volcarona. Allegedly regarded as a deity, Volcarona was both praised for providing divine sunlight and warmth during times of great darkness, but also feared for its tendencies to shed flaming scales as it flew overhead. I like that idea quite a bit, that for how all-powerful and worshiped Volcarona is, truly its nothing more than a big bug that hasn’t a clue that what it’s doing could either be saving or damning the normal folk below it.

As a design, Volcarona’s very well put-together as well. Most noteworthy are its six wings, each curving outwards in different directions and coloring in an appealing red-orange gradient. If the wings are meant to resemble the sun’s surface, as their color could indicate, the black spots likely are meant to resemble sunspots, which are a nice, small touch (and is actually confirmed! wow!).

The weird, icy blue eyes of ram-like antennae Volcarona has also helps to give it some weird, almost angelic appearance as well and separate from other Bug types, while still making it look just as much like a normal creature. I like its fat, wormy body and that it remains fluffy like Larvesta was. Again, I appreciate that it’s just a big, fat moth rather than some humanoid deity. It makes the whole design much more interesting in my eyes.

There’s also the innate humor factor of a moth, animals frequently characterized by their obsession with bright lights, to be the embodiment of effigy of the sun itself, so it gets extra points there too.

Score: 5/5 – PERFECT!

Sort of an inverse of my article on Excadrill – I came in expecting to just give Volcarona an A Rank, but found enough that I liked about it between its design and mythos that I gave it S instead. Always gotta show some love for the big bug gods.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #larvesta #volcarona

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shoppncarticles · 9 months

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Reviewing Minecraft's Original Creatures!

Frankly speaking, I’d be surprised if there was anyone reading this article that was totally unaware of what Minecraft is. You AT LEAST know it’s that block game where you do two things that may or may not be mining and crafting. I’ll spare you the introductory summary of what the game is. So let’s just get right into the creature discussion part.

Despite being a game limited to a voxel-based, low texture resolution artstyle, Minecraft still has some iconic monsters and ambient critters on display – referred to as mobs, if it slipped your mind. A large number of the early days’ mobs were more basic things like cows and chicken, with monsters being limited to skeletons and giant spiders for the most part, but even in Minecraft’s earlier days some more original ideas have been sprinkled in. Original fantasy beasts are Minecraft’s bread and butter nowadays, for better or for worse, but some still stand out as being noteworthy enough for me to want to discuss. As such, here’s an article where I talk about some of Minecraft’s original mobs, and what I like about their designs!

Creeper

One of Minecraft’s first mobs, and easily its most iconic. It’s likely common knowledge now that Creepers are the result of a coding error that resulted in a pig having its body rotated upright rather than flat, and the game’s creator finding the shape amusing enough to reuse as its own creature. It’s amusing that in some cases you really can’t plan for success, it’ll just happen upon you spontaneously. Like a sudden Creeper attack!

Creepers are infamous for their silent nature, only making themselves known as they begin to detonate and explode right next to you. This pattern, as well as the idea that Creepers are apparently similar in texture to crunchy, dried leaves, has lead people to believe that Creepers are actually botanical monsters that explode in order to spread their seeds or spores on random passerby as a means of carrying them to new locations. Sounds like a solid enough biological explanation to these upright boomsticks to me, and it’s really not that unheard of in the real natural world.

Ghast

Another one of Minecraft’s earlier creations is the Ghast, a huge, flying entity that calls the hellish Nether dimension its home. It’s immune to fire and lava and shoots explosive bombs from its mouth, and wears what appears to be a forlorn, tearful expression and makes pathetic whimpering and groaning sounds when idle. Fits its brimstone home well, if you ask me. I always found its design interesting, even if its nature as a flying projectile-shooting enemy made it really annoying to come across in-game. The Nether often being filled with fog and open air, as well as Ghast’s impressive detection range means you may often hear one’s moaning or be barraged by its bombs without even seeing it, which it quite the effective surprise attack.

Airborne jellyfish with crying faces wouldn’t be my first thought when thinking of enemies to populate a Hell World with, but I’m glad the Ghast is what we ended up with.

Silverfish

It’s funny that some people first heard of Silverfish from Minecraft and believed them to be a wholly original creation of the game, and while Minecraft’s mobs are creative visually, they take their name from real arthropods that can often be found alongside other harmless household bugs. Minecraft’s Silverfish though are irritating little buggers that disguise themselves as, or hide within, random blocks in cave and old ruin walls, popping out if a player tries to mine them. Silverfish also seem to have some kind of alarm system, since waking up one will cause several from the surrounding area to pop out and attack you too. The game marks Silverfish-infested blocks as Monster Eggs strangely enough, meaning they may use rocks to incubate in, somehow.

Silverfish always struck me as having a coarse, hairy texture of some kind, given their numerous pixelated frills. It’s all the more to their irritating nature, really. Do you think anyone’s favorite mob is the Silverfish? Has anyone tried figuring out a deep explanation as to the Silverfish’s biology and reproductive habits, and why they always gather around Stronghold ruins?

Endermen

Is Slenderman still like, known in the public consciousness? Do kids who have started playing Minecraft in the past 8 years or so know that the Endermen are a reference to an old SomethingAwful creepypasta guy since past his prime?

Regardless, the Endermen are another of Minecraft’s more iconic monsters, infamous for their weird, inquisitive nature, and neutral behavior, lest you stare them in the eyes. Endermen seem to be the resident Aliens of the Minecraft world, hailing from the space-like End dimension, and curiously picking up and placing blocks around the world much like a new player would. They’ll unhinge their jaws in rage when spotted though, and get aggressive as a growing roar emanates all around the player. That’s what heightens the whole alien angle, that they really don’t want to be seen.

Amusingly, Endermen also take damage from water, and will instantly teleport away if they touch it. This has the side effect of Endermen rapidly teleporting all over the map during rainfall, helplessly trying to find something to protect from the falling water. They can also be found in the Nether, and likely enjoy it better there as no water can exist.

Mooshroom

A fully passive mob this time, but the Mooshroom are a peculiar creature exclusive to the incredibly rare Mushroom Island biome. These islands are so overrun with fungi that all the vegetation has been replaced with mycelium, the root network between vast growths of fungus, and giant mushrooms. This extends to even the wildlife, since all the local cows have apparently entered a mutualistic relationship with mushrooms as well. It’s neat way to sort of imply some natural backstory to your world, that an island in the middle of the ocean was overtaken by some freak fungus and got the local wildlife to acclimate to its introduction.

Mooshroom are able to live peacefully on the island, and can even breed to make baby Mooshroom already covered in fungus, so they seem to be connected on a deep level. Despite that though, one quick use of some shears will return the cows to normal and give you some edible ‘shrooms as a reward. They’re a pretty odd inclusion, though enjoyable for the absurdity.

Even stranger, you can milk Mooshrooms as well, but what you’ll get is not lactic fluid, and is instead mushroom soup. However that works, it’s just a further signifier of these things’ weird, altered anatomy.

Blaze

Fellow residents of the Nether alongside the Ghast, Blaze are weird fire elementals that occupy ruined Nether Fortresses scattered around the dimension. What exactly they are is anyone’s guess, but they seem to be made of a physical material rather than living fire, since they drop an item called Blaze Rods, likely being the objects that orbit them. They make metallic wheezing sounds too, as if wearing some kind of mask or filter. This is one of those times the limited artstyle really holds back a design, because I’d like to know what the hell Blazes were intended to be, if anything. Maybe some day we’ll know, those designers love doing lore reveals these days.

Wither

The Wither is one of Minecraft’s two boss monsters, and easily the more interesting of the two. Not only do you have to summon it yourself, by building a golem-esque shape for it, but seems to have more purpose in its behavior than fellow boss Ender Dragon does. Once summoned, the Wither will actively hunt down any living mobs in its radius and kill them, and will destroy almost any blocks blocking its path in doing it, rather than just flying around aimlessly like the dragon does. Its design isn’t spectacularly detailed or complex, but the enjoy the idea of a charred, three-headed spinal column and ribcage embodying some big bad demon of death or the like. It’s simple and effective.

Guardian

The Guardian’s a weirder one, and definitely closer to the top of my potential list of favorite mob designs. This current list is ordered chronologically. As the name implies, Guardians are protections of rare underwater ruins you can find peppered in Minecraft’s oceans. Guardians resemble weird, cycloptic pufferfish, which is already a good start to a design. However, their body color and cracked texture greatly resembles the blocks their ruins are built with. Alongside their ability to shoot long-range lasers from their eyes and inability to be found anywhere besides the ruins, many players believe Guardians may be artificial in nature, created to protect whatever’s inside their Ocean Monument homes. Which is usually just gold treasure.

Guardians also make low, ominous drones when in the water, likely as a method of intimidation. If you get one out of water and on land though, it’ll comically squeak as it flops around pathetically, looking for more water to hop in.

There’s also Elder Guardians you can find in deeper chambers of the monuments, twice the size of the normal guys. They have a freaky ability to inflict various debuffs that will prevent players from just mining through the monument’s walls to get treasure, forcing them to actually spelunk through it, which is a smart touch. I like that it does so by swirling a ghostly image of itself around your vision. The paler colors and eye looking as though it has a cataract are nice ways to make it seem ‘elder’ as well.

Shulker

Shulkers are inhabitants of the End dimension like the Endermen are, though only occupy strange End Cities and End Ships which dot the landscape of the weird space of tiny floating landmasses. They seem to be a living protection system like the Guardians and even Silverfish to an extent, since they disguise themselves as regular blocks only to shoot at intruders with projectiles that inflict a levitation status of all things.

What do you think the Shulkers are analogous to? I always thought they were some clam-type mollusk monster, personally. They fit the archetype, only taking significant damage once opening their shell and exposing their core.

Phantom

Phantoms are really cool mobs conceptually and from a design perspective, and it irritates me how annoying they are in-game since it really cuts into their appeal factor. Phantoms are sky-faring stingray-like monsters with bony patterns on its back (or even better, exposed bones, since they’re classified as undead) and tattered wings with a nice blue color and glowing green eyes. They only show up if the player hasn’t slept in three days, steadily growing in number and even size for every night that hasn’t been slept through. They scatter once daylight comes, since undead mobs burn in the daylight, but return soon after. Their circling flight patterns and affinity for sleep-deprived players, as well as a distinctive chomp sound playing when they attack, makes them feel like vultures and over scavengers, looking for an easy exhausted target to pick off and feast on.

Phantoms are just really irritating since in Minecraft, there’s hardly a reason to sleep other than setting your respawn point or fastforwarding to daytime to avoid hostile mob spawning. If you’ve spent a long time exploring or spelunking and just haven’t had to the need to sleep yet, be prepared to get pestered by a bunch of Phantoms on your way back home. They’re near impossible to hit in the air, so you just have to wait for them to swoop down to counterattack, and you can only do so once or twice to boot.

HONORABLE MENTION: Barnacle

I would’ve killed for more aquatic beasts to be put in the game, and the Barnacle here would’ve fit that niche had it won the popularity vote for its inclusion to the game. Phantoms won the vote instead, and while I can at least take solace in their resemblance to ocean creatures like stingray, I’ll forever be scorned that the Barnacle was forgotten. Why NOT include it anyways, just at a later date. It was COOL. It’s a weird sea monster with a blooming flower mouth and grappling tongue. It’s the perfect off-key deep sea ship-sinker, and looks to fit pretty well to the artstyle too. I hope it was planned to act like a mimic to the existing Squid mobs, with its jaws closed and trailing appendages resembling tentacles, only to snare unsuspecting players who swam or rowed their boats too close. Would’ve been EPIC.

Zoglin

Ever since the Nether’s introduction to the game, its fiery wastes were populated by Zombie Pigmen; humanoid pigs that were also zombies, but were actually completely neutral to players and wouldn’t attack unless provoked. That’s since changed, with Piglins now inhabiting most of the Nether and building their own structures, analogous to the overworld’s peaceful humanoid villagers.

What’s interesting though is that the Nether also saw the inclusion of most beastly Hoglin monsters, giant warthogs that live in forests made of overgrown mushrooms and are hunted by Piglins. When Hoglins are taken out of the Nether and into the Overworld, likely by coaxing them through a portal, something in the dimensional change morphs them into half-rotten zombies outright. The same thing happens to normal Piglins too, which is more concerning considering how sentient they are by comparison.

Anyways, I wanted to draw attention to Zoglins specifically because I really liked how they’re designed while remaining fitting with Minecraft’s style, in my opinion anyways. The half-exposed skull and ribcage are pretty morbid, and whether or not its got green blood or has just been rotting extensively, the green edges to its flesh are sickening, though neat details. The comb of dark hair on its back falling flat, where the normal Hoglin’s stood straight up, is also a clever detail to communicate how dead they are. Zombie warthogs aren’t most games’ first choice when it comes to undead monsters, but these are neat.

Strider

The same update that included the Zoglin also included the Striders, the Nether’s first totally harmless mob! These weird walking heads are able to cross vast pools of lava without a care in the world, actually seeming to live comfortably in the heat above all else, since they’ll shiver and turn blue when outside molten rock. They’ll even die outright if they touch water!

I really appreciate how weird they are for a peaceful critter, with their wide mouths, big foreheard, and scraggly hair strands. The bottoms of their legs being charred and hardened from being dipped in lava all the time is a good touch too.

Warden (and Skulk)

Minecraft’s always had more unnerving elements to it, especially with Creepers always being prided on their sudden appearances and caves being unnerving for hiding who-knows-what in the darkness. Things came to a head in 2022 though with the introduction of Skulk and the Warden. Skulk is weird, moss-like growth that covers other blocks and builds vast deposits of itself in extremely deep caves, and making most light sources ineffective thanks to its dark color. What’s especially noteworthy, and what I find most appealing about it, is its apparent attachment and diet of experience points, of all things. Mobs in Minecraft drop EXP points when killed of course, and if close to a special Skulk block, will be consumed and turned into more Skulky moss to spread in the surrounding area. The Skulk Catalyst block responsible even has a bony texture to it, playing up its morbid qualities. Skulk, when broken, will just yield raw EXP with no material anyways, as if that’s all it’s truly made of.

If you’re careless enough around vast Skulk deposits, you may alert a Skulk Shrieker, causing a howl to emit and alert the Warden to your presence. Do this enough times and it’ll claw out of the ground like a zombie and search for you. It’s blind, so can only listen for your movements, but that’s a classic trope that makes it so you can never be perfectly certain of its movements and whether or not it’s caught notice of you or not. Its unusual, wobbly animation also adds to its uncanny factor and how out of place it is for unsuspecting players. If given the opportunity I’ll criticize other mobs included in recent updates for their more high quality and flexible animations, but on the Warden, who is supposed to feel out of place and unnatural, it makes enough sense. It’s uber-strong too, with enough health that developers admitted they didn’t think players should even try to fight it and just escape. They specifically likened it to a natural disaster rather than a boss, which I think is quite the effective way to communicate the destructive power of your monster.

As a design, the Warden is super strong too. It seems to be made of the same material as the Skulk is, with its body being primarily dark, bluish ooze and slime, with its arms and torso having bony bits to them too. The gaping frown its got is sick too. The open ribbed hole in its chest, exposing a flashing pit like a heartbeat is a great touch for a horror monster as well, and the fact the hole is filled with little screaming spirits is a cherry on top. I could totally understand if someone felt the Warden was over-the-top and maybe trying too hard with its creep factor, but I totally dig it.

Ha! Dig! Like mined craft! Gottem!

#creature feature #design critique #monster design #creature design #minecraft

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shoppncarticles · 9 months

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The Deino Family

Finally reaching Gen 5’s pseudo-legendary gives us the Dragon/Dark type Deino, a little baby dinosaur with an excess amount of fuzzy hair that covers its eyes in a suitably moody fashion. Fittingly, Deino is said to reside in dark, dingy caves, and thus lacks real need to see clearly from its eyes, if it’s got any whatsoever. Apparently they lack a good method of interacting with the world in general, since the ‘dex mentions Deino’s primary method of sensing things is to bite and tackle whatever it comes across, even eating smaller objects before it knows what they are.

I like the black-and-blue color scheme quite a bit too. I wonder if it’s possible that’s some kind of layered joke based around how bruised Deino gets from bumping into stuff so often.

Zweilous evolves from Deino, resulting not only in the little dino maturing a little bit but also growing a second head! Apparently naturally bad-tempered thanks to their Dark typing, both Zweilous heads are unable to get along and constantly fight over food and control over the body. Apparently one head can even get malnourished and weakened if the other swallows most of the food. You’d think they’d share the same stomach.

The family ends with Hydriegon, who’s probably got just as many critics as it does fans. It’s a big, destructive, monstrous hydra dragon, which is bound attract some fans on concept alone, but it does also drop Deino and Zweilous’s shaggy-haired eye-covering charm for a weird, flowery mane. Personally, that detail doesn’t bug me a ton, but it should’ve at least been kept on its smaller heads.

What I’m more personally stuck up on with Hydriegon though is that its body has taken on a much more humanoid shape, with the extra heads clearly been placed on its body as if they were arms, rather than, y’know, secondary heads. In one way, it’s kind of charming and gives Hydreigon the appearance of having two sockpuppets on its hands at all times. However, Hydreigon is supposed to be a brutal, crazed beast of a dragon, so it doesn’t really fit. In my opinion, Hydreigon’s secondary heads should’ve remained similar to Zweilous’s, and branched from the same spot as its central head, more or less. It would make Hydreigon appear armless, which I think works much better for a hydra anyways. The spiky mane its got could work then for resemble a crown, signifying it as the main one in control and ruling the body.

I’ve got no complaints about Hydreigon’s weird, flimsy set of six wings though. They certainly don’t look like they could keep Hydreigon airborne but its just weird enough for me to accept without question. Certainly makes it feel more unnatural and monstrous.

In terms of its ‘dex entries, there isn’t an explanation on how Zweilous becomes Hydreigon, whether the brains of both heads fuse, or if one overpowers the other, or if both are intruded upon by a new third head like I imagined. What is stated however is that the lesser heads are not entirely brainless, only consuming and joining in on the main head’s attacks out of instinct. Weird, and does unfortunately lower them to being as functional as socky puppets more than anything else.

Apparently at one point in development, Hydreigon was envisioned as a dragon-tank hybrid. The only remnant of this are the two sets of rigged scales on Hydreigon’s belly, being an in-joke on the tank treads it would’ve once had. I can’t exactly picture how a dragon tank would work, especially as a more organic design, so I can’t blame them for scrapping it. There’s also the potential accidental commentary of making the pseudo-legendary of the first American region a brutal, single-minded destructive military tank beast, but like the one Rufflet dex entry I doubt it was ever really considered. Hell, it never crossed my mind until writing this paragraph.

Score: 4/5