Classic Starters and Pokémon Bank Revealed
Nintendo have revealed that Pokémon X and Y will essentially give players two starters near the beginning of the game, with the second trio being Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle.
At the beginning of Pokémon X and Y you’ll be given the choice of Fennekin, Froakie or Chespin by a friend, then you’ll meet the new Pokémon Professor who will offer you one of the classic Pokémon starters from the first games in the series, Red and Blue.
It was also revealed that these three Pokémon will have ‘Mega Evolutions‘. Mega Evolutions are triggered through a combination of the Mega Ring and Mega Stone. It is unknown just yet how big a bearing this feature will have on play.
Pokémon Bank was also revealed. This is a cloud storage system that will allow players to keep up to 3000 Pokémon safe online. The service will boast a subscription fee, but considering it essentially replaces the premium products that offered this service in previous generations (Pokémon Box and Ranch) it might work out cheaper in the long run.
Pokémon Bank will also provide the means to transfer Pokémon from Black, White, Black 2 or White 2 to Pokémon X or Y. A transfer application for the 3DS will let players send Pokémon to the bank to be downloaded later onto X or Y.
The reveal of the classic Pokémon is a quaint touch, sure to tug on the nostalgia strings for those of us old enough to remember getting our first Charmander. Or Bulbasaur in Colm’s case.
The Bank thing, well, I can see that there will be some resistance to the idea of a subscription fee but if this is a permanent storage solution that will persist throughout generations, removing the need for new ‘box’ type products, then I’m OK with it as long as the price doesn’t take the pee.
What do you think of this news? Nostalgia plumbing, or nice addition? Either way, I’m looking forward to re-uniting with my fiery tailed buddy on October 12th.
