REVIEW: Pokémon Uranium - The first 20 minutes

So I decided to review the new fan made Pokémon game: Uranium as a change from showing off my artwork in a cheap attempt for publicity... NAH who am I to kid around. I played this game at the early stages before it was even finished and my god, the finished product is incredible.

So you remember that feeling when you first got Pokémon for the game boy, that feeling of setting out on your own Pokémon adventure with your cute little Charmander (lets face it he da best) then you set off to kick youngster Joey's butt, then the eight gyms elite four and then Blue. One experience we will only get once. However you will not be disappointed, this game captures that very first moment with such nostalgia, the sniveling rival, the choice of the three starter Pokémon even a new professor to press the action button rapidly.

So the first thing I loved is the sense of story you get at the beginning for the first time in Pokémon game history we finally learn a bit more about the silent protagonist we are all use too, we are given a small cinematic which gives the player insight to the protagonists past which then leads up to the reason your character is where he is. I love this because it immediately gives the player a connection to the character and who he is. Makes an absolutely brilliant writing choice to do this.

snippet from the started cut scene

So you move on and the next thing I think is just awesome is the whole "choose your fighter"... Just kidding this isn't Mortal Kombat. The way you get your starter is awesome, you are given a test to determine what strategy is for you. Just like the Fallout 3 G.O.A.T exam you are given a series of questions. Although this is different from choosing your starter as like the original games it gives you an idea of what your Pokémon is going to be good/ weak at. Another awesome thing is that each answer is colour coded towards the corresponding type, so if you want an water type starter, pick blue.

The humour is also really good. - I know people who would say this but with dogs.

The visuals are lush. reminds me of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. Very Vibrant and green with a simple layout of the environment but interesting enough that it makes you want to explore it. The buildings are newly created assets which is also nice, gives the environment that sense of originality; (some Pokémon games use already used assets hence the mention although there is a use of old character assets like trainers n such). Night time is especially beautiful, here are some screenshots to give you a taste.

Starting town

second town glimpse

Night time - real time clock realness

And the most important thing the music, It feels like a Pokémon game, the music that makes you want to go out and explore, the battle theme that gets you pumped and even the sound of safety in the Pokémon Center. This game is something you would expect out of Nintendo themselves.

The battling, is one I'm a little different with, not sure if I like the way the health bar and experience meter are laid out. I found it difficult at first to know what is which until i took the first strike, just feels a little messy. Classic font, love it. the buttons used feel like a Game Boy Advanced Pokémon game attempt at the Diamond and pearl touch screen system, nice too look at and tells you each individual button as is highlighted with the cursor. It keeps most features all the games have but most importantly the music rocks! One criticism (yes again) some of the Pokémon cries are either edited from previous Pokémon or taken. Not a massive fault just looses that uniqueness if you recognize the Pokémon it is taken from. The fire starter Raptorch, has a cry which sounds exactly like Palkia from Gen 4 and a poison type crocodile Pokémon sounded like a Totadile cry. Some edgy animations here and there in the battle screen, but nothing is perfect eh?

Battle screen, cool style? eh?

Love it. if you haven't got it, get it you won't be disappointed. So good for a custom Pokémon game.

And that is all there is to that, just some opinions of a game that I like and credit to me for doing the correct é in Pokémon in every time I typed it, Peace