A Green Mushroom

Pokemon Sun was fun for a Pokemon game!  It's still Pokemon but if that's what you're looking for then this is a really good version of it. In fact, I would say this is my favorite Pokemon game at this point.  I've played about half of the generations and this is the first time the story got me to care about it at all.  Plus, all the modern conveniences continue to roll in and make this game better. There's not a lot to say besides it's Pokemon again and it's a good one.  If you want to hear me go on about it for awhile then check out the podcast episode from a few weeks back:

Pokemon (plus Pokemon Sun and Moon) Like pretty much everyone else these days, we grew up with Pokemon. And with it being the 20th anniversary of the series, we wanted to talk about the wonderful little pocket monsters and our history with them. For the most part, Void has kept up with the series, playing through each iteration and seeing the changes that have come from Pokemon Red and Blue and Yellow all the way to Pokemon Sun and Moon. Beej, however, has only played Blue and Omega Ruby, so our takes on the series are different, but we both love it. In terms of the games themselves, the generations iterate very slowly, and despite being 20 years later, the games are fundamentally the same. Each generation gives you modern conveniences and quality of life improvements that make the newer games well worth playing if you enjoy the formula. Given the length and popularity of Pokemon over the past 20 years, there have been oodles of pokemon spin off games. One of our favorites wa...

I gave Pokemon Uranium a shot.  It's a very ambitious fan game that takes after the Pokemon games of the third generation but with some more modern things for PC too. It's a really impressive effort and it took years to make.  Of course Nintendo pulled the plug right away but once a file gets out there on the internet it never really goes away.  I'm sure you can find it if you want. I tried a few hours of it and I was impressed but there were a few too many little things that didn't click with me that made me set it down.  But honestly, most of these details are because it's based off the older games and not the newest. The other thing I immediately noticed is that it's not paced as well as most Pokemon games.  I actually lost my first battle which is something that has never happened in a Pokemon game before. Not to mention that it's on PC.  These games are really made to sit back with a controller or handheld while playing.  Having to use...

I grabbed Pokemon Omega Ruby before heading out on my last trip and finally got around to beating it the other day. Every once in a great while I get the craving for a Pokemon game and this one did the job just fine.  It has Pokemon, gym leaders, a story, the Pokemon League, and everything that comes with a Pokemon game.  It was fun to play through fairly quickly. The thing that I noticed most of all is how much extra stuff  they've added to Pokemon games over the years.  I can see how it would be nice if you're going to devote hundreds of hours to Pokemon to have all these side activities, but I'm just in it to play through the game once and then move on.  When I was really into Pokemon as a kid it was with the original two generations of the game.  They were just about Pokemon, leveling up, and beating the game.  I guess that's still all I want. These modern incarnations of Pokemon have so many side activities it's almost overwhelming. ...

I've mostly been gaming during my lunch hour or once my kids are in bed at night.  When I finally get a few free minutes to play a game I almost always turn to my 3DS.  It travels everywhere with me just in case I get an opportunity to bust it out for 5 minutes and play. It's really an awesome system.  The 3D effect is cool, but not required.  It has a great lineup of games that's constantly growing.  It has support for digital purchases.  It's finally a Nintendo console with decent online play.  It's easy to carry around.  But most importantly, it's fun! I've had a blast with Mario Kart 7, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Paper Mario Sticker Star, Donkey Kong Country Returns, New Super Mario Bros 2, and Super Mario 3D Land, Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Not to mention all the fantastic eShop and Virtual Console games I've been playing.  Nintendo has a lot to offer. They're even catering to our nostalgic impulses.  I had a few weeks wher...