Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

There is absolutely no question that you could sink a ton of hours into Monster Hunter World, the most recent entry in the Monster Hunter franchise, but it's Freedom Unite that takes the crown. Thing is, you need as PSP or PlayStation Vita to play it.

Offering up to 400 hours of play time, there's an undeniable sense of accomplishment built into Freedom Unite. that triggers something deep in our ancestral memory when we take down some big game, and Freedom Unite offers the ultimate in hunting with gigantic monsters.

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What long games are you playing when you find yourself in need a few hundred hours to waste? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts on our picks, and be sure to give us some recommendations for games we could play until our eyes bleed!

Star Citizen

Though it's possible that Star Citizen will never be complete, what's available now in the game's Alpha version is still extremely extensive. 

While still missing many key features, there's plenty to do between combat and delivery missions, mining and trading, exploration, and direct interactions with other players. If you've ever wanted to go explore the stars in the most ambitious video game universe ever conceived, Star Citizen is the ultimate sci-fi time sink. 

Pokemon Black and White

While some Pokemon games are drastically shorter than others, Black and White is probably the way to go if you're looking to really sink your teeth into something.

For a Pokemon game, there is simply a stupid amount of content in Black and White, and it adds in 150 new pocket monsters to the roster to boot. The gameplay might be old-hat and repetitive by now, but if you want to relive your halcyon days of monster collecting, this is the way to go.

Of course, Black and White isn't your only option. For Switch owners, there's also Pokemon Sword and Shield. While the games don't include all of the Pokemon from the get-go, a completionist run could last more than 100 hours, and there are two expansions still on the horizon!

Fire Emblem Three Houses

Other than Breath Of The Wild, which I'm assuming you already know you should have played, this is one of the very best, and longest, games on the Nintendo Switch. 

Three Houses is filled to the brim with tactical combat and deeply strategic party management. It's got a winding, engaging story, and features elements from other genres, such as simulation and education. 

It isn't a stretch to say you'll be putting in 60 hours on the low end. For those who have to explore every nook and cranny and find every secret, 100 hours isn't inconceivable.

Persona 5

In general, console RPGs tend to offer pretty lengthy campaigns, especially compared against the brevity of any given shooter's single-player mode. But the cream of the crop is Persona 5.

The Persona games have always included a number of deeply interconnected relationship systems against the backdrop of intense complexity. Persona 5 kicks that design into high gear with the lengthiest story campaign yet, not to mention its Memento dungeons full of fantastic loot.

Depending on how much of Tokyo you explore and how far into New Game+ mode you go, 100 hours of playtime is a low-end estimate. If you've already played Persona 5, it might be worth jumping back in with Persona 5 Royal. If that doesn't suit your fancy, take a look at our ranking of the Persona franchise from best to worst.

Disgaea Series

Old-school gamers might recall how you technically could get Cloud Strife to Level 99 on the PS1 version of Final Fantasy 7, but you weren't really supposed to do that. The gameplay just wasn't built around that type of grind, which got old — fast.

Alternatively, Disgaea is a series that's explicitly built around that exact hustle, and the level cap isn't 99: it's 9,999. Yep, you read that right.

Aside from a ludicrously-high character level, every item you pick up in Disgaea has its own randomized dungeon, all so you can level up said item to 9,999. Theoretically speaking, there's no cap to the number of hours you could spend here. Some have certainly spent thousands upon thousands ... 

Thankfully, the series' strategy RPG combat stays fun during the endless grind, and all of the Disgaea titles feature tongue-in-cheek characters and interactions to keep things entertaining.

I'm a fan of Disgaea 2's PC port, but honestly, any of these titles on either console or PC are just phenomenal and worth sinking time into. Want the latest and greatest? Disgaea 5 is the most recent main entry to hit PS4.

Battletech

What's more fun than giant mechs stomping each other into oblivion?  Harebrained Schemes' take on the long-running Battletech franchise. It's a winner when you need a game that goes on for a long, looooooong time.

While the campaign itself is somewhere in the 60-70 hour range, it's what comes after — when the full map opens up — that's a real time sink. Whether you're an achievement hunter, or you're just trying to get all the parts to build that elusive crab mech, you're facing down hundreds of hours of missions.

While such a glut of content got a bit stale at launch, additional mechs, travel events, and new mission types have since been added with free updates and paid DLC. If you quit after 120 the game first dropped, now is a great time to jump back in to see what's changed. Maybe even add 120 more. 

Any Civilization Game

Why stick with just one era of expansion and conquer when you could cover all of human history and then go far into the future as well? That's what's on tap if you decide to jump into Civilization, Sid Meier's 4X claim to fame. 

As strategy games go, Civilization is the paradigm to beat. Its turn-based design has stood the test of time and influenced countless other titles. Games can play out as fairly quickly if you know what you're doing, and unique bouts abound no matter which of the hundreds of civilizations you pick.  

One truly ludicrous example showcases a player who has been playing the same game of Civilization 2 for 10 solid years. No, not in-game years. Someone has spent a decade of their life on ONE Civilization match that never ended. 

If you aren't familiar with the gameplay, I recommend jumping in with either Civilization 5 or Civilization 6.

Sins Of A Solar Empire Rebellion

Just about any major 4X game could have made this list since they're all focused on expansion, have sprawling maps, and provide plenty of replay value. 

For the real goods, though, look no further than Sins Of A Solar Empire. Whether you want to establish an empire and deal with economic and political issues or just conquer the stars, Sins has dozens of gameplay possibilities. 

Between the story mode and the game's random maps, there are immediately hundreds of hours at your fingertips — but that's just the start. The game supports a bevy of mods, including those for popular fandoms such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Mass Effect, and Stargate. 

For example, the insanely-detailed Armada 3 mod is still the best Star Trek game that's ever been made, even if it's only a fan-made total conversion mod. 

Heroes Of Might And Magic 3

There are plenty of killer real-time strategy options out there, like Total War or Company Of Heroes. When you need a game that can keep you occupied for months on end, though, the large-scale conquests of Heroes Of Might And Magic have you covered.

Heroes Of Might and Magic 5 — when the franchise first made the leap to 3D environments — is my personal favorite of the series, but Heroes Of Might And Magic 3: The Restoration Of Erathia is what essentially coined the idea of "just one more turn" in any and every strategy game. It's a great place to start.

Yes, the graphics are dated, but everything else still holds up. There's an immense level of challenge on the game's harder difficulties, but it's rewarding and worthwhile. That's not to mention the music is still absolutely phenomenal. 

If you'd rather play something more modern, there are plenty of newer entries that feature advanced the gameplay mechanics and venture into other genres, such as sci-fi. Age Of Wonders: Planetfall is an excellent pick to sink a hundred (or two) hours into.

Baldur's Gate 2

You don't have to look to the stars for a sprawling game experience in the triple digits. There's plenty to do in a world like Toril, especially in places like the Sword Coast or Amn.

The granddaddy of all PC RPGs, Baldur's Gate 2 (or, if you must, the "enhanced edition" from Beamdog) is custom-made for playing in long stretches.

Even if you've already played it from beginning to end, there's plenty of reason to jump back into the Bhaalspawn saga and try a different route. Side with or against Bohdi and her vampires, go with an all-evil party by grabbing Korgan, Viconia, and Edwin, or try another class to earn a radically different stronghold.

Another option that involves a significant time investment is the Baldur's Gate 2 romance system, which actually plays out over weeks and months of in-game time as you get to know companions. 

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

KC:D doesn't have nearly the same insane potential as Kenshi, but the trade-off is that there's significantly more story to enjoy. It does so in an open world with multiple ways to approach any situation.

You start off as a peasant-nobody and have to build up your gear and reputation in a very (very) deadly world. The combat is deep and tactical, with dozens of different weapon choices from swords to maces. Clothing also plays a key role not only for defense but for social standing. And there's a crafting element that's rooted in real-life alchemy. 

Kingdom Come is also significantly more polished and graphically pleasing than Kenshi, and looks utterly gorgeous on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, not to mention a high-end PC. 

Kenshi

Unconcerned with the typical story-rich RPG experience, Kenshi lets you play however you want. A true sandbox, you can build your own empire, become a slaver, start a rebellion, or just spend time crafting and researching. There's no right or wrong way to play Kenshi.

Once you get the basics of this truly punishing game down, though, it's time to extend your playtime with the game's dozens of mods. Here's a list of must-download Kenshi mods to get you started.

Ark: Survival Evolved

We'll start with the ultimate time sink. If you dig survival games or just like the idea of riding a dino across a prehistoric landscape before building your own city, Ark is up your alley.

You probably already know about Ark, but if you don't, the idea isn't just to fight other survivors and build a settlement, but it's also to tame and domesticate wild animals. From fiery Ark magmasaurs to spidery bloodhunters, creatures of all shapes and sizes can join your primal menagerie when you figure out the proper taming methods.

Yeah, it has some clunky UI and connectivity issues still, but there really isn't any competition when it comes to Ark, a survival sim where you get to build up a stable of animals and craft a society however you please.

To really understand the amount of time you might lose to Ark, just take a gander at the game's Steam page, where hundreds and hundreds of players have logged thousands of hours of play time!

If you're not a fan of the game's prehistoric sci-fi setting, Outlaws Of The Old West has essentially identical gameplay but lets you live out your Wild West fantasies instead.

Sometimes you just have a lot of time on your hands. Whether it's because of a long weekend or an extended vacation, there are times you just want to immerse yourself in a digital world for 100+ hours. 

Luckily, there are a ton of games that fit the bill. We're going to assume you already know that heavily modded Elder Scrolls entries or Fallout 3/4 offer hundreds of hours of gaming opportunities. So instead of pointing out the completely obvious, we're going to focus on a handful of games you might have forgotten about or, perhaps, hadn't considered. 

Niantic and The Pokemon Company announced that Pokemon from Generation V — Black and White, then Black 2 and White 2 — will be appearing in Pokemon GO later today.

As with previous generation rollouts in Pokemon GO, the entire Unova Pokedex won't be available all at once. However, there's still a wide variety of Unova critters coming.

Here are the 'mon we'll be seeing soon:

• Snivy
• Tepig
• Oshawott
• Blitzle
• Patrat
• Lillipup
• Purrloin
• Pidove
• Drillbur
• Foongus
• Litwick
• Ferrosseed
• Klink
• Deino
• Golett

Of these, Lillipup, Patrat, and Klink will be available in raids, and raids are the only way to encounter Klink in the wild. There's also a chance of encountering Shiny Lillipup and Shiny Patrat.

There are other ways of nabbing some of these Pokemon, though: Eggs.

• 2km Eggs: Patrat, Lillipup, Purrloin, Pidove
• 5km Eggs: Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Blitzle, Foongus, Drillbur
• 10km Eggs: Klink, Ferroseed, Litwick, Deino, Golett

The official Pokemon GO Twitter account also dropped a new trailer showing some of these 'mon in action.

Naturally, players can evolve these Pokemon as well, though some, like Litwick's first evolution, Lampent, will need the new Unova stone to reach their final forms. This special evolutionary stone can only be acquired through research breakthroughs.

Note, too, that the Elemental monkeys and two others are region-specific.

• Pansage the Grass-type is exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region
• Pansear the Fire-type is exclusive to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India
• Panpour the Water-type is exclusive to Greenland and the Americas
• Durant the Steel/Bug-type is exclusive to the Eastern Hemisphere
• Heatmor the Fire-type is exclusive to the Western Hemisphere

Usually, region-exclusive Pokemon get shuffled around over set periods of time, so while there's no indication the above Pokemon will be in other regions at any point, it's always possible.

Niantic promised even more Unova Pokemon over the coming months, so rest easy: everyone's favorite trash bag will probably be coming soon.

Pokemon is one of the most recognizable franchises in gaming and pop culture. The series rocketed to fame almost instantly upon release in Japan and in the West, taking developers and consumers by surprise, and it's still going strong 20 years later. With all that success, one might be forgiven for thinking that Game Freak is tempted to abuse the franchise, and many often point to the mid-gen expansions like Pokemon Crystal and Pokemon Platinum as proof of that. These expansions don't always offer drastic changes to the formula, it's true. However, they serve several important purposes, from being a testing ground for developers to giving fans what they want, while offering the definitive version of that generation for newcomers as well.

In the Beginning...

The first three generations saw expansions that didn't add much in the way of content, but provided just enough to help encourage players to dip back into the franchise.

Of all the expansions, Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition is the easiest one to point at and say "cash grab." Its main purpose for existing was for the developers to tie the game franchise more closely with the anime series that was blossoming nicely at the time. Your first Pokemon had to be Pikachu, Jessie and James (and Meowth) took the place of a few key Team Rocket battles, and you could obtain all three starters over the course of the game. Otherwise, apart from being colorized, there wasn't much difference between it and its predecessors.

But Game Freak made it difficult to easily pass off the game by making it so good. It was the perfect way to capture new fans who had seen the show but not played the games, and the fanservice was moderate enough to keep from harming the overall package and just enough to make it worthwhile. The challenge of having to use Pikachu required players to develop new strategies, and it introduced an important mechanic that still plays a role in the series as well, the friendship mechanic. Despite not offering a whole lot of new content, Yellow is almost always at the top of the 3DS eShop sales list.

Pokemon Crystal was a bit more conservative, though it did introduce battle animations for sprites and the option to choose gender. It experimented with story additions and laid the foundations for the Battle Frontier later too. There wasn't quite as much to justify returning to Johto, yet fans hold it in high regard as the definitive Gen II experience. Like Yellow, it offers just enough to entice owners of the original two and makes for an even smoother entry for newcomers, even if it's a bit sparing as far as expansions go.

Changes Afoot

Pokemon Emerald was the true gem of the first three expansions, though. It was the first to add significant changes to the story and tweak the gameworld enough to make returning interesting, switching around some key character roles and adding a wealth of new features, including the fan-favorite Battle Frontier. The story changes were the most significant, though, combining the plots from Ruby and Sapphire and giving you an actual reason to catch all three of Hoenn's legendary Pokemon, while refining the overall experience.

Despite being widely criticized for not radically changing the series, these seemingly minor alterations fit in with the studio's vision for the series. For example, the developers wanted to add more unique challenges, but the Frontier was deemed too difficult for Ruby and Sapphire, so it was left out. Like the others, the level of investment on the player's part depends entirely on how much they enjoyed the originals, but also like the others, most fans consider Emerald the pinnacle of its generation.

Expanding the Expansions

From the 4th generation onward, the series brought with it a wide variety of changes as it gained a more secure footing in the industry. The expansions were no different, as Game Freak added a number of changes to entice players back for more.

Generation IV's expansion brought with it more significant changes. Pokemon Platinum followed Emerald's footsteps and revamped the story, giving both legendary Pokemon new roles and making them central to the plot. It wasn't a gripping plot like you'd expect from a Final Fantasy game, of course, but it went a long way in creating a more coherent world and giving concrete motivations to the villains therein. Here is where Game Freak started using expansions to fit their overall goals for the series as well. They improved and expanded the role of Wi-Fi, which served the dual purpose of making the games perfect for the competitive scene and making it easier for people to connect over their shared interest in the series.

Sinnoh itself was changed a fair bit, more so than in previous expansions, with aesthetic changes throughout, redesigned gyms and updated gym rosters, and, even more importantly, a streamlined battle system. Gone was the lag between actions and their effects from Diamond and Pearl, with everything functioning much more smoothly overall. The Battle Frontier was greatly expanded too, providing even more incentive to play after finishing the main campaign, along with the ability to face off against major figures again in tournaments. Little wonder, then, that Generation IV was the best-selling generation in the series.

New Territory

The series stumbled a bit with Generation V. Black and White divided some with its too-linear progression through Unova, unique design choices, and stilted storyline (ethics are good, but a series where you imprison innocent creatures and force them to fight isn't really the best platform for an ethical message). Black 2 and White 2 aimed to fix those issues and add even more. Game Freak's chief goal with these was twofold: to defy players' expectations by not making a Grey version and to expand the world of Unova in ways they didn't have a chance to for the previous entries, hence the choice for a direct sequel. Junichi Masuda, the games' director, said he wanted to create a world that had changed in the two years since the original games to help give players a sense of that progression and make it seem new again.

Unova received a completely new makeover, and the way players moved about it changed a good bit as well, along with alterations to gym rosters and the ability to create a varied lineup early on in the story. The story received a good bit of flak for returning to the old gangsters-versus-child line but managed to still add something unique to the plot with the divisions in Team Plasma. One of the biggest changes Masuda was excited about was Pokewood, since it gave players an opportunity to engage in something similar to a puzzle challenge the more they progressed with their films. None of it was the huge shakeup of the franchise many called for, but the developers listened to their fans and gave them what they wanted.

The Red-Headed Stepchild

Then there was Generation VI with Pokemon X and Pokemon Y. Both received high praise in reviews and disappeared from shelves much faster than other installments for a variety of reasons, not least of which was the jump to full 3D models. They built on some of what made the Black and White sequels successful, but a cursory look through fan communities is enough to tell you that people wanted more. "Kalos was underdeveloped, the plot needed more to it, and the constant presence of the player's posse stole the thrill of adventure and exploration" is how the most common complaints usually go.

And it's true. For such a major milestone in the series in terms of presentation, the gameworld, and the sheer number of available Pokemon, there should have been follow-ups to help tie it all together in a definitive package. For example, as goofy as Team Flare is, X and Y took the series' storytelling in a more serious direction. There's plenty of material for an expansion or alternate timeline to help make that story more potent. As intrusive as Shauna and the gang could be, expansions would have provided the chance to give them more of a real place in the game, either through battles or significance to the plot. But fans wanted remakes of Ruby and Sapphire. So that's what they got, with some minor tie-ins to X and Y, leaving Kalos a slightly odd, lonely addition to the Pokemon world.

Critical Reception

Critical reception of these expansions tends to be mixed. They always receive high scores, with the exception of a couple here and there for the Black and White sequels, but the primary complaint remains the same: there isn't anything new to make playing them worthwhile. Some argue that the expansions come too soon on the heels of the originals, as with Black 2 and White 2, not giving players enough time to really want to come back. Even those that rate highly will sometimes deride the expansions for not really adding anything drastic to the overall experience.

But these criticisms miss a few important points. After Gold and Silver, it was widely believed that the "Pokemon fad" was dead, making the development of Ruby and Sapphire a very stressful experience. Preserving what made the series successful to begin with became very important, to keep from alienating fans and creating a sharp divide between those who played older Pokemon games and newcomers. (And given what happened with what I call the Sonic Effect, where Sega strayed from the series' foundations with each new entry, that surely wasn't a bad decision.)

Game Freak used expansions as a way to add in extra ideas that might not have gone over well for the base installments -- either by adding too much content or straying from the core experience -- and it's a way for Game Freak to train newer members of the development team while veteran developers work on projects with higher stakes attached. Most importantly, though, it's a bit unfair to judge expansions for not radically altering the franchise when that isn't their goal to begin with. It's like complaining that vanilla ice cream isn't chocolate when it never tried to be anyway.

The New Kids on the Block

Fast forward to 2017, and there's another set of proper expansions contending for players' time and money: Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. After the major changes that were the original Sun and Moon, these seem set to be more in line with Black 2 and White 2, providing some alterations in world structure, different Pokemon, and a much meatier plot. Many fans complained about how restricted Alola seemed, and like with Kalos, it's not hard to see why.

Sun and Moon made big promises with story and the world itself, and despite the finished products being worthwhile themselves, they leave the player wanting more -- more to do with these new Pokemon, more to see and explore other than just another quest to catch some additional legendary Pokemon. Many of these complaints addressed problems Game Freak believed existed anyway but just didn't have the time to address.

Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are set to provide fans everything they wanted, but most think it's too much, too soon. Fan communities are echoing the critics of yesteryear and saying there isn't enough to justify purchasing new games only a year after Sun and Moon released. In all fairness, The Pokemon Company hasn't done much to help market the games either. Sun and Moon were almost over-marketed, being featured at the 2016 E3 show and with countless little info drops that practically spoiled the games anyway. It's a shame, really. The new entries are set to strike a perfect balance between the major changes of Sun and Moon and the more conservative alterations of the previous expansions, with a heaping helping of new content on top.

The Verdict

Even though they don't always add loads of new content, there's more than enough to draw fans back in, and the fact that the expansions are always as well made as the originals makes them worthy as standalone entries anyway. Yet it's easier for those who miss a generation to value the mid-gen expansions, since money isn't as much of a question and almost everyone recommends Emerald or Black 2 over their respective predecessors. In the end, however useful and practical they are, it's down to the individual consumer to make the choice.

What do you think about Game Freak's mid-gen expansions? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Let us know in the comments.

Whether you're a veteran Pokemon Champion from the days of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow or just arriving in Alola fresh from beating the Kalos Pokemon League, chances are you've wondered about how you can get your favorite Pokemon over to the newest Pokemon games.

Thankfully, it's almost as easily said as done! With Pokemon Bank, players will be able to take the entirety of their Pokemon adventure in X and Y, as well as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to Sun and Moon!

But what if you wanted to bring them from much farther back? Not Black and White old. We're talking Red, Blue, and Yellow or Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald old. Well look no further! This guide will show you how to get your pals from the old GBA games all the way up the Chain of Generations to Pokemon Sun and Moon.

Let's get started, shall we?

Note: Bringing any Pokemon to Pokemon Sun and Moon through Pokemon Bank requires a Pokemon Bank subscription.

EDIT (11/15/2016): It should also be noted that transferring Pokemon from any title to Sun and Moon requires the update to Pokemon Bank that is coming out in January of 2017.

EDIT: (11/18/2016): Red, Blue and Yellow VC titles can only use the Poke Transporter app after the January update as well.

From Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow

Now, before anyone gets all excited about bringing their Pokemon over from their old GameBoy cartridges, I should note that the only way to do this is using the Virtual Console versions of Red, Blue and Yellow. There are methods of bringing over saves from the original cartridges by using illegal cheating and modding software, but it also requires a lot of technical know-how and can potentially ruin or invalidate your game in terms of Pokemon Bank usage.

To transfer Pokemon from Red, Blue or Yellow's Virtual Console port, simply complete the following steps:

1. Save your Pokemon Red, Blue, or Yellow progress inside of a Pokemon Center.
2. Download the Poke Transporter app from the Nintendo eShop.
3. Open Poke Transporter and select the game you would like to transfer from.
4. Move the desired boxes from Red, Blue, or Yellow into Pokemon Bank.

Simple as that! Enjoy having your Generation I team in Pokemon Sun and Moon!

Remember: Any Pokemon transferred from Red, Blue and Yellow will be permanently transferred over. They cannot be brought back to their original games after the transfer has been completed.

The Journey from Gen III to Gen VII

Before we begin: Note that just like Red, Blue and Yellow, all Pokemon transferred into the next generation cannot be returned to their original game.

Whether you're a dedicated fan who has stuck it out since the GBA era, or coming back to Pokemon after a multi-generational break, chances are you're wondering if you can still bring your Generation III Pokemon over to Sun and Moon or even just to X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Well, there's good news and bad news.

The bad news is that unless you have at least 1 game from each generation between then and now your Pokemon are stranded in the past. The good news is that it's still entirely possible so long as you have access to a Nintendo DS and a friend who has each generation - regardless of whose save data is on them.

Here's how it works...

From Gen III to Gen IV

Depending on which Generation IV title you have, the process is slightly different. There is some common ground in both though. First of all, the player must have completed the Pokemon League. Second, the National Pokedex must be obtained. This is done in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum by seeing all Pokemon in the Sinnoh Pokedex. In Heart Gold and Soul Silver all you need to do is go to Kanto for the first time.

Once that is completed, complete the following steps:

1. Ensure that your Pokemon in Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Fire Red or Leaf Green are in the PC.
2. Travel to Pal Park (Route 221 in D/P/Pt or Fuchsia City in HG/SS) and save your game, then turn the DS off.
3. Ensure that the Generation III game of your choice is slotted into the GBA slot of the DS.
4. Open your Generation IV title and go to the main menu.
5. Select "Import from " in the main menu where " is the title you inserted.
6. Enter the Catching Show at Pal Park and capture the Pokemon you migrated over from Generation III.

And you're done! Remember, unless you're using Pokemon Heart Gold or Soul Silver you can only do this once per day. However, you can manipulate the Nintendo DS's clock by forwarding it 1 day to allow you to transfer more Pokemon in Platinum, Diamond, or Pearl.

Now for the next step!

From Gen IV to Gen V

Pokemon's Generation V series consists of Pokemon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. Regardless of which one you have access to, the process is much more simple than it was from Gen III to IV. However, you will require 2 DS or 3DS systems to do this.

You also still need to complete the game, and obtain the National Pokedex by rather defeating Getsis in Black and White, or entering the Hall of Fame in Black 2 and White 2.

The steps are as follows:

1. Place the Pokemon you want to transfer from Gen IV into the PC.
2. Travel to the Poke Transfer Lab on Route 15 in your Generation V game (Black, White, Black 2, White 2).
3. Start the Poke Transfer System.
4. Open up your other DS system and select "Download Play" on the Home Menu.
5. Download the app that appears, and in it select the 6 Pokemon from the Generation IV title that you want to send.
6. Back in the Generation V title, play the minigame in which you capture Pokemon using a slingshot. Any uncaptured Pokemon will be sent back to the Gen IV title, and there is no limit as to how many times you can try to catch them.

And done! Now all that's left is one last step and your Pokemon will be available in Sun and Moon in January!

From Generation V to Generation VI and VII

This step is by far the easiest in the journey from Generation III to the modern age. To do this, all you need to do is open Pokemon Bank, download the Poke Transporter app, and then transfer your Pokemon box-by-box into the new game.

If you don't want a Pokemon Bank subscription, but you know someone who has one, you can use your friend's Pokemon Bank to transfer the Pokemon to your new game -- provided that you have a physical copy of Sun or Moon.

Remember, this is a one-way transfer just like any of the other steps, so you will never be able to reclaim these Pokemon in their original games.

After this is done, any Pokemon in your Pokemon Bank account will be ready for transport to Sun and Moon!

From Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby, or Alpha Sapphire

Last but not least, Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire are all quite simple in terms of bringing Pokemon over to Sun and Moon. All that is required is a Pokemon Bank subscription, and a physical or digital copy of the games.

Just insert the cartridge into your 3DS (or have the digital copy downloaded) and open Pokemon Bank. Transfer your Pokemon over, and you're done!

That's it folks!

A final reminder to everyone that while you can still use all these methods to bring your Pokemon from Generation III to Generation VI right now, you will not be able to use them in Pokemon Sun and Moon until the update to Pokemon Bank hits in January. In the meantime, the process can still be used ahead of time in order to have your Pokemon eager to rejoin you in the Alola region.

Have fun, Pokemon Trainers, and enjoy having your old pals in your new adventures!

The RPG is a genre in which you spend a lot of time battling enemies as you adventure through some of the most fantastic worlds and inspiring stories. One way to make a battle more intense and more dynamic is to pump up your player with a great tune to get them into the fighting spirit.

Many games are praised for their soundtracks, and often times we lift up the composers who came up with the musical beats we're listening to throughout our journeys. Below are just a few of the greatest examples of RPG normal battle themes, the songs that play during the majority of mundane encounters with monsters and minions alike.

The Man With the Machine Gun

Final Fantasy VIII

Uploaded by Cloud183

Final Fantasy VIII is one of the least popular entries in the series when you discuss gameplay and story. No one seems to enjoy the Draw system -- which had you spending hours in combat repeatedly using the same command to steal magic spells from enemies -- but there are two things players seem to agree Final Fantasy VIII did right: card games, and Nobuo Uematsu's music.

"Man with the Machine Gun" is the battle theme for the duration of the time which you play as Laguna, a secondary protagonist of sorts. It's upbeat and energetic, it matches well with the eternal optimist that Laguna tends to be. I remember spending hours battling enemies in the caves of the Centra Excavation Site just so I could listen to this fantastic battle theme.

The War Bell Tolls

Bravely Second: End Layer

Uploaded by EightGiratina

Random encounters are generally a lackluster event in an RPG, typically lasting no more than a minute late into the game. However, in Bravely Second you'll find that with this battle anthem at your back, you're going to want to spend a lot more time in battle. The quick tempo, wailing guitar, and operatic vocals give every battle a feeling of urgency and heroism. 

Spending time grinding EXP for your favorite jobs, or hunting for specific items is much less tedious when you have something great to listen to, and this song delivers. A small nod must be made to the amazing way the song will fade back in after using special attacks, which will cause a temporary song to play based on which character performed the attack. You may have the option to turn off Bravely Second's random encounters, but you might not want to if you really enjoy this song.

Battle! (Team Plasma)

Pokemon Black & White

Uploaded by RadiantMiku

Pokemon games have a ton of different battle themes spanning generations of games. One of the best is when you encounter a Team Plasma Grunt in Pokemon Black or Pokemon White. The electronic style, the hyped-up intro, and the sinister tone of the song all give battles with Team Plasma a very villainous feeling.

From the moment you encounter a Grunt and that pulse-pounding intro begins, you'll be in it to win it against the enthusiastic yet misguided Pokemon Rights group who are attempting to "liberate" your Pokemon from you. I even used this song as my ringtone for a year or so, it was just that good. Next time you're adventuring in Black or White's Unova region crank up the volume and enjoy the music when you encounter Team Plasma.

Mass Destruction

Persona 3

Uploaded by Bosquez88

Baby baby baby baby! Persona 3's battle theme is sort of meme status among the fandom. The rock-pop tune that plays whenever you enter battle against generic shadows is one of the most enthusiastic and positive things in the game. The blaring horns and the driving vocals, particularly during the chorus and bridge, are memorable and after a few fights, you'll find yourself singing along and humming this tune for hours after it gets stuck in your head.

Series composer Shoji Meguro is well known for his thematic soundtracks, which are strikingly different with each game and constantly changing musical genres. This jazzy song just feels like it belongs in Persona 3 and quickly became one of the greatest and most well-known battle themes in RPG history.

The Arrow Was Shot

Tales of the Abyss

Uploaded by terribletomato

In a game that has a lot to do with Hymns and music, this tune is an upbeat and inspirational romp as you battle your way through countless enemies. While the Tales series features a ton of great music from series composer Motoi Sakuraba, this one stands out a bit above the others.

The combination of electronic harmony over the rhythmic drums and low guitar gives it a very heroic feeling. Even listening to this I can hear the sounds of battle in the back of my head as the heroes perform their various Strike Artes and Magic Artes, calling out names and shouting one-liners. It's a particularly catchy tune that'll have you tapping your toes the entire time.

Normal Battle

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

Uploaded by Merhawk102

Despite having a simple name, this battle theme from Nocturne really has a strangely eerie vibe to it. It really does a great job of emphasizing the unusual and unnatural situation the protagonist is in, wandering a demon-infested version of his home, Tokyo. 

The strange lyrical chanting over the looped electronic buzzing in the song adds to the creepiness, but in contrast, the guitar and drums really pump you up for what is most certainly going to be a tough battle, considering the difficulty of the game. Get ready to engage in some odd conversations with the demonic entities you come across and bargain with them to join you or just leave you alone.

Fight Against Monsters

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Uploaded by GilvaSunner

Mario has a long line of RPGs to pick from now, between the Paper Mario series or his adventures on handhelds with his brother in the Mario & Luigi series. However, back in the Super Nintendo era the first Super Mario game to feature the mustached plumber in turn-based combat was aptly titled Super Mario RPG.

It was an instant classic, and this battle theme was born from it. It oozes that Mario vibe, from the drum roll at the beginning to the horns and melodic bridge. Each beat of this tune just feels right at home in the Mario series of games, and it has only gotten more iconic as time goes by.

Battle! (Isaac)

Golden Sun

Uploaded by Magnus619666

Another example of a battle theme that really makes you feel heroic as you battle your way through the various monsters and baddies you encounter. Golden Sun really hits the mark with this song, the instant a battle begins and you hear that build-up at the beginning of the song you're nodding along to the beat and eager to unleash your favorite attacks on whatever unsuspecting creature has challenged you.

Fluctuating from amped-up synth instruments over the drums to beautiful flute melody into low synth tones and finally mixing it up string instruments really gives this song variety and makes it memorable. Isaac's battle theme is easily one of the greatest in the series and the entire RPG genre.

Battle 1

Chrono Trigger

Uploaded by TheOSTcorner

This is another one of those songs with an unimaginative title, but are we really going to question Yasunori Mitsuda? If you're a fan of the game it's easy to see the mental image of Crono and the others bouncing in their combat stances to the smooth beat of the drums and bass in this song. 

The quick beat is sure to get you bouncing your head to the rhythm in seconds as you're selecting the various Tech commands in whatever age you might be adventuring through at the time. The timeless tune -- pun very much intended -- really accentuates the style of the game, feeling right at home no matter what kind of monsters you're fighting or what visual setting the game throws at you. Thanks for this gem, Yasunori Mitsuda.

Deep in Coma ~ Battle in Japan

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Uploaded by TheOstFan

Like many of the other songs I've shared with you, Shadow Hearts: Covenant's "Deep in Coma" is a perfect example of thematic tune. The eerie chanting over the guttural bass guitar and hectic drums really gets you unnerved in this horror RPG.

The unusual rhythm and tribal beat are fitting for a game where you can transform into a demon at any given moment. Despite this, however, "Deep in Coma" does a great job of making battles feel exciting and breaks the norm at the same time, making it a very memorable song. As I wrote this article, I couldn't help but want to pop Shadow Hearts into my PlayStation 2.

These are just ten examples of great RPG battle music. There are plenty of other amazing tunes out there to discover and listen to. Did your favorite make the list? Let us know over on Twitter!

Cubone

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“Wears the skull of its deceased mother. Its cries echo inside the skull and come out as a sad melody.” – Pokemon Yellow

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“It pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull it wears are from its tears.” – Pokemon Emerald

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You’ll be hard pressed to find a first generation Pokemon fan that doesn’t know about Cubone’s backstory. Aptly called the Lonely Pokemon, Cubone is known for wearing its dead mother’s skull to hide its face and staining it with its tears. Its mother died when it was young and it howls at the moon at night because it misses her. According to Bulbapedia, its original name in the Pokemon Red and Blue beta was going to be Ophon, a play on the word orphan.

If you look for them, you can find some pretty interesting Pokedex entries. Some are sad, some are happy, and some are just straight up disturbing. Go look for more Pokedex entries for yourself because they’re tons out there to enjoy!

Banette

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“An abandoned plush doll became this Pokémon. They are said to live in garbage dumps and wander about in search of the children that threw them away.” – Pokemon Emerald

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“A cursed energy permeated the stuffing of a discarded and forgotten plush doll, giving it new life as Banette. The Pokémon's energy would escape if it were to ever open its mouth.” – Pokemon Sapphire

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How many toys do you remember throwing away as a kid? Because some of them probably remember you throwing them away. Banette’s Pokedex entry is pretty sad, especially when coupled with the fact that you can find this Pokemon in garbage cans in the game and it’s mentioned in some entries that if it opens its mouth, it’s energy will escape, effectively killing it. But, there’s a different twist to this Pokemon’s entry because it seeks revenge on the children that threw it away.

Spoink

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“Spoinkbounces around on its tail. The shock of its bouncing makes its heart pump. As a result, this Pokémon cannot afford to stop bouncing - if it stops, its heart will stop.” – Pokemon Ruby

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Spoink is another cute Pokemon with a sad Pokedex entry. While the Pokemon Sapphire entry is a lot more tame, commenting on Spoink’s quest to find a bigger pearl, the Pokemon Ruby entry tells us that if it stops bouncing, this cute little pig will die. It almost makes you forget its evolved form Grumpig uses its psychic powers to control its foe's minds.

Yamask

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“Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry.” – Pokemon Black

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Yamask is a cute little Ghost-type, that carries around its own face. Not only is this entry sad because Yamask cries over its face and the memories it holds, but it also reminds us that Ghost-type Pokemon used to be alive and they’re stuck fighting for their trainers while dealing with their own confusing existence.

Parasect

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“A host-parasite pair in which the parasite mushroom has taken over the host bug. Prefers damp places.” – Pokemon Red/Blue

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“When nothing's left to extract from the bug, the mushrooms on its back leave spores on the bug's egg.” – Pokemon Crystal

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Parasect, the evolved form of Paras, has a dead look in its eyes. That’s because it’s actually dead. In almost all of Parasect’s Pokedex entries the game mentions it scattering spores around the forest. This is normal since it has a huge mushroom on its back, but in Pokemon Red and Blue, and later in Crystal, the entries allude to the mushroom being a parasite that has completely taken over the host bug.

If you’ve been playing Pokemon for while, you’re probably no stranger to Pokedex entries. They give players more information about the lure of the world and how Pokemon interact with it. Pokedex entries are a great way of worldbuilding in the Pokemon games, but they can get really sad, really fast. Here is a list of the top 5 saddest Pokedex entries.

These were the 15 quotes we found to be most interesting or inspirational from across the gamingverse. What was your favorite, and what quotes did we miss that you'd add in?

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“A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.”

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-- Shigeru Miyamoto

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Just remember that the next time a game you want gets pushed back and you feel like unleashing all-caps armageddon on a forum. Better to have no game at all than to have a game that wasn't worth playing.

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“One man goes into the waters of baptism, a different man comes out, born again. But who is that man who lies submerged? Perhaps that swimmer is both sinner and saint, until he is revealed unto the eyes of man.”

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-- Comstock, BioShock Infinite

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Another Bioshock quote that's actually sort of horrific within the context of the game (but motivational if considered alone) this is basically Comstock's way of saying your choices are your own, while making you think about fate and whether it was really inevitable that all your experiences lead to one outcome.

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"Even if you run into a storm, there's always a way out, no matter how bleak things seem."

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-- Vyse, Skies Of Arcadia

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A relentlessly (maybe even annoyingly?) positive character, Vyse is sort of a random inspirational quote generator. I imagine when people need a motivational poster for an office, they just snag Vyse quotes.

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“Although my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience. And it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then, if they don't forget me, then our hearts will be one. I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!”

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-- Sora, Kingdom Hearts

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Although more on the kitschy and cutesy side, this is undeniably a powerful moment in the Kingdom Hearts series.

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“Too many people have opinions on things they know nothing about. And the more ignorant they are, the more opinions they have.”

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-- Thomas Hildern, Fallout: New Vegas

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This one might seem like more of an insult than an inspirational quote at first, but I see it from the opposite side. This is a valuable reminder, especially in the social networking age of instant communication, that sometimes it's better to remain silent, or at the very least, to be uncertain of your position until all the facts come to light.

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“You reap what you sow, Artyom: force answers force, war breeds war, and death only brings death. To break this vicious circle one must do more than act without any thought or doubt.”

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-- Khan, Metro 2033

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In a world devastated by nuclear war and invaded by otherwordly beings, is it any wonder some grow tired of perpetuating an endless cycle of violence?

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"I was called here by humans who wished to pay me tribute."

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"Tribute?!? You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!"

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"Perhaps the same could be said of all religions..."

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-- Dracula, Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night

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Oh man, I can't tell you how much this little exchange between Richter and Dracula just blew my mind as a 12 year old who had no idea something like this was even allowed to be said in a video game. Inspiring? Not so much. Thought-provoking? You betcha.

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"Nothing is more badass than treating a woman with respect." 

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-- Mr. Torgue, Borderlands 2

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The Borderlands series is chock full of some of the best quotes in all gaming history, but definitely more of the hilariously offensive variety rather than the actually inspiring kind. Then, out of nowhere, this weapons fanatic whose speech must constantly be bleeped throws out something progressive. Pandora is full of strange wonders, indeed.

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“Did you ever try to put a broken piece of glass back together? Even if the pieces fit, you can’t make it whole again the way it was. But if you’re clever, you can still use the pieces to make other useful things. Maybe even something wonderful, like a mosaic. Well, the world broke just like glass. And everyone’s trying to put it back together like it was, but it’ll never come together in the same way….”

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-- Moira, Fallout 3

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Whoever thought you'd get something deep out of Moira, who doesn't seem to be entirely there? In between twisting your DNA like a feline with a ball of yarn or asking you to get into fights with rabid mole rats, she manages to make the end of the world not seem so horrible, without actually lessening the impact in any way of what led to the sad state of the D.C. Wasteland. It's not hard to see the personal applications of such a philosophy if applied to people who are broken as well.

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"Nothing is true, everything is permitted."

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"That is rather cynical." 

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"It would be if it were doctrine. But it is merely an observation on the nature of reality. To say that nothing is true is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions and that we must live with our consequences, whether glorious or tragic."

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-- Ezio, Assassin's Creed: Revelations

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The eponymous creed itself is revealed in detail in this entry of the franchise, and it's definitely one to make a gamer take pause and ponder. In a lot of ways its much like the "no gods, no kings" from BioShock, but presented with a little more flair, befitting the assassin giving the explanation.

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"Death is inevitable. Our fear of it makes us play safe, blocks out emotion. It's a losing game. Without passion, you are already dead." 

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-- Max Payne

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Take it from Mr. Misfortune himself: just simply getting up each morning, punching a clock, and ticking all the boxes sure ain't living. If you don't have something you really care about, then it's probably time to call it a day (or at least find a new game to play).

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"No gods or kings. Only man." - Bioshock

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In this game series, you can usually bet that if there's a giant statue with a banner or stained glass window quote, it's being said by an absolute mad man who is going to be a villain.

In this instance though, it can really be seen from another point of view, as a reminder that our fates our are own, and we are the masters of our own destiny (even if these games don't always play out that why by the time the credits roll).

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“We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment...and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly.” 

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-- Flemeth, Dragon Age II

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Sometimes the most morally ambiguous characters have the best lines in gaming, and somehow the witch Flemeth here manages to both be all gloom and doom AND inspirational at the same time.

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“Strength lies in knowing oneself.”

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-- Dak'kon, Planescape: Torment

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There's endless interesting conversations in this novel-esque game, especially between the night hag Ravel and the amnesiac Nameless One, but Dak'kon frequently takes home the award for strongest proponent of personal development. He may be a downer at times (getting a whole city killed because of his self-doubt tends to do that to a gith), but he's got some great advice.

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“It's more important to master the cards you're holding than to complain about the ones your opponent was dealt.”

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-- Grimsley, Pokemon Black And White

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Although this is clearly meant quite literally in the context, that's an interesting concept to teach kids through a video game -- expressing the sentiments of personal responsibility and being thankful for what you have.

While explained slightly differently, it also reminds me of the famous Louis C.K. quote:

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“The only time you look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don't look in your neighbor's bowl to see if you have as much as them.”

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Looking past all the swords and bullets, there's another side to gaming that the general public doesn't always see. Gamers are a passionate lot, and the writers behind our games tend to be even more so, putting a whole lot of heart and soul into characters who easily rival any offered up by literature or film.

There are plenty of game scenes that have resonated with entire generations of players and will never be forgotten – is there a single Final Fantasy fan who can't quote the opera house scene? While there are plenty of mindless tap-tap games or shooters without much in the way of story, even those types of games have hidden gems of dialogue if you look deep enough.

Everything from existentialism to objectivism to moral relativity all get their due in various game series when you head into the likes of Bioshock, Planescape: Torment, and SOMA. After dredging through hundreds of games with interesting themes, we've put together a list of some of the most inspiring or thought-provoking quotes to be found in any console or PC title.

When not delving into the world of remixes or orchestrations, it can be pretty hard to find cover versions of Junichi Masuda's work that are not metal or rock based. That does not, however, mean they are undeserving of praise or attention. These artists add something new to the music already in existence with their covers.

So take a moment to appreciate not only these covers, but also other Pokémon music covers out there. You will not regret it.

Pokémon X/Y Guitar Medley by FamilyJules7X

I got to a point where I could only pick 1 song covered by this artist, FamilyJules7X. The choice was difficult so I picked the one that packed the most into one medley. This medley includes a number of different cities from Pokémon X and Y, Lysandre's theme, and the theme from the Pokéball factory, and a few others I will leave as a surprise (or you could just follow the link to the YouTube page and look there).

The themes in this medley are very, very different in some ways but somehow FamilyJules7X has made them fit together excellently.

FamilyJules7X is an American musician who makes video game music covers and has written an album specifically for Crypt of the Necrodancer called Aria's Ascent.

Pokemon B/W (Rock Remix) - Nimbasa City by Shady Cicada

From what I recall of Nimbasa city in Pokémon Black and White versions, it is a pretty large place, with a few sports stadiums, the Musical Theater, a Ferris wheel, and a gym. Nimbasa is not as large or intimidating as Castelia city, of course. But I always enjoyed the generally upbeat theme. This cover is certainly less so but anyone who liked music that played in Nimbasa will probably like this version as well.

Shady Cicada is a composer who covers and remixes already existing music as well as writes his own, incorporating many different genres into his work.

Pokémon X&Y Bicycle Theme Metal Cover by Arathrum

For those of you who breed Pokémon (as the artist, Arathrum, noted), you will probably know this song all too well and perhaps even be sick of listening to it because you have spent hours of your time riding back and forth in front of the day care center, waiting for your Pokémon to lay that 6 IV egg. Even if you are tired of it, give this version a spin. Though Arathrum tries to stay as close to the original as possible, the guitars give it a different feel.

Arathrum does mostly metal video game covers, and from time to time his own compositions. He is from The Netherlands.

Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire - Wally Battle Theme Guitar Cover by RawkHawkRockin

In the remake versions of Ruby and Sapphire, Wally, one of your rivals, gets his own theme. He is pretty frail and delicate at first so the theme is a little more fitting later on in the game. Due to the fact that this cover and the original are so similar it becomes an effort to replicate the original as closely as possible, and RawkHawkRockin does this brilliantly.

There is not much information about RawkHawkRockin out there, besides that he does video game music covers and that he is Greek. Hopefully we will see more of him in the future!

Pokemon Colosseum - Cipher Peon Full Band Metal Cover by Dr. Pez - VGM 

Pokémon Colosseum is one of those games that not many people know about. The game is a GameCube game, in which the only Pokémon you can catch you actually have to snatch from other trainers. But before you freak out, these Pokémon have been corrupted to be fighting machines, unafraid of attacking humans. In this game it is your job to purify these creatures, returning them to their normal, uncorrupted states, as well as figure out who is responsible for all these "shadow Pokémon."

More importantly, the musical cover is one of several battle themes, this one of a battle with a Cipher peon. Dr. Pez and his fellow musicians, HatTrax and Ashikodrum, handle this one with ease, though the original song was made for such instruments. In some ways, it is better that they do not deviate from the original's composition.

Dr. Pez and Ashikodrum both do video game covers, and while HatTrax also covers these sorts of songs he also does some classic and progressive rock songs.

Pokémon R/S/E: Victory Road - Metal Cover || RichaadEB by RichaadEB

Generation 3's Victory Road music is probably one of my favorite Victory Road themes. After Ever Grande city's encouraging theme this one seems more harsh and challenging.

Ruby and Sapphire are full of synthesized trumpets and I am surprised how well the guitars fit. Nevertheless, metal is full of harsher sounds and thus such a style is fitting for the theme.

RichaadEB, or Rich, is a YouTube guitarist who does (metal) covers of video game music, and otherwise is a big nerd.

Pokémon Theme Cover (feat. Dookieshed, MunchingOrange, NintendoFanFTW, and more!) by NateWantsToBattle

I admit, I cheated a bit here. The Pokémon anime theme is not strictly game related, but it is not entirely unrelated either, so I decided to throw it in. A lot of us, now adults, remember this as part of our childhood, an accompaniment to the games.

NateWantsToBattle, one of the many featured in this cover, is pretty talented on his own. I almost decided to go with his Lysandre's Theme cover. But then I found this and the nostalgia waves pummeled me into submission. Admit it, you like it too.

NateWantsToBattle roped dookieshed, Munchingorange, NintendoFanFTW, RandomEncountersEnt, TheKingNappy, ReallyFreakinClever, and TheShueTube all into this video cover.

NateWantsToBattle covers anime and video game songs. Dookieshed, Munchingorange and NintendoFanFTW all make their own videos about video games (walkthroughs, Top 10s, and other amusing things). RandomEncountersEnt and TheShueTube make their own parody music videos. TheKingNappy posts daily Pokémon content, and ReallyFreakinClever looks at and discusses game design choices.

All in all, quite a crew!

Champion Battle (Pokémon G/S/C) Guitar Cover by DSC

This cover is based on one of the most intimidating themes in the Pokémon universe. In Gold, Silver and Crystal, as well as HeartGold and SoulSilver, it plays during the Champion battle with Lance, and during the final battle with Red. I remember my seven year old self finally reaching the Champion with my under-leveled team (I was at the age when I did not understand battling trainers was necessary and viewed them as an annoyance). The sense of foreboding, and the anxiety the theme music seemed to generate in me was practically tangible. And yet I felt so ready for the challenge.

On guitars I have to admit while the song loses none of its awesomeness. But the parts with falling notes, for me, lose some of the feelings I remember watching my Pokémon's HP plummet after a nasty hit. That does not mean, however, that it is not a good cover, and it is worth a listen.

DSC, or Dominic Choi, an Australian and the artist in question, posts game music covers every two weeks on Fridays on his YouTube channel.

Pokemon GSC - Game Corner [Guitar Cover] by BrodysGameMusic

In the end, I picked this theme because the game corner, once a feature in the first 3-4 generations of games, was ultimately removed from the series. Players used to be able to trade coins they won by betting for Pokémon, items, TMs and in later installments, decorations for secret bases.

Are the games worse off for their removal? Probably not, but the tune that played in the old Gold, Silver and Crystal game corner reminds me of a relatively carefree time of my life I sometimes wish I could go back to.

BrodysGameMusic brings back this theme without most of the previously staccato notes, but I certainly do not mind because he keeps the original intent and spirit of the piece alive.

BrodysGameMusic, or Brody, plays music as a hobby, covering mostly game music and occasionally writing some original tracks.

Pokemon (2nd gen) - "Team Rocket Battle" [Metal Guitar Cover] by Ferdk

Ok, admittedly Team Rocket is a bit wimpy. But this song has always gotten me feeling ready for a fight, one way or another. Though Team Rocket may be undeserving of such an awesome metal cover and theme in the first place, I still love what Ferdk did with the battle theme. Turning the tune into a metal composition gave it an even more sinister feel.

Ferdk is from Argentina and does metal video game covers in his spare time. He also writes his own original music.

Pokemon City Rock Medley (RBY/GSC) by Swiggles1987

Since I found a load of Gold, Silver and Crystal covers as well, why not have a piece that combines Red, Blue and Yellow pieces with Gold Silver and Crystal pieces to transition between the two?

Anyways, this is a pretty cool combination and takes on a number of city themes from the first two generations, including Vermillion, Viridian, and Saffron cities, as well as Olivine and Blackthorn cities. The S.S. Anne theme is also thrown in there for good measure.

The medley changes up the tempos of a few of the songs a little and adds some embellishments here and there, but they ultimately are all excellent choices and I love what the artist did with it.

Swiggles1987 covers video game music on YouTube (and takes requests), as well as composes music for smaller video games.

Pokémon R/B/Y Route 11 Guitar Cover Feat Paul Farrer by KawlumPlaysGuitar

If I had to pick one route in the original Pokémon games with the best music, it would be route 11. There is something about the whole song that makes me feel like I really am on an epic journey. I was completely bummed, then, when I felt FireRed and LeafGreen butchered the theme.

But this cover nails it.

There are a few frills here and there, but they add to the cover rather than take away from it.

KawlumPlaysGuitar and Paul Farrer had little information on each of them other than what was on their YouTube profiles. KawlumPlaysGuitar is "slowly 'Metalifying' the world" and Paul Farrer does metal covers and original songs. Well, I certainly hope to hear more from the both of them.

Pokemon RBY Gym Leader Guitar Cover by Galiasocial

Another Red, Blue and Yellow cover! There are actually two versions of the cover in this video, one with drums and one without.

Like the previous cover, this cover of the Red, Blue and Yellow Gym Leader and Elite Four theme brings new life to the tune. Due to the fact that guitars are pretty capable of emulating the sounds of other instruments (or even Gameboys) it sounds more than appropriate. Feeling nostalgic yet? I sure am.

Galiasocial (or, Galia Social) is actually a trio of musicians: Colby Peters, Ed Rizo, and Christian Logaglio. They typically play pop and rock music in Florida though they may be branching out further to other regions.

Pokémon Battle Theme (Blue/Red/Yellow) Guitar Cover by Carlos Malanche

Having played Blue, Red, Yellow, and FireRed and LeafGreen an absurd number of times, I have heard a couple of versions of this theme many times over. That being said, the tune is not one that gets old or annoying fast, which is a good thing because if you play the original games or the remakes you will be hearing it a lot.

And while this cover sounds pretty similar to the original, it lends something to the theme that the Gameboy version perhaps did not have. Simply put, actual instruments sound way better than electronic beeps...unless that is the kind of sound you enjoy.

Unfortunately there seem to be a lot of "Carlos Malanches" out there. This particular artist only has a few YouTube videos out there and no description on his account, so I was reduced to looking around Google, through many possible matches, none of which seemed likely. Whoever you are, dude, we appreciate your work.

Pokémon Route 1 on Guitar by CSGuitar89

Ok, this one does not look like a rock cover in the first few seconds, but it gets there. There are a few covers in here that are a bit deceptive like that.  This tune brings back memories of my second journey in the Pokémon world. Unfortunately this also brings back memories of a failed randomizer Nuzlocke. I met a legendary in the wild. Amusingly (or perhaps frustratingly) it spontaneously combusted with Self-Destruct and eliminated my only Pokémon. Curse you, Registeel!

However, I have to admit I like CSGuitar89's take on the theme. This cover is a bit more upbeat than even the original.

CSGuitar89, or Casper, is from the Netherlands and does video game guitar covers. Some day he hopes to record his own original music.

Pokémon games, are, for the most part, not known best for their music. However, that does not mean the games are not filled with catchy, uplifting, and dramatic themes! Many are deserving of appreciation.

I attempted to find as many different artists covering different tunes as I could, and what resulted was, to some extent, a bias towards the original games and Gold, Silver and Crystal, though almost every generation has something in here.

Here are the 15 I picked out:

Ever wanted that awesome looking black Charizard? Or maybe a purple Vaporeon? Whatever your favorite Pokémon is, there is an alternate colored version of it called a shiny.

A lot of people know about shiny Pokemon, but many do not know how to obtain them. This guide is here to give you three methods to catch shiny Pokémon. I have used each of these, and they have all worked for me.

Chain Fishing

This method has had a pretty great rate of success for me. What you will need is as follows:

• Old Rod, Good Rod, or Super Rod (depending on which Pokémon you are trying to catch)
• A Pokémon with the Suction Cups or Sticky Hold ability. A Pokémon with one of these abilities should lead your party, as both abilities ensure that you will always get a bite using your fishing rod. Some Pokémon who have these abilities include Octillery, Inkay, Malamar Lileep, and Cradiliy.

Find a fishing spot that is surrounded by rocks and is blocked off. This gives you a better success rate, and traps the Pokemon in.

Now that you have all of your tools, you are ready. What you need to do is just keep fishing. This process works by simply encountering Pokémon; you do not need to battle them, simply continue to hook Pokémon on your fishing rod, and run from the battle. Continue to do this and you have a shot at catching a shiny. 

A warning: do not move from your spot while you are trying to chain fish. If you move your character at all you will break your chain. Just stay still and make sure you hit A when you get a bite. 

Masuda Method

This one is fairly straight-forward and is named after Junichi Masuda, who first programmed the method into Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

You breed 2 Pokémon who are from different countries, and it increases the chance of breeding a shiny. An example is breeding a Japanese male Eevee with an American female Eevee. This would give you a better chance of breeding a shiny Eevee, as opposed to just breeding two American Eevee or two Japanese Eevee. 

Masuda Method will give you a 1 in 1366 chance of hatching a shiny, which is obviously still rare. The upside to Masuda Method is that you can choose almost any Pokémon you want to try to hatch. In that sense, it is better than Chain Fishing, which limits you to catching only Pokémon able to be caught while fishing. 

Shiny Charm

This is by far the most difficult method, but it will increase your chance of catching and hatching shiny Pokémon. By completing the Pokédex in both XY and ORAS, you receive the Shiny Charm from the game's professor. This increases your chance of catching a shiny in the wild or hatching one.

(Image from Gamefaqs)

These are my three tips for catching shiny Pokemon. I hope they helped, and happy hunting.  

My verdict: FireRed and LeafGreen are the best Pokemon games

I came very close to picking X&Y. They're great, modern versions of a game that keeps on going, and if I had to recommend one to someone new to the series, it would be that pair. 

But there are a few too many flaws in those games for them to be the best. No one plays Pokemon games for the difficulty, but there should at least be some challenge. FireRed and LeafGreen offer that, plus the classic story, Pokemon, and scenes. They're not my personal favorites--that would be Gold and Silver, which are amazing, but a little archaic to be considered the very best, like no one ever was... except FireRed and LeafGreen. These are the games that blend the classic story with modern mechanics, and they're the best the series has to offer.

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Why they're the best:

Ruby and Sapphire were already great games; bring in 3D graphics and X&Y mechanics and they become even better. That means you get the great music, region, and evil team story, but with 3D battling, diagonal running, and all the advancements that have been made since 2003. Plus, they add an excellent postgame story centered around Rayquaza.

Why they're not:

First of all, these names keep making less and less sense. Second of all, they're great games, but like HeartGold and SoulSilver, it's not clear that we really need these remakes. And they're really easy. Sense a trend here? The games keep getting easier and easier; you'll have to try hard to lose even once in these games. The games also inexplicably leave out certain X&Y innovations, such as the customizable characters. They offer online play now, but when that's gone, we'll be left with just a shinier version of a game that was already great.

And the winner is...

Pokemon X&Y

Why they're the best:

This is the game where Pokemon, for the first time, took a giant step forward instead of a gradual one. This game introduced THREE DEE graphics, diagonal running (finally!), roller blading, customizable characters, and mega evolution. The gyms are great, the region is beautiful, and it's great to see all the old favorites (and some new ones) in 3D. The games also boast fantastic online play. This is the Pokemon series' Ocarina of Time or Metroid Prime; the game that made a bold, fantastic transition into the next dimension.

Why they're not:

Great as these games are, there are a couple of things that hold them back. First of all, they're incredibly easy, even more so than Black and White. That goes double if you use the experience share. The Elite 4 still has four Pokemon apiece and remains a cakewalk. All in all, it feels more like a kid's game than any preceding it, difficulty-wise.

Pokemon Black 2 & White 2

Why they're the best:

The first direct sequels in the series' history re-explore the Unova region several years into the future, which hearkens back to the second half of Gold and Silver and is interesting to revisit. The game also brings back the Pokemon of generations past, something the originals were sorely lacking. And for those looking for a challenge, these games offer the series' only challenge mode, which ramps up the entire game's difficulty.

Why they're not:

Can a direct sequel really be the best Pokemon game ever? The idea works better as the second half of a game, such as Gold and Silver, than it does as a standalone game. Plus, they bring back many of the flaws of the original Black and White, such as pixellated Pokemon and easy Elite 4. These games are basically a glorified third version for Black and White a la Crystal or Yellow, which is an interesting idea, but doesn't make for the best Pokemon game ever. 

Pokemon Black and White

Why they're the best:

This is when Pokemon really started to go for impressive visuals. The seasons change in this one, the gyms are memorable, and there are huge bridges everywhere. It has the makings of a good story line (albeit with a somewhat underwhelming resolution), and solid post game content.

Why they're not:

Full disclosure: this is my least favorite pair of Pokemon games. That basically comes down to two things for me: the lack of the old Pokemon, and how incredibly easy this game is. One constant as the series has evolved is that the games have gotten better looking, but the Pokemon designs have gotten worse and worse. By excluding the old favorites, not only do they leave out plenty of people's favorite Pokemon, but they give a bigger stage to their worst designs yet. And the game is really easy. Like too easy. The levels are low, the TMs are reusable, and the Elite 4 is a total cakewalk with only four Pokemon apiece.

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Why they're the best:

Just take everything I wrote about Gold and Silver and put it here, basically. But you can also add the fact that these remakes updated those great games to the modern age, getting rid of such annoyances as the lack of running shoes, the inability to tell how powerful moves are, and the cumbersome PC system.

Why they're not:

Unlike Red and Blue, which had enough flaws to warrant a need for remakes, Gold and Silver didn't really need the treatment. As long as you're fine with 8-bit graphics, they're fine on their own, which makes these remakes feel a bit inessential, which is never a word used to describe the best game in a series. Also, the names of these remakes just keep getting dumber.

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

Why they're the best:

These games seem to be gaining a reputation as sort of the middle child of the Pokemon series: overlooked and unremembered. That's largely undeserved, as these are great games, particularly Platinum. The games feature the memorable Sinnoh region, a solid degree of difficulty, good music (always an important Pokemon feature), and are improved by Platinum, which increased the battle speed and added the Distortion World, one of the coolest areas ever to appear in a Pokemon game.

Why they're not:

The new Pokemon aren't great, and there's serious Pokemon overload at this point, particularly legendary Pokemon. Seriously, if this many Pokemon are considered legendary, doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? But the thing about these games is that there's nothing really wrong with them, but there's also nothing that really stands out to make them the best in the series. They're great games, but they don't have that "it" factor that a game like Super Metroid has, when you just know it's the best a series has to offer.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

Why it's the best:

There's not much wrong with the first remakes in the Pokemon series; they basically took the story, Pokemon, region, and characters from the original Red and Blue and updated them with Ruby and Sapphire mechanics and graphics. That means the original 151 are back, including the best starters in the series; the great music, towns, and leaders all return, but you don't have to deal with nagging issues like psychic-type dominance or the 20-item limit. Plus, the remakes introduced new post game content featuring many of the Pokemon from Gold and Silver, increasing playability and replay value.

Why it's not:

Basically, the one thing FireRed and LeafGreen don't have going for them is that they're not in 3D, they don't feature diagonal running or impressive visuals of the newer games. Other than that, this is pretty much a perfect Pokemon experience.

Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald

Why it's the best:

Ruby and Sapphire were the series' first jump into the next generation, and it shows with a host of improvements: the region is great, the game is less reliant on archaic structures like the PC boxes, and the game actually gives you details on the moves, which somehow had never happened before. These games have a solid degree of difficulty and probably the best story climax of any of these games.

Why they're not:

This game offers plenty that's new, but it surprisingly scrapped a lot of the innovations of Gold and Silver. There's no night and day system, no second region to visit, no PokeGear. This is also the first time the series started to suffer from a bit of Pokemon overload; it didn't help that many of the new Pokemon were basically carbon copies of the originals (looking in your direction, Beautifly) or pointless filler Pokemon (hello, Luvdisc!).

Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal

Why they're the best:

Now here's where it gets interesting. These are the longest games in the series, providing 16 badges to acquire instead of 8 as you revisit the region from the original Red and Blue, something that hasn't been done in a Pokemon game since. The night and day scheme, the situational events such as the bug-catching contest, and a series-best final battle are all aspects of these games that haven't been matched since.

Why it's not:

There's still no running, no indication of how powerful moves are, and 8-bit graphics. Having two regions means the levels in the early game are significantly lower than any other. It simply can't match the 3D spectacle (and gameplay improvements) of the newer games, at least not entirely.

Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow

Let's start, of course, with the very first games in the series.

Why they're the best:

These are the very first games in the series, the genesis of it all. These are the games that gave us the original 151 Pokemon (which remain, to this day, the best set of Pokemon created yet), as well as the formula which each game has followed: eight badges, gym leaders who work with a certain type, rivals; literally everything about the series can be traced back here.

But it's not all nostalgia making this argument (though it mostly is). These were the games when catching them all was actually something every player could do, rather than an insane task that will occupy hundreds of hours as you hunt down Pokemon that were only released as "special events." The original towns and leaders are still the best; the degree of difficulty is just right here; and the music and charm of these games are second to none.

Why they're not:

Let's be honest: no one who didn't play these games back in the '90s can really appreciate them now. There have just been too many improvements. The 20-item bag, lack of running, lack of an on-screen bar telling you far until the next level are all annoying lapses now that we know they could exist. There are fewer moves, and no indication in the game as to how powerful each move is, which limits strategy. Also, catching 'em all would be fun, but do you know anyone with a Game Boy and a link cable? I didn't think so.

It basically boils down to this: these games are historically important, setting the foundation off of which every subsequent Pokemon game has built. But, the fact that they built that foundation means that they have also been bettered by each new Pokemon game that has come along.

It's incredible, but the Pokemon series has been around for nearly 20 years now. There have been six generations, ten sets of main series games, as well as countless spin-offs, cards, toys, and anime episodes.

But of all these games, which is the best? Which Pokemon game delivers the essential experience? Let's take them one by one, weigh the pros and cons, and decide.

The Pokémon franchise has been up and running for the past 17 years, adding more and more to the series as the time has rolled on. First starting out with just two games, Pokémon now has twelve main series games, six remake games, and a number of spin-off games - as well as a manga, anime, and movie series. Nintendo and Game Freak have obviously made some great games - everyone can agree on that - but in the scope of everything, there are some stand outs as the best games in the whole franchise.

1. Pokémon X & Y

Generation VI titles are a lot of people's favorite games in the series, even though they were released barely two years ago. X & Y introduced a lot things that were missing in the series while improving on the standard formula.

The game's 3D graphics were a big jump from the previous pixelation, but it was definitely a good thing. Full 3D characters, Pokémon, and cities showed more change and advancement for the series.

The long-awaited character customization was a definite plus, as well. Finally, after 15 years, players could make their character in the game look like them! (Though, if someone was Black, they'd just have to settle with a light tan as their skin color.) They could finally change their hair color and style, their skin and eye color, and even their outfits on a day-to-day basis. The fashion of the French-inspired Kalos made it all the more difficult to save money for actual Pokémon adventuring and not for the high-priced clothes in Lumiose City's Boutique Couture.

Pokémon-Amie was also one of the most fun and cutest additions to the series as a whole. Who doesn't want to play games and feed macaroons to their Pokémon? Especially if that Pokémon is Mewtwo, or Lugia, or Giratina, or some other Legendary no one would even think to play with.

All the other additions to the series and game (Mega-Evolution, character videos, the different types of trading, super-training, Fairy Type, and finally an attractive Professor) increased the fun and enjoyment of the series. It's not that hard to see why a lot of people like this game the most out of the whole series.

2. Pokémon Gold & Silver (And Crystal)

The second generation of Pokémon is (in my opinion) the most fun and the longest generation of the series. The journey in this generation is also much longer and more fun than in any of the other games. The player has to beat the eight Johto Gyms and bring down the newly resurrected Team Rocket.

Once they've beaten the Elite Four and become the Pokémon League Champion, they can now go back to Kanto to fight the original eight Gym Leaders! And if the player was strong enough, they got to battle Red at the summit of Mt. Silver. No other game in the series has allowed the player to do that, and that makes every other games' post-game seem kind of lackluster.

Not only that, but Game Freak made some significant improvements to these games after Red & Blue. They added a night/day, day/week system (perfect for getting Espeon and Umbreon), an improved Happiness and Friendship system, dual types, brand new types (Steel and Dark), and the option of playing another gender (though this only came in Crystal). Finally, the girls had some representation in a Pokémon game - and every one since then.

3. Pokémon Colosseum

Colosseum wasn't the first spin-off Pokémon game, but it's definitely the first one to do something different compared to the main series. Colosseum was vastly different to what the games were in 2003 when it was released. It didn't follow the standard formula of the main series titles. 

For one thing, players weren't able to normally catch Pokémon. In the game's story, Team Snagem wishes to rule the world with Shadow Pokémon, Pokémon that have turned into soulless fighting machines. You play as Wes, a former member of Team Snagem who tries to reverse their plans. Instead of normally catching these Shadow Pokémon, the players have to battle trainers and essentially steal them from their trainers in battle!

The fact that the game and its story is fully fleshed out on the Nintendo GameCube, and not a handheld, is also what makes this game so different. There are other Pokémon spin-offs that aren't on handhelds (like Stadium and Snap), but their stories couldn't compare to Colosseum or its sequel XD: Gale of Darkness. It showed players what the series could look like on a completely different system, as well as a different way of going about the series' main point: catching Pokémon. 

4. Pokémon Black & White

Generation V was the generation that brought some shock to the Pokémon community, as well as the video game community in general, with its surprising story.

The story of Black & White was a shocker because of how different it was, as compared to the other games'. Before, there was simply a crime syndicate that wanted to take over their region or the world (or universe, as in Team Galatic's plans).

Team Plasma was focused on liberating Pokémon from trainers and the so-called cruel fighting they were forced into. It's a very PETA-like stance and mission, but it brought up a real ethical issue for the series. Was it moral/ethical to participate in Pokémon battling? That in itself is an issue in real life as much as it is in the games.

The game's story was the basis for the introduction of the new 151 Pokémon, as well as more improvements and new mechanics. The other, original Pokémon are kept tucked away until the player beats the main game. As said by others, Black & White treats the player like Ash. It places them in a brand new region without the chance or the familiarity of the original 500-some Pokémon and lets them go free. 

5. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness 

The Mystery Dungeon series got a boost in recognition when it worked together with Pokémon to create one of the more interesting spin-offs in the franchise.

The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series is different from the other spin-offs in how it completely focuses on Pokémon and only Pokémon. There are no trainers, no filling out the PokéDex, no battling the Elite Four. (At least in Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness they still retained some of the main points of the series.) These games follow the journeys of the Pokémon themselves, their individual characteristics and quirks, and whatever they do as they explore the randomized dungeons and world. 

The series' stories are also very interesting and entertaining. The fully fleshed-out journey is a joy to be immersed in and to follow. A story that seems to be typical of a Pokémon game gets darker and darker the further the player gets. The darker and more entertaining sides of the game emerge at the same time as a difficulty spike challenges the players more than before.

And that's the completed ranking of the top five Pokémon games. 

Pokémon trainers that loved the Unova region( you know who you are) are in luck as Emboar, Samurott, and Serperior will be available to add to your Pokémon teams. An added bonus for these Pokémon that rare to the Hoenn region is that each Pokémon will come with their hidden abilities. That means Emboar will come with Reckless, Samurott will come with Shell Armor, and Serperior will come with Contrary.

Each Pokémon will need a code to download it to Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire. Trainers will be able to get Serperior first from a code on the Pokémon website. For those who are wondering, the code is POKEMON497, the Pokedex entry number for Serperior. Emboar will have a code as well and that will be revealed on the Pokémon web site on January 29th. Samurott's code will be available in the Pokémon Trainer Club newsletter email for February. This was the same method trainers used to get their hands on demo codes for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

It's always fun to introduce a set of starter Pokémon, especially their final forms, to a new generation of Pokémon trainers that might have missed Black and White the first time around. Tepig was my favorite starter in the Unova region and it will be fun to use it again in the Hoenn region. When I was younger I always liked to restart my game and play it again and again. Being able to get Pokémon from different regions like this is easier than restarting a journey. It will be interesting to see other starter Pokémon brought back into the fray in this method.

While there are many aspects of Pokemon gameplay that draw players to the series, without villains to scoot each game's narrative along there wouldn't much of a game. 

In honor of these villains' supreme importance, we're ranking the villains from each generation of Pokemon from worst to best. Judgments will be made based on evil masterplans, memorability, costume design, maniacal personalities, and anything else that pops to mind. While that means this is a pretty subjective list, there are definitely a few things we can all agree on. 

5.) Team Flare, Pokemon X and Y

Team Flare might be the most stylish group of villains to grace the Pokemon games, but these bad guys from Pokemon X and Y feel uninspired compared to previous generations. 

This isn't for any lack of trying, however. Instead of introducing Team Flare as a group of crazy evil-doers set on world conquest, Pokemon X and Y sets them up as a group set on preserving the world for the good and decent people who won't ruin it. 

Lysandre, the billionaire philanthropist leader of Team Flare, frequently complains that the world is full of bad people, and predicts disaster, overpopulation, and stagnation because of this. 

This attempt at connecting Team Flare to real and prevalent issues in our own society falls flat through his maniacal ramblings and illicit doings. It's clear from the player's first meeting with Lysandre that his ideals are perverted, and it comes as no surprise when he announces that he has decided to wipe out all life on the planet. 

Overall Team Flare fails to endear themselves to players, being neither comically bad nor reaching true anti-hero status. Lucky for us that Pokemon X and Y had so much else to offer. 

4.) Team Galactic, Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum

Like Team Flare, Team Galactic is not exactly the most memorable bunch of villains that Pokemon has offered up. Despite logging hundreds of hours on Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum I still had to do a quick google search to remember who they were. 

Led by Cyrus, Team Galactic is convinced that the human spirit is ruining the world. Therefore with the help of Palkia and Diagla (they have special powers that can mess up the space/time continuum), they want to re-vamp reality.

At the time that Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were released, Team Galactic was the first group of Pokemon villains to blame human beings for the world's ills, making them stand apart from Team Rocket and Teams Aqua/Magma from previous generations. 

Despite that innovation, the team fails to stand out narratively and visually, ultimately feeling like a Team Aqua/Magma clone. You've got to hand it to Cyrus though, he did pick some rather lovely ladies as administrators for the team. 

3.) Team Magma/Aqua, Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's release in November signals the return of Teams Magma and Aqua for  Pokemon fans everywhere, and if we were solely ranking Pokemon villains based on intelligence they wouldn't have made it this high on the list. 

Team Aqua is convinced that the world's surface should be comprised solely of water based on their love of aquatic Pokemon, while Magma attempts to add more landmass to the world due to their love of land. 

No matter which team you end up facing in the end (which is based on which version of generation 3 you play) it's clear that neither team has fully understood the consequences of their actions by the way they panic once they succeed in waking Groudon/Kyogre. 

As the silliest and perhaps the stupidest team of villains in Pokemon history, they are particularly memorable - though easily dealt with. Though each team leader will wield a Mega evolved Pokemon in the upcoming remakes, it's unlikely the teams have evolved beyond their childish ideas in any way. 

2.) Team Plasma, Pokemon Black and White, Black 2 and White 2

If Teams Magma and Aqua are the least intelligent Pokemon villains, then Team Plasma is the most intelligent group. 

Instead of seeking world domination in one form or another, Team Plasma seeks to separate Pokemon from humans due to their belief that humans don't treat Pokemon properly, and inhibit their ultimate development. 

If you've ever gotten a Pokemon nicknamed "Peni5" in WonderTrade, or sat down and thought about the hundreds of Pokemon you "released" while trying to breed a shiny, then you might have noticed that players don't always take the best care of Pokemon - which is fine, it's just a game. 

While Ghestis - the leader of Team Plasma - eventually confesses that his altruistic rhetoric was just a ploy so that he would be the only Pokemon user in the world, the narrative resonated with many Pokemon players. 

1.) Team Rocket, Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow

I honestly spent quite a long time debating whether or not Team Rocket deserved to be the best-ranked Pokemon villain team. After watching so many episodes of the Pokemon anime, it's hard to separate Jesse, James, and Meowth from the original Team Rocket that appeared in the video games. 

Yet more so than any other group, Team Rocket is just a rotten group of straight-up criminals. 

Whenever you encounter Team Rocket in Pokemon Red and Blue or Pokemon Gold and Silver, they're just sitting around trying to make money by any evil means they can think of. Sometimes this involves stealing Pokemon, sometimes this involves cutting off Slowpoke tails, and sometimes this involves experimenting with Pokemon evolution. 

Whatever Team Rocket is doing, they're doing it for the sake of power and domination - never for misguided altruistic goals and never ever for the sake of Pokemon. 

With the least ludicrous narrative and the highest concentration of pure malice, Team Rocket is definitely the best villainous group in the Pokemon games. 

This last video from Youtube user MineCreat pays homage to Red, the original Pokemon trainer and Ash Ketchum's predecessor. While you play as Red in Pokemon Red and Blue, in the second generation games Pokemon Silver and Gold you had the opportunity to face Red in battle. 

If you complete the game, level your Pokemon up so they're all around level 80, and then wind your way through Mt. Silver, you'll find Red. He'll meet you with a Blastoise, Charizard, Espeon, Pikachu and Lapras. Just looking at this image makes me feel like I need to go EV train and level grind. 

Maybe legendary Pokemon like Zekrom could fit into Poke balls mroe easily if they were created as large as this Master Ball was. It looks like it's potentially big enough for house all the original 151...kinda like a Pokemon Ark. 

It's easy to forgot how awe-inspiring legendary Pokemon are if you don't see them outside the video games very often. This recreation of Zekrom, a legendary from Pokemon Black and White look absolutely majestic as it flies below the blocky clouds, and truly reminds me just how little starter Pokemon are in comparison. 

But really, how does something that big fit into a Poke ball? 

You can't have Kyogre without Groudon, although honestly if both Pokemon are awake and wandering around some cataclysmic event is going down. Youtube user Pangamma created both in 3D, going so far as to hollow out both structures for ease of use. 

 He's also shared his schematics here, so you too can go forth and create your own Groudon in Minecraft. I wouldn't though. After replaying Pokemon Sapphire recently, I'm totally afraid that Groudon might be behind our current global warming. 

With Pokemon Alpha Sapphire coming out soon, it just wouldn't be right now to include the image of the legendary Kyogre who plays a large part in Alpha Sapphire's narrative. 

I like this re-creation all the more for it's complete lack of continuity. There's Superman, Megaman, and Kyogre all within the same image. Who would win that fight? 

Source. 

I really enjoy the people who think a bit outside the box with their Pokemon recreations, and Youtube user joaoguerreiro makes the list by re-creating a location that won't be found within Pokemon games. 

Instead, joaoguerreiro has re-created the Pokemon Stadium  2 from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While I prefer the level in Super Smash Bros. Melee where an Electrode might pop out and kill an enemy for you, I don't think it would be quite as majestic looking as this. 

The previous picture was cute in its humorous attempt, but this complete recreation of a screen from Pokemon Red or Blue really takes the cake... for those of us old enough to remember the initial release of the first Pokemon games. 

Thought I never unlocked Mew when I played Pokemon as a child, this image sums up all the hopes and dreams of 10-year-old me. I probably would have sold my brother into slavery if it meant adding Mew to my Pokedex. Just don't tell that to my brother. 

This scene titled "Not Very Effective" by deviantART user Hinagoth-chan makes the list because of the unique sense of humor added to the milieu. Hinagoth-chan wasn't satisfied with just recreating Charmander and Bulbasaur in Minecraft, he had to go one step further and pit them against each other in combat. 

Clearly, it's not quite working out for poor Bulbasuar, who's at a dreadful type advantage against Charmander's fire-type. I might have colored Bulbasuar in lighter colors, but it makes the list because it made me chuckle. 

It took QueenMercury anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours to create her 2D Pokemon, so imagine how long it took YouTube team The Block Bending 5 to create three dimensional Pokemon. 

It's true, the 3D versions don't look quite as classic as the 2D models, but man, I really enjoyed that 3D Zapdos...and Arcanine....and Lucario. So I basically loved all of them. 

Recreating entire continents is no biggie compared to Reddit user QueenMercury recreating every single one of the original 151 Pokemon. Every. Single. One. 

While recreating Pokemon in Minecraft can easily be done with a script like SpriteCraft(given the pixelated nature of Pokemon sprites) QueenMercury created each of these images only using the Minecraft creator mode. 

For anyone wondering, the hardest Pokemon to recreate this way according to QueenMercury was Articuno, Gyrados, or Butterfree while Ditto (of course) was the easiest. 

Plenty of people have re-created Pokemon in Minecraft, but Youtube user Mediocre Jake creates entire continents from Pokemon. His most recent recreation was the entire continent of Johto, which is featured in the second generation games Pokemon Gold and Siler, and their remakes Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. 

The creation took MediocreJake around 210 hours to plan and create, which is nearly nine entire days. NINE ENTIRE DAYS. I just feel so.... mediocre myself now. Well done sir, hope your Hoenn recreation comes out before Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire comes out. 

I'll be showing you amazing pixelated Pokemon any minute now, but first I wanted to showcase this fascinating Minecraft mod, Pixelmon. This amazing mod allows you to catch Pokemon while playing Minecraft. If that doesn't sound amazing to you, consider how vast the world of Minecraft is. Consider also, that with this mod you can play Pokemon in first person. 

The best thing about the mod is that you can control the spawns of the Pokemon - meaning that you never have to spend 3 hours looking for a Feebas ever again... as soon as the devs add Feebas to the game. You can find a list of available Pokemon for this mod here, and the team appears to be adding new Pokemon on a regular basis. 

Am I slightly biased towards anything that allows me to play Pokemon in new settings? Absolutely! This mod combines two of my favorite franchises, and I can't get enough. 

The Pokémon World is filled with mystery. Since the 90's, Pokémon Trainers have travelled "across the lands, searching far and wide" to uncover the secrets of this world inhabited by strange, beautiful, and captivating creatures. The Pokémon games have changed tremendously since the release of Pokémon Red and Blue (and Green in Japan). We're going to take a look back through the games and reveal some facts you may have not known about your favorite Pocket Monsters:

1. In Generation I (Red, Blue, and Yellow) Bite and Gust were normal-type moves.

Starting with the very first games, this fact is very weird for those of us who have gotten used to these attacks now. Imagine picking up a Game-boy with Pokémon Red, and furiously tapping A yelling "Pidgey why isn't your Gust sweeping all these grass-type Pokémon!" Sounds terrible, doesn't it? Even worse, dark-type Pokémon didn't exist! These attacks were changed in Generation II and onward. Bite became a dark-type move, and Gust became a flying-type move. There you go Pidgey, now you can defeat those Oddish.

2. In Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue there's an invisible PC in the Celadon Hotel. 

Most likely an overlooked detail, the Celadon Hotel contains a fully functional PC that you cannot see. In fact, you can even walk through it. The hotel's design is based on that of a Pokémon Center, thus if you walk to the area where you would normally find a PC inside a Pokémon Center you can access this ghost machine.

3. Dragonair (13'01") is bigger than Dragonite (7'03").

I admit this may not be that interesting, but I bet you didn't know! Dragonair is almost twice the height of Dragonite. Evolving may make it shorter, but at least it gains some curves.

4. Pokémon Crystal is the first Pokémon game where you could play as a Female.

This was a huge deal for girl Pokémon fans. Before this game, one always had pretend to be a boy. Girls wanted to feel identified in the world of Pokémon as well. Clearly, the demand was heard. Since Crystal, female protagonists have always been offered. In fact, starting in Generation III, a female can even be your rival. 

5. A level 100 Shuckle can potentially deal the most damage in a single attack.

Honestly, this is just something for fun. It's legitimate, but I can't see it actually working out in battle. I can't even begin to rephrase this so:

A level 100 Shuckle can potentially deal the most damage in one single attack through the use of numerous stat boosters; by using Helping Hand by two different Pokémon in a Triple battle, holding a Metronome, Power Trick, a Skill Swap to Pure Power or Huge Power, 6 Attack boosts, and a Mimicked Me First used on a slower Pokémon using the Defense Curl/Rollout combo. Also, Shuckle's partner must have the ability Flower Gift and the weather must be sunny. On the 5th turn of using Rollout consecutively without any misses, if used against a level 1 Ledyba, Yanma or Combee with minimum Defense stats, that have been hit with negative Defense modifiers (such as Screech), it can deal 481,266,036 damage with a critical hit.

Wow. Who would have guessed?

6. Brendan, from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, does not have white hair. His hair is actually black, and only looks white due to his hat. 

In the upcoming remakes of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) this detail is more apparent. However in the previous game versions, most people thought Brendan's hair was actually white and that he wore a bandana. What a strange hat, Brendan. Oh well, look at you now. All tan and showing us all that your hair is, indeed, beneath that white cap.

7. Heatran (Generation IV) is the first, and so far only, Legendary Pokemon that can be Male or Female.

There are some Pokémon that just change the rules of the game. Legendary Pokémon have rarely even had genders. Heatran is a special exemption: it can be Male or Female. Don't get too excited though, this doesn't mean you can make little baby Heatran. This legendary Pokémon is still unavailable for mating, but this fact is pretty interesting considering the rules of breeding.

8. Cryogonal (Generation V) can learn the move Attract, despite lacking a Gender.

Attract does not affect genderless Pokémon. In fact, the only other genderless Pokémon that can learn Attract is Mew for the reason that it can learn ANY attack. For both, however, the attack is useless. So much love to give, yet no love on the receiving end... What a tragic tale.

9. Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are the only core series games in which the Pokémon Day Care is inaccessible before entering the Hall of Fame. 

You usually encounter a Pokémon Daycare around the beginning of your adventure. You've been breeding two Pokes since Generation II, and listening to how "no one knows where the eggs came from". But Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 take that comfort away from you. You must first beat the Elite 4, and then you'll get some breeding time.

10. Pokémon X and Y are the first core series games that give Running Shoes at the start of the game.

This was, personally, the nicest surprise in the most recent Pokémon game. If you've ever played Generation I, you had to deal with walking speed until you got the bike. Thank god things have changed. Not only do you move fast in Pokémon X and Y, you skate. This results in actually having to take a break from the speed and appreciate the walking feature as well.

 I hope these facts were new to most of you. There are still many facts hidden within the regions of Pokémon, it's our job to find 'em all. Are there any strange Pokémon facts you know that weren't mentioned?

Pokémon is one of the best-selling games of all time. The franchise takes the number one spot in best-selling game for Gameboy/Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advanced, and Nintendo 3DS.

I've been a Pokémon fan since as far back as I can remember. Along with books, games were an escape from day-to-day reality; which as a kid, can sometimes be daunting. Between curfew, always having to go with my parents EVERYWHERE (oil changes were the worst), and school, there are always certain things kids turn to for "escape". For me it was anime, novels, and Pokémon. Pokémon hold its own category because it was so massively important to me. The show, the cards, the video games. To this day I collect plushies and figures. I have played every Pokémon game to date, and would like to rank the handheld games from best to worst.

Please keep in mind that this is an opinion piece and it does not represent the official thoughts of GameSkinny. 

#1. Pokémon Gold & Silver/Crystal

RATINGS
IGN: 10/9

GAMESPOT: 8.8/ 8.4

COPIES SOLD: 23 Million

As I have mentioned, this is a personal ranking, and the reason for Generation 2 being my favorite go beyond just the game. The first time I played Gold and Silver, I really enjoyed the new types, 16 gyms, story, legendaries, etc. But when my father brought home Crystal one day, I could not contain myself. I didn't care that it was roughly the same game because I could play as a girl. Pokémon adventures were for girls too! I was only 8 years old. In fact, I had played every Pokémon game from Red, Yellow, and Silver that same year. I had also felt embarrassed to tell my friends who were girls that I loved Pokémon so much, especially since you could never play as a girl. But now, that had changed. 

G/S/C brought two new types: Dark and Steel, the chance to go back to Kanto and complete the 8 badges after the Johto League, and 100 new Pokémon. They were the first Pokémon games to incorporate day and night. The new legendary Pokémon, Ho-oh and Lugia, had captivating stories behind them, as did Suicune in Crystal. All around, these games were perfect. Game sales wise, this game (Gold and Silver) sold 23 million copies worldwide. Crystal sold less, with 3.85 million.

In 2009, Gold and Silver remakes were released with updated graphics, an adorable feature where the first Pokémon in your party followed out around (Yes, even Wailord), and a Pokéwalker. The Pokéwalker allowed you to transfer one Pokémon to the device, and carry it around on your belt or pants. It had a pedometer, and with each step, the Pokémon inside would gain experience. You could also catch Pokémon and collect items, then transfer them to your game. Pokémon Heartgold and Soulsilver sold 12.72 million copies, staying in the top 10 best selling games for Nintendo DS. 

#2. Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire/Emerald

RATINGS 
IGN: 9.5/8

GAMESPOT: 8.1/ 7.5 

COPIES SOLD: 16.22 million/6.32 million

These games are pretty much tied with my #1 choice. Ranking is difficult...

I was 10 years old when Ruby and Sapphire released, and I literally replayed the story about 5 times. How could I not? It's the best-selling GBA game for a reason. The graphics improved miles past the previous generation, the digital scenery is wonderful, you have a dad. With 135 new Pokémon, new types of Pokéballs, Pokémon Contests, secret bases, and, in Pokémon Emerald, the introduction of Battle Frontier, Pokémon R/S/E revolutionized the Pokémon games. Pokémon Emerald went even further, with a wireless adapter that, finally, took Pokémon battling and trading to a new technological level. The story involved two criminal organizations, one that wanted to flood the world, and the other that wanted to cover it in land. Pretty ridiculous. But Pokémon battles within deserts, volcanos, and oceans are unforgettable. Taking the cable car up the Mt. Chimney and diving were two of my favorite things.

Remakes of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were announced this year, titled Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. To see this amazing game in 3D graphics is beyond exciting. R/S/E brought so many fun features to the table. They are easily one of the best generations and I cannot wait for the remakes.

#3. Pokémon Red & Blue/Yellow

RATINGS
IGN:10/10

GAMESPOT: 8.8/8.9

COPIES SOLD: 23.64 million 

As the games that begun a whole era, sold 23.64 million copies worldwide, and made so many people fall in love with Pokémon, Pokémon R/B/Y are probably the top game for some. If I could, I would put the first 3 in my ranking as #1. Alas, that is impossible.

Pokémon Red and Blue changed the gaming world. Pocket Monsters coming to life, travelling the world at 10 years old, and being oh, so patient in doing so (referring to the walking speed). Oh the years without running shoes. Despite the flaws, which are easily pointed out now over 16 years later, Pokémon R/B/Y was the perfect game. It was such a satisfying adventure, to travel Kanto kicking butt and catching Poke's. Pokémon Yellow only made it better with an adorable Pikachu following you and trainers that were oh so eager to give up their really rare starter Pokémon. Yeah it's cliche, but my team was Pikachu, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pidgey, and Caterpie immediately (You'd be proud, Ash). 

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen only improved the adventure. Updated PC, bag space, and the ability to run! The wonders 8 years can do to walking speed. Plus the début of wireless trading and battling, detailed Pokémon sprite designs, and more of your favorite rival "smelling ya later." This game is nostalgia painted beautifully. The remakes sold 11.82 million copies worldwide, becoming the 2nd best-selling GBA game after Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. In fact, Pokémon dominated the GBA charts, taking spots #1,#2, and #3 (with Emerald). 

#4. Pokémon X & Y

RATINGS
IGN: 9

GAMESPOT: 8

COPIES SOLD: 12.26 million

I almost put this game lower on the list because I found that it tried to avoid some of the fundamental things that make a Pokémon game what it is: grinding. I also found it terribly easy. I know, I know, I'm older now, it should be easier, but when you beat the Elite Four + Champion with only a Lapras, there is a problem. 

Regardless, Pokémon X and Y were thoroughly enjoyable. Finally Pokémon surpasses the 3D graphics of Pokémon Stadium. Although the graphic jump from game to game is always giant, from Black and White 2 to this, the jump was massive. Full 3D characters, Pokémon, and cities; Pokémon with facial expressions, and an attractive Professor! This game had it all. Pokemon-Amie, Mega Evolutions, Character designs, movie-making, facilitated trading, Wonder-trading, a new Dragon-slaying Fairy Type, Super-training, the list goes on.

With Mega evolution as the big reveal, Pokémon X and Y has become the turning point for new Pokémon games. There are still so many Pokémon to be Mega-Evolved and so much time. This is the best-selling Nintendo 3DS game to date, and well deserved. The new game mechanics are very well-done, the story is heartfelt, and the there are hundreds of things to do even after beating the game.

#5. Pokémon Black 2 & White 2

RATINGS
IGN: 9.6

GAMESPOT: 6.5 

COPIES SOLD: 7.81 million

These sequels definitely were an improvement over their predecessors. It could be because of my age, but it was very satisfying to see familiar Pokémon. I also enjoyed the idea of a sequel, rather than just a 3rd game with slightly new and improved features, like all the previous games had done. 

Bit by bit, Pokémon is adding new things to get used to. This game introduced DNA splicers and allowed the mascot Pokémon, Kyurem, to "absofuse" with either Reshiram or Zekrom, creating Black Kyurem or White Kyurem. The Dream World feature was also cool. But overall the game didn't keep me as entertained as earlier ones. Even though I enjoyed it more than Black and White, it felt strange given that Team Plasma kept with their same "free the Pokemon" argument after what was uncovered in the prequels.

#6. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl/Platinum

RATINGS
IGN: 8.5/ 8.8

GAMESPOT: 8.5/ 8

COPIES SOLD: 17.63 million/ 7.06 million

As the first Nintendo DS Pokémon games, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl sold 17.63 million copies worldwide. The story tackles the creation of time and space, and features 107 new Pokémon to catch and love.

Some of my fondest memories of this game are making Poffins to feed my Pokémon and the contests which, although did not surpass Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald contests, were still pretty cute. I liked accessorizing my Pokémon and making them dance. Also, the Elite Four Champion, Cynthia, is probably my favorite champion after Blue. It's nice to see Champions using all types of Pokémon; it makes it more challenging. The Pokétch was another cool feature. It came loaded with useful "apps" like a calculator, dowsing machine, a Pokémon daycare tracker, move tester, and more.

Despite this, I thought the new Pokémon designs were bland. Platinum brought a whole new world to the game, the Distortion World, but it was a letdown after the amount it was advertised. Don't get me wrong, these games were good, really good, but they did not best their predecessors. 

#7. Pokémon Black & White

RATINGS
IGN: 9

GAMESPOT: 7.5

COPIES SOLD: 15.58 million

Being last on the list does not mean these games were bad, it just means I didn't enjoy them as much as the ones above. Ratings and sales-wise, they did great. The story introduced a new ethical question that Pokémon games had never addressed before: Is it wrong to use Pokémon to battle? The main antagonist, N, spends the game telling you that Pokémon should be free, and simultaneously, battling you with Pokémon. Unfortunately they miss the chance to make the questioning of Pokémon battling an important theme, which would have been great.

What happened to me while playing this game was that I was overwhelmed with the new Pokémon. The game didn't give you anything familiar until you beat it. They treated you like Ash, new region, new Pokémon, go. Perhaps if I was younger, I would have enjoyed it. But the fact that there were 151 new Pokémon, without any old ones included, made the game less nostalgic and less enjoyable. Plus I found a lot of the new Pokémon to appear quickly drawn and less likeable. 

So that's it! That's my ranking. Feel free to argue/agree in the comments, or let me know if I missed anything. For all Pokémon news keep up with GameSkinny.com.

In today's news, Nintendo has released their financial numbers for the past fiscal year, as well as announced the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. Are these two items related? I'd like to think so. 

The WiiU hasn't been doing well - which shouldn't surprise anybody, even Nintendo. In their latest financial report, Nintendo announced an operating loss of $457 million dollars.

Along with this information comes a list of which games are selling best on the various Nintendo consoles. Pokémon X and Pokémon Y top the list of 3DS games, with over 12.6 millions units sold. On the DS list, Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, Pokémon Black/White and Pokémon Heartgold/Soul Silver making the top ten list with 17.63 million, 15.58 million, and 12.72 million units sold respectively.

Considering the amount of financial success Nintendo has had with its Pokémon franchise, Nintendo's announcement of a Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire remake coming right at the heels of their huge fiscal losses makes sense. They need another best-seller and another Pokémon games seems to be a no-brainer for that criteria. 

That said, the rapidity with which Nintendo has been throwing out Pokémon games in the last five years is overwhelming. Not only is it overwhelming to attempt to catch the ridiculous amount of Pokémon added with each generation, the new Pokémon themselves are often, in a word, ridiculous.

Everyone remembers Vanillish, a Pokémon resembling an ice cream cone; and Garbodor, a Pokémon made out of garbage, from Pokémon Black/White, simply because they were silly and perhaps a clear indication that creative juices were running low with the games creators. 

In Pokémon X/Y, we get even more ridiculous Pokémon such as a sword imbued with a spirit (Honedge), and a tree-stump imbued with the spirit of a child who died in the forest (Phantump).

In fact, there is an entire video devoted to the weird/creepy Pokémon  in Pokémon X/Y.

Is it safe to say that Pokémon has gotten a little over the top? I think so. While Pokémon X and Y were unique additions to the Pokémon franchise (for once), it's clear that the Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Pokémon Omega Ruby may just be cash-grabs for Nintendo in their bid to stay relevant and not lose another $457 million. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - "Final Battle Against Ganon"

OoT was a darker game for the console it was on and this song really drove that point home. Later Ganondorf/Ganon fights in the series have been much more lightly colored and less ominous sounding. While trading in a memorable melody for an atmospheric standoff, it worked wonders in instilling the feeling that you were really fighting an ancient and most powerful evil.

This truly is the definitive Ganon fight and one of the many reasons this game is a timeless classic.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - "Main Theme"

In practice, every fight in Smash Bros is a boss fight and this is by far the best one. Nobuo Uematsu was contracted specifically to write it.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 - "Final Bowser Battle"

I wish this fight was harder or went on longer so players could really hear the whole thing once or twice. You can hear the same sort of chorus most likely inspired by the Super Smash Bros. Brawl main theme.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - "Cornered!"

The "boss" fights mean so much in the Pheonix Wright series as they are the literal culmination of all the work you ever did. You line up your evidence just right and make that defendant sweat their way into jail.

Turtles In Time - "Boss Battle Theme"

Pizza Time!

Banjo-Kazooie: "Final Battle"

Here's a great example of a final boss theme that instills a rushed, pressured feeling important to most final battles while maintaining the overall feel of the title you played. The final battle with Gruntilda still keeps the quirky sound of the overarching game with musical references to your past experiences.

Shadow of the Colossus - "Revived Power"

A lot of work went into the music of boss fights in this game, and so much is said using only musical cues. Rightfully so, since SotC really only consists of bosses and travel time between them. This music celebrates that moment when you find the weak point on these beasts.

Star Fox Assault - "Star Wolf Theme"

The minor antagonists of the Star Fox series and direct competitors of Fox McCloud and his crew. 

Pokemon Black and White / Black 2 and White 2: "Elite Four Theme"

This track perfectly sums up the culmination and peak of your time as a Pokemon trainer: The fast paced exhilaration that comes from facing the hardest challenge.

Super Mario 64 - "Bowser's Theme"

Something about this theme just makes me envision Bowser wearing black sunglasses and a spiked leather jacket. 

"So long King Bowser!"

God of War III  - "Zeus' Final Stand"

This is the culmination of the last three games. Kratos has extracted his revenge on all but the most powerful of the gods and now faces his father Zeus.

Conker: Live and Reloaded - "The Great Mighty Poo"

With titles like Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong in their library, Rare has always been a childhood favorite of mine and really command fantastic soundtracks... But the boldness of Conker's Bad Fur Day takes the cake. I can fairly say this is the first and last time I've heard a pile of feces sing opera at me. Definitely a unique fight to go with a hilarious theme.

Final Fantasy VI - "Dancing Mad (Full Song)"

Many debate that this theme and Kefka as a villain are the best in the series. "Dancing Mad" is a work of art. It consists of four different movements that some describe are Kefka's last speech: The first being his realization of ultimate magical power, the second being his twisted satisfaction in killing for fun and without purpose, the third acting as the villian's mockery of "meaningless" things like religion and art, and the fourth detailing the final stage of the fight and the eventual sadness that comes with Kefka's realization that it's all over. 

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - "Dodo's Coming!"

A quirky theme for a unique fight. Mario is poorly disguised as a statue and must remain incognito inside a baddie's castle. Instead of the typical "fight," Mario must dodge pecks and continue to look like the other statues while a big dumb bird waddles around looking for you.

Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles - "Bloody Tears"

This theme plays throughout the early Castlevania titles, but unfortunately has found no love in the series reboots. Maybe it's a little too upbeat for the darker theme of vampire hunting, but one of the series' best nonetheless.

Donkey Kong Country - "Gangplank Galleon"

Starting off lighthearted as you enter the pirate king's domain, the theme soon gets a little more serious with those long '80s-cop-movie-esque tones. So, so satisfying to hear that "KRUNK!" as you nail King K. Rool with a monkey jump.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) - "Solaris 2 Theme"

It's a shame this great piece of music was wasted on such a poor game.

Chrono Trigger - "Battle with Magus"

There's nothing like playing this for the first time and watching flames light up the pathway to Magus. You can hear the wind whistling as he tries to summon Lavos. 

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - "One-Winged Angel"

Remixed for the CGI sequel to FFVII, One-Winged Angel is the theme song for an ascended Sephiroth. Both VI and VII themes allude to the villain's power comparable to a god.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - "Koume & Kotake"

"Koume & Kotake" (better known as "Twinrova") have one of the best themes in the Zelda series. Combining just the right amount of creepy and playful, this song accurately describes their role as tricksters and the matrons of Ganondorf. The award for Most Likely to be Featured in a Clown Nightmare goes to the "Koume & Kotake" theme.

Bravely Default - "That Person's Name Is.."

This might be the only boss theme on the list that I could describe as pretty as well as badass. An instant classic that gets your adrenaline pumping.

Super Mario Galaxy - "Attack of the Airships"

This song plays typically when Mario is boarding a Bowser airship. This theme reappears throughout the Mario titles and effectively captures the power at Bowser's command. Bowser seems to have a different theme for every game he's in but the airship track best represents his own empire: The king of reptiles with thousands of minions and a fleet of flying airships at his command. Every title in the series seems to start the same way...Bowser already has captured Princess Peach.

Sonic 2 - "Dr. Robotnik's Theme"

This theme reappears throughout the original Sonic titles.

Mega Man 2 - "Dr. Wily's Castle"

This track has achieved stardom through fan remixes and internet hype. Even if you don't know what game it's from you probably have heard the melody once or twice.

Final Fantasy X - "Otherworld"

This theme plays once at the start of the game and again much later during an important boss fight. There's something liberating about fighting a boss to a metal theme while being constricted to turn based combat.

As of today, Pokémon Bank is now available in North America after its launch in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, just a few days ago.

The subscription-based service is available through the eShop, and if you try it now through September 30th, you can get a complimentary Celebi download.

Pokémon Bank lets players deposit, withdraw and manage up to 3,000 Pokémon in private boxes online. You can transfer from multiple copies of Pokémon X and Y, and the accompanying app Poké Transporter lets you transfer from Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 to X and Y.

You need to log into Pokémon Bank and connect it to your Nintendo Network ID, select a "gift" from the menu, and place a Pokémon in a cloud box.

Once you do that, you can load up Pokémon X or Y, choose the Pokémon Link option, redeem the prize, go back to the Pokémon Bank app and select "Use Bank." Once you return to Pokémon X or Y and use Pokémon Link again, Celebi should be yours.

The app will run players $4.99 per year for use.

It happens all the time in gaming--you get a villain who, over the course of the game or series, sees the error of their ways and turns back to fight alongside the heroes.  There are many iterations of this and it's really hard to pick just five to be the best, but I'm sure as heck going to attempt it. So here we go: the five best game villains who became heroes. Spoilers will follow, you have been warned.

5. Knuckles - Sonic the Hedgehog

Knuckles has been a hero for so long that not many people remember his origins. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles was introduced as a rival to Sonic. His intentions were pure, he was trying to protect the Master Emerald, which rules over the world's powerful Chaos Emeralds, but he was tricked by Dr. Robotnik into thinking that Sonic was trying to steal it.  In the end, Robotnik steals the emerald, and Knuckles sees that he was wrong to try to fight Sonic. In future games, he progresses from being Sonic's begrudging rival to one of the Blue Hedgehog's closest friends, and he has helped save the world many times over.

4. Axel/Lea - Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts is a series in which characters jump over the hero/villan line more often than Bowser kidnaps Peach, so picking just one of the characters who went from bad to good is really hard. Axel was introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as a member of Organization XIII and one of Sora's foes. He is a Nobody, a creature made from the body of a strong-willed person who lost their heart to a heartless.

Axel's first double agenda is shown here when he thwarts the main villain's plan, because it is in contrast with the goals of the leader of the organization. In Kingdom Hearts 2, he continues as Sora's foe, because he believes that by defeating him he can release Sora's Nobody, Roxas, who was Axel's best friend--despite Roxas only existing for a year.  At the end of the game, Axel realises he won't get Roxas back, and instead comes to Sora's aid, sacrificing himself to allow Sora to go and finish off the Organization. Though he appeared to be dead, the Axel nobody somehow merged with its old heart and reformed as Lea between Kingdom Hearts 2 and Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. He operates in the shadows, aiding the heroes Sora and Mickey when they are in desperate need of help. At the end of Dream Drop Distance, he obtains his own Keyblade, and looks to be set as one of the heroes of light in Kingdom Hearts 3.

3.GLaDOS - Portal

GLaDOS is the evil robot from the hilarious Portal series that attempts to kill you... for science. She seems to have the philosophy that no science can be performed without serious risk to human life, and basically thinks that killing humans is science itself. 

She is extremely passive aggressive and insists she is still alive after you drop all of her AI cores into a fire at the end of the original Portal.  In Portal 2, she makes a return, and though she tries to kill you for much of the early game, she ends up having her AI placed in a potato battery by the game's idiot villain Wheatley. Potato GLaDOS is furious and agrees to help you defeat Wheatley so that she can return to her main AI core and continue performing science.  At the end, you help her get back, and she lets you go, because you keep impeding her "scientific progress."  

2. N - Pokemon

N spends most of the original Pokémon Black and White as your adversary, not because he hates you, but because he holds a vastly different idea than you do. N believes that people and Pokémon need to coexist without Pokeballs, and that Pokeballs and Pokémon battles are cruel to Pokémon. He is in charge of Team Plasma, a team that steals people's Pokémon in order to release them from their Pokeballs.  

However, while N's motives are pure, his guiding hand is that of his foster-father, Ghetsis, whose motives are far less pure.  Ghetsis wants to make everyone else in the world free their Pokémon, so that he and an elite few would rule the world using the great powers possessed by the Pokémon they control. When N learns that the goals of his Team are more sinister than he realizes, he takes your side to help you defeat his father, and then leaves to contemplate whether he was right in trying to make people give up their Pokémon.  Ghetsis makes a return with a new plan to control Unova in Pokémon Black and White 2. N also returns, in an attempt to stop Ghetsis.  His attempt fails, and it is left for the player to solve the problem, but N still tries. Once you win, he offers you his legendary Pokemon as congratulations.

1. ProtoMan - MegaMan

Protoman was the first Humanoid Robot created by Doctor Light in an attempt to create robots to make human's lives easier.  Protoman was a faulty prototype, however, and needed to be modified or else his power core would run out and he would die.

Fearing modification, he ran away and Dr. Light gave up  on him, instead building Rock and Roll, perfected versions of the Protoman model.  Light's nemesis, Dr. Wily, found Protoman dying, and upgraded his power core to repair him, as well as giving him several items to help outfit him for combat.

Protoman was then indebted to serve Wily for saving his life, and thus was forced to fight his younger brother, Megaman, several times. At the end of Megaman 3, he saves Megana, who is left almost destroyed after defeating Dr. Wily.  In Megaman 4, Protoman turns against Dr. Wily and aids Megaman with information. He appears again several times throughout the series offering aid to Megaman, though he doesn't actually fight directly against Wily until Megaman 10, where he is a playable character.

Those are my five favorite villans turned heroes. Who are your favorites? Sound off in the comments, and stay tuned to Gameskinny for more gaming news and culture.