So, I know what you're thinking, and it stands for "Extra Dimension". Okay? Is that cleared up? Okay. On to the review, then.
A direct sequel to Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is one of the most underrated games in the franchise. For two reasons: one, it was released near the very end of the GameCube's life, a console which, as we all know, got destroyed by the competition and not many people owned; and also, because of the nature of its predecessor.
See, as good as it was, Colosseum's story mode was more of an extra mode than a main game. The game, as its name suggest, was meant more as 3rd gen analogue to Pokémon Stadium, a game that allowed you to bring your creatures over to the console and battle in full 3D. Even though XD was meant to be the exact opposite, that is, RPG with extra Stadium content, a lot of people gave up on the game as soon as they heard it described as a sequel to Pokémon Colosseum.
Which is a shame -- XD was as close as we would get to a full-fledged mainline 3D Pokémon game until X came along. It's story was fleshed out and complete, and while it did not offer a Pokédex and the usual catch 'em all shenanigans, that absence was hard to notice, seeing how much of a well-rounded game it was.
The game takes place five years after the original Colosseum, with Wes and Rui nowhere to be found, and Orre having largely recovered from the Shadow Pokémon crisis. You play as a child living in a research facility for Pokémon purification, its scientists intent on never letting such a disaster befall their region again. Their research, however, ends up making them a target for nefarious forces intent on creating the perfect, unpurifiable Shadow Pokémon.
The game plays just like Colosseum did, with Double Battles by default and your character having the ability to steal Shadow Pokémon from their adversaries. This time around, due to the recovery of Orre's ecosystems, you can even catch Wild Pokémon, but it's a minor mechanic that it goes largely unused.
Aside from janky Gen III mechanics -- no Physical/Special split, for instance -- the game has aged near perfectly: Orre is a completely different region from anything we'd seen, and Shadow Pokémon remain a memory from this era (unless you count Pokémon GO, and you shouldn't). It's a perfect example of how small twists in the main series' formula can generate completely different games, and why the experiments going on with the franchise recently have me so excited.
Absolutely play this gem. Do Colosseum first, though, it possible.
A direct sequel to Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is one of the most underrated games in the franchise. For two reasons: one, it was released near the very end of the GameCube's life, a console which, as we all know, got destroyed by the competition and not many people owned; and also, because of the nature of its predecessor.
See, as good as it was, Colosseum's story mode was more of an extra mode than a main game. The game, as its name suggest, was meant more as 3rd gen analogue to Pokémon Stadium, a game that allowed you to bring your creatures over to the console and battle in full 3D. Even though XD was meant to be the exact opposite, that is, RPG with extra Stadium content, a lot of people gave up on the game as soon as they heard it described as a sequel to Pokémon Colosseum.
Which is a shame -- XD was as close as we would get to a full-fledged mainline 3D Pokémon game until X came along. It's story was fleshed out and complete, and while it did not offer a Pokédex and the usual catch 'em all shenanigans, that absence was hard to notice, seeing how much of a well-rounded game it was.
The game takes place five years after the original Colosseum, with Wes and Rui nowhere to be found, and Orre having largely recovered from the Shadow Pokémon crisis. You play as a child living in a research facility for Pokémon purification, its scientists intent on never letting such a disaster befall their region again. Their research, however, ends up making them a target for nefarious forces intent on creating the perfect, unpurifiable Shadow Pokémon.
The game plays just like Colosseum did, with Double Battles by default and your character having the ability to steal Shadow Pokémon from their adversaries. This time around, due to the recovery of Orre's ecosystems, you can even catch Wild Pokémon, but it's a minor mechanic that it goes largely unused.
Aside from janky Gen III mechanics -- no Physical/Special split, for instance -- the game has aged near perfectly: Orre is a completely different region from anything we'd seen, and Shadow Pokémon remain a memory from this era (unless you count Pokémon GO, and you shouldn't). It's a perfect example of how small twists in the main series' formula can generate completely different games, and why the experiments going on with the franchise recently have me so excited.
Absolutely play this gem. Do Colosseum first, though, it possible.