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Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon is easily one of the most popular
franchises of the new millennium that has not only spawned a variety of
games, cartoons, toys and even gaming cards but it has finally made the
transition onto the Nintendo GameCube that promises one of the most
thrilling gaming experiences to hit the console in a long time. Pokémon
Colosseum is indeed a strange creature on the GameCube that takes a
variety of different gaming genres and puts them into one addictive
title that contains RPG, fighting, sports and a variety of mini-games
and an in-depth multiplayer experience. With over 300 Pokémon available
in Pokémon Colosseum, all in lush 3D, with two separate modes of play,
it is the most comprehensive Pokémon game to date.
Pokémon Colosseum
consists of two different games: There’s a "Story Mode," which is the
RPG, and a "Colosseum Mode", which is just like the old Stadium games on
the N64. The Story Mode sets the player as the protagonist, Wes, though
the player is allowed to choose any name for him. Unlike the other RPG
games, the main character's gender cannot be chosen -- it is always male
-- however, the protagonist teams up with a female sidekick, whose name
is also decided by the player.
The adventure takes place in what is known as the Orre region. An evil
organization, known as Team Snagem, has been stealing Pokémon and
turning them into "Shadow Pokémon." These Shadow Pokémon are not only
stronger than regular Pokémon, but they also attack humans. Team Snagem
wants to take over the world with these shadow Pokémon, and the player
must stop them. As you can see, the storyline is definitely more intense
than any previous Pokémon game.
As far as the RPG mode is concerned, the visuals are very nice. There's
a desert town, a jungle town, an underground city and a thug-ridden
area, all with especially different surroundings and layout. There are
plenty of water effects thrown in among the different locations. Between
translucent waterfalls and running streams, there is plenty of eye candy
for players.
The characters in the game look quite realistic and have plenty of
human-like mannerisms about them. There is a lot of detail put into each
foe to separate them from the others. It's a staple part of the handheld
games that there be many "types" of enemies to battle. From 'athlete' to
'fun old man' to 'lady in suit', Pokémon Colosseum does not shy away in
that area. Each type of foe has their own personality, which comes
across in the animated mannerisms and the overall depictions of them.
It's well done.
Pokémon Colosseum puts no blemish in the long-standing tradition of
great music in Pokémon games. In RPG mode, the background music is
always fitting for the surrounding environment -- when in a mysterious
place, the haunting chimes will play, and the vibrant cities are greeted
with a graceful trumpet. Also thrown in are the classic battle themes,
with orchestral music instead of the monophonic sound on the Game Boy
systems.
Sound effects, while nicely in sync with the game, are nothing amazing.
When a Pokémon gets hit, there's a single "hit" sound, no matter what
attack was used. Also, the Pokémon voices are simply their 'cries' from
the GBA versions, which are essentially what the original Game Boy used.
Sure, there are hundreds of Pokémon, but it just sounds ugly on such a
high-power system.
Pokémon Colosseum is solid as the first real Pokémon game for the
GameCube. The problem is that Nintendo tried to squeeze two games in
one. The story mode has no where near the complexities and storyline
that the Game Boy games have had, and the Colosseum mode is no where
near as customizable as the Stadium titles were for the N64. However,
both play modes are enjoyable although the game just really does not
live up to its excessive hype.
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