• Marriland's thoughts on the "Awakened" Mewtwo and Sylveon in Pokémon X & Y!

    Yesterday's announcement showing off Mewtwo transforming into its new "Awakened" form definitely roused some discussion amongst fans, speculating as to what it could mean. Additionally, the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel released a trailer for the upcoming Genesect and Mewtwo movie shortly thereafter. The above video shows my impressions of these new developments, where I talk about the new Mewtwo form as well as new scenes of the eighth Eevee evolution, Sylveon, from the Japanese trailer.

    Looking for the new Japanese movie trailer? You can check it out below! Just keep in mind that it's, of course, in Japanese.

  • New Mewtwo form in upcoming Genesect movie?

    Images of more promotional posters for the upcoming Pokémon movie, Godspeed/ExtremeSpeed Genesect and the Reawakening of Mewtwo, have been posted to the Japanese message board, 2ch. The exciting thing about these posters is that they show a new form for Mewtwo.

     

    Two images were posted showing off the new form, which you can see above. While these have yet to be confirmed, checking out the Japanese Pokémon Movie website shows a suspicious empty space beneath Mewtwo while showing Genesect's alternate forms (the different Drives for it).

    It appears that the two hexagons beneath Mewtwo are meant to include its alternate form once it is officially revealed. The fact that there are two hexagons beneath Mewtwo may perhaps indicate that Mewtwo will receive a second alternate form in addition to the one shown above, although this is solely speculation stemming from the fact there are two hexagons beneath Mewtwo positioned similarly to the four rectangles beneath the Red Genesect, which show off Genesect's alternate forms.

    It's still possible this could be a hoax, as it is yet to be confirmed, but the fact that the official movie website shows that extra space beneath Mewtwo suggests that it may indeed be true.

    How do YOU game? Are you loyal to Nintendo or do you branch out to other systems and platforms as well? Do you prefer handheld games such as Pokémon, console games, or PC games? How much time would you say you spend gaming each week? We would love to hear what gaming is to you, so check out this short survey by Curse to let your voice be heard!

  • Japanese Pokémon Scramble U trailer + Marvel Heroes Beta Keys from Curse!

    The official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel has recently uploaded a new trailer video showcasing footage from the upcoming Pokémon game for the Nintendo Wii U: Pokémon Scramble U! Pokémon Scramble is the Japanese name for Pokémon Rumble. As you can see in the above trailer (which is in Japanese only, sorry!), the gameplay is similar to the first two Pokémon Scramble/Rumble games, although with the inclusion of more bosses, special power ups, and the inclusion of NFC figures.

    The NFC figures use Near Field Communication technology, similar to the Skylanders and upcoming Disney Infinity series, to store information on real-world figurines. From the looks of things in the video, these figures can be used in-game and can be upgraded with a variety of power ups. Multiplayer is, of course, supported and looks to be a lot of fun!

    The game will be released on the Wii U shop in Japan on April 24th for a mere ¥1800 (equivalent to $18.85 USD). It can also be purchased in any of the Pokémon Center stores via a download code for the same price, although it includes a special Pikachu NFC figure with enhanced abilities. You can see more screenshots on the official Japanese Pokémon website.

    No word yet on any international release dates.

    Good news for Marvel fans; Curse has an exclusive deal for you in the form of a limited number of Marvel Heroes beta keys! The first big beta weekend is taking place both Saturday, March 16th from 10am to 6pm PDT, and Sunday, March 17th from 6am to 2pm PDT. How can you participate in this weekend's event?

    1. Grab a key from us here at Curse! We're starting the giveaway for Premium members only this Thursday and Friday, and then opening keys to the public on Saturday morning at 0:00 PDT. We do have a limited number, so if you want to be guaranteed your key, be sure to sign up for Curse Premium at http://www.curse.com/premium/
    2. Grab a Premium or Ultimate Founders Pack! Packed with perks, in-game currency, exclusive costumes, and more, it's the perfect way to kick off your Marvel Heroes play. You can browse founder's packages here. Anyone who purchases an Ultimate or Premium pack will be permanently added to the Closed Beta. 

  • New Japanese trailers for upcoming Genesect & Mewtwo movie!

    Two new video trailers have been uploaded to the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel showing scenes from the upcoming movie, translated as Godspeed/Extremespeed Genesect and the Reawakening of Mewtwo. The first, shown above, shows one of the Genesect from the movie attacking Ash in a city, with Mewtwo flying in to save him.

    The second video is a longer video, showing several Genesect in a dark lab with a mysterious voice speaking, then showing extended scenes from the first video. It also shows a little more of the special video that will be aired beforehand, Pikachu & Eevee Friends, which features Pikachu, Meowth, Eevee, and all of Eevee's evolutions, including the newly revealed Sylveon. It doesn't reveal too much more about Sylveon, though, but you do at least get to see it in anime form.

    Godspeed/Extremespeed Genesect and the Reawakening of Mewtwo and Pikachu & Eevee Friends will be released in theaters in Japan on July 13th, 2013. No word yet when this will be released outside of Japan, though.

    (NOTE: 神速 literally translates to "Godspeed," and there is an attack by the same name in Japanese; this attack name was changed to "Extremespeed" in the English versions, although it does not convey the same meaning. That is why both translations are included.)

    Vote for your picks in the 2013 Alienware March Gaming Bracket Challenge and enter the weekly giveaway for a chance each week to win an Alienware x51 computer!

  • Japanese Pokemon Movie #16 Trailer: Godspeed Genesect!

    Shown above is the Japanese trailer for the upcoming Pokemon movie, Godspeed Genesect (神速のゲノセクト; 神速 [しんそく] is the name of ExtremeSpeed in Japanese, although its exact Japanese definition is "godspeed"). In the trailer, you can see a peculiar Genesect flying around and wreaking havoc in the middle of a city. It is not just any ordinary Genesect, though: it is a Shiny Genesect, which is evident due to its red color. You can also see a regular Genesect briefly in the first few seconds of the trailer, suggesting that the Shiny Genesect is not the only one featured in the movie.

    Not all that much is revealed in the trailer, unfortunately, although a release date — July 13th, 2013 — was announced for Japan, along with the title of the special short movie that often accompanies the Japanese Pokemon movies: Pikachu & Eevee Friends (ピカチュウとイーブイフレンス).

    Additionally, according to a scan of CoroCoro, there will be a Japanese event giving out Genesect to any fifth generation Pokemon game from January 11th, 2013 to February 10th, 2013, although it is not shiny and is not available over Wi-Fi, meaning you'll have to visit one of the Pokemon Centers in Japan in order to receive it.

     

  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate & the Infinite Labyrinth

    The newest game in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series — Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth — was recently released in Japan. I'll be starting a written walkthrough for the game in the coming weeks, as I play through it, but in the meanwhile I've decided to share my video playthrough of the game with you so you can get an idea of what the game is like.

    Visually, Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth is stunning, having visuals that look at least as good as what's on the Nintendo Wii. The gameplay feels very solid and responsive from the twenty or so minutes I've played around with it (so far, at least!), but one point that will sadden a lot of fans of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is that personality tests are no longer used to determine your main character. You just choose them. While that will be seen as a plus to many players, the problem is there are only five main characters you can even choose from: Pikachu, Axew, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott.

    No international release date has been announced yet, nor has an English name of the game been given. We'll be bringing more coverage of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate and the Infinite Labyrinth over the coming days and weeks, don't worry!

    By the way, if you are fluent in Japanese and would like a chance to help with this walkthrough project and video series, please let me know in the comments or by e-mailing me at marriland@marriland.com.