Looking Back: Generation Six
Can you even believe what a small chunk of new Pokemon we're looking at, here?! I should have felt cheated - and a part of me still does - but I can't deny the clear "quality over quantity" policy at work here. As much as I love a generation that just packs its new region with all the birds and bees and shrubberies it can muster, X and Y demonstrated a more focused effort on making almost every new addition distinct, memorable, and artistically pleasing.
Aesthetically, the X and Y designs are much smoother, more streamlined and more organic than previous generations. Almost gone are the jagged angles, "action figure seams" and clunky, ecclectic decorations that cluttered up the third, fourth and to a lesser extent the fifth generation.
Conceptually, you can also tell that virtually no slot in this pokedex was wasted. Except for traditions like the early-game bird and the pikachu rehash, most pokemon here feel like they bring something completely new or at least significantly improved to the table. We wound up with a larger than usual ratio of animals we seldom saw or never saw before, and some presented with highly unexpected twists. True, the selection feels disappointingly small when compared to the fifth generation, yet the number of pokemon I can personally give a damn about feels higher than even the original 150...and if Sun and Moon are any indication, this appears to be the path Gamefreak has chosen for the long term.
Aesthetically, the X and Y designs are much smoother, more streamlined and more organic than previous generations. Almost gone are the jagged angles, "action figure seams" and clunky, ecclectic decorations that cluttered up the third, fourth and to a lesser extent the fifth generation.
Conceptually, you can also tell that virtually no slot in this pokedex was wasted. Except for traditions like the early-game bird and the pikachu rehash, most pokemon here feel like they bring something completely new or at least significantly improved to the table. We wound up with a larger than usual ratio of animals we seldom saw or never saw before, and some presented with highly unexpected twists. True, the selection feels disappointingly small when compared to the fifth generation, yet the number of pokemon I can personally give a damn about feels higher than even the original 150...and if Sun and Moon are any indication, this appears to be the path Gamefreak has chosen for the long term.
MY TOP SIX GEN VI FAVORITES:
An almost easy list, though the Pumpkaboo line comes close to edging its way in. Though they may be the purest symbols of Halloween, I'm afraid the pumpkins are narrowly beaten out by the decrepit tree-ghoul.
MY ALL-TIME TOP SIX BY GEN V:
A round of applause for Shedinja and Parasect, who held on to their spots here for the better part of two decades. Only a collective of killer goose barnacles, a blind cave slug and a polluted seahorse could dethrone the cicada corpse sisters from their throne.
THE SIX MOST "BADASS:"
THE CUTEST:"
THE MOST PECULIAR:
THE MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED:
BEST DISPLAY OF ZOOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE:
MOST ABSURDLY OVERDUE CONCEPTS:
MY LEAST FAVORITES:
"Least favorites" means even less here than it has in prior batches, since I "like" Goodra and Diancie reasonably well enough and am not outright bothered by most of the others here. Virtually every X and Y pokemon outside this list gets my outright positive regards.
TRICK OR TREAT:
SLIGGOO DOES NOT EVOLVE:
See?????? It just doesn't.
Stay tuned for GEN VII...which, at the time of this writing, is still only a couple months old!
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