Pokémon (Not-So) Griefing Thread - Scarlet and Violet Released with 10 Million Copies in First 3 Days in Buggy States

[Nauseated Courgi]

Since this was mentioned earlier, I also wanted to add another instance of forced popularity, though as far as I can recall, failed pretty badly.
Zorua/Zoroark were initially promoted as the first designs for Black & White, and had their accompanying movie to boot. Purpose-wise, it was another take on Lucario, and doubling down on its forced popularity.

I don't know. I like Zorua/Zoroark way better than lucario mechanically. It's ability to fake your opponent out by disguising itself as a different one is way more appealing than just being a Steel/Fighting type pokemon.

Hell, if they implemented a similarly interesting ability mechanic with Lucario, I'd like it a lot more.

 

[Rivalo]

Since this was mentioned earlier, I also wanted to add another instance of forced popularity, though as far as I can recall, failed pretty badly.
Zorua/Zoroark were initially promoted as the first designs for Black & White, and had their accompanying movie to boot. Purpose-wise, it was another take on Lucario, and doubling down on its forced popularity.

I believe Zorua and Zoroark, while slightly popular, especially when N is involved, didn't work out because it was purely an event Pokémon in B/W. You had to either transfer one of the Legendary Beasts from HG/SS to find Zoroark itself in Lostlorn Forest, or transfer Celebi from HG/SS to get a Zorua in Castelia City. The Legendary Beasts and the Celebi had to come from an event during HG/SS' time (all tie-ins to the Zoroark movie), so Zorua and Zoroark were basically Mythicals while still being completely regular Pokémon. B2/W2 barely fixed this by having Rood give you N's Zorua in Driftveil City. It was only in X/Y that they became available in the wild.

Not only that, but Gen 5 introduced team previews, meaning that Zoroark's ability was extremely neutered competitively, while also not being as competitively viable as Lucario (which outclassed it even harder in Gen 6 thanks to its Mega), adding another set of nails to its coffin.

 

[CrippleThreat]

I don't know. I like Zorua/Zoroark way better than lucario mechanically. It's ability to fake your opponent out by disguising itself as a different one is way more appealing than just being a Steel/Fighting type pokemon.

Hell, if they implemented a similarly interesting ability mechanic with Lucario, I'd like it a lot more.

For a pokémon whose main feature is aura this and aura that, it could really use a signature move that is not also available to a lot of other pokémon.

 

[LetterlandMafia]

I've recently got back into playing the Pokemon games, name OR/AS and X/Y. The former is a pretty solid remake of R/S/E, adding to it without detracting from the original. X/Y is pretty meh though - it really railroads you through the story. Like Nintendo are saying to us 'we know why you're here, we know you've been through this shit time and time again. Here's your starter, here's your friend/rival, here's your villain, now just fucking do it'.

I believe Zorua and Zoroark, while slightly popular, especially when N is involved, didn't work out because it was purely an event Pokémon in B/W. You had to either transfer one of the Legendary Beasts from HG/SS to find Zoroark itself in Lostlorn Forest, or transfer Celebi from HG/SS to get a Zorua in Castelia City. The Legendary Beasts and the Celebi had to come from an event during HG/SS' time (all tie-ins to the Zoroark movie), so Zorua and Zoroark were basically Mythicals while still being completely regular Pokémon. B2/W2 barely fixed this by having Rood give you N's Zorua in Driftveil City. It was only in X/Y that they became available in the wild.

Not only that, but Gen 5 introduced team previews, meaning that Zoroark's ability was extremely neutered competitively, while also not being as competitively viable as Lucario (which outclassed it even harder in Gen 6 thanks to its Mega), adding another set of nails to its coffin.

Locking them behind such a convoluted system was the biggest mistake. Pokemon has always had locked-away legendaries, but usually you got them by just going to an event then following some simple instructions in the game e.g. 'go to this place' in order to encounter it. Zoroark required a legendary from an old game (I think you might have even needed a shiny, ffs). It's a lot of effort for what is at the end of it a pretty rubbish member of your team to have. If it was treated like a 'later' legendary after everyone had already played the game for a while then it might have worked, but hyping it as the first revealed Pokemon as Gen V, making it extremely hard to acquire, and it being a poor fighter to boot, it was always going to end in disaster.

 

[Itu aru kamusu tugeza]

Locking them behind such a convoluted system was the biggest mistake. Pokemon has always had locked-away legendaries, but usually you got them by just going to an event then following some simple instructions in the game e.g. 'go to this place' in order to encounter it. Zoroark required a legendary from an old game (I think you might have even needed a shiny, ffs). It's a lot of effort for what is at the end of it a pretty rubbish member of your team to have. If it was treated like a 'later' legendary after everyone had already played the game for a while then it might have worked, but hyping it as the first revealed Pokemon as Gen V, making it extremely hard to acquire, and it being a poor fighter to boot, it was always going to end in disaster.

I think the supposed intent was to get them early via the relocator function at Castelia, and breed them for trade. The daycare function’s obtained relatively early in BW, and the Zoroark line is Field, so it’s easy to breed with most of the early game Pokémon. Both Zorua’s and Zoroark’s events happen around early-midgame regardless (Zorua is a giveaway, Zoroark is slightly later after reaching Nimbasa and taking a detour), but the real problem is really just how hard it was for the international players to get ahold of him through direct trade since 1. event distributions are handled much differently abroad than in an extremely packed country like Japan, 2. the GTS at the time had no internal manual name-search function, and 3. the much broader distribution of players and slim likelihood that they had to have owned a copy of Gen IV, attended an event, then thought to breed it in the first place being incredibly specific and slim.

I think the real problem is TPCi trying to work a game specifically made for JP audiences to the western crowd in the first place; it’s really evident in the backwards way specific communications features like Join Avenue and Entralink/Funfest work; the former’s a sort of proto-StreetPass that operates similarly to TWEWY’s Mingle mode, the latter being a resource light multiplayer mode that’s able to support 100 simultaneous players (good luck hitting that cap anywhere other than Japan).

 

[Rivalo]

Zoroark required a legendary from an old game (I think you might have even needed a shiny, ffs).

An EVENT legendary. You had to specifically receive them from a Wi-Fi event and THEN transfer them to B/W to get Zoroark.

The Celebi was even worse, you had to actually go to stores where the distributions were happening, receive the Celebi, and then transfer it to B/W to receive the Zorua.

Zorua and Zoroark were a shitshow in B/W.

 

[Itu aru kamusu tugeza]

I think the supposed intent was to get them early via the relocator function at Castelia, and breed them for trade. The daycare function’s obtained relatively early in BW, and the Zoroark line is Field, so it’s easy to breed with most of the early game Pokémon. Both Zorua’s and Zoroark’s events happen around early-midgame regardless (Zorua is a giveaway, Zoroark is slightly later after reaching Nimbasa and taking a detour), but the real problem is really just how hard it was for the international players to get ahold of him through direct trade since 1. event distributions are handled much differently abroad than in an extremely packed country like Japan, 2. the GTS at the time had no internal manual name-search function, and 3. the much broader distribution of players and slim likelihood that they had to have owned a copy of Gen IV, attended an event, then thought to breed it in the first place being incredibly specific and slim.

I think the real problem is TPCi trying to work a game specifically made for JP audiences to the western crowd in the first place; it’s really evident in the backwards way specific communications features like Join Avenue and Entralink/Funfest work; the former’s a sort of proto-StreetPass that operates similarly to TWEWY’s Mingle mode, the latter being a resource light multiplayer mode that’s able to support 100 simultaneous players (good luck hitting that cap anywhere other than Japan).

The Celebi was even worse, you had to actually go to stores where the distributions were happening, receive the Celebi, and then transfer it to B/W to receive the Zorua.
View attachment 1509175
Zorua and Zoroark were a shitshow in B/W.

In Japan at least (as per tradition anyways) you got that Celebi from buying a ticket for the Pokémon movie running at the time. It’s pretty standard cross-promotional strategy for a mediamix series, and it helps line the bottom in terms of attendance. Since TPC’s Japanese division is a lot closer to its associates in OLM, TV Tokyo, Toho, Tomy, Shogakukan, etc. they have a lot more weight to throw around with their marketing budget.

 

[Disc]

I don't think Zorua/Zoroark are as down-and-out as you think. They definitely have a firm pocket of fans... mostly furries, but still, there's a definite niche for them.

 

[UntimelyDhelmise]

Can't help but wonder if they wanted the Zorua line to be true mythicals, but were apprehensive about breaking a supposed "rule" at the time (remember this was two generations prior to a legendary/mythical being able to evolve, and only Manaphy was a "rule breaker" of sorts up to that point).

Heck, even Smash still pretends Zoroark is a mythical. It's the only regular mon that appears from the Master Ball item aside from the joke Goldeen.

 

[CrippleThreat]

An EVENT legendary. You had to specifically receive them from a Wi-Fi event and THEN transfer them to B/W to get Zoroark.
View attachment 1509166
The Celebi was even worse, you had to actually go to stores where the distributions were happening, receive the Celebi, and then transfer it to B/W to receive the Zorua.
View attachment 1509175
Zorua and Zoroark were a shitshow in B/W.

IIRC, to get the Snowpoint Temple Regigigas legitimately, you had to have received that Toys-R'-Us event Regigigas, which would unlock the puzzle function of the Regi Trio's three respective locations to catch them. Now, catching the trio is fine for the National Dex, but ultimately, you had to go to an event distributor to get a Lvl. 100 Regigigas in your game in order to catch a Lvl. 1 Regigigas. Events were strange, man.

And Masuda said that Azure Flute event was too difficult a quest.

 

[UntimelyDhelmise]

And Masuda said that Azure Flute event was too difficult a quest.

I can never take that man's statement seriously when the original Regi quests exist (even in the remakes). What kind of sick bastard thought it was a good idea to form a puzzle in a children's game around BRAILLE? Not only do many people regardless of age not know how to read it by default, but the ones that braille was actually made for can't even read it either because it's on a flat screen.

 

[Nauseated Courgi]

I can never take that man's statement seriously when the original Regi quests exist (even in the remakes). What kind of sick bastard thought it was a good idea to form a puzzle in a children's game around BRAILLE? Not only do many people regardless of age not know how to read it by default, but the ones that braille was actually made for can't even read it either because it's on a flat screen.

Doesn't help that some fangames incorporated it into their puzzles as well.

 

[Disc]

I can never take that man's statement seriously when the original Regi quests exist (even in the remakes). What kind of sick bastard thought it was a good idea to form a puzzle in a children's game around BRAILLE? Not only do many people regardless of age not know how to read it by default, but the ones that braille was actually made for can't even read it either because it's on a flat screen.

I think they might have called it too difficult because it gave zero hints about where it should be played in the item itself. The others either explicitly tell you where to go (Member's Card, Oak's Letter) or give a fairly specific hint (Secret Key), and you run into these locked doors before. The Azure Flute has none of that going for it.

Still could have fixed that with a descriptive label for the event distribution or a few minutes of forethought.

 

[Kari Kamiya]

I can never take that man's statement seriously when the original Regi quests exist (even in the remakes). What kind of sick bastard thought it was a good idea to form a puzzle in a children's game around BRAILLE? Not only do many people regardless of age not know how to read it by default, but the ones that braille was actually made for can't even read it either because it's on a flat screen.

I was that autist who thought it was an interesting concept to use braille as a stand-in for the ancient hieroglyphs in the Regis chambers if only because I had kinda taught myself a little bit of braille thanks to an Arthur episode that aired a couple years before (still took a bit to realize I was staring at braille, though). But the instruction game booklet actually came with the chart, so it wasn't a complete mystery.

 

[Itu aru kamusu tugeza]

I think they might have called it too difficult because it gave zero hints about where it should be played in the item itself. The others either explicitly tell you where to go (Member's Card, Oak's Letter) or give a fairly specific hint (Secret Key), and you run into these locked doors before. The Azure Flute has none of that going for it.

Still could have fixed that with a descriptive label for the event distribution or a few minutes of forethought.

Again, this was another movie cross-promo case. IIRC, it was around summer 2008, and they were about to start showing the Giratina movies in theatres. The whole Regigigas thing was really meant for newcomers who didn’t own any of the Gen III games to obtain the trio in Platinum (and also to promote Platinum’s release, since the movie was also supposed to formally introduce Giratina’s new form).

Apparently in the West, or America at least, they had you go through Toys-R-Us or something. I don’t really think TPCi’s marketing budget is as good over here seeing how they bungled ownership and distribution of the anime dub and were forced to go through an extremely specific retail chain in order to promote an extremely specific and obscure movie that most theatres weren’t playing.

I also think it’s important to remember unless you were close to actual sources of information, there’d be no way for you to know that Platinum would have vast improvements in overall content compared to enhanced games like Crystal and Emerald.

Regardless, they rectified this problem somewhat in B2W2 (since the Shiny Charm was introduced in that game) with their weird Unova Link system, which gave you access to the Regis and Regigigas. (Unfortunately though, B2W2 had a pretty short lifespan of only 1 year between it and its 3DS successor, so most probably skipped out, anyways.)

 

[Dunsparce]

IIRC, to get the Snowpoint Temple Regigigas legitimately, you had to have received that Toys-R'-Us event Regigigas, which would unlock the puzzle function of the Regi Trio's three respective locations to catch them. Now, catching the trio is fine for the National Dex, but ultimately, you had to go to an event distributor to get a Lvl. 100 Regigigas in your game in order to catch a Lvl. 1 Regigigas. Events were strange, man.

And Masuda said that Azure Flute event was too difficult a quest.

That was only in Platinum. And even then, you could unlock it the same way you could in Diamond and Pearl(transferring the regi trio from Gen III) The catchable-in-Platinum Regi trio itself, however, was indeed locked behind an event.

Good thing that in Gens IV and V, you could use Pokemon from prior gens in tournaments freely. Gen VI introduced the Origin Marker mechanic in order to prevent people who have been playing the series longer to have inherit advantages like having prior-gen exclusive moves.

 

[cuÞbert]

While waiting for my job to reopen, I decided to revisit Pokemon Silver after nearly 20 years; the last time I ever played Pokemon. After beating it, I moved onto Alpha Sapphire and boy, what an experience. I'm quite enjoying the music (I love Verdanturf town theme). I also like the new mechanics like passives, quick items, and having a friendly rival that gives you stuff. Also crayfish pokemon!

Also, Hex maniac is bae.

 

[Vapewizard]

Game: Rayquaza appeared at the dragon gate dungeon!
What it actually means: There's actually 3 boss fights in a row after 20 floors of dungeon and by the time you get to Rayquaza the first 2 bosses might've exhausted all your reviver seeds. Good luck, fucker.

Seriously though, what are Palkia and Dialga doing here?

 

[Coelacanth]

I'm just extremely thankful someone was nice enough to archive all the event stuff. I can't get my hands on the 4th gen event stuff sadly but being able to catch Victini again years after the event was taken down!

The only thing that I'm salty about with 5th gen was the introduction of the shiny lock. I suppose it kinda foreshadowed Game Freak's general incompetence when it came to programming without the likes of Iwata at the helm. A lot of the legendaries in 5th gen (event mons included) were shiny locked for apparently no reason, meanwhile the minccino during the introduction when you name your character and the patrat that Juniper catches in the tutorial aren't. It doesn't make any sense and I'm livid they still do it to this day.

 

[Dunsparce]

A lot of the legendaries in 5th gen (event mons included) were shiny locked for apparently no reason

You mean three? Only Victini, Zekrom, and Reshiram were shiny locked in the original Black and White. the other 7 legendary Pokemon(Musketeer Trio, Kami Trio, and Kyurem) could be shiny. There were no in-game Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect events to shiny lock in the first place, but the latter got a Japanese shiny event in Gen V.