Fancy a challenge?
Are you one of those who think the Pokémon games are too easy in-game?
Well, I've always found the Pokémon games to have a unique kind of flexibility - you can set your own rules, meaning that the Pokémon games are exactly as hard as you make them.
Let me explain. In order to make your game a challenge, you need to set yourself some restrictions in the way you play your game. Of course you CAN sit there and train your Pokémon to level 100 before facing the first Gym leader, but you CAN also limit your training or Pokémon usage in order to make the game actually tough, and then your imagination is the only limit.
Some restriction examples of my own:
- Only train one Pokémon. Catch HM slaves for the neccessary HMs, but don't ever use them in battle.
- Don't evolve your Pokémon, no matter what - even if it's a Magikarp.
- Every time you come across a PC, change your team so that you are in the end carrying six of your lowest-leveled Pokémon. Exceptions are only to be made in the case of HM moves you need.
- Don't train your Pokémon - progress through the game without searching around the tall grass or rebattling trainers unless you have to. If you reach a Gym leader and your Pokémon don't seem to be up for it, too bad - you'll have to think of a strategy to beat the Gym anyway.
- Never switch a Pokémon from the top of your party or out of battle - once it's there, it has to handle all battles until it faints.
- Be greedy and don't ever buy anything - just thrive on what you find on the ground or get given by people in your way, including Pokéballs.
- Choose certain six Pokémon before you start the game that you want in your team, and catch them and nothing else. If neccessary, use HM slaves, but don't battle with them.
Then you can pick and combine some of these (feel free to invent some of your own), experiment with what gives you about the right difficulty level, and enjoy a much more challenging gaming experience!
Obviously, this depends entirely on the honour system - if you make exceptions left and right, you're only making the game worse for yourself. Test your own self-control too.
Enjoy your game, Butterfree out!
Page last modified February 08 2006 at 18:20 GMT
