Hmmmm...kinda kiddy but still great! (Pokémon: Perl (DS))

Member Name: wob1001

Product:	Pokémon: Perl (DS)
Date:	03/10/08 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Awesome gameplay and good graphics

Disadvantages: Its pokemon..the name will putt off some!

I know pokemon on first glancemay seem like the most childish thing on the planet! When talking about the anime I would have to agree with you. The game however is another story completely. It is nothing like the anime. First and foremost it is an RPG. That stands for Role playing game! These games use strategy rather than button mashing fights.
At the start of the game you go through some basics like your name, sex and a few other preferences. You are then introduced to the world the game will take place on. Your told pokemon are used to battle in tournaments or against random opponents you may encounter. There are over 200 pokemon in this game.
As with all pokemon games it isnt long to your first pokemon. This is given to you by some dude who you save. You get a choice of three each representing a level of difficulty. Grass and fire type pokemon are generally easier to use than water types. I chose the fire type. This means my pokemon can learn fire moves which are powerful against grass pokemon etc. In this game most pokemon have a second category , my pokemons was fighting, meaning he can learn fight moves which is stronger against other types.
Anyway, you soon get to your adventure. You can enter battles with wild pokemon or trainer battles. When you win you get experiance. When a pokemon gains enough Experiance (XP) it will go up a level. Higher level pokemon are stronger and learn more powerful attacks. After going up enogh levels some pokemon will evolve into a more powerful version of itself. Saying all this does sound a bit childish but I assure you its a good play.
Also on your travels you can catch wild pokemon which you can then use in battle. All very simple and explained well throughout the game. The goal is to travel the world and beat 8 gym leaders. The leaders specialise in one type of pokemon and get increasingly difficult. There are quite a few sidequests also which involve secret organisations or rare pokemon. There isnt really a storyline as such but the game progresses well.
I like the strategy element of the game. Knowingwhich pokedude to use at the right moment. Also it can be annoying to train your pokemon to a high level but it is rather addictive and I hate to say it but you feel pretty good once its done!
The figures dont lie people. This is a great game. It has shifted millions of copies to people of all ages around the world. I know this game is a big hit in Japan but it has become huge in the western world aswel showing its appeals to different cultures.
The price isnt bad. It cost me £25 when it was new so id guess you could pick it up for £15 - £20 from Ebay or maybe even play.com.This is a great game and definately worth the money. To complete the game fully it will tkae many hours and after that there is still plenty to do. An example of this is online play. You can challenge people around the globe. To be honest, if your not amazing your going to get beat here. There are some very... dedicated players around the world! Another great thing is that you can trade your pokemon. When it first came out Americans were trading low leveled run of the mill pokemon for level 100 super rare guys with Japanses players. This was due to the Japanese player wanting pokemon with their english names! Crazy.
This being a DS game I thought I should mention the new DSi that has been announced. If your planning on buying a DS it may be worth waiting for this new model that has cameras and load of new features!

Summary: Its good, definately worth a go!