Today marked the revival of Victory Road's newsletter, under its new name, the Victory News. Of course, this time the newsletter is improved with a better layout, more news and more organization. As it has been noticed, Victory News is submitted to every member of the forums via a PM. However, it is considerate to have new members look at previous issues of the newsletter for them to be aware of it. Not only that, but it is also nice, as some sort of a nostalgia, to read previous issues later in the future. Therefore, this thread is made to keep a permanent record of every issue that will be released. I will be keeping this thread updated, but for the time being, we only have one issue. Despite that, I, along with the staff behind the Victory News, hope you enjoy it.
P.S: You will notice that you cannot post in this thread because it is made for records and for people to check it, not to post in it.
Welcome to the first issue of Victory Road's second generation newsletter, the Victory News! Originally started by Lead Admin Cat333Pokemon and Admin Yoshi648, it initially consisted of roughly 3-5 brief paragraphs regarding recent happenings. It also included links to threads on the forum where members could learn more about the topics discussed, as well as links to the three most recent PokéNews threads. After 11 successful issues, the production of newsletters was discontinued, due to lack of time to manage it.
In a full-scale collaboration between various members of the Staff of Victory Road, the newsletter will once again be returning, with various new features and improvements as time goes on. Firstly, the format of the newsletters themselves has been completely overhauled, using a custom-made template courtesy of Design Staff member A'bom. The forum's new theme, Dark Illusionist, has also been incorporated into the design of the newsletter, with the theme changing periodically. New content in this installment includes a proper welcome to all the new members who have joined us this month, as well as an expanded PokéNews segment to include all the most recent develops for you to read right here, right now. The latest information on the happenings of Victory Road itself has also been given an expansion to provide you with an in-depth look at just how the forum has progressed over the last month. So without further adieu, you can begin reading the very first issue of the Victory News!
-The VR Newsletter Staff
Forum News
Forum News
The month of January has been fairly eventful for the forums in general; the members were introduced to the Victory Road Yearbook in early January, an addition which was the first of its kind. Rules regarding advertisement have been revised; a new project - the Victory Road MemberDex - was started by the Lead Admin Cat333Pokémon; and the forums received a server update very recently. Here is a comprehensive list which elaborates on all the happenings in the forums during the month of January:
Victory Road Yearbook
The forums greeted the new year by releasing the first issue of the Victory Road Yearbook, a memorial which includes everything that took place in the forums during the year of 2010. Not only that, but it allowed the members to cast their votes for other members in order to nominate them for special titles. These titles have the purpose of giving recognition to the members who deserve it due to their active contribution and socialization in the forums. The titles were given to the members purely based on the votes submitted, and three people were mentioned for each title in order to include as many members as possible. The idea was met with a great deal of excitement and interest, so it will become a daily event at the end of each year. Congratulations to all the members who won any of the titles, and good luck to the rest! Remember: there will be many other future issues, so you still have plenty of time to make it in one of them.
To have a look at the Victory Road Yearbook of 2010, please click over here.
Advertising Rules Modified
Due to the increasing number of members who were advertising their own forums, websites and other similar things in the wrong places, the advertising rules have been updated. Please read them thoroughly:
Quote:
Originally Posted by FreezeWarp
What You Can't Do
You may NOT advertise your own forum, website, product, chat/IRC, or similar over the Victory Road Chat, by Private Messaging, or by Visitor Messaging more than a few people (or anyone who isn't your friend).
You may NOT advertise your own forum or chat/IRC in the advertisement board.
You may NOT advertise a chat/IRC anywhere on Victory Road.
You may NOT advertise a Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, or anything similar for any of the above.
What You Can Do
You may advertise your own forum, website, product, or a Facebook/Myspace/Twitter/etc. page for any of the above (except chat/IRC) in your signature. However, it must not violate the signature rules.
You may advertise your own website, product, or your own personal Twitter/Youtube/etc. in the advertisement board.
Abiding by these rules will ensure that no violation is caused, so we hope that you will follow them.
Victory Road MemberDex
Leave it to our Lead Admin, Cat333Pokémon, for coming up with all sorts of exciting projects! The Victory Road MemberDex is a challenge in which Cat333Pokémon aims to collect fully legit Pokémon for as many members on Victory Road as possible. However, he set himself a couple of conditions which he will be following along the way; these include restricting himself to Pokémon which are caught in one of his games only (unless it is required to do a trade, such as for starters - the Requirement Clause), giving nicknames and genders which match the specific members, and taking a picture of every 30 members (~1 box) he catches. You can check on his progress in this thread and in his signature, too. Good luck to our Lead Admin on his challenge!
Server Update
Because the previous server had been lagging for the past two weeks, causing many downtime and network errors, the server has been recently updated to solve this issue. The chat has also been removed from the home page, and is now accessible via the ChatBox Full link. Hopefully, these measures will ensure the continued run of Victory Road smoothly for a good while.
Pokemon News
Pokemon News
January has been full of new announcements and revelations from the Pokemon world, some being easier to have expected, and others being complete surprises. These ranged from events, to details on upcoming projects. Firstly, the sales records for 2010 showed that Pokemon Black and White were the best selling games for the year in Japan. This reiterated just how popular the Pokemon franchise is, contrary to modern stereotypes, even after 15 years of having games in production. Hopefully the international sales figures will show just as much positivity towards the series as well.
Events Japan to Hold Zoroark Wi-Fi Event
The games have just been released, and their momentum has yet to slow down. A Wi-Fi Event has been announced, to be held from the 14th of February to the 15th of March this year. Players of Japanese copies of Pokemon Black and White may recieve a Level 50 Zoroark, knowing the moves Embargo, Bark Out, Punishment, and Agility. As to be expected of an Event Pokemon, it also comes in a Cherish Ball.
Legendary Beasts and Celebi Available at North American GameStop and EBGames Stores
North American GameStop and EBGames Stores will be and have distributed Shiny versions of the Legendary Beasts, each knowing special moves, and being able to unlock an Event Battle with Zoroark in Pokemon Black and White. Each was, or is to be available for a week: Raikou began on the 3rd of January, Entei on the 17th, and Suicune can be obtained starting today. From February 27th to March 7th, a special Celebi can be downloaded from GameStop and EBGames stores in the same way as the Legendary Beasts. Transferring it to Black or White will allow you to obtain a Zorua.
UK to hold Liberty Ticket Event
MCV Magazine has revealed information regarding an upcoming event for Pokemon Black and White in the UK. From March 4th to April 22nd, players will be able to download the Liberty Ticket event item, which allows one to encounter and battle a wild Victini in the games. Whether this will be a Wi-Fi or store-based event, as well as it's US date, have yet to be revealed.
Toys "R" Us to Hold "Ash's Pikachu" Distribution
Toys "R" Us stores in America, Puerto Rico, and Canada will be distributing a special Pikachu meant to represent the one owned by the protagonist of the Pokemon anime, Ash. It has the moves used most recently in the anime, namely Iron Tail, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, and Volt Tackle, is at Level 50, and holds a Light Ball. The event will run from January 30th to February 13th in USA and Puerto Rico, and from Feb. 9th to 20th in Canadian stores.
Special Victini to be Distributed at Screenings of Movie 14
As many fans assumed, a special Victini will be distributed at screenings of Victini and the Dark Hero-Zekrom. It will know the event-exclusive move, V-Generate, which is notorious for being the strongest move in the entire game which does not make the user faint, with a base power of 180.
Event Zuruggu Wi-Fi Distribution
To commemorate the hatching of Satoshi's (Ash's) Zuruggu in the Best Wishes anime series, Japan has begun to hold a Wi-Fi event, which started on the 28th. Players can download a Level 1 Zuruggu holding a Muscle Band. This event will last until February 10th.
New C-Gear Skins Available
For players of the Japanese copies of Pokemon Black and White, new C-Gear skins will be available for download. From the 27th of January to March 30th, players can receieve Piplup and Croagunk skins, which both tie-in with and commemorate the upcoming Best Wishes anime special featuring Takeshi (Brock) and Hikari (Dawn).
Canadian Pokemon Black and White "Sampling Tour" Announced
Not unlike the American tour, a Canadian tour has been announced for the upcoming 5th Generation games. It will stop at only two locations. The first is Grand Court at the Metropolis at Metrotown mall in Burnaby, British Columbia, on Feb. 12th from 10 am to 9 pm, and Feb. 13th from 11 am to 7 pm. The second location is at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, on Feb. 19th and 21st from 10 am to 5 pm, during the Kids-Fest.
The Pokemon Company International to Hold a Tour in American Malls
In commemoration of the North American release of the 5th Generation games, The Pokemon Company International is holding a Pokemon tour, similar to the "Journey Across America" tours that used to be held for distributing Event Pokemon. Malls across America will be have purchasable Pokemon merchandise, courtesy of the Pokemon Center, scavenger hunts, contest with prizes, early playable demos of the new games, and free screenings of the 13th Pokemon movie-"Master of Illusions:Zoroark" in the theaters of the participating malls. The dates and locations for the tour are as follows:
February 5th-6th
Seattle, WA (Westfield Southcenter, Seattle, WA)
Cleveland, OH (Westfield SouthPark, Strongsville, OH)
February 12th-13th
San Jose, CA (Westfield Oakridge, San Jose, CA)
Memphis, TN (Wolfchase Galleria, Memphis, TN)
February 19th-20th
Los Angeles, CA (Westfield Santa Anita, Arcadia, CA)
Indianapolis, IN (Castleton Square, Indianapolis, IN)
February 26th-27th
Denver, CO (Town Center at Aurora, Aurora, CO)
Philadelphia, PA (Franklin Mills, Philadelphia, PA)
March 5th-6th
New York, NY (Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ) (Actually Friday and Saturday, March 4th and 5th)
Minneapolis, MN (Mall of America®, Bloomington, MN)
March 12th-13th
Dallas, TX (Grapevine Mills, Grapevine, TX)
Atlanta, GA (Discover Mills, Lawrenceville, GA)
March 19th-20th
Phoenix, AZ (Arizona Mills, Tempe, AZ)
Jacksonville, FL (Orange Park Mall, Orange Park, FL)
General New Wii Pokémon Game in the Works?
According to a columnist who visited the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) this month, after asking a Nintendo Representative why no Pokémon games were on display and recieving an answer (Nintendo lacked the proper license), the Representative made asked an interesting question of his own:
"What I want to know is will the Wii title that they are making that is similar to Gales of Darkness have full connectivity with Black and White?"
The columnist proceeded to note, on their post about this event, that the game is meant to be a combination of Pokémon Battle Revolution and Pokémon XD:Gale of Darkness.. Graphics and a side-colosseum mode from the former, and a single-player story mode from the latter. Needless to say, this will be a full Wii title, as opposed to the My Pokémon Ranch-style WiiWare games.
Pokémon Black and White Toys 'R' Us Pre-Order Bonus Revealed The pre-order bonus for Pokémon Black and White from Toys 'R' Us has been revealed to be either a Zekrom or Reshiram wall-cling, depending on which game you reserve. Whether this is a Toys 'R' Us or applies to other video game retailers has yet to be seen.
European and Australian Black and White Release Date Revealed
The European Release Date for Pokémon Black and White was revealed to be on March 4th, 2011, this being the first time Europe receives localized Pokemon releases before North America. Australia will also be receiving the games relatively early, on March 10th.
Pokémon Typing DS Release Month Revealed
The upcoming Nintendo DS game, Pokémon Typing DS, has had the month of it's release revealed to be April of this year. The game will come bundled with a bluetooth keyboard, and has been promised to be challenging even for those who already possess good typing skills. The game's premise will feature the player travelling and having encounters with Pokémon, and capturing them by typing the English transliterations of their names. The player will also get coins for capturing the Pokémon, receiving more the faster they type.
All English Generation 5 Pokémon Names Revealed
Via IGN and various online message boards and websites, the English names of the Generation 5 Pokémon were all revealed via leakage before the release of the actual games. Click on the heading and go to the first post for a full list.
U.S. Nintendo 3DS Details Revealed
A Nintendo Press conference held in New York City revealed various details on the Nintendo 3DS. It will come bundled with a 2GB SD Card and charging cradle. Additionally, it's pre-loaded software will include a 3D video player, Mii Creator, an activity log, an improved web browser, and Augmented Reality Games. Finally, players will also only have to register one friend code per 3DS system, as opposed to one for every game, in order to play online with others. The system will retail for approximately $249.99 in North America, becoming available March 27th.
Nintendo 3DS European Release Date Revealed
The European release date of the Nintendo 3DS has been revealed to be March 25th, just two days before the North American release date. While no price has been announced, the retailer HMV priced it at Ł229.99.
Anime Pokémon Movie 14-Full Title Revealed
The full title of the 14th Pokemon movie was revealed to be "Victini and the Dark Hero-Zekrom". However, the CoroCoro issue this was found in also asked "What is Zekrom's connection to the Dark Hero?", meaning Zekrom itself may not be the hero in question. This leaves the mystery intact, for now. More details will be revealed next month.
Zoroark:Master of Illusions TV Airdate Revealed
The English dubbed version of the 13th Pokemon movie-Zoroark:Master of Illusions, will be airing on Cartoon Network on February 5th, at 7PM (time varies between state), following a showing of Giratina and the Sky Warrior.
Pokémon:Best Wishes Anime Series and Dub Title Revealed
The dub title of the new Pokémon animé season has been revealed, via the Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver official website. The new series will simply be called "Pokémon Black and White", the names of the fifth generation games. In Japan, it is called "Pokemon:Best Wishes", a play on the first initials of the games, as well as how the romaji for "Wishes" (roughly "Uisshus") resembles the Japanese name of the Unova Region, "Isshu".
English Names of Pokémon:Best Wishes Characters Revealed
The English names of the characters Dent and Iris, Satoshi's (Ash's) travelling partners in the Unova region, have been revealed to be "Cilan", for Dent (likely derived from "Cilantro", referencing his cooking skills), where as Iris will be keeping her Japanese name. This would also be the very first instance of a traveling companion of Satoshi's keeping their Japanese name, in the case of Iris.
Pokémon:Black and White Episode Dub Titles Revealed
The dub titles for the first two episodes of Pokémon Black and White have been revealed. Episode 1 is called "In the Shadow of Zekrom!", and episode 2 is to be entitled "Enter Iris and Axew!"
Pokémon: Black & White Premiering on February 12th
The fourteenth season of the Pokémon animé will be premiering on Cartoon Network on February 12th, with a one-hour special featuring the first two episodes, "In the Shadow of Zekrom!" and "Enter Iris and Axew!" The thirteenth season, Sinnoh League Victors will be ending on February 5th, with the final episode, Memories are Made of Bliss!, and final movie, Zoroark:Master of Illusions airing.
Handsome (Looker) to Re-Appear in Best Wishes Series
Pokémon Smash has revealed that Handsome (English Name:Looker), the officer working for the International Police, will be re-appearing in the Best Wishes series. In the screenshots shown, he is seen riding in a car with Prof. Araragi (Prof. Juniper) and Junsar (Officer Jenny). What his role in the series actually is remains a mystery.
TCG "World of Illusions" TCG Box Set to Go on Sale
The Pokémon Company International has announced a promotional item, namely, the "World of Illusions Box." It will contain 3 booster packs, a Celebi Prime card, a Zoroark wall cling, and a jumbo card featuring Zoroark alonside the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza, Dialga, and Groudon, which was first shown on an episode of Pokemon Sunday last year. It is set to be released in February, with a suggested retail price of $11.99 USD.
Manga New Pokémon Manga Series to be Aimed At Older Audience
It has been announced, through posters and fliers at the Jisedai World Hobby Fair Winter 2011, that Shogakukan will be featuring a new Pokémon manga series in its Weekly Shonen Sunday. The name of the manga is currently unknown, however, it will apparently be aimed at older audiences as opposed to the other Pokémon manga (such as Pokémon Adventures). The new Pokémon manga will begin serialization is March, and is meant to be an attempt at "expanding the market".
And that is your PokeNews for the month of January, 2011! Did you manage to get to all the events thus far? Which upcoming events are you most excited about? And what are your thoughts on the mysterious rumour of a new Wii game on the horizon? Be sure to look forward to the next issue of Victory News for even more information from the world of Pokemon!
Conclusion
That is all for this issue! As you can see, we tried our best to have all of the important news covered in our first issue. However, that doesn’t mean that we are done with introducing new things to the Victory News. On the contrary, we have a lot of new features planned to be added in later issues. As an example, make sure to check our next issue of February, which will contain something very exclusive and unique; for the first time on the forums, a featured interview with the owner of our community, Cat333Pokémon, will be held by our reporter Shadow! We promise you all a very exciting interview which will reveal new, never-known information about our Lead Admin.
Here's the list of members who are responsible for the Victory News on behalf of all the staff members:
• A’bom, who works as the artist and designer of Victory News.
• AuraKshatriya, who is our PokéNews reporter.
• Shadow, the Victory Road news reporter.
• The Spirit of Time, who works as the editor of Victory News.
We hope that you all will have a happy new year full of joyful potential and happenings. Good bye until the new issue of the Victory News!
February, the unique month of 28 days, ends today. It was surely an interesting month, with all the PokéNews that popped out and the release of Victory Road’s Instant Messenger (VRIM) Beta. It was also a precursor to the much-anticipated Pokémon Black & White, which will be released in just a few more days! However, this is not the only thing that deems February special; the new things which we added to the Victory News have their own touch, too. In this new issue, three major additions were introduced: Victory News is now customizable according to the skin you are using; an exciting interview between Shadow and Cat333Pokémon was held; and a whole new section, called ‘The Game Corner’ has been added. We hope that you will enjoy this month's issue!
-The VR Newsletter Staff
Forum News
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Written by Shadow
The month of February has been a normal month for Victory Road except for one major addition: the Victory Road Instant Messenger (VRIM) Beta, the successor of the Victory Road Chat (VRC). We also experienced a scheduled downtime and witnessed the promotion of two members, but more about that as you continue reading!
Scheduled Downtime from HiVelocity on February 18th at 3:00 AM EST
In an attempt to upgrade their network connections, the host of the Victory Road Network, HiVelocity, planned a maintenance on February 18th, at 3:00 AM EST. The downtime lasted for about an hour, and although it didn't significantly improve Victory Road's performance, we are confident that the move was done for the best.
Promotion of Ningamer and randoguy101
Ningamer, a member who was previously an Assistant Moderator, has received a promotion to the Global Moderator position after his continuous support towards the forums. On the other hand, randoguy101 was promoted to become an Assistant Moderator for monitoring /b/uizel, where the staff thought that he would be able to do a good job in keeping our spam board clean. Congratulations to these two members! We hope that they will live up to the staff's expectations.
Victory Road Instant Messenger (VRIM) Beta
After taking down the Victory Road Chat (VRC) from the main page, it will soon be removed from the forums altogether in favour of its much more powerful successor. The VRIM is a complete rewrite of the original chat program but with many more added features, such as encryption, custom rooms, expanded post formatting and a completely new design. Although it is still under development, the VRIM provides all Victory Road members with a unique interface to chat and interact with each other using a variety of exciting and convenient features. Many thanks to FreezeWarp for being the 'master mind' behind the VRIM, and to all the other members responsible for developing it! If you wish to monitor the overall progress, you can visit the official VRIM Beta thread over here.
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Pokémon News
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Written by AuraKshatriya
Events
Pokemon Black and White C-Gear and Pokédex Skins Distributed
Beginning from February 25th and ending on April 25th of this year, players of Japanese copies of Pokémon Black and White will be able to download three special C-Gear Skins featuring Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard for the C-Gear, and a single skin featuring Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander for the Pokédex via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.
Zoroark Distributed Over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Beginning on February 15th and ending on March 14th, players of the Japanese Pokémon Black and White will be able to download a special Zoroark over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection knowing the move Bark Out. Breeding this Zoroark will also allow players to obtain a Zorua knowing the move.
Liberty Pass To be Distributed Over Wi-Fi
Players will be able to download the Liberty Pass event item beginning on March 6th up until April 10th of this year. This allows players to go to Liberty Garden Island in Pokémon Black and White and encounter a Level 15 Wild Victini.
Legendary BeastsRe-Distributed ViaNintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The Legendary Beasts, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, which were available at participating GAME, GameStop, and EBGames stores in January were re-distributed over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection this month for those who missed the in-store events. Raikou was distributed from the 7th until the 13th, Entei from the 14th to the 20th, and Suicune from the 21st to the 27th. These beasts were able to be downloaded a second time for players who had already downloaded them once before locally, but only if the player had deleted the corresponding Wonder Card before receiving the Pokémon in-game.
Celebi Distributed at North American and United Kingdom Stores
Beginning on the 21st of February and ending on the 6th of March, a Celebi has been and will continue to be distributed at participating EB Games and GameStop stores in North America. This same Celebi was also made available at participating GAME stores in the UK, specifically in Sheffield, London, Liverpool, Bristol, and Bedford from the 19th to the 20th of February, and in Glasgow, Brighton, Preston, London, and Reading from the 26th until the 27th. This Celebi, when transferred to Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, allows players to learn more about Team Rocket's past and have a special event battle, while in Pokémon Black and White, it will allow players to receive a Level 10 Zorua.
Ash's Pikachu Distributed At Toys 'R' Us Stores
A special commemorative Pikachu based off of the Pikachu owned by Ash, the protagonist of the Pokemon anime, was distributed at participating Toys 'R' Us stores across North America, beginning on January 30th and ending on February 13th. The Pikachu knows the moves Volt Tackle, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, and Thunderbolt, and holds a Light Ball.
General
Pokémon Black and White to feature 3DS enhancements?
In a Nintendo 3DS guide which was posted by IGN, it has been revealed that Pokémon Black and White will have "enhanced functionality" when played on the 3DS console. However, this is still not fully unconfirmed yet, as no extra information has been posted about these enhancements. Therefore, we probably have to wait for the release of the Nintendo 3DS in order to find out more about them.
Various Pokémon Black and White Location Names Leaked
While unconfirmed due to their leaked nature, various localized names of locations in Pokémon Black and White have been leaked onto the internet. Click on the heading to go to the corresponding thread with the list, and then on "Show Spoiler" in order to view the names.
Pokémon Video Game Championships Details Revealed
Some (though not necessarily all) details regarding the Pokémon Video Game Championships have been revealed. Firstly, they are to be held in San Diego, California this year, in August, and will only be conducted using Pokémon Black and White. Battles will take place under Double Battle rules, meaning even though a full team of six Pokemon is registered, only 4 of those Pokémon may be used per battle, with 2 being sent into battle at once. All Pokemon will also have their levels capped at Level 50, so that any Pokémon above this level will automatically be reduced to this level, where as Pokemon below Level 50 will remain at the same level. Finally, only Pokemon native to the Unova region may be used, meaning that none of the other 493 Pokemon in existence may participate.
Commemorative Pokémon Nintendo DSiSystems to be Purchasable
In order to commemorate the release of Pokémon Black and White, two special versions of the Nintendo DSi system will be made available for purchase beginning on March 6th from participating GAME, GameStop, and EBGames stores. There are two versions, a black and a white Nintendo DSi, and each has both Reshiram and Zekrom engraved on the front of them. Both are also bundled with their respective game (Pokemon Black is bundled with the Black Nintendo DSi, and Pokemon White is bundled with the White Nintendo DSi). Each bundle will retail for a price of $180.00
Dream World to be Launched Internationally One Month After Pokémon Black and White
Joel Simon, Nintendo of America's localization coordinator, revealed in a recent interview that, for international players, the Dream World will be made available one month after the release of Pokémon Black and White. This is due to the massive server demands that were required upon the Japanese release, so much so that the service had to be temporarily suspended. He also commented that he expects the Dream World to be even more popular among international audiences, and that a hot spot service may be offered in the future, not unlike the Poké Power Spot initiative implemented in many Japanese restaurants and stores. On a final note, he stated that Treehouse, who translated the main series games prior to Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, will not be working on Pokémon Black and White, which will instead be translated by The Pokemon Company International themselves.
Animé
Pokémon: Black and White Premiers in the United States and "Who's That Pokémon?" Returns.
The fourteenth season of the Pokémon animé has premiered on February 12th, 2011 on Cartoon Network with a one-hour special featuring the first two episodes, "In the Shadow of Zekrom!" and "Enter Iris and Axew!". Pokémon fans were surprised when they saw that the "Who's That Pokémon?" concept has returned in the new season after many years of absence. The first episode featured Pidove, while the other featured Oshawott.
Second Pokemon Movie to be Released in 2011
For the first time in the history of the franchise, and Japanese animé as a whole, a second movie has been announced to be released on July 16th alongside "Victini and the Black Hero: Zekrom" (Victini to Kuroki Eiyū: Zekrom), to be entitled "Victini and the White Hero: Reshiram" (Victini to Shiroki Eiyū: Reshiram). In addition to this, the Japanese online sports newspaper, Nikkan Sports, posted a brief summary of the movies, which translates as follows: "The protagonist, Satoshi and his Pikachu are competing in the harvest festival battle held in Eind Oak, the place where the People of the Earth Live. The story remains the same, until they meet the mysterious Pokémon Victini. However, the Legendary Pokémon will differ between the two movies. The "Black Hero" features Zekrom, who first appears when it recognizes a human in pursuing "ideals", and in "White Hero", Reshiram is featured, appearing after recognizing a human in pursuit of "truth". The "Pikachu the Movie" logo has also been updated to include "DUAL", reflecting the simultaneous release of the movies.
Contest to be Held For 2011 Pokémon Movies
Japanese Pokémon fans will be able to vote for any of the 153 Pokémon native to Unova, Pikachu, or Meowth to be distributed to their games beginning on June 15th. In addition to this, children will be able to draw their own version of a poster for either movie, with the winning entrant having their poster featured in the respective movie, along with having a small voice role in the movie itself.
Theatrical Victini Distribution Details Revealed
More details have been revealed regarding the Victini to be released at screenings of the upcoming theatrical Pokémon movies this year. Besides knowing V-Generate, as revealed previously, it will also possess knowledge of the move "Ball of Flame", a Fire-type move with Base 100 power, and a 30% chance of burning the target. The Victini will also be holding a Fire Jewel, will come in a Cherish Ball, and will have the brand new "Wish Ribbon".
TCG
Online TCG simulator to be released.
A new, online, flash-based TCG simulator called "Pokémon Trainer Challenge", which aims to teach people how to play the TCG, will be released around the month of April. It will allow players to use a couple of preconstructed decks against computer opponents, but will not allow for battles with friends over the internet. Moreover, most cards which are available for tournaments will not be included.
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Featured: An interview with Cat333Pokémon
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Written and conducted by Shadow
As we've promised last month, we carried out an exclusive interview with our Lead Admin, Cat333Pokémon, during the course of February. The interview covered various aspects related to Cat (as he's commonly called), namely the forums, Pokémon in general and even his personal life. We're pleased to announce that the interview was met by Cat with great enthusiasm and interest, which is evident from his extensive replies to the questions. So without any further ado, here is the special interview with our Lead Admin!
Forum questions
1- How and why did you come up with the idea of creating Victory Road?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
It all started in the autumn of 2006. For the years prior to that, the only two forums I really visited were GameFAQs, a massive general gaming site that I originally visited for game tips and walkthroughs, and Acmlm’s Board, a forum dedicated to Super Mario World hacking; I had only really posted on GameFAQs. Around the time Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue came out, I was interested in a little project someone had started: a Wonder Mail code generator, and I joined the small forum the creator had started to talk to others about it. After spending some time there, I decided I could give forum administration a shot and headed to Forumer to create my own free forum and get started. After all, Mario Minus World—the original name for Floatzel.Net—needed a proper forum. I let the forum die after it received a couple posts.
It was not until 2008 that I decided to try again after spending some time co-administrating the Mario Paint Hangout. I re-opened MMW Forums and renamed them after the new site’s name, Buizel.Net. And from there, the story was written.
2- What do you think of Victory Road's evolution from a small forum to a well-sized community?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
I honestly didn’t think it was possible. I figured I would have a small little group, less than a dozen active users, on the site for a while before finally closing up doors and giving up. Buizel.Net was just a little fan site with a couple affiliates and a few other friends from school. As I developed some stuff for the site, migrated over to a self-hosted phpBB forum, and eventually built up a well-sized community, I still could not fathom having over 100,000 posts on the site, even after I had later moved to vBulletin. Looking back, it has been an amazing two and a half years since re-opening it. I’ve made so many wonderful friends in the time, so I’m very glad to have invested in it.
3- Do you get any external support and encouragement (such as from a family member) in maintaining Victory Road?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
In some ways, yes, I would say that I do. I get encouragement from a few friends and a couple family members, mostly “good job” and “lookin’ good.” It’s not much, but I’m glad to hear it.
4- Are you currently happy with where Victory Road stands, or would you like some things to change?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
Hmm, that is not an easy question. I am glad to know that the site has been successful, but there have been things I wanted to change throughout the years. For instance, I sometimes wish I had stuck to my guns with various ideas I had, such as maintaining a serious attitude at all times or spending more time browsing the forum. But alas, I cannot change the past, so I’ll have to look to the future for upcoming site changes, which does look bright.
5- Can you give us a 'sneak peek' at what we might expect from Victory Road in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
At the moment, there are only two projects I can give a sneak peek on. One of them is VRIM (Victory Road IM), the successor to VRC. Take a waltz over to http://vrim.victoryroad.net to see how it currently works. Many more features are going to be added as time goes on. Many thanks to FreezeWarp for all the work he has provided so far! The other is the Pokékaki, also known as the Floatzel.Net Oekaki. I’ve got quite a few plans with that, such as adding the Shi-Painter applet and commenting, but that will have to wait for VRIM to be ready for release. Just be prepared for quite a few surprises!
Pokémon questions
1- How did you first get into Pokémon, and at that time, did you already know or feel it would continue to be a big part of your life in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
Well, I heard about the series in 1998, when it was just coming to the United States. At first, it didn’t really interest me as I wasn’t really someone to catch onto fads. “Oh, it’s another ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ or ‘Batman’ thing,” I thought. I kind of ignored it and continued my interest in other television shows, such as ‘The PowerPuff Girls.’ By late 1999, the kids at school were starting to get me seriously interested in the series, as I was obsessed with animals. I started learning names: Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff… As I learned more of the names, I found out I was more interested in the furry, scaly, and feathery creatures than any of the other assets of the Pokémon World. I also started to watch the show on occasion while being babysat before school. It was on early enough that I would usually get first dibs on the TV. I became engrossed by mid-2000 and started collecting the cards. Until summer of 2003, and starting again from autumn of 2006, Pokémon had continued to be a very important part of my life.
In the winter of 2000—that’s around January—I started thinking that it could have been a lifelong interest. Of course, that was one of those typical childhood thoughts, so I am not sure at the moment whether or not I was being generous. I can safely say I couldn’t see myself doing anything more than playing around with the franchise’s bits like the video games and cards, though.
2- What do you have to say to people who look down on Pokémon, for the stereotypical reason of it supposedly being "childish" or otherwise, regardless of their age?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
Pokémon may have a lot of negative connotations held against it, but it is a lot more than as it appears on the outside. I partially blame the anime for its childish appearance, though. Hehe, then again, the anime is specifically aimed towards younger audiences. It’s the video games that are designed more for the older audiences. As children grow up with the series, it can teach them new things and allow them to formulate strategy for competing against their friends, which develops social skills as well as intellect. Newcomers can easily enjoy the series without a steep learning curve and have fun, so anyone can easily pick up a Pokémon game and not be too confused at first. From my experiences with Victory Road, I can certainly say that it brings a very wide range of ages together, from the young teenagers to those in their upper twenties.
3- Would you like your main career in the future to involve Pokémon in some way? Why or why not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
It likely will not, but it would be awesome if it did. I will probably be doing some form of computer programming, possibly for a company. I honestly don’t know much with certainty, so I cannot say.
4- Do you ever feel that Pokémon has gotten in the way or impeded you before? How so?
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Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
Yes, I have certainly felt that it is. I think Pokémon may have been at fault in the past for lower grades on schoolwork, and it has certainly kept me occupied for more time than I should have been goofing off. As for any specific incidents of Pokémon ruining something that is not scholastic, I cannot think of any.
5- What is your favourite Pokémon game out of all the ones you've played so far, spin-off or otherwise?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
I personally have a strong liking for Pokémon Black and White. The pair of games really takes a much-needed refresher to the series without leaving all the long-time fans behind. The games pit you in a new region with entirely new Pokémon with all-new abilities and moves, requiring new strategy rather than sending you through the fiftieth cave with Geodude. However, when you clear the main game, you can continue exploring and regain the ability to use classic Pokémon from the last four generations. I really loved playing through Black; it was like a nostalgia wave, except the kind that actually is healthy.
Personal questions
1- Can you share one of your favourite childhood memories with us?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
I do eventually want to share my life story with Pokémon, which all of two people will probably read, and which I have not finished writing, but I would like to pick out one of my earliest encounters with the handheld video games, because that truly is one of the fondest memories I’ve had.
Back in 2002, I had two very good friends who I spent time with. They introduced me to the world of the Pokémon main series games just after Christmas. I had bought Pokémon Silver with some of the money I received and later bought Red too. I spent much of my time with them running through the games and trading. However, it was when Ruby and Sapphire came out the following spring that I had truly wonderful times. I spent so much of my time exploring the deepest corners of Pokémon Sapphire while they explored Pokémon Ruby. Before we really experienced the Internet and its cache of rumors, we started to form our own rumors about things like Groudon/Kyogre and Mirage Island. During Spring Break of 2003, we had spent so much time on a vacation talking about the game. I still even remember writing the Braille code from the games on a bunch of index cards, trying to decode the messages encoded in the game. Ah, the joys of being brought into the Pokémon game universe…
It’s hard to say whether or not I will feel another fond memory like that again, but I can surely say that I will remember that one for the rest of my life.
2- What are your biggest fears? Did you learn to overcome them yet?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
My biggest fears…hmm…I could say that losing something I worked hard on is a big fear. I would not want Victory Road to have to shut down or lose all the work I’ve ever done on my computer. I don’t think I’ve been able to overcome that fear yet.
3- Do you have any love interest in real life? If yes, how long has it been? If no, then why not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
I do, yes, but it has only started within the last year. I prefer not to go into too much detail, but I am hopeful for the future.
4- Who are your biggest role models and why?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
I have many role models, some of which are very well-known. Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, who created and directs the Pokémon series, respectively, are among the top people. PokeRemixStudio remains a role model for excellent remixes and a standard that I strive to meet. And of course, there are my parents, especially my father. He is also a musician and a wonderful giver of advice.
5- As of February 28th 2011, how perfect do you think your life is? Has it reached a respectable level, or is it still far away?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon
I think my life is far from perfect. There are a lot of future goals I have, and going through college is not easy. I don’t think it will ever be perfect, but a “respectable level” might not be too far off. Between Victory Road, schoolwork, and trying to work in enough sleep, I think I at least get enough time to relax.
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The Game Corner
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Written by The Spirit of Time
Welcome to ‘The Game Corner’ of the Victory News! Here, you will enjoy multiple forms of games that will ensure a total atmosphere of fun. Not only will you get a chance to play these games, we also made sure that the winner will be receiving interesting prizes. But before we start with the game, please have a look at some of the rules and procedures:
• This section is administrated by The Spirit of Time. In other words, once you complete the game, you send your answer in a form of a private message (PM) to him.
• All solutions must be submitted before the 25th of the upcoming month. As an example, for this issue’s game, the solutions must be sent before the 25th of March.
• The winner will be chosen from those who got the solution right by choosing his name blindly from a pile of papers.
• The prize is a unique adoptable that you will know about in the next issue.
Now that we are done with these boring rules, let us have some fun! This issue’s game is composed of 10 questions related to Pokémon. If you think you are a good Pokémon trainer, then try to get them all right! Here we start:
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1. What did Ash take from Misty in the first season that she still wants him to replace?
2. What is the move that has no type?
3. Which move in the game has the highest priority?
4. Which is the heaviest Pokémon?
5. Who is the Frontier Brain in Platinum/HeartGold/SoulSilver who also happens to be an Elite Four member in Black & White?
6. Which legendary Pokémon are always female?
7. Who are the champions that appear in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver?
8. Which types weren't introduced in Gen I?
9. What is the most useless move that does nothing?
10. Who handed in Pikachu to Ash as a starter?
Please remember to submit the answers to The Spirit of Time during the course of the upcoming month. We hope that you will enjoy this issue's Game Corner!
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Conclusion
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With all the effort put into February's issue, our journey ends here. We are all waiting for the next month to pass so that we can present another issue of the Victory News to you. Next month should be an energetic month, and again, we promise you a new section which will be added in the next release. Until then, we hope that you guys will enjoy playing Pokémon Black & White!
It is the month of March; the month which was celebrated by Pokémon fans worldwide due to the release of Pokémon Black and White. Here in Victory Road, we wish all the fans and players an enjoyable time while playing any or both of these two games.
As for us, the Victory News staff, we have celebrated the release of Pokémon Black and White with three major additions apart from the usual articles. First of all, as you all may have noticed, our artist A’bom, with the help of The Spirit of Time, was able to finalize a suitable theme to match the release of Pokémon Black and White. The second thing is that LiteTheIronMan has made an extensive review of the games in the "Featured" section to establish a suitable grade for them, so be sure to check it out. Finally, a new section called Pokémon Pick, which is administrated by Alakazamaster and Ditto616, has been added. It will deal with reviewing one Pokémon from many different aspects and angles, including in-game data and competitive analysis. It is definitely an informative section which aids in improving your knowledge about Pokémon, so we are confident that you will like it.
As you can see, we have put a lot of effort into this month's issue to make it special. Therefore, we hope that you will enjoy the current issue of the Victory News!
-The VR Newsletter Staff.
Forum News
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Written by Shadow
Other than the forewarnings of the scheduled downtimes, two important changes took place in the month of March: the ‘Serious’ board has become open for all members, and the staff rank bars have been revamped in celebration of Pokémon Black and White’s release. Both of these changes were well-received by the members, but I’ll leave you to read more about the forum happenings below:
Serious board open for all
Previously, the ‘Serious’ board used a sign-up mechanism to admit members into posting in it. This was to prevent any unwanted members from accessing the board and not complying with its image. However, after much discussion among the staff members, the general consensus was that making it public for all members would be a better approach to it; in this way, they will not have to go through a long process just to gain access to the ‘Serious’ board, therefore boosting activity. Although ‘Serious’ is now open for everyone on the forums, rules will be strictly enforced on any member who doesn’t follow the ‘Serious’ board rules. This includes a high-point infraction and, in severe cases, a temporary ban from the forums. We want everyone to post in ‘Serious’ and make it active, but we also want to maintain an appropriate image for it.
Before starting to post in ‘Serious’, remember to carefully read the rules and comply with them.
New staff rank bars
The staff members got their rank bars revamped in observation of Pokémon Black and White’s release. The former bars, which featured various characters from Gen IV, have now been changed to exclusively match the 5th Generation theme; this includes the addition of many new characters’ sprites as well as a grayscale background, which is a combination of the colours black and white. On top of that, a new rank called the VRIM (Victory Road Instant Messenger) Staff has been created for the members responsible for moderating the VRIM - GreenMan, JC, and Shade. These changes act as a precursor to the further changes which will take place in the future regarding Pokémon Black and White’s release.
Here’s a full list of the new staff rank bars:
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Red - Lead Administrator, controls all aspects of Victory Road and manages all moderation on all of Victory Road. Maroon - Administrator, controls some aspects of Victory Road and manages all moderation on all of Victory Road. Green - Global Moderator, manages moderation on all of Victory Road. Blue - Assistant Moderator, manages moderation on some of Victory Road. Teal - Site Staff, posts News and Site Articles without being moderated. They are usually signified by some separate tasks on the site as well, such as creating skins. Purple - VRIM Staff, controls and/or manages moderation on Victory Road Instant Messenger.
Scheduled downtime on March 6, 2011 and March 29, 2011
Victory Road witnessed two scheduled downtimes during the month of March; the first, which took place on March 6th, was a continuation of last month’s relocation process by HiVelocity, the site’s host, and lasted for about four hours. The second, which took place very recently on March 29, was to recreate the virtual machine for the Victory Road server to fix many of the problems on the forums, such as downtime and network latency. Hopefully, with these efforts and actions, the common issues will be minimized and/or put to an end.
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Pokémon News
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Written by AuraKshatriya
The month of March was packed with numerous revelations and news related to Pokémon Black and White as well as other general aspects of the Pokémon franchise. Since there's quite a lot to cover, I'll leave you with all the news below:
General Pokémon Black and White Released
The most prominent event for the month of March can almost unanimously be concluded to be the international releases of the Generation V Pokémon games, Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, with the UK receiving them on the 4th, and the United States on the sixth, closely followed by Australia on the 10th.
Japanese Video Game and TCG World Championships Qualifiers Cancelled
Due to the massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake which has recently struck Japan, the Japanese qualifiers for the Pokémon Video Game and TCG World Championships have been cancelled. Whether this cancellation will affect qualifiers in other parts of the world, as well as the World Championships themselves to be held in San Francisco, is as of yet unknown.
Unidentified Silhouette Discovered in Pokémon TCG Online Coding
A silhouette of what appears to be a Pokémon has been found upon sifting the coding of the Pokémon TCG Online. The silhouette was found in the navigation bar of the site's tutorial page, along with images of the starter Pokémon native to Unova. The source of the tutorial's Flash file contained no further details or information on the silhouette.
Pokémon Black and White Sell Over Two Million Copies
Pokémon Black and White, in just two short weeks, have sold over 2 million copies, shattering sales records set by their generational predecessors, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, selling 1.08 million copies on just the release day alone.
Nintendo of America's Twitter statement regarding the success is as follows:
"Thanks, Pokémon fans! You helped the Pokémon Black and Pokémon White Version games hit the 2 million sales mark in just 2 weeks!"
Global Link International Release Delayed
The Global Link, which originally had a projected release date of March 30th, has been delayed, due to the servers being based in Japan, where energy is meant to be conserved at the moment due to the recent earthquake and subsequent nuclear reactor damage. The new release date has not been determined as of yet.
Pokémon Typing DS Confirmed Release Date in Japan
A new Pokémon game, Battle & Get! Pokémon Typing DS, has been confirmed for a release date of April 21st, 2011 in Japan as per the official website. In this game, the player uses the DS' touch screen/a wireless keyboard to type as fast as they can so that more Pokémon appear. The speed and accuracy of the typing determine the type of Pokémon found in each course. It has also been revealed that special focus will be given to the Pokémon from the Unova region.
All Pokémon Black and White Unova Pokémon Names Officially Revealed
Despite the same list being leaked several times prior to the release of both games, their validity was only confirmed after a data leak from the games showed that they were in fact all true. The entire list can be found by clikcing on the heading of this segment, and includes both Japanese and English names, as well as Unova and National PokéDex numbers.
Events Dream World Eeveelutions to be Distributed Via Online Game
A new online game is now playable on Pokemon.com, entitled "Play to Befriend a Pokémon", and is a brick-breaking game that, upon completion, allows for one of the seven Eeveelutions to be downloaded from the Dream World with their respective Dream World ability, all seven of which are listed below:
The Pokémon you receive is dependent on which "orbs" you get the most of. For example, should the Umbreon orb be the orb you caught most of during the game, then you will receive an Umbreon as your prize. In order to get a specific Pokémon, be sure to strategically avoid the orbs of the other Pokémon you don't want.
Anime Voice Actors Make Appearance at Mall Tour Stop in New Jersey
Christopher Niosi, the voice actor for Khoury (and known by some as Kirbopher) along with Michele Knotz (Jessie), Carter Cathcart (James and Professor Oak), and Eileen Stevens (Iris) attended the Pokémon Black and White Mall Tour in New Jersey on March 5th, something that appears to have meant to have been entirely a surprise up until Niosi's revelation of their attendance plans.
Animé Team Rocket VS Team Plasma Pokémon Animé Episodes To be Skipped
TV Tokyo's website has revealed that the two-part special involving Team Rocket, a Kanto-native villainous organization, battling against the Unova-native villainous Team Plasma, will be skipped over, with Satoshi's ("Ash"'s) Gym Battle against Castelia City Gym Leader Arti ("Burgh") to be aired in it's place. This may be due to the damage and destruction caused to Castelia City during the episodes, as shown in the previously released preview, which would be both controversial and insensitive to the current circumstances of Japan and it's populace after the Sendai Earthquake. The exact date when these two episodes will end up being aired is, as of yet, unannounced.
Four New Animé Episode Titles Revealed
Four new titles for episodes of the Pokémon animé to be aired in the month of April have been revealed. Their titles and air dates are as follows, in list format for reading convenience:
The Scary Story of the Litwick Mansion-April 7th, 2011
The Road to Becoming a Dragon Master-April 14th, 2011
The Missing Scalchop-April 21st, 2011
The Admired Cottonee Rides the Wind-April 28th, 2011
Pokémon's Very First Blu-Ray Discs Announced
The 12th and 13th Pokémon movies, Arceus and the Jewel and Life, and Zoroark:Master of Illusions have been announced to be available on Blu-Ray disc in the future, a first for the series. These releases have so far only been announced by Magna Home Entertainment, the company in charge of the animé for Australia. The actual release dates have not yet been revealed, instead "Coming Soon! Pre-Order Now" being in the place of the date. Whether Viz Media, the company which manages the Pokémon animé in North America, will also be releasing (and re-releasing, in the case of Movie 12) these films is as of yet unknown.
New Trailer and Plot Details Revealed For 14th Pokémon Movies
A new Japanese trailer is out for the new pair of films as part of the 'Best Wishes' series: 'Victini & The Black Hero: Zekrom' and 'Victini & The White Hero: Reshiram'. These two movies are going to be released in Japan this July, and will allow you to download a special Victini. In addition to the new trailer, more information regarding the plots of the two movies has been revealed. The main antagonist, Dread Grangil, has black and white hair, and wears different costumes in the two movies because in 'Zekrom' he travels in the wilderness, whereas in 'Reshiram' he travels in a tundra. Aside from Zekrom and Reshiram being exclusive to their respective movies, it has been revealed that Gothitelle will be Dread's partner in 'Zekrom', whereas Reuniclus will be Dread's partner in 'Reshiram'. The last exclusive change announced is the presence of a different child in each movie; a girl named Sayd in 'Zekrom', and a boy named Ohdo in 'Reshiram', both of who are predicted to be linked to the main legendary Pokémon in some way.
Additional Pokémon Movie 14 Victini Distribution Details Revealed
CoroCoro Magazine has revealed how the special Event Victini for the 14th Pokémon movies will be given away. Those who reserve tickets for the movie(s) in advance, beginning as early as April 16th until August 31st, will be able to download the Victni. As previously revealed, this Victini will know it's signature move, Searing Shot, as well as the previously unobtainable move, V-create. It will also be holding a Fire Gem, and come in a Cherish Ball with a Wish Ribbon attached to it. Given the trend for a Pokémon movie to have a special Pokémon to be distributed for those who reserve tickets, and another to be distributed for anyone who actually goes to a screening of the movie, it is still a possibility that another Pokémon may be announced for distribution at said screenings within the months to come.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl to Air on Disney XD In Japan
The Diamond and Pearl series of the Pokémon animé is set to premiere in Japan on Disney XD in May, after having already been shown on it's UK, Danish, Dutch, French, Chinese, Polish, Norwegian, and Finnish counterparts. However, the exact day of May on which it will premiere is still as of yet unannounced.
Manga Name of New Pokémon Manga Series Revealed
As announced back in the month of January, a new manga was to be released in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday. This new series has recently made it's debut in the March 9th issue, revealing the title of the manga series to be Pokémon RéBURST. It chronicles the journey of a boy named Ryouga and his friend Miruto, being written by Jin Kusude, and illustrated by Mitsuhisa Tamura.
TCG Pokémon TCG Online Beta Now Available
For those not already aware, the Pokémon TCG Online Beta, or Pokémon TCGO, Beta, for short, was released on March 25th. It is an online simulator which allows players to conduct matches between themselves and other players of the TCG over the internet. The upcoming Pokémon Black and White TCG Expansion will also reportedly contain codes with the cards which will allow for their use on the TCGO. Whether this will be a permanent trend for all future TCG Expansions is as of yet unstated, though it may be inferred.
TCG Starter Tins Released
Tins for the Pokémon TCG have been released, each containing one of the starter Pokémon found in Pokémon Black and White, as was done in the early stages of release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. When purchasing it, one will also receive a booster pack containing cards such as Sandile, Pidove, Purrloin, Patrat, and Lillipip, as well as a figuring corresponding to the starter Pokémon found in the tin. The entire set will retail for $15.99 at Target stores.
Battle Strength Decks Released
The "Battle Strength Decks", new half-deck editions to the Pokémon TCG, were released on March 18th in Japan. They focus on the Legendary Musketeer Trio, comprised of the Pokémon Cobalion, Terrakion, and Verizion. Cobalion's Deck features Colourless, Metal, and Dark-type Pokémon, Terrakion's features Psychic, Lightning, and Fighting-types, and Verizion's, Water, Fire, and Grass-type. These half-decks have not yet even been promoted by The Pokémon Company International, implying that the international release for these decks isn't anywhere near.
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Featured: "Lite the Iron Critic: Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version"
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DISCLAIMER
As Dream World has not launched in the United States as of this writing, this review will not be based on nor touch upon the multiplayer modes offered in Pokémon Black and White Versions since I cannot give a full judgement on them without trying out everything they have to offer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiteTheIronMan
Where to start? The beginning. I'd think the beginning would be a great place to start.
I've been playing Pokémon since I developed basic dexterity and motor skills, but admittedly I wasn't as hyped for Pokémon Black and White as the rest of my fellow PokéFans were. I kept myself in the dark about most news and spoilers and such, so quite frankly when I walked into GameStop and picked up my copies of both games, I had no idea as to what I should expect. The answer? My favorite Pokémon games- and probably some of my favorite games of all time. Thus begins my review of the groundbreaking generation V Pokémon games: Black and White.
1. Story
Warning: Basic plot spoilers may follow. Granted you people have already played through the beginning of the game at least, but even so.
The story begins in the quaint little village of Nuvema Town. You and your childhood friends, the ditzy but sweet Bianca and the cold and calculating Bryonic hero Cheren have been given a gift by the Pokémon Professor Juniper- your very first, very own Pokémon! After orienting yourself with your new Pokémon, Professor Juniper gives you the Unova Pokédex, with which to catch and classify data on the Unova region's Pokémon. You and your friends travel to the next town over, where you witness a peculiar demonstration by a mysteriously dressed group that call themselves Team Plasma… and soon after a boy named N challenges you to a Pokémon battle, claiming to want to liberate his Pokémon "friends" from foolish trainers such as yourself! Who is N? What are Team Plasma's true motives? All of this will be revealed (and more!) on your journey with Pokémon!
Overall the story is generally the same as the previous games- the lead character defeats his/her rivals, the villainous teams, and the Pokémon League. However, these games put a unique spin on this. Your two rivals develop much much more than your more arrogant foils in the previous games (i.e. Blue, Silver) but are also much more fleshed out than your two more hasty ignorant rivals from RSE/DPP (i.e. May/Brendan and Barry). On top of that, the antagonizing team of this generation, Team Plasma, also has different motives than simply taking Pokémon from their owners. (Well, they do that, but…) They also preach a humanitarian point of view- Pokémon are not meant to be tools for humans. Although most members of the organization (such as their Grunts) are hypocritical on this subject, their leader, N, seems to actually mean it. The Pokémon League also serves a much more important role in this chapter- They're also the region's police force of sorts, protecting it from any villains such as Plasma.
The story behind B/W is still the same barebones structure as it was in the past, but the way Game Freak was able to add new muscle and skin to the skeleton of the story for these games makes it a whole new enticing adventure. Thus, I award the story a 10/10.
2. Control Scheme
B/W use the same basic control scheme as their previous titles, so I won't cover too much old ground in this review. I will, however, touch upon some added streamline effects as well as some things GameFreak has removed from the previous schemes.
Your bag retains the same layout as previous adventures- Items, Medicine, Berries, Key Items, TMs/HMs. This time, however, your PokéBall pocket is merged with your Items Pocket, which might make your bag seem a little bit disorganized. However, unlike the previous titles which had a manual sorting feature, B/W allow you to automatically sort your items. Key Items will be sorted by registrable items and non-registerable ones, Medicine is sorted by use and effectiveness, and Items will be sorted by held items, non-held items and evolution stones, and PokéBalls and their effectiveness. Y retains the same function as DPP/HGSS; Key Items can be registered in the bag for quick use. However, this is not limited to just one item- you can register up to 25 Key Items- this includes your Trainer Card, things like your Bicycle, and even shortcuts to specific pockets of your bag.
The touch screen has now been heavily modified as well- it went through major changes between DPP and HGSS and it has again. In DPP, your touchscreen was the screen where your Pokétch could be viewed. Typically, your Digital Clock was what was displayed on the screen (although I myself usually had 8-bit pixel art displayed using the Dot Artist app.) In HGSS, the Pokétch was removed in place of your PokéGear- which was basically touch screen shortcuts for your normal menu. This game, the touch screen is now host for the C-Gear- a device which keeps unique wireless interfaces open. Infrared Communications, Wireless Communications, and Nintendo WFC can all be managed through the touch screen at any given time without accessing a Pokémon Center. Unfortunately, the C-Gear doesn't have much reason to always be on the touch-screen- personally I'd much rather have easy access to my menu screens like in HGSS, or even my Pokétch apps.
The overall control scheme is the same but your main menus and bags and such have been streamlined for easier access. However, your C-Gear, although useful for wireless communications, is a bit of a nuisance and you'd probably much rather have something like other menus displayed on the touch screen. I give the improved fifth generation control scheme a 9/10.
3. Gameplay
Gameplay mechanics have also not changed much this generation- type matchups and the like haven't been altered, nerfed, or buffed any, and your main objectives in the games remain the same. The Unova Pokédex includes a grand total of 156 Pokémon added to the National Pokédex (that number includes 3 as of yet unobtainable event Pokemon) and each one of them is unique in their own way by means of stats, type, evolution, and in a few cases, version color.
Two new types of battle have been added to the metagame, however. Triple Battles consist of three of your team's Pokémon sent out against your opponent's three. Rotation battles are similar- you utilize three Pokémon in 1:1 duels. When one Pokémon attacks, both it and its opponent rotate with the next Pokemon in line. Although these new battles aren't showcased much in the main story, they should certainly keep Smogonites and other competitive battlers busy by learning new metagame tactics. New hold items, abilities, moves, and type-pairings (such as a pure Flying type legendary, the Psychic/Fire Victini, Zoroark's Illusion Ability, and Darmanitan's Zen Mode) have also been thrown into the melting pot, making for several new strategies. Personally I think that Magic Guard Reuniclus is seriously broken (and awesome) and Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin stacking is pretty scary.
The core gameplay we've come to know and love remains the same. How it's been modified this round has changed. I give the new unique gameplay mechanics a 10/10.
4. Presentation
Game Freak loves to show off what they've got. And they've got a lot.
Black and White's new environments are absolutely stunning. The cities and towns are rendered in full 3-D maps, unlike DPP/HGSS where they used psuedo-3D objects that were 2-D in actuality. This is used to create the simply awesome graphics that detail such cities as Castelia City, and the bridge that leads into it, Sky Arrow Bridge. Some places that really stood out to me in particular were Black City and the Nimbasa City Gym- the technologically modern areas looked as though they were ripped straight from Disney's TRON films. There's also certain cutscenes that were animated very well, and when they play out in game they look undeniably gorgeous. Even battles have been completely redone- every Pokémon has a fully animated battle sprite, and most if not all attacks have also been re-animated to give the effect that action is taking place.
The soundtrack this time around is also awesome. Most of the battle themes and such retain the traditional Pokémon game theme in them, but remixed heavily. Such return to the roots of the Pokémon franchise and the soundtrack are certainly very nostalgic, and also pleasing to the ears. Even the sound that plays when your Pokémon is low on health has been remixed and given its own song. Some of my favorites on the soundtrack include the Plasma Grunt battle, the red health theme, N's Farewell, and the credits song.
Both the environments and the music that plays in them are absolutely amazing this generation, and the new life breathed into battle animations are also awesome. I give B/W's presentation a 10/10.
5. Postgame
Like most Pokémon games as of, oh, let's say the third generation, Black and White have an expansive postgame after the main story is completed. Two cities (both of which are version exclusive) can be accessed after the game is completed: White Forest, a forest where you can find rare Pokémon from previous generations and battle trainers, and Black City, a large town made out of TRON lines where people can give you rare items. You can also re-challenge the Pokémon League- unlike past titles, you don't make the league the first time (spoiler, sorry.) There's also other areas you can access postgame- new parts of the Relic Castle, Marvelous Bridge, Route 15 (and the PokéTransfer Lab), Undella Town and the Giant Chasm.
Also upon beating the game, the National Pokédex is acquired, and several unique Unovan Legendary Pokémon begin appearing across the region. Combine that with the ever-extensive quest to catch them all, and you've got a heck of a lot of stuff to do. I myself will be level grinding to beat the Pokémon League again.
You can't run out of things to do in Black and White. I've tried. I give the postgame a score of 10/10.
6. Final
Pokémon Black and White now reign high among the list of my favorite video games of all time. With a compelling story and characters, new gameplay mechanics and tactics to discover, gorgeous environments and a beautiful soundtrack, and an ever-expansive postgame to look forward to, Black and White will hook you from the start and keep you playing, whether you're an old Pokéfan or a beginner to the series, and will certainly be a difficult game to put down for quite some time.
Final Grade: 98% or 9/10
Grading scale
S = 100% (I've almost never played a video game this good. And I've played a lot of good games.
A = 99%-90% (There are minor flaws in the game but they're almost unnoticable and don't take away from the full experience. A brilliant video game.)
B = 89%-80% (There are a few flaws here and there that might induce eye-rolling, but the game is very spectacular and easily manages to shine despite these.)
C= 79%-70% (There are some things in this game that could've been taken out from the final product to make it much better than what it is. It's still a decent video game.)
D= 69%-60% (There's quite a lot of flaws with this game that take away from the full experience, but it's worth at least a rental or a used buy.)
E= 59%-50% (The game feels almost rushed in design. Very poor, not very enjoyable. Probably a licensed video game.)
F= 49%-0 (This game is absolutely terrible. It's shovelware and shouldn't have been made in the first place without a proper gaming studio backing it.)
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The Game Corner
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Written by The Spirit of Time
We would like to thank all those who participated in last issue’s Game Corner. We are glad to say that this addition turned out to be a success, as the number of responders was great. We hope more participants will take place in the future!
Last issue's quiz (February 28th, 2011)
Here is the list of the questions along with the expected asnwers:
Quote:
1. What did Ash take from Misty in the first season, that she still wants him to replace? Bicycle
2. What is the move that has no type (before Gen V)? Curse
3. Which move in the game has the most priority? Helping Hand
4. Which is the heaviest Pokémon? Groudon
5. Who is the Frontier Brain in Pokémon Platinum/HeartGold/SoulSilver, who happens to be an Elite Four member in Black & White? Caitlin
6. Which legendary Pokémon are always a female? Cresselia and Latias
7. Who are the champions that appear in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver? Blue, Red, Lance, Steven and Cynthia (any three of those were marked as correct)
8. Which types weren't introduced in Gen I? Steel and Dark
9. What is the most useless move that does nothing? Splash
10. Who handed in Pikachu to Ash as a starter? Prof. Oak
Although many people answered most of the questions right, yet only one member was able to submit all the ten right answers. This fortunate member is Arceus is Epic, who will be winning a shiny Unova starter as an adoptable on Victory Battles.Arceus is Epic will be allowed to freely choose which to starter to obtain. Congratulations!
This month's quiz (March 31st, 2011)
Again, this issue’s quiz will hold ten questions. However, instead of being about Pokémon in general, this time, it is all about Unova. It is expected from loyal players of Black & White to answer the questions quite well. Here are the questions:
Quote:
1. What was the first Pokémon to be introduced from Generation V?
2. Which Pokémon always brings victory?
3. What is the city in which cargo is transported to Unova internationally?
4. Which item is only found in Black & White and is used in real life soccer games?
5. What was the item that was stolen by Team Plasma in Nacrene City?
6. What TM in Black & White used to be an HM in previous generations?
7. Where do you get your fossil in Black & White?
8.What is the number that is associated with Unova’s Pokémon Mall?
9. Which three Pokemon still need to be officially announced?
10. In which city can you play baseball?
Please remember to send your answers in the form of a private message to The Spirit of Time. You have until the 29th of April to send your answers. Good luck to all!
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Pokémon Pick
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Written by Alakazamaster and Ditto616
As you all have read in the introduction; starting from this issue, this section, which involves a deep analysis of a specific Pokémon, will continue informing you with the most precious of information. As a start, we will begin with the known Pokémon, Alakazam!
Alakazam is the Psi Pokémon, taking the number 065 in the National Dex. Being only available through evolution by trade, many players will only get the first evolution, Kadabra. Alakazam is said to have an IQ of 5000, and it’s said that it has a perfect memory. It uses its immense psychic powers to defeat its opponents and help it move its body, since its brain grows, while a normal human’s shrinks. Based on the magic word Alakazam, since psychic powers are thought to be almost magical, Alakazam is our first Pokémon Pick.
Metagame Analysis
Gen V brings Alakazam a new ability via the Dream World: Magic Guard. This ability nullifies all extra damage that does not come from attacks. That means burns and poison do nothing. It also means that Life Orb damage is nullified as well, which can give an extra boost to Alakazam’s already immense Special Attack. Here’s an example of a good set using Magic Guard.
Magic Guard Set
(Psychic? No, it’s magic!)
Ability: Magic Guard
Modest/Timid nature
252 SpA, 252 Spd, 4 HP
Item: Life Orb/Toxic Orb/Flame Orb
~Psychic
~Focus Blast
~Grass Knot/Shadow Ball
~Psycho Shock/Trick
Magic Guard should be used, since the set focuses on the ability. A modest or timid nature is best, so it can use those sweeper stats to the best of its ability. Since this is basically a sweeper set, sweeper EVs would be the best EV spread on it. Psychic is a great special move in general, especially with its high base, which is magnified by the STAB boost it gets when Alakazam uses it. Focus Blast is an excellent Fighting type move, as there are many types that Fighting is super effective to. Grass Knot provides more coverage to water and ground types, while Shadow Ball gives you the Ghost and Psychic coverage. Now, the last slot is to help out with special walls. Psycho Shock calculates damage using the attacker’s Special Attack stat and your opponent’s defense stat. This should be used with the Life Orb. Trick should be used with the Flame or Toxic orb, so you can get a status on your opponent to whittle down the HP.
Of course, Alakazam has an excellent move pool. It can support teams very well, especially as a screener. Here’s an example of a screener set.
Dual Screen
(A set fitting for DS Play)
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Timid
252 SpA, 252 Spd. 4 HP
Item: Light Clay
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Encore/Taunt
~Psychic/Psyshock
Over the generations, Alakazam has been blessed with a wide range of useful support moves. Thanks to his enormous Speed stat, Alakazam is able to take advantage of these moves to their fullest extent, most notably with defense screens. This set aims to take advantage of Alakazam's naturally high speed and access to both screening moves. Light Clay obviously is needed to give his screens plenty of time to stay up, while the third slot is reserved for getting the chance to set up. Encore is useful for stopping many Pokémon completely as they try to set up, while Taunt stops bulkier Pokémon such as Skarmory, Forretress, or Blissey. Psychic and Psyshock both offer necessary STAB, and it really comes down to personal preference.
Since day one of Red and Green, Alakazam has been a powerhouse. It is what you call top of the OU tier in first generation. This is another set that shows what kind of power Alakazam can have.
Revenge Killer
(Alakazam avenges the honor of its fallen comrades)
Ability: Magic Guard/Inner Focus
Nature: Timid
252 SpA, 252 Spd. 4 HP
Item: Choice Scarf
~Shadow Ball/ Hidden Power Fire
~Signal Beam/Trick
~Focus Blast
~Psychic/Psyshock
Ignoring Alakazam's phenomenal Speed and Special Attack would be a crime, especially when he has such an array of special moves. Rather than playing to Alakazam's vast supporting movepool, this set works with the phenomenal Special Attack and Speed stats that Alakazam has been blessed with. There are many options that Alakazam gets here, and all can be very useful. Both Psychic moves hit with massive damage, but if you pick Psycho Shock then Trick becomes a little less useful, since Alakazam gets a way to easily deal with incoming Special Walls. If Alakazam is received from the Dream World, then the Platinum-tutor move Signal Beam becomes unavailable, making Hidden Power Fire a nice alternative if one can predict a Scizor, Skarmory, Forretress, or Ferrothorn on the switch in. Focus Blast is mandatory, because of its phenomenal coverage against the Dark-types that Alakazam fears so much.
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Alakazam has been a truly interesting Pokémon as the generations have passed. From his former role as vicious special sweeper to his current more supportive role, Alakazam has changed with just about every generation. While he is not the monster that he was back in the first generation, the useful additions of Magic Guard and moves like Psyshock make Alakazam a Pokémon that should not be ignored for teams that need either a devoted special sweeper capable of taking Blissey, or a specific screener that is also capable of Taunt and Encore.
With the next issue, we promise you a Pokémon that has been born in Unova itself. Along with the already seen information, we will be presenting an in-game analysis. Please, make sure to read our article every month!
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Conclusion
We hope that you found this month’s newsletter exciting, since it really contained a variety of different articles. As usual, we promise you numerous more additions in the next issue, both from our thoughts and also from your suggestions. Since our journalist team has expanded, here's the full list of members who are responsible for working on the Victory News:
A'bom
Alakazamaster
AuraKshatriya
Ditto616
Shadow
The Spirit of Time
Before we conclude this newsletter, we would like, in the name of the Victory Road Community, to show our sympathy to all those who are suffering in Japan due to the natural disasters that struck them - we wish them a quick recovery.
And with this, our issue ends. Please enjoy your time until the next issue, but remember to take care of the chilly winter in Pokémon Black and White!
Another month passes and a new issue arrives. Nothing much happened during the month of April; it was simply a continuous enjoyment of March’s Pokémon Black and White, and an overall interest in the Dream World which was released a number of weeks ago.
We would like to apologize for the delay in releasing April's issue of the Victory News, as we were (and still are) too busy with school work. However, this month had its share of many PokéNews, some of which caused a lot of hype, and April's issue has wrapped them all up for you. The Game Corner also introduces a new game this month, so make sure to check it out.
-The VR Newsletter Staff.
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Forum News
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Written by Shadow
April has been one of the most 'quiet' months for Victory Road, which is mainly attributable to the release of Pokémon Black and White. Despite that, a particularly serious event took place towards the end of April, so please read on to find out what it was:
April Fool doesn't live up to expectations
In an attempt to fool the members of Victory Road, the Lead Admin, Cat333Pokémon, created a thread which essentially said that Victory Road would be closed due to the expensive costs of running the server. While some members fell for the fool, most of them exposed it and felt slightly underwhelmed at it, wishing that it was more believable. However, the members still got a chance to voice their opinions about Victory Road as a community if it was ever to close down. Many expressive posts were made, so it wasn't a complete let down after all!
Promotions to multiple members on the forums
With April came three promotions to members who were existing staff members before. One of them was AuraKshatriya, our very own PokéNews reporter, who got promoted to Assistant Moderator position; the second member, Furryvcxz, re-earned his Assistant Moderator position; and finally, LiteTheIronMan joined the elite Administration panel. We wish them the best of luck in their tasks, and we hope that they will live up to the staff's expectations.
An 11-year old girl gets sexually harassed in the Victory Road Instant Messenger (VRIM)
In a very unusual and shocking turn of events, five members in the VRIM's General Chat room sexually harassed an 11-year old girl, considering it a 'joke'. The five members received severe punishment in the form of long-term bans from the forums, thus portraying how seriously these situations are dealt with over here. To prevent any incidents like these from happening in the future, we would like to remind you that sexual harassment is a severe breaching of the rules and will result in a long-term ban for any member who attempts it. This includes any vulgar, offensive, inappropriate posts and graphics being made about or given to other members. The matter will not be tolerated nor treated as a 'joke' in the slightest, so please avoid this kind of behaviour.
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PokéNews
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Written by AuraKshatriya
General Pokémon Global Link Launched
On April 13th, the Pokémon Global Link was finally released being delayed twice due to the Japanese earthquake and it's resulting aftershocks. With it's release, the Pokémon Dream World also became available to players internationally.
May 14th, Seattle, WA - Washington State Convention Center, Hall 4B
May 21st, San Jose, CA - San Jose Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 2
May 28th, Dallas, TX - Arlington Convention Center, Grand Hall
June 4th, Atlanta, GA - Gwinnett Center, Hall A and B
June 11th, Washington, D.C. - Dulles Expo Center, South Hall
June 18th, Newark, NJ - Meadowlands Exposition Center
Europe
June 4th, Birmingham, United Kingdom - National Exhibition Centre, Hall 8
June 11th, Rome, Italy - Fiera Roma, Hall 12, Ingresso Nord
June 18th, Madrid, Spain - IFEMA, Hall 1, Feria de Madrid
June 25th, Paris, France - Espace Grande Arche, Parvis de La Défense
July 2nd, Cologne, Germany - EXPO XXI Köln GmbH, Gladbacher Wall 5
World Championships
August 12th–14th, San Diego, CA - Hilton San Diego Bayfront
New Pokémon Game to be Announced
Dengeki Magazine's most current issue has revealed that it will be announcing a new Pokémon game in it's May 21st issue. Whether this will be the previously mentioned (and in this case of the Wii title, rumored) Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo Wii Pokémon title said to be in development is as of yet unknown. Based on CoroCoro Magazine often revealing the newest Pokémon-related information far before other magazines, it is also plausible that the actual revelation of this new game may come even sooner than May 21st.
Nintendo to Reveal Next-Generation Home Console at E3 2011
On April 24th, Nintendo officially revealed that a home console to succeed the Wii will not only be announced, but playable via demo at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, California, which will last from June 7th to June 9th. The console was also stated in the aformentioned revelation (via press release) that the console is to be released in 2012. Rumors regarding a successor had already begun to surface on the internet in large numbers, the most commonly accepted to be that the new console is codenamed Project Café. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, with confirmation likely to come only at the Electronic Entertainment Expo itself.
Animé Multiple Additional Pokémon Blu-Ray Releases Announced
In addition to the Blu-Ray release of Arceus and the Jewel of Life and Zoroark: Master of Illusions announced last month, select Pokémon movies are set to be re-released in Blu-Ray format as per a partnership between the companies "Echo Bridge" and "Miramax". The only two movies confirmed as of yet are Pokémon Heroes and Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys, via Blu-Ray-listings on Amazon. These two movies will be re-released in North America. However, whether these will include movies 12 and 13, which have as of yet only been confirmed for Australian release, remains to be seen.
New Trailer Released for 14th Pokémon Movies
A new, full-length trailer has been released for the 14th Pokémon movies, 'Victini and the Dark Hero: Zekrom' and 'Victini and the Light Hero: Reshiram', through the Official Website. Besides showing scenes found in the previous full-length trailer and depicting Victini using what appears to be Searing Shot, as well as giving Dread Grangil a scene of dialogue, Zekrom and Reshiram have also been revealed to be able to speak via telepathy in this movie. Other scenes shown include the Sword of the Earth rising from the ground, and Victini being tortured.
Events Toys 'R' Us Holds First North American B/W Event
Toys 'R Us begun holding a distributive event on April 27th, which will continue until May 31st, being the very first in-store event for the Generation V Pokémon games. The distribution in question will allow players to receive a Pokémon Egg, specifically called the "Mystery Egg" in it's previous Japanese release last year. This egg will hatch into either a male Axew, male Pansage, or female Pidove, each representing a Pokémon belonging to the protagonists of the Black and White animé, Ash, Iris, and Cilan. Toys 'R' Us will also be selling booster two-packs with containing a random card featuring one of the aformentioned three Pokémon.
All 14th Movie Event Victini Details Revealed
All the details regarding the special Event Victini distributed in commemoration of the 14th Pokémon movies via CoroCoro Magazine were revealed. Firstly, as previously known, it will be given to those who reserve tickers in advance for the movie. Regarding the Victini itself, it will be at Level 50 and hold a Fire Gem. It will also come in a Cherish Ball, as have various other Event Pokémon, and have a Wish Ribbon attached to it. It's moveset is to consist of V-Generate, Searing Shot, Fusion Flare, and Fusion Bolt, the latter two moves being the signature attacks of Reshiram and Zekrom. It's availability begun on April 16th and will last until until August 31st. In addition, a C-Gear Skin featuring Victini will also be available to Japanese players for further commoration of the movies' premiere.
Munna C-Gear Skin Password to be Released
For those who have a Global Link account, buying a copy of the Pokémon Black and White Volume 2: The Official Unova Pokédex & Guide will provide you with a password yielding a Munna C-Gear Skin. This is the same skin which was previously made available for Japanese players last year. While the date of the promotion is currently unknown, it is plausible to conclude that it will begin when the book is released.
Porygon Evolutionary Family Event to Occur in Japan
A guidebook, to go on sale in Japan beginning on the 18th of May will allow for Japanese players to access three things. Through the use of an included serial code, players will be able to obtain a Porygon-Z C-Gear Skin, a Porygon2 decoration for their Dream World home, and be able to catch a Porygon in the Dream World with the ability Analytic. These will be available for download from the 28th of May, 2011 until the 26th of April next year. Whether the serial code in question will be the same for all games, or if each one will be uniquely generated to correspond to their specific guidebook is, as of yet, unknown.
Trading Card Game (TCG) Black and White Expansion Released
The Pokémon Black and White TCG Expansion was released on April 25th in North America. The expansion brings some new features with it. Firstly, the frame on each card is expanded to depict more of the Pokémon artwork. Special holographic prints of Zoroark, Reshiram, and Zekrom cards have also been given unique appearances, having the artwork take up the entire card. Additionally, a special code comes with select booster packs, allowing players to unlock the full version of the Pokémon TCG Online. The expansion features 110 cards, including 70 cards featuring Pokémon from the Unova region.
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The Game Corner
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Written by the Spirit of Time
Before introducing April’s game, I want to give credit to FreezeWarp, who helped a lot in the preparation of this section in terms of encoding the puzzle and providing the prizes. Therefore, special thanks to you, FreezeWarp.
As Arceus is Epic enjoys his shiny Tepig adoptable, the results of March’s quiz will be presented along with the winner, who will be receiving a shiny Zorua.
Last issue's quiz (March 31st, 2011)
Here is the list of questions along with the expected answers:
Quote:
1. The first Pokémon to be introduced from Generation V: Zoroark
2. The Pokémon which always brings victory: Victini
3. The city in which cargo is transported to Unova internationally: Mistralton City
4. An item that is unique to Black & White and is used in soccer games: Red Card
5. An item that was stolen by Team Plasma in Nacrene City: Dragon Skull
6. A TM that used to be an HM: Rock Smash or Flash
7. The place where you get your fossil in Black & White: Relic Castle
8. The number that represents Unova’s Pokémon Mall: Nine
9. The three remaining Pokémon that need to be officially announced: Genesect, Meloetta & Keldeo
10. The city in which you can play baseball: Nimbasa City
Regarding the winner, we actually had three members who successfully answered all the questions: AuraKshatriya, LiteTheIronMan and Arceus is Epic. However, there is only one winner. This winner was chosen by random out of the three names. Each name was written on a folded paper, and blindly, one paper was chosen. This lucky name is… LiteTheIronMan! Congratulations LiteTheIronMan, and better luck next time to AuraKshatriya and Arceus is Epic.
This month's quiz (April 30th, 2011)
This time, it is not a mere quiz, but a Sudoku puzzle. Enter the numbers into the puzzle and then click the 'Submit' button. Good luck to all the members!
[vframe]sudoku.php[/vframe]
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Pokémon Pick
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Written by Alakazamaster and Ditto616
For the second edition of Pokemon Pick, we have decided to discuss the competitive viability of a Pokemon added in Generation V. Choosing was difficult, but we finally decided to with the fearsome Grass-type Serperior!
Serperior is known as the Regal Pokemon and is number 497 in the NationalDex. Almost entirely exclusive to those who picked Snivy at the start of their journeys, Serperior is known for its elegant appearance and is capable of stopping foes with a single glare. Serperior takes in solar energy that is boosted internally, and becomes a powerful Pokemon when fighting truly challenging opponents. Serperior is one of the more interesting starters because of its well-distributed stats, and since it is a Grass-type it has many diverse movesets available.
Metagame Analysis
Serperior is an interesting Grass-type, because it is able to perform the duties of a typical Grass-type while still having an impressive amount of unique traits. Indeed, Serperior is one of the very few Grass-type that can use Calm Mind and actually utilize it effectively. This first set highlights just how well Serperior can perform with Calm Mind.
Offensive Calm Mind
(Foes won't be quite as calm when facing this)
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Timid
252 Sp.Atk, 252 Spd, 4 HP
Item: Life Orb
~Calm Mind
~Giga Drain
~Hidden Power Ice
~Taunt/Protect
Giga Drain may raise a few eyebrows from players, but it is key to note that Giga Drain's base power has raised to a more appealing 75, and the restoration of HP more than makes up for the slightly lower power than Energy Ball. Hidden Power Ice generally works best in terms of Hidden Powers, since it allows Serperior to hit key Pokemon such as Dragonite, Garchomp, Tornadus, Landorus, and Hydreigion, and Salamence. Hidden Power Fire may seem appealing for handling Steel-types, but it is usually easier to simply pair Serperior up with with either a Fighting-type or Magnezone to specifically take out Steel-types. The final moveslot goes to supporting moves needed for Serperior to function. Protect can be used so that Serperior can scout for potential super-effective moves, because he really can not afford to take a hit. Taunt also works fantastically, as it protects Serperiors from being phazed out or getting a nasty status affliction that could ruin his sweep.
Like most Grass-types, Serperior also has access to the insanely useful Leech Seed. While he may lack the useful priority of Whimsicott, Serperior is one of the fastest Leech Seeders available.
Leech Seed
(This set sucks! HP that is)
Ability: Overgrow
Nature Jolly/Timid
252 HP, 252 Spd, 4 Def
Item: Leftovers
~Leech Seed
~Substitute
~Glare
~Leaf Blade/Giga Drain
SubSeeding is a tired-and-true strategy that many Grass-types can utilize effectively, and Serperior is no exception. The idea is to come in on a Pokemon that is directly threatened by Substitute so that Serperior can set up Leech Seed and drain the foe's HP while stalling them out. Glare works fantastically to keep Serperior going first, with the fourth moveslot reserved as an attacking move so that Serperior is not useless upon being Taunted. Going special or physical is mostly based on personal preference, and the nature used should be used appropriately with the move. (Jolly for physical, Timid for special).
Serperior is also notable for having both Reflect and Light Screen available to it. This makes him just as good at supporting as he is at working alone.
Dual Screen
(A set fitting for DS pla- oh wait we made that joke already)
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Timid
252 HP, 252 Spd, 4 Sp.Atk
Item: Light Clay
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Glare/Taunt
~Leaf Storm
Serperior's impressive Speed stat makes him a note-worthy Screener, and he has usable defenses unlike frailer Screeners. Reflect and Light Screen are the core of the set, with Leaf Storm used for obligatory STAB. Since this Serperior will not be staying in for long after getting up screens, Leaf Storm works very well. Between Taunt and Glare, both work fantastically. Taunt is generally the better option to prevent phazers and other Taunt users, but if one intends on passing the screens over to a slower sweeper, then Glare can be a very usable option to help it get more moves in. This set works very well with Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados because of the Fire-types that Serperior so often lures in. Indeed, this screen set should be used when passing screens to Water-types, since it isn't able to effectively pass screens to all types of Pokemon.
Grass-types have been gaining the attention of competitive battlers starting mostly in Generation 3, but as time has passed they have started to get far more attention. Serperior is a very useful addition to Grass a type. The above sets have not mentioned Serperior's Dream World ability Contrary because it has not been formally introduced outside of Japan, but once it is released it will only make Serperior even more usable competitively. However, not everyone battles competitively, so we have also included a set aimed for in-game use for those who picked Snivy at the start of their adventures. By the time the Elite 4 is reached, a moveset like this can be very useful.
In-Game
(Battling competitively is not for everybody)
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Anything really
EVs: Anything really
Item: Miracle Seed/Amulet Coin
~Coil
~Leaf Blade
~Leech Seed
~Dragon Tail
Serperior's two attacking stats are both equal, which makes a physically-based set just as viable as a special set, if not more so. Leaf Blade is a very powerful move, especially since Serperior's special moves are rather limited up to this point. This set is based mostly on stall, and works phenomenally on Marshal and Grimsley because of how easy it is to set up on their leads with Coil and Leech Seed and sweep with fearsome Leaf Blades. Dragon Tail works well as a secondary move because of its phazing ability to force difficult Pokemon out.
Indeed, Serperior is as useful in-game as it is competitively, which makes him worth considering for just about anyone, especially once his Dream World ability is released. Speaking of Dream World abilities, next issue's Pokemon Pick will be focusing on a Pokemon that has found itself being picked up more often thanks to what the Dream World has provided. Be sure to check it out!
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Conclusion
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We hope that you enjoyed April’s issue of the Victory News. Just as a precursor; due to exams starting by the end of May, next issue is predicted to be of lower quality than the previous issues. We apologize beforehand about this, but we promise to work it out to the best of our abilities.
Victory News: Issue 4 Correction Notice
I would like to apologize for the inconvenience on behalf of Cat333Pokémon and the rest of the Victory Road News Staff for an error made in the recently issued newsletter.
The third item under Forum News mentions sexual harassment of a member. While we would still like members to be reminded that harassment is a very serious offense and highly inappropriate, and the incident remarked included a variety of vulgar words and phrases not suitable for the general audience of Victory Road, it was deemed to not be an actual case of sexual harassment but rather a slight exaggeration and series of jumps to conclusions by staff members. However, the activity is still against the forum rules and is not to be taken lightly.
February 1, 2011, 05:31:43 AM
Victory News Record
Red - Lead Administrator, controls all aspects of Victory Road and manages all moderation on all of Victory Road.
Maroon - Administrator, controls some aspects of Victory Road and manages all moderation on all of Victory Road.
Green - Global Moderator, manages moderation on all of Victory Road.
Blue - Assistant Moderator, manages moderation on some of Victory Road.
Teal - Site Staff, posts News and Site Articles without being moderated. They are usually signified by some separate tasks on the site as well, such as creating skins.
Purple - VRIM Staff, controls and/or manages moderation on Victory Road Instant Messenger.
