Did Pokemon XY give out too many freebies in your opinion?

[Jackygamer91]

On top of your Kalos starter Pokemon, you also get the Kanto starters, a Lvl 30 Lucario capable of mega-evolving, and a Lvl 30 Lapras (water-type) which I found made the game ridiculously easy and with Exp share you only pretty much have to train a few Pokemon and the rest will level up.

Did anyone else find this or was it just me?

 

[Bolt Strike]

That's really not that much. In terms of number, you get more in Platinum and HGSS than you do in XY. Platinum has 5 (a 4th gen starter, Togepi Egg, Eevee, Porygon, and Riolu) and HGSS has 6 (a 2nd gen starter, Togepi Egg, Eevee, Shuckle, Tyrogue, and Extremespeed Dratini), 7 if you count the Spearow that you're supposed to take to the man on Rt. 31.

The only thing that bothers me about the freebies is that you're pretty much handed a Mega Lucario, that's pretty OP.

 

[Almonds]

I wish they gave out the Kanto Starters in the post-game at the very least. I didn't like the Kanto starters being available when I'm about to go on an all-Kalos journey fresh in Kalos. I didn't want the nostalgia of picking Squirtle again so early on the game - kinda ruined the mood.

 

[Silktree]

I wish they gave out the Kanto Starters in the post-game at the very least. I didn't like the Kanto starters being available when I'm about to go on an all-Kalos journey fresh in Kalos. I didn't want the nostalgia of picking Squirtle again so early on the game - kinda ruined the mood.

No one forced you to use it. I don't see the problem.

 

[Almonds]

I wish they gave out the Kanto Starters in the post-game at the very least. I didn't like the Kanto starters being available when I'm about to go on an all-Kalos journey fresh in Kalos. I didn't want the nostalgia of picking Squirtle again so early on the game - kinda ruined the mood.

No one forced you to use it. I don't see the problem.

I wasn't forced to use it - I was forced to pick one when I didn't want one. Was it an optional event where I can just talk to Sycamore whenever I want and get the starter? No. Was it a post-game event where by then I'd want some fresh and rare low-leveled pokemons that aren't from the region? No. It was forced upon, under the excuse of nostalgia, shoving Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle right under my nose and saying 'You can't leave until you pick'.

 

[Silktree]

I wasn't forced to use it - I was forced to pick one when I didn't want one. Was it an optional event where I can just talk to Sycamore whenever I want and get the starter? No. Was it a post-game event where by then I'd want some fresh and rare low-leveled pokemons that aren't from the region? No. It was forced upon, under the excuse of nostalgia, shoving Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle right under my nose and saying 'You can't leave until you pick'.

The horror. I was bothered by the Mega Lucario battle since that actually had a lot of fanfare and felt very forced, but picking a Pokémon?

 

[Beth Pavell]

Being given pokémon is no worse than catching pokémon. You can choose to use them or not, it's no big deal. I think it was inelegant to double up on Mega-Evolution - giving you a starter that would be able to Mega Evolve and a Lucario. It would have worked better for the Kanto starters to be a post-game thing, leaving the Lucario to showcase Mega Evolution (And to be promptly boxed in my case)

As to whether it's too easy due to freebies ... yeah, maybe. Assuming you use everything you're given, including the Exp. Share then XY isn't an especially difficult game even if you're a kid new to the franchise

 

[Soki]

I never minded freebies in other games, because

1. they were eggs and/or Pokémon that you can't get anywhere else in the game;
2. you mostly get them no earlier than halfway in the game (except for Togepi in Gold/Silver/HGSS);
3. they're mostly level 5 or 1 when you get them and as you mostly get them quite late in the game you first have to train them a lot before you can use them;
4. they're mostly voluntary gifts.

I hate the freebies in XY however, because

• You get a second starter after only beating the first gym. It's level 5, but since you've pretty much just started the game and with the new exp. share you hardly have to train it to use it. Also it's obligatory to take it;
• You get a Lucario, which firstly is already level 30, secondly it's a Pokémon you can catch yourself before even challenging the first gym and finally it's sort of obligatory to take it since you can't get a Lucarionite without taking the Lucario with you too;
• You get a Lapras which is already level 30. I would have liked it more if you got it in an egg or if it was only level 1 when you get it.

 

[Almonds]

The horror. I was bothered by the Mega Lucario battle since that actually had a lot of fanfare and felt very forced, but picking a Pokémon?

It's like being dragged to a store - where you know sells none that you like or need - and being forced to pick a present you don't want. You can't leave the store until you picked something, and the person buying you the present acts like they're doing you a huge favor and expects you to be happy. Sure, you can throw away the present later, but actually blocking you from doing anything else until you picked out something? :/

 

[Zeb]

I wasn't forced to use it - I was forced to pick one when I didn't want one. Was it an optional event where I can just talk to Sycamore whenever I want and get the starter? No. Was it a post-game event where by then I'd want some fresh and rare low-leveled pokemons that aren't from the region? No. It was forced upon, under the excuse of nostalgia, shoving Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle right under my nose and saying 'You can't leave until you pick'.

The horror. I was bothered by the Mega Lucario battle since that actually had a lot of fanfare and felt very forced, but picking a Pokémon?

The point with the Kanto starters is this is supposed to be the Kalos starters time to shine. It's their debut game. But then the Professor doesn't even give you the Kalos starters himself, he gives you the Kanto starters. It's completely forced fan-pandering and they basically are trying to steal the Kalos starters spotlight. I agree with Kyriaki and I don't know why you're pulling out the sarcasm on them just because they have a different view on the matter than you, pretty immature.

 

[Silktree]

The point with the Kanto starters is this is supposed to be the Kalos starters time to shine. It's their debut game.

It is entirely up to the player which Pokémon get to shine as long as they're obtainable.

But then the Professor doesn't even give you the Kalos starters himself, he gives you the Kanto starters.

Because he was absent from the beginning of the games. Does it really matter? You don't need his seal of approval to get attached to your starter.

It's completely forced fan-pandering and they basically are trying to steal the Kalos starters spotlight.

Spotlight? All two minutes of it?

 

[Zeb]

It is entirely up to the player which Pokémon get to shine as long as they're obtainable.

You should work for Game Freak's advertising department with lines like that.

Because he was absent from the beginning of the games. Does it really matter? You don't need his seal of approval to get attached to your starter.

Of course the Professor not giving you/being present when you get the region starters and giving another region's starter matters considering it's happened in every previous game except this one where they went hardcore nostalgia. The point they were going for is obvious. It's like they just palmed off the Kalos starters to one of the cronies to make the Kanto starters reveal be bigger.

Spotlight? All two minutes of it?

It's pretty obvious what I meant by that and you know it. You're playing a game with new Pokemon, the old Pokemon shouldn't be overshadowing (or even attempting to overshadow) the new Pokemon at all, which is exactly what the Professor giving you the Kanto starters with Mega stones felt like when you reach that point. You get to that point and then it feels like "Forget that other starter! Look at these classic starters! It can even Mega Evolve!"

 

[Osprey]

I wouldn't say the freebies made the game easier because you were never required to use them. Except for that Lucario. And even then, you had the option to not take it with you. Whether the freebies "ruined the mood" or whatever's irrelevant to the question.

I'm honestly relieved that none of the pandering or freebies went into more Pikachu garbage, thankfully.

 

[Zeb]

Are the only gifts the Kanto starter, the Lucario and the Lapras? (I'm trying to remember others and can't.)

I don't think they made the games easier. It boils down to whether you chose to use them. If they made all the NPCs have low leveled teams, something you don't have a choice in, then that would obviously make the games easier. I suppose if you didn't realise the EXP Share could be turned off, that would make it miles easier but that's another topic entirely...

I didn't use (Mega) Kanto starter, (Mega) Lucario or Lapras on my team (don't see how Lapras could make it easier really, it's not like it's super powerful but the others with Megas are a different story) so maybe my opinion is invalid here.

 

[skyradiant]

The only freebies I thought were unnecessary were the Lucario and Lapras, although the former has the justification of being an intro to Mega Evolution more than anything else.
As for the Kanto starter: Guys, just pick one, shove it into the PC, and never bother with it again. Hell, release it if it bothers you that much. It's not like the game's forcing you to use one.

 

[Zeb]

As for the Kanto starter: Guys, just pick one, shove it into the PC, and never bother with it again. Hell, release it if it bothers you that much. It's not like the game's forcing you to use one.

If this is referring to me, I did do just that. I wasn't arguing about having to pick one or being forced to use one, as it's pretty damn obvious you can just pick one and dump it in the PC. I was arguing that the circumstances under which they were given felt ridiculous and shouldn't have been done... but then BlackOsprey just said that that's not relevant so I moved on to the actual topic because I didn't want to drag the thread off topic :x

Anyway I'm out, I've said my bit :x

 

[jayrachi]

Lucario was given to the player to force them to learn how to use Mega Evolution and otherwise try to make it difficult to pass that point without using Mega Evolution, it was there to teach the player about the new concept before they proceeded. Lapras was in case the player had no other Pokemon that could Surf. Both of these gift Pokemon had a reason for existing.

I can agree with the Kanto starters, though. I figured they'd be a reward for beating the Elite 4 or something. If you're going to gift the player a Pokemon it might as well be earned. I think that Nintendo put them in entirely for the nostalgic "Gen Wunners" who always complain about the design of new Pokemon - if they found themselves disliking the new Gen 6 Pokemon and starters, it would be relatively painless as they went through Viridian Forest lookalike and soon receive one of the Kanto starters. That's a problem of a developer trying to please too many people, I think.

 

[Peridorito]

I don't think the freebies make the game super easy or anything. For the Kanto starters to mega evolve, you need to evolve them to their final form. Lapras isn't even OP or anything, it's just there so you can see the cool 3D model when surfing on it. As for Mega Lucario, taking it is optional. And you don't need to mega evolve it in battle, so you can stick around with a non-op Lucario if you want.

ORAS is actually easier in that regard because you get a free Mega Latias/Latios as a gift.

 

[~ Blazing White Yang]

The only one that really bothered me was Mega Lucario. The scenario was completely forced.

"Oh, it has a powerful bond with you! Even though it just met you, and I'm the one who raised it!" Huh?

I caught and raised a Riolu of my own from the ground up, game. What are you on about? lol.

 

[jayrachi]

^To be fair, I could see us getting it from the first time we encountered her Lucario. I just kind of assumed it was interested in us because of our aura, which seems to typically explain why Lucarios do anything.