Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are 2022 anime video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo Switch. They are the first installments in the ninth generation of the Pokémon video game series. They were announced in February 2022 and released on 18 November 2022.
The games later received a downloadable content (DLC) expansion pass storyline, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. The first part, The Teal Mask, released on 13 September 2023, and the second part, The Indigo Disk, was released on 14 December 2023. A post-game expansion, Mochi Mayhem, considered the epilogue to the DLC and the games themselves, released on 11 January 2024.
Unlike previous Pokémon installments, Scarlet and Violet take place in the Paldea region, which is based on the Iberian Peninsula and features an open world. There are three separate stories the player can complete.
Scarlet and Violet introduce 120 new Pokémon, along with two new regional forms and time-displaced creatures known as Paradox Pokémon. It also introduces the Terastal phenomenon, which allows a Pokémon to transform into its exclusive “Tera Type”. The games maintain features from previous modern Pokémon games, including large open areas and Pokémon appearing in the overworld.
The games were developed immediately following the release of their predecessors, Pokémon Sword and Shield. Developers at Game Freak wished to incorporate a new art style with the games, incorporating a more realistic world design while maintaining more stylized character designs. Models and animations for species of Pokémon were re-done from prior games to fit in with this new artistic style.
Scarlet and Violet were leaked multiple times prior to their release, resulting in information about the games becoming known in the months leading up to their release. The games received mixed reviews from critics, becoming the lowest-rated mainline games in the series.
The games were praised for various different aspects, while their graphics and technical problems at launch received criticism. The games sold over 10 million copies in their first three days, making them Nintendo’s biggest launch of all time, and 26.38 million copies by December 2024.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet largely follow the same basic gameplay structure of previous Pokémon games, where players obtain creatures known as Pokémon, primarily through catching and trading, and use them to explore the world and battle other Pokémon trainers. However, a new feature has been added which allows players to choose to battle trainers on paths.
The games introduces 112 new Pokémon, including three new starter Pokémon, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, which act as the first Pokémon players can obtain in-game and two new Legendary Pokémon, Koraidon and Miraidon, who accompany players throughout the games.
Scarlet and Violet have open worlds, which include both urban areas and open wilderness without borders between the two, unlike previous installments in the Pokémon series.
Players can use either Koraidon or Miraidon, depending on the games’ version, as a mount in the overworld, allowing access to several tools that can be used to traverse Paldea’s terrain.
Players can also use a new “Auto Battle” feature, allowing them to send out their Pokémon in the overworld and defeat Pokémon without having to enter turn-based battles. In addition to this, players are given the option of participating in three different story routes, and objectives within routes can be done in any order.
The three routes each have different gameplay styles. The first route, Victory Road, has players attempting to defeat Pokémon Gyms, a recurring goal in the series, to obtain a badge from each “Gym Leader” after defeating them in battle. Gyms can be fought in any order, unlike prior entries in the series.
Once eight badges are obtained, players can battle the Elite Four and their Champion, Geeta. The second route, Path of Legends, involves players attempting to hunt down massive and powerful “Titan Pokémon” in order to defeat them and obtain Herba Mystica items.
The third route, Starfall Street, has players attempt to defeat a villainous organization consisting of rebellious students called Team Star. Players must defeat a set number of Team Star members within a time limit before proceeding to battle with their base leader. Players are tasked with defeating five of these Star Bases in order to encounter the route’s final boss. Once all three routes are completed, players unlocks a fourth and final story route, which resolves the games’ main story.
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