Pokemon XY Demo in Seoul, Korea

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안녕하세요! Annyeonghaseyo!

 

I had the great pleasure to experience the demo of Pokémon XY here in Seoul, Korea. Nintendo was showcasing it at the COEX mall located in the Gangnam area. I arrived on one of the final days of the showcase, which initially lasted about a month. I arrived that afternoon expecting huge lines and a packed crowd, but to my surprise I only saw a handful of people checking it out. I didn’t even have to wait in line, I got to jump right in and play. Most of the people there had their 3DS’ out to get their promotion Pokémon (I think it was Eevee, Liepard and Gabite. I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to the Pokémon they were giving out. I was there only for the new game!).

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I was quite surprised by the lack of crowds.

So instead of writing a big long paragraph about my thoughts regarding the demo, I have decided to section it out for ease of use. While most of us have seen demo videos and feedback, this is just my personal opinion of the time that I was able to play.

Layout/Controls

Being the first 3D Pokémon game, I was a little nervous at the fact that Game Freak was treading in some unknown territory with the series. However, I was quite impressed with the overall layout and fluidity of the game, particularly with the 3D layout. The controls felt natural and, while the walking was a little slippery, it responded well to my commands (for a demo, at least). I wasn’t allowed access to any particular menus other than the battle and Pokémon Ami menu. I did think that the menu for Pokémon Ami was a bit confusing and unresponsive to my commands, but I think that was due to A.) me playing a demo and B.) not all of the features were allowed to be accessed. Riding on Gogoat felt pretty normal to me as well (a definitely step up from the recent bicycle controls).

Graphics/Sound

GameFreak made a great 3D game. Visually it was extremely appealing and it was great to see all of these fantastic Pokémon really come to life. After playing this, I don’t think that they could ever go back to a 2D installment to the series. What I really did enjoy were the battle animations. They weren’t horrendously slow like in the BW entries, but they weren’t lightning fast, either. The pace was steady and it kept me from being bored of the same battle animations. I can’t say how long that would last as I only got to play for maybe 10 minutes, but so far I wasn’t irritated by the long, repetitive battle scenes.

The sound was typical of any Pokémon game. I just hope that one day it will be fully (or partially) voice acted. /swoon

Gameplay

Aside from the updated 3D models, it’s what you would expect from a Pokémon game. The battles are quite straight forward as they normally are. I didn’t get to experience sky or swarm battles, which I’m sure would mix things up from the usual Pokémon style of fighting that we all know and love. The mega evolution bit of the game was easy to use and added an extra spin to the fight. I wish that I had been able to see the stat changes of my Mega Mewtwo to see how it’s affected. However, a Thunderbolt put a level 100 Dragonite at half health. I don’t know if super effective/resistances were working during this demo, but I thought it was still quite a bit of damage! There wasn’t much gameplay aside from walking around, fighting and catching Pokémon, so I didn’t get to do too much. If you’ve played Pokémon before, you won’t be unfamiliar with the style.

Here are some of the pictures I took! I didn’t get to take many because some of the representatives told me I had to put my camera away, but I did manage to sneak a few more (although their quality is questionable). They were also displaying some of the new 3DS models (including the new Animal Crossing one). It makes me want to get a promotional 3DS XL!

Overall, I was quite impressed with the demo and was glad I was able to participate! However, my only gripe is that the demo was far too short. It would have been nice to test out some other Pokémon and participate in one or two more trainer battles. Also, I think that adding sky and/or swarm battles would have made if much more interesting.

 

And, last but not least, a video of the demonstration!

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684 thoughts on “Pokemon XY Demo in Seoul, Korea”

  5. Last public warning from me. ANYONE posting comments going for “First”, “Second”, or any other value will get a strike. Two strikes and yyyyyyoouuuuuuuuuuuu’re out!

    Reply

  8. i hate the people who always hate the comments that we love to read!! @Afarr:disqus always put good comments and I like to read it and when I want to talk or when I want to reply his comments he always stay there to reply us

    Reply

  12. Ahh I didn’t even notice that another article was up! 🙁 I was posting stuff on the Smash one and no one was responding…

    Well anyways, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  13. Thanks for the article & pictures I really enjoy reading/hearing peoples experiences at the XY Demo. As for the speed of battles I’ve never noticed if there slow or not ever! I guess I must have the ability unaware. As long as the moves/Pokemon look amazing in 3D I could care less xD

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    • Oorotto’s English name. That’s all I want. I hate using Japanese names because I get so used to saying their Jap names while playing the English game.

      Reply

  26. Are you all like 4 or something… There is no such thing as friends on the Internet. I cN’T VISIT this site anymore because of your stupid childlike commets.. DO YOU LIVE IN THIS SITE? WHY DO I ALWAYS SEE YOU HERE???? AFFaaaaaaaarrr

    Reply

  30. You know people who try to put people down are just ridiculous god or whatever you believe in didnt put Afarr here to be made fun of by a random

    Reply

  31. I’ve gotta go, but lemme just say I think the best thing to do from now on is ignore Randy. Downvote his comments and flag them. I can see now replying to him will just create a lot of spam and get us off topic, so I’m not gonna reply and feed the troll anymore.

    Take care everyone 🙂 CoroCoro is almost here 😀

    Reply

  46. Okay, I guess we need some sort of guidelines.

    If you want to randomly talk, do that in the official forums: http://www.mountmoon.net. The comments are for meaningful discussion only. We’ll put up a post tomorrow. I’m going to bed now, and everyone who manages to annoy will get permabanned, no sarcasm.

    Reply

  48. @Afarr I think that you should change your avatar. I don’t know how but I’m sure you do. It looks grumpy and unfriendly (as Thorton is) which is the complete opposite of what you are. It just suggests unfriendliness for some reason. I could get a smiling one for you by this time tomorrow if u want.

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  51. Speaking of demos, the X/Y demos that were supposed to be at the Nintendo Experience Tour weren’t there this weekend in Michigan, went there yesterday/today. Not sure if they are going to have the demos at the future tour sites or not. Only positive is that I spoke with the Nintendo Representative there and convinced her to start a contact list for all the people who had drove a long way to play the demo. Hopefully we get some sort of apology from Nintendo.

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  54. When I was in Seoul, I was surprised to get only 2~3 Korean street passes in a week (had like 3 from foreigners), kinda surprised they have 3DS events there

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  55. It rains so much where I live that you would have thought Kyogre lives in my backyard. I’m not exaggerating, I wish Rayquaza could live here instead. I need that Airlock ability.

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  59. Have you guys realized that we have only 6 weeks until X and Y are released, and we’ve only seen 30 or so Pokemon? If we are going to get over 100 or so like previous generations, they’re going to have to pile it on us quick. They literally can’t hide forever; the leakers might beat them to the punch.

    Reply

        • Corocoro is the monthly Japanese magazine that release news for Pokémon games and other Japanese stuff. There’s usually I think 3-4 pages full of Pokémon stuff, but last time there were 6. And since were expecting this one to be the last one before X and Y, we’re expecting a lot of information on the game. However, there might be another one in October right before the game’s release.

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    • They’ve only released 30 Pokemon? That’s what you’re complaining about? Ever considered that they’re saving the rest of the 100+ Pokemon for when the game actually releases? So we could, I don’t know… ENJOY the game and not know everything about it?? What’s the point of buying or even playing a game when you already know everything about it?

      Reply

      • Whoa buddy, I’m not complaining about anything. It’s just that eager fans want to, you know, organize our teams and pick what version we want because of exclusives. This conversation could go both ways.

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        • i see where he’s coming from though. We’re waiting less time for a new game than we usually have to…so why not wait for the game to come out to see the pokemon? It’s a balancing factor. And I mean, they arent gonna release everything…..I know for me it takes the fun out of the game if I already have a team devised before the game even comes out

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          • It’s not that I want to learn absolutely everything about the game; I just want to know the Pokemon for the sake of knowing. In fact, I want to know about the new Pokemon more for the metagame than the game itself; I enjoy the trivia that comes with each addition. Let’s just put this aside and look ahead to what will be shown; at least a few new ones and some Mega Evolutions.

        • Maybe I came across as being rude, which I’m not. I want to know what I am going to have on my team too,
          But
          For the sake of enjoying the game, it’s not gonna happen. It makes no business sense for Gamefreak neither.

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  60. So cruel if X and Y was just April Fools joke or a joke. Cause they started releasing legit info around that time. Maybe the first vid they showed was just something they put together. i would cry

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  64. Keep seeing alot of people saying it’s Junichi Masuda on Smash next week but it’s not him, it’s Morimoto, but it will still be good. 😀

    I’m also surprised at how many people want 15-20 pokemon revealed in corocoro, does no one want and pokemon to be left as a surprise until you actually play the games?

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    • I don’t want that much Pokemon revealed in CoroCoro, that’s too much. I want to find a lot on my own. But other than what we know will be in the next CoroCoro (Fairy type chart, some new Pokemon and some new Mega Evolutions), what I want to know most is if there’s a transfer method in X and Y that will allow you to bring Pokemon from Gen 5. If I remember correctly, didn’t CoroCoro go over the transfer method for Black and White?

      Reply

      • Yeah, I want alot left as a surprise. I’d be happy with the same amount as last months issue; 6 Mega Evolutions and about 3 brand new ones, I’d love them to show off a Rock, Ground and Ice type coz we haven’t seen any of these yet and would be a nice touch. The Fairy type chart is exciting as well.

        Just 40 days till release people, we can all do it!

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        • Let the next 40 days be the 40-day storm (Lugia and Biblical reference) of speculations, hopes, and expectations to wait our appetite for its release.

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    • I would at least like a dex leak thats real like right before the launch say oct. 11th 🙂 gives me a reason to talk to random people at.midnight release

      Reply

      • I want to know how big the Coastal, Central, and Mountain Kalos Pokedexes are. A Pokedex so large they split it into three mini-regions must be huge.

        Reply

    • I agree. I’ll admit when BW came out i looked at all the pokemon to see which ones i might be interested in but i didnt make a team. I dont like doing that before I even get the game

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    • I want him to talk more about other features like new battles or type chart or something not having to pokemon/mega pokemon. And I really want surprise that’s why I don’t want him revealing starter evos/mega evolutions or even new pokemon.

      Reply

  66. Here’s a question do you guys prefer the Pokemon bieng a surprise or get your team ready? I’m carious to see who thinks what.

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    • I want it to be a surprise because I’ve never experienced being surprised by a pokemon I’ve never seen before. I’m not old enough to have played RBY firsthand, and when I started playing pokemon in Gen. 3, I looked up every existing pokemon, so no surprises there. I was spoiled in Gen. 4 by Marriland. Serebii killed Gen. 5. I just want a few pokemon to discover on my own.

      Reply

    • I prefer my 1st game play to have the surprise. I realized that I’m going to restart anyways after finishing my first run because there are probably many secrets I’ve skipped.

      1st run: to know plot and general info

      2nd run: find hidden secrets and be a little experimental by using things I haven’t tried.

      3rd run: create the perfect team

      Reply

    • Since I usually end up training pokes afterwards, the Playthrough doesn’t really leave me with useful pokes. So anything is fine..

      Reply

  67. This is my first game without knowing all the Pokemon. I had emerald and had sceptile. Black I got it about 3 months before the release of black and white 2 this is my first game without knowing all the Pokemon so why spoil myself.

    Reply

    • Same here, I spoiled myself in RSE, DPPt, BW, and BW2. I knew waaay too much before their release. That’s why X and Y are my anticipated pokemon game of all time.

      Reply

          • I discovered Serebii around 3rd-Generation when I was looking up Pokemon websites! I played R/B/Y/G/S/Cr on Emulator because my older brothers never let me play! (Sucks to be the youngest). Yet, I played the other Pokemon games and own hard copies of them!

          • I start to feel old ._. Only game I started “unspoiled” was … Red. On a GameBoy. You know, a real one. It was bigger than me XD I can’t imagine to start with FireRed o_o” You are all so Young D; Enjoy it, really. I’m serious.

          • Yea! I’m 13! (Yet, I’m in High School because of Australia Schools are different before I moved to the US.) My brother still have the older copy! It doesn’t work because the inside battery died! Later on in the future, sell the hard copy of Pokemon Red! You will get a lot of money! $200+

          • I discovered serebii when i played Diamond too. I wouldnt have even known about platinum coming out if it wasnt for serebii. Like seriously, my body wouldnt have been ready

      • Lol I didn’t even know there were sites like serebii and such on the Internet until a month before gen 5 was released (I have had pokemon sense red).

        Reply

    • I may be one of the few people who STILL enjoy something even after being spoiled. I spoil myself to see if the game is to my liking because being a college student I don’t have alot of money to waste.

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  68. My approach to new Pokemon generations is that I always want to know as many Pokemon as possible beforehand but NOTHING about the story line (ie which pokemon gym leaders have, the evil team’s goal, the elite four etc). My goal in pokemon is always to catch them ALL so I don’t pick teams rather I like knowing pokemon beforehand just to see all the new pokes I will be catching and any old pokemon that get evos or preevos

    Reply

    • Well for me I kind of spoiled myself with black and white (I just looked up all pokemon and gym leaders and elite 4), but when I got the game, i thought it wasn’t as fun as it could of been if I didn’t spoil myself. So for this generation I’m trying my hardest not to (it also helps gamefreak hasnt had one of those ‘revealing 10 pokemon’) but I have that urgent need everyday to check serebii and this site everyday. I love this site mostly because it is so interactive I love it so I prefer this site more than serebii though.

      Reply

  70. What abilities do you guys think the new Pokémon will have? I think Talonflame and Pangoro will have Intimidate, Gogoat will have Sap Sipper, Fletchling, Pancham, Skrelp, Clauncher, and Flabébé idk (Flower Gift for Flabébé?), possibly a new ability for Noivern, and Shield Dust for the Scatterbug line.

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  71. You know what I just noticed? Froakie seems quite similar to Jellicent (that white foamy beard).. so it could be another Water/Ghost!! Which would go better with Fennekin being Psychic and the whole Ninja Deal.

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  74. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHY JESUS WHY? 🙁 IM GOING TO TAKE EXAM IN 14 NEXT MONTH AND POKEMON i’LL GET POKEMON IN 12 D: EXAM OR POKEMON? WHAT I NEED TO DO?”

    Reply

  75. So Pokejungle posted on their Facebook account that a new Mega Evolution may be revealed through a McDonalds promo in Japan. I’m sure they’ll add a post about it here soon.

    Reply

  76. Okay, so you guys have got me thinking. I have decided that after this month’s Corocoro leaks I will stay off of Pokemon sites until I get Pokemon X on October 12th, so that the remainder will be new to me.

    Reply

  77. thanks for all the information, and the photos this looks like its shaping up to the probably the best game in the series. well aside from the classics, i mean them games where my whole childhood. keep up the good work and i will be back, to view more as our road to pokemon x and y continues.

    Reply

  78. Am I the only one here sees ninjas more like Dark type, because of their espionage and Assassin-like side, and sees Samurais more like Fighting type, in most-talked ninja-samurai contrast?

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    • Well, I personally think Froakie will become Water/Fighting! (Other being Grass/Dark and Fire/Psychic). I see your point of Froakie being Water/Dark because Ninja lurk in the shadows! Yet, I could see it being more Fighting because of it’s moveset and how it acts in battles!

      Reply

      • Agree! The Froakster has got to be water/fighting! Same with Fennekin evolving into a fire/psychic.

        Though, I am not sold on the Chespin evolution, despite the credible rumors, as well as its darker color palette. I would prefer a rock or steel knight.

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  79. I really hope Flabebe bonds with its flower and evolves into a grass/fairy. Actually, wonder if the bonding would be a requisite to evolution. As it stands, its flower is not a part of its anatomy; though the flower is extremely important to Flabebe. There must be a reason as to why. I can see this pokemon being a mother nature pokemon. In that it bonds itself with nature, both literally and figuratively, in order to harness the power of nature, and thus grass/fairy typing.

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    • I actually would like it if the Flowers acted ala Koopa shells to Yoshi in Super Mario World. Each flower grants Flabebe’s evo a type with fairy. Like if its a rose, its Fairy/Fire, if its a Lilly, its Fairy/Water or something. They can also do this trick to have Flabebe sort of like the Eevee on this gen, where it needs a specific stone to evolve it into those forms lol.

      Reply

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