Issue #5: Pokémon Power – September/October 2013
With the simultaneous worldwide release of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y coming just around the corner, the Nintendo Force jumped straight into exploring what awaited trainers in the all-new Kalos region in our fifth issue, Pokémon Power! (We even went a little wild with the layout, as print issues featured a flippable cover – the mystical Fairy-type Xerneas represented Pokémon X on one side, while the destruction Dark- and Flying-type Yveltal posed menacingly on the opposite side.) You can check out both covers on this page – one above and one below. But before you scroll down to Yveltal, check out all the Poké-coverage we packed into the interior pages first:
KICKSTARTED!
2013 was the year when crowdfunding became commonplace for new games seeking financial assistance to reach their goals of being released on Nintendo systems, and we profiled 10 of the most notable eShop-bound success stories in a feature we called “Kickstarted!” Since then, it’s become a recurring feature – as more and more developers flock to the popular website.
EARTHBOUND REVIEW
We’re privileged to have the talents of Matthew Taranto on the Nintendo Force team, as he’s well known to Nintendo fans across the Internet for his work on the Brawl in the Family webcomic. With the SNES masterpiece EarthBound newly re-released as a Wii U Virtual Console title, Matthew tapped both his artistic talent and writing skill to craft this lovingly illustrated perfect 10 review.
THE ABC’S OF X & Y
For our central feature in this issue, we had a little alphabetical fun – playing off Pokémon X and Y’s use of lone capital letters in their names, we framed a six-page preview feature that highlighted 26 different aspects of the new sequels’ gameplay mechanics, characters and setting. (One for each letter of the alphabet, of course.) Out of all the articles we’ve done thus far, this may be my personal favorite.
GAME FREAK TIMELINE
Game Freak – the developers best known for their role in creating the core series sequels in the Pokémon franchise – often get so closely associated with Pikachu and his pals that gamers forget about all of the other different games they’ve made over the years. Tony Ponce and Lindsey Layne King combined their talents to tackle that problem, writing and illustrating this attractive two-page timeline to remind readers of all of the studio’s Non-Pokémon accomplishments.
CHARACTER PROFILES
Featured in every issue’s Retro section is a two-page character profile that chronicles the career of one of Nintendo’s most notable creations. For our Pokémon Power issue, that honored spot had to go to a Pokémon, of course – and who better than that original terror from Red and Blue, Mewtwo? With renewed relevance thanks to Pokémon X and Y’s introduction of Mega Evolutions and him gaining two new powerful Mega forms, it was the perfect time to revisit the series’ first Legendary villain.
FANTASTIC FAKEMON
Finally, Issue #5’s Community section turned the spotlight on an intriguing sub-culture among Pokémon fans around the world who also happen to have some artistic skill – the Fakemon movement. We interviewed one prominent creator, Josh Harrison, and got his perspective on what motivates him to want to create his own Pokémon characters. (Which he’s quite good at, by the way.) You can check out Josh’s deviantART gallery by clicking here.
