Goodra is rather odd for a Pseudo-legendary in that its best stat is it's special defense. It isn't as strong as, say, Salamence or Hydreigon, but it makes up for that by possibly tanking a blizzard. In addition, it can learn both Fire Blast and Sludge Bomb, giving it counters to all of the dragon type's main threats. Overall, 8/10 for being a gooey, versatile, dragon-type special wall.

Next on the chopping block, Larvesta.

SMT IV, with P3P in a close second. I enjoy the plot and characters in both games, but IV wins out due to personal preference.

I've been here almost four years, and I haven't even introduced myself.

So hi, I'm Swiftwynd, though I prefer to go by ZephyrValgale or Zeph these days. I'm primarily interested in Pokémon (and ROM Hacks), Touhou (and fan games), and other RPGs and Nintendo games.

I am applying for the position of Review Writer because I enjoy critically analyzing games (be they official or not) and sharing my thoughts on them.

I have written two reviews for this site previously, which can be found by following the links below.

https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=54503 - Yet Another Fire Red Hack
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=53210 - Pokémon Victory Fire (v. 1.91)

Davideo7 : Subscribed. I'll check them out in full later.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best Pokemon ROM hacks that I've played. It's not without flaws, but they are few and far between. Let's get this show on the road, then.


GRAPHICS 10/10 ~ While they don't make a game, graphics are an important factor. The overworld uses the same Gen 3 graphics we know and love, but does something that I have not seen outside of Touhoumon ROM hacks. Doesnt, the developer, added in custom animations. AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOOD! Kudos to you, Doesnt.


SOUND 10/10 ~ Like with graphics, the music is the vanilla FR soundtrack. This is more regarding the cries of Gen 4 and 5 Pokemon. Doesnt found and added in their proper cries, without making them sound any worse. Again, kudos to you, Doesnt.


ADDICTIVENESS 10/10 ~ This game is highly enjoyable, even if the difficulty is higher than vanilla FR. Unlike a certain OTHER Pokemon ROM hack I've reviewed, there are no absurd level spikes and it is really enjoyable to have certain Pokemon on your team. Coil Furret and a chance for Larvesta? YES PLEASE! And even with those Pokemon, it's STILL not a cakewalk.


*There is no story section because the story is vanilla FR. Please move along.*


DEPTH 8/10 ~ There isn't much post-game content, but it serves its purpose. It serves to challenge you with a bonus dungeon and an E4 rematch, the latter being the hardest challenge in the game. My only complaint is that there wasn't more to this post-game. Understandable, considering that this game was made by a member of the Nuzlocke forums, and those challenges hardly ever go into post-game.


DIFFICULTY 8/10 ~ HIGH ~ While no Victory Fire, Touhoumon WL/AW, or Shiny Gold X in difficulty, this hack is still harder that vanilla FR, as mentioned above. The level curve is somewhat steep, but not insurmountable. And yes, while some of the later trainers (specifically, your rival) have at least one legendary, their stats are not as high as their vanilla counterparts. Not for the faint of heart; play at own risk.


OVERALL 9.2/10 ~ At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, this hack is one of the best I've played; and easily best on the site. While it has no custom story or lengthy post-game, it stands well enough on its own. Therefore, this game gets a grade of A-.

At the time of writing, I have only gotten past the second gym. I am writing this because there are a few things I want to point out. So, let's mount this bucking Ponyta, shall we?


GRAPHICS- 8/10 I rate graphics an 8 because the scenery is amazing, but the sprites are an awkward mix of GBA style and DS style. If it were either style on its own, I would rate it a ten, but the mismatched sprites bring the score down to an 8.


SOUND- 9/10 The songs themselves are ones we know and love from Emerald, this rom's base game, and other prestigious hacks, like Prism, and even some from the other GBA Pokémon titles. The reason this only gets a nine is because the quality is low, even by GBA standards.


ADDICTIVENESS- 8/10 I consider game one I will be coming back to finish. The 8 is only because of one huge deterrent, which I will elaborate on later.


STORY- 7/10 The story is good, except for one major flaw. THE! GRAMMAR! IS! ABSOLUTELY! ATROCIOUS! I could overlook it, especially if English isn't the creator's first language, but there would still be that nagging feeling in the back of my throat.


DEPTH- 10/10 Another hack that gets the pseudo-legendary starter RIGHT, the only other one coming to mind being the aforementioned Prism. This hack also has a good selection of Pokémon from generations I-V, including such notables as Yamask and Litwick. One expects a lot of play time in a Pokémon title, and this hack looks like it won't disappoint.


DIFFICULTY- 10/10 Let me put it this way. This game is not for the grind hater. The difficulty curve is less of a curve, and more of a sheer cliff, pitting you against level 30s before even reaching the third gym. And with no easy EXP, it proves to be an uphill struggle at best. You HAVE to level grind if you want to have any hope of beating the game.


OVERALL- 8.2/ 10 This hack is a good one, despite the grammar issues and insane difficulty jumps that put Platinum to shame. Try it, and if it isn't your cup of tea, don't come crying to me.

The two series that I like the most are as follows:





Touhou
I like this series for three major reasons. First, the music is, in a word, awesome. Don't believe me? Go to YouTube and search for "Septette of the Dead Princess" or "Hiroari Shoots a Strange Bird ~ 'Till When?," just to name two. Secondly, the characters are given decent development in each game they have appeared in. I say this because ZUN, the developer, actually encourages fan work, thereby leaving the fans to develop these characters fully. Lastly, the games themselves. They are incredibly well developed bullet hells, with the hectic nature that is expected of the genre. In general, the games are hard, but not so hard that you start pulling out your hair in frustration (at least, on Easy and Normal difficulty; Hard is still somewhat fun if you can survive it, but Lunatic is just obnoxious).


Pokémon
Seriously, what's not to like? This series offers full team customization, addicting gameplay, and some awesome music. I'd say more, but it's already been said before. This is just an awesome series that deserves every bit of popularity it gets.

Tie between Hydreigon and Volcarona. Both are awesome in their own way, and both can cause a path of destruction.

They must remake Gen 3. That was my first true foray into the series, and I have somewhat fond memories of it (even though it's almost as hard as Gen 1). Besides, it could really benefit from the changes to the whole Pokémon system that Gens 4 and 5 brought about. What I'm trying to say here is that it would be interesting to go through Hoenn when there are actual seasons, not to mention Gen 4's Physical/Special split would make the region's battles that much more interesting.

And I wasn't kidding about the difficulty either. The Elite Four would WRECK me back then, and they're still no walk in the park (I pity anyone attempting a Nuzlocke challenge, even Nuzlocke himself). However, the difficulty is part what made it appealing, so I don't want it toned down. All in all, this generation should (and if HGSS is anything to go by, will) be remade.