Pokepark looks graphically horendous

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Home Graphics

11:00 AM on 10.18.2009, Matthew Razak

52 comments | 8724 views

The above video features new footage of Pokepark for the Wii from a segment of a Japanese show called Sunday Poke... *ahem,* excuse me... SUNDAY POKEMON NEWS! From the actions of the person in a giant pokemon costume and the excited voice-over I'm thinking we should be really excited for what's about to come on screen. Let's take a look.

OH DEAR GOD IT BURNS! For the love of everything holy I hope the gameplay in the video above is from a really, really early build of the game because, as Jonathan Holmes pointed out, it looks like a first generation GameCube game. Now we all expect graphics like this from mini-game shovelware, but not from a Nintendo produced game on a Nintendo system. The Wii is your baby Nintendo, you can't go around being half-assed like everyone else. This is even more so true for a game that basically involves walking around and exploring a park filled with Pokemon. That sh*t needs to be crisp, son.

OK, graphics aren't everything the gameplay is going to be awes... no, wait. You play as Pikachu and befriend other Pokemon by playing mini-games in order to go on more advanced adventures with your befriended Pokemon. Those adventures better be the most epic things in the world if the game lands looking like this.

[Via GoNintendo]

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next 50 comments

52 comments | showing # 1 to 50

DaedHead8

Even as a dedicated Poke-freak, I cannot get excited for this.

GoldenGamerXero

Ohhhhhhh...

So that's why Game Freak doesn't do console games...

Carl Sagan

Sooner or later we're going to have to accept that Nintendo doesn't develop Pokemon for twenty-something hardcore gamers. The target demographic will eat this up.

Orie Elliott

Burn it! Burn it!

Trebz

Nintendo usually makes great-looking stuff, especially Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy. I have no idea why they would decide to stop, other than that they know kids will buy this anyway.

Miracle Matter

...
That Chimchar should never be seen on a Sunday ever again. Also, it doesn't look that bad; they probably sacrificed graphics for area size and pokeman models. that is to say, I hope they include EVERY pokemon. If only so I can kill some Bidoof.

Hohojirozame

If they're making this mess, why can't they just make an actual Pokemon game, like Diamond and Pearl, 3D?

Jon B

I'm trying to think of a witty comment involving Pok� and the Wii being slow, but it's not coming to me. Hmm.

Jonathan Holmes

I blame the economy.

Seriously though, Nintendo should stop doing this. Don't hire B level devs with C level budgets to put out games on your AAA franchises.

Kids aren't dumg, Carl Sagan. There is a reason why the N64, Gamecube, and Wii Pokemon games haven't sold half of what the GB, GBA, and DS games have sold.

They just aren't as good.

Carl Sagan

I'd argue that the reason they sell less is because they're spin-offs rather than entries in the series.

I remember being pretty dumb as a kid.

Springsteen

I don't know, it looks old, but it's far from UGLY. I actually think this N64 looking graphics fit the franchise, that is VERY anime-ish. It's not like Hokuto no Ken, that you can blow things up to super huge resolutions with cool realism and keep the same spirit.

It is probablly more pointed towards anime fans that like or not the console iterations. Come to think of it, only a ridiculously small percentage of Pok�mon players like the franchise for being a very innovative and balanced competitive RPG experience.And keeping graphics anime-ish while adding a lot of lighting effects makes the look look just plain weird, like Dragon Ball Z:Burst Limit.

But yeah, technically, it looks awful. Although I prefer this over a bump-mapped Pok�mon game. What hurts it is that they went for a clean anime visual on a 480p console.

Jonathan Holmes

You're too modest. There is no way that Carl Sagan was dumb as a kid.

And agreed about the snip-off problem, but it also has to be said that spin-offs are only spin-offs if they aren't as good as what they came from. Otherwise, they are considered "evolutions".

The DS was the evolution of the GBA, Benson was the evolution of Soap, and so on.

GoldenGamerXero

@Jonathan Holmes

I too will agree with the Spin off bullshit. Like i said earlier Game Freak stays the fuck away from console titles. The best ones like Pokemon Stadium and Snap were made by HAl Labs and the the Adventure-RPGs were made by Genius Sorority who made Coloseum, XD and then Battle Revolution.

This piece of shit is being made by Ambrella creators of Hey you, Pikachu, My Pokemon Ranch and you guessed it Pokemon Channel!

PabloDsZ

It looks decent, anyone who's looking for visuals in a pokemon game needs a brain check.
Also @Jonathan Holmes:
"The DS was the evolution of the GBA" <-- I'm pretty sure Nintendo specified that the DS was gonna be another "pillar" and not the GBA's succesor.

Dangsterr

Did I go back in time to 1999??

-PL-

Don't see what the big deal is, looks like typical Wii fare.

EternalDeathSlayer

Actually, I'd argue that the Pokemon games on the N64, GC, and Wii haven't sold as well because they're on the N64, GC, and Wii. Parents like buying games for portables mainly because they're cheaper, and so I'd imagine this does make a difference. I'm sure the quality also has something to do with it, considering there are adults and teens who play Pokemon.

Discarded Couch Sandwich

I watched the video and I still thought it looked amazing. I can almost guarantee though, that all the possibilites I'm currently imaganing that a 3D Pokemon adventure could have will almost certainly not be realized in the final product.

And @ Pablo, yeah Nintendo said that the DS was going to be their "third pillar" way back in 2004, but as time has come to show us, that didn't become the case and it did replace their Game Boy platform after all.

timtheterrible

Come on guys, it doesn't look that bad.

Mr Pibb

Despite having more money than God Nintendo continues to act like a company starved of revenue. But maybe they're getting better, NSMB Wii looks like a DS game and now this looks to be somewhere between a N64 game and a GC game. That's an improvement, right? Maybe Nintendo will continue to be this "financially daring" and they may even create a new non-casual IP.

Or Nintendo will just continue to do what they're doing and their fans will eat it up because it's Nintendo.

GoldenGamerXero

@-PL-

You don't actually play the wii do you?

@Mr Pibb

New Super Mario Bros Wii looks like the DS game because it's supposed to be like the DS game. I don't really get what the problem with that game is because it looks fine from what I've seen.

TrueZero

@PL Exactly. Pretty standard, and honestly, not even that bad.

Jonathan Holmes

Yeah, I'll still buy this game if it's fun. Notice how Matt said the game looks "graphically horrendous". That's to say that it doesn't necessarily look like a bad time.

@ Mr Pibb- NSMB Wii is in the same style of the DS game, but the graphics are actually pretty good. Maybe not in Youtubes, but I've played it on a HDTV, and it looked great.

As for non-casual new IP, the fact that Nintendo is bringing Sin and Punishment 2 here is pretty fantastic. That fact makes it really hard for me to be mad at them right now.

Gilgamesh1317

So it's a likely successor to Pok�mon Channel after all, then?

bluemeep

It's not absolutely terrible for the WiiWare medium, I guess. Still, it's disappointing that they didn't push for something better.

tirkaro

I don't see what's so bad about the graphics. Pokemon games were never known for spectacular eye-candy anyway, so why start now?

Plus, it has what I assume is actual real-time pokemon-on-pokemon combat, which I've been waiting for since, like, ever. Better not screw this up Ambrella.

Hiltz

With the exception of the main Pokemon titles, it's pretty clear that all of the Pokemon spin off titles do not get the same high quality treatment. They all seem to mostly be outsourced to other developers anyway.

Magnalon

I'll still buy this.

Seriously, it's a Pokemon game, for die-hard Pokemon fans: you were expecting good graphics?

EternalDeathSlayer

Magnalon: Not "good" graphics, but this is atrocious. Didn't Pokemon Snap look like this?

EternalDeathSlayer

Wait, is this a WiiWare game or retail release? If it's WiiWare then I suppose it's not too bad, all things considered. It would actually be good if this was a 10 dollar title.

But if it's retail than this is shameful.

Xzyliac

I still await the day a Pokemon title will come to a Nintendo console that is so epic even non-Pokemon lovers like me would have to pay attention.

This...this is not it.

eternalplayer2345

I'm surprised it looks this good, this isn't meet for retail or even wiiware, it's for you to buy at a theme park in japan for way too much money.

Jonathan Holmes

@ Blumeep- This isn't WiiWare though. The WiiWare Pokemon games looks totally weird, and by my standards, awesome, with Poke-mii-mons waddling around and looking bizarre.

This Pokepark thing just looks like re-use of Gamecube Pokemon assets with new, low budget backgrounds. It doesn't even look as good as the semi-shabby Pokemon Battle Revolution.s

Magnalon

@EDS
All rumors are pointing to WiiWare, as the producer commented that "they will be using a new WiiWare engine".

So basically, trashing the game's graphics before knowing the platform is jumping the gun a bit.

SoraX911

Agree with Magnalon. If it comes out Wiiware, then its pretty Decent, and everyone just crashed it over nothing. :[ I still can't see GameFreak doing Console and just in case, after what they done i wouldn't bash there first Console try so bad. You guys need to loosen up a bit. Its just games.

Magnalon

@Jon
The only links I can find indicate that this is a WiiWare title that is getting a limited retail release (like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 PSN/XBLA) to gain more exposure.

Capm Trevo

It doesn't look THAT bad. especially if its wiiware.

Jonathan Holmes

Well according to this GoNintendo post, the first run of the game comes with stickers.

That points to a retail release to me.

Diverse

I actually don't see anything wrong with this. Can't wait to play it.

braulio09

hahaahahaha i thought it was a ds game before reading XD

Magnalon

@Jon
True, but as I said in my last comment, I believe it's retail release similar to Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (which also came with goodies): ergo, a boxed copy that just has a digital coupon in it.

IPRODUCTIONS

hmm this somehow reminds me of pokemon snap how does it do thi... oh yeah the graphics are the same silly me.

Necros

I love the water racing segment, where the Pokemon misses every checkpoint that I assume he's supposed to go through.

$Retrofraction's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/18/2009 17:45$

Retrofraction

its too bad there isn't a real pokemon game on the wii, not just some battle match game.

Gestault

I was just about ready to let loose a ball of rage at the people defending the visuals, but watching that video? Doesn't look that bad. I was expecting sub-Dreamcast level visuals. Those look fine, I just hope a lot of work is put into animating everything convincingly. I just hate cold, dead poke-eyes looking back at me.

DR EGG

Pokepark64 !

Jonathan Holmes

@ Magnalon- Oop, I failed. You're right, I'm wrong.

DING DONG.

GohanGVO

Impressive for WiiWare, atrocious for a Nintendo-backed retail product.

NESgamer

I'm a pokemon fan, and my advice is: ignore this crap, pretend it never existed and wait for HGSS...

I'm sorry, i'm a die hard fan and i can't find a pretext or a reason to defend it, can't! but i can't stop laughing like a moron to see that chimchar suit talking to me either! That pokemon sunday thing is freaking scary, and the only source for pokemon news.

Anonymouse

Why can't they make a proper Pokemon game for the Wii instead of all this spin-off crap they've been doing for ages now?

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