Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon Colosseum is the GameCube incarnation of the Pokémon video game franchise. It follows the idea of the Nintendo 64 Pokémon Stadium video game series.
The game was released in Japan on November 21, 2003, and was released in North America on March 23, 2004. Pre-orders for the game started on February 9, 2004 and those who pre-ordered the game were able to receive a special bonus disc that contains the normally unobtainable Pokémon Jirachi, as well as a fix for the now infamous time/berry bug in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Europeans saw the game released on May 7, 2004, but without a bonus disc.
This title features support for the Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen games.
It features all 386 known Pokémon as of the Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald era. The game feature a first for the Pokémon series, a true 3D role-playing game mode that allows the player to capture Pokémon that cannot be captured in Ruby and Sapphire, allowing them to eventually be transferred into said games. This includes Legendary Pokémon such as Ho-oh. There is a rumor that Celebi may be obtainable in the game, but it only makes a couple of non-obtainable appearances in the game. In Japan, people who pre-ordered received a bonus disc with various items and Pokémon, including Celebi. It also adds a new Pokémon status, Shadow Pokémon, which cannot be traded to any game until they lose their Shadow status.
While it is the first 3D Pokémon video game with an RPG mode, it doesn't allow the player to use rental Pokémon the way the Pokémon Stadium games did. This was probably done because Pokémon are obtainable in the RPG mode, thus most of the features in the game are still usable without a Game Boy Advance Pokémon game or rentals.
Pokémon Colosseum also puts significantly less importance on the non-RPG aspects of the game than Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2. For example, there are no minigames, nor is there a Gym Leader Tower.
This new RPG takes place in the arid Orre region, and features new Shadow Pokémon and a brand new criminal organization, Cipher. They are similar in some respects to Team Rocket of previous games. This evil organization is attempting to turn all Pokémon into evil Shadow Pokémon by closing their hearts off, and it is the player's job to stop them. In another twist to the Pokémon series, this is be the first game ever where other Trainers' Pokémon can be captured—or snagged, as they call it in this game. (This was a major point in the advertising.) However, snagging only applies to Shadow Pokémon, and the purpose of capturing the Shadow Pokémon is so that they can later be purified, changing them back into normal Pokémon. The player's character has a female partner who has the ability to see the dark aura surrounding Shadow Pokémon.
While it has limited storage ability for Pokémon, another GameCube software title, Pokémon Box, has taken over the storage duties from the Pokémon Stadium games.
Main Characters
- Wes: The hero of the game. He was once a member of Team Snagem. His main Pokemon are Umbreon and Espeon. Wes stole the Snag Machine from Team Snagem's headquarters and met Rui, a girl that could see Shadow Pokemon.
- Rui: The heroine of the game. Rui is a red-head that can see whether a Pokemon is a Shadow Pokemon or not. She was kidnapped by thugs, but was saved by Wes and his Pokemon. She follows him for the rest of the game.
- Nascour: Nascour is the chief executive of Cipher. He is a red-eyed man with floating snake like hair. Nascour seems to be the leader of Cipher, but he may be taking orders from someone else... Nascour has a Shadow Metagross.
- Gonzap: Gonzap is the muscular leader of Team Snagem. He is mean and hates Wes, after he made off with the Snag Machine and blew up the Team Snagem headquarters. Gonzap has a Shadow Skarmory, which you can see in the beginning scenes flying in the background.
- Miror B: Miror B is a admin of Cipher. He loves to dance, and that is probably why he is dressed like a man from the seventies. He is famous for his giant afro and his squad of Ludicolos. He has a Shadow Sudowoodo.
- Dakim: Dakim is a admin of Cipher. He is bad-tempered and has wavy red hair. He likes power and crushes his enemies with his mighty Pokemon. He mainly uses Earthquake and Protect in battles. Dakim has a Shadow Entei.
- Venus: Venus is a admin of Cipher. She was an idol in The Under, until Wes and Rui stopped her. Venus mostly relies on status effects in Pokemon Battles. If she loses, she starts to scream angrily. She has a Shadow Suicune.
- Ein: Ein is a admin of Cipher. He is also the Chief Scientist for the Shadow Pokemon Plan. Ein likes to be responsible and enjoys battling. Ein mainly uses electric and water Pokemon. He has a Shadow Raikou, of which he is very proud, to the point where he has styled his hair after the dog's tail (seriously, doesn't his hair look like Raikou's tail?)
- Kid's Grid: The Kid's Grid is a club which several children across Orre talk to each other and send secret information about Snagem. It was blocked by Cipher's computers. The Kid's Grid consists of Secc, Marcia, Nett, Bitt, Perr and Tara.
- Duking: Duking is the colosseum owner in Pyrite Town. He often helps Wes by giving him information about the shadow Pokemon plan. He has four children: Secc, Marcia, Perr and Tara, who all are part of the Kids Grid underground community. Duking's friend is Silva and he has a Plusle as a Pokemon.
- Silva: Silva is Duking's friend. At the beginning of the game he is first seen arguing with Duking about why Duking is not trying to stop Cipher. He later gives Wes useful information at the Under and the Colosseum.
- Chief Sherles: Police chief of Pyrite Town. He usually stays in his office while Johnson patrols the streets of Pyrite.
- Johnson: Johnson is the main police officer of Pyrite Town. He works with Sherles. He sometimes has to deal with Cail, who has a Shadow Furret. He is very clumsy and will often crash in to people if he's in a hurry (which is often.)
- Eagun, Beluh and Pikachu: Eagun is Rui's grandfather and also a famous retired Pokemon Master. He lives with his wife, Beluh, in Agate Village. Beluh is Rui's grandmother and she worries a lot. They share their house with Eagun's Pikachu.
- Es Cade: Es Cade is the mayor of Phenac City. He seems to help Wes and Rui in the beginning of the game, although it can not be plainer that he is making no effort whatsoever. He leaves his home frequently, which leads to the suspicion that he may be doing other things, such as organizing criminal activities and supervising the creation of evil Shadow Pokemon. (Can i make it any more clearer?)
- Vander: Vander is an area leader at Mt. Battle. He owns the Time Flute, which can summon Celebi to the shrine in Agate Village.
- Ho-Oh: This legendary bird can be seen after thwarting Cipher, defeating Nascour, and defeating Evice. It blocks Evice's way of escape and not long after it is revealed that Ho-Oh was in fact watching over you during the course of the game.
- In the course of the game, you may enter your own name for these persons. In other words, Wes and Rui are default names, like Red and Blue in the early Pokemon games.
Obtainable Pokémon
The snaggable Shadow Pokémon are mostly 2nd generation Pokémon, with some 3rd generation mixed in:
- Espeon (Not Shadow; starter Pokémon): A purple cat-like Eeveeloution. It is Psychic type.
- Umbreon (Not Shadow; starter Pokémon): A black, red-eyed, cat-like Eeveeloution. Dark type.
- Makuhita: A small sumo Pokemon.
- Bayleef: A yellow-greenish dinosaur-like with a large leaf on its head.
- Quilava: A stoat-like Pokemon with a flaming head and tail.
- Croconaw: A large blue crocodile Pokemon.
- Misdreavus: A smirking ghost Pokemon wearing what looks like a pearl necklace.
- Slugma: A red lava Pokemon.
- Noctowl: A large brown owl Pokemon.
- Flaaffy: A pink, fluffy sheep Pokemon.
- Skiploom: A green Pokemon with a yellow flower on its head.
- Quagsire: A weird blue aquatic Pokemon with beedy eyes.
- Furret: A long-bodied ferret Pokemon.
- Yanma: A red and green dragonfly Pokemon.
- Remoraid: A thin greyish-blue fish Pokemon.
- Mantine: A large blue mantaray Pokemon.
- Qwilfish: A cute blowfish Pokemon.
- Dunsparce: A yellow bug Pokemon with small wings.
- Meditite: A big-eyed meditating Pokémon
- Swablu: A small blue bird Pokemon with cloud-like wings.
- Sudowoodo: A tree-like Pokemon.
- Plusle (Not Shadow; received as gift): A red mouse-like Pokemon.
- Hitmontop: A spinning fighting Pokemon.
- Entei: A legendary fire Pokemon that resembles a lion.
- Ledian: A blue-eyed ladybird Pokemon.
- Suicune: A legendary water Pokemon with a crystal object on its forehead.
- Gligar: A scorpion-bat like purple Pokemon.
- Sneasel: A sharp clawed weasel Pokemon.
- Piloswine: A big pig Pokemon.
- Stantler: A large deer Pokemon.
- Ariados: A large spider Pokemon.
- Aipom: A grinning monkey Pokemon.
- Murkrow: A dark bird Pokemon
- Forretress: A steel pine cone Pokemon.
- Granbull: A big purple bull dog Pokemon.
- Vibrava: A dragon/mosquito Pokémon with diamond wings
- Raikou: A yellowish dog Pokémon with a blue lightning bolt-shaped tail
- Sunflora: A small sunflower Pokemon.
- Delibird: A red and white artic bird Pokemon.
- Heracross: A huge stag beetle Pokemon.
- Skarmory: An iron bird Pokemon.
- Miltank: A pink cow Pokemon.
- Absol: A red and dark blue dog-like Pokemon with a large blade on the side of its head.
- Houndoom: A black dog Pokemon based on Cerebrus.
- Tropius: A huge leafy dinosaur Pokemon.
- Metagross: A strange metal pokemon with an X on its face.
- Tyranitar: A large dinosaur-like Pokémon; the mainstay of the Shadow Pokémon project.
- Smeargle: A mammal pokemon with a tail that it uses as a paintbrush.
- Ursaring: A big brown bear pokemon.
- Shuckle: A turtle like pokemon with a red shell.
- Togetic: A birdlike Pokémon wearing an eggshell; owned by Fake Hero Fein (a reclusive Cipher Peon who disguises himself like Wes in order to get the hero in trouble)
- Ho-oh (Not Shadow; gift for completing Mt. Battle in Colosseum Mode with a Story Mode team after purifying all Shadow Pokémon)
- Celebi (Not Shadow; Japanese bonus disc only)
- Pikachu (Japanese bonus disc only)
- Togepi (Japanese e-card only)
- Mareep (Japanese e-card only)
- Scizor (Japanese e-card only)
- Jirachi (Not Shadow; US bonus disc only; transfers directly to North American Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire)
Locations
- Main article: Orre
- Outskirt Stand: An old train carriage that has been turned into a diner/petrol station.
- Phenac City: A city that is full of waterfalls. It has a colosseum and a pre-gym.
- Pyrite Town: An old town that is overun with thugs. It has a police station, a fortune tellers, a windmill, a hotel and a colosseum. Miror B hides out in the abandoned building in the back of the town.
- Pyrite Cave: Miror B's hideout. He practices his dancing with his Ludicolos. The cave leads through the sewers of Pyrite.
- Agate Village: A peaceful and quiet village in a forest. Eagun and Beluh live here. There is a shrine that is in honour of Celebi. The village is also home to the Daycare Lady and the Name Rater.
- Mt. Battle is a volcano which has 100 platforms where 100 trainers prepare to battle Wes. Their Pokemon levels are between 10-70.
- The Under: an underground city underneath Pyrite. Venus is a big TV star there.
- Shadow Laboratory: This is where Shadow Pokemon are created. Ein is usually found here.
- Realgam Tower: The headquarters of Cipher. There is a colosseum at the top.
- Snagem Headquarters: The remains of the Team Snagem base. It has a giant Snag Machine on the bottom floor.
Sequels
- Main article: Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
The long rumored Pokémon XD was confirmed when Nintendo Executive Reggie Fils-Aime said in an interview with IGN that the game will have deep RPG gameplay similar to Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
Its full Japanese name has been revealed as Pokémon XD: Dark Winds Dark Lugia, while its full English name is Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. It has similar gameplay to Colosseum, complete with snaggable shadow Pokémon. The player starts with a level 5 Eevee this time, and levels progress more closely to the Game Boy RPG's. Some 4th generation Pokémon also make an appearance, such as Munchlax, however you cannot snag them.
It is rumored that the boy who stands guard for the Kid's Grid in Pyrite becomes the hero in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. The most suggestive evidence is that after Miror B's defeat in Pyrite Cave, the child says that he will one day defeat Miror B too. It is known that Miror B makes an appearance in Pokemon XD but afther collosseum he become a common theif.