You Need To Play: Pokemon Colosseum Again
The Nintendo GameCube was not only home to some of gaming's most fantastic titles, but also those that took current franchises into new and unique directions.
One of those, of course, was all about stealing other trainers' Pokemon to use as your own in a desolate, crime-ridden dystopia. Arguably still one of the most unique and mature entries in the entire Pokemon franchise, let's get into why even in 2022, you NEED to play Pokemon Colosseum again.
- Find out what we thought of the latest game in our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet review.
Why You Need to Play Pokemon Colosseum Again
Click to enlargeCatching another trainer's Pokemon had already been an inside joke from the first games, Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green in 1996. Stealing Pokemon had always been the goal of series villains like Team Rocket. However, when you would try to throw a Pokeball at one of your own opponent's Pocket Monsters, and you get told "You can't steal another trainer's Pokemon," it was always so easy to wonder...what if?
In 2004 - at a time when the repetitive formula of mainline Pokemon games was starting to show in their third generation - Colosseum arrived to take that single concept towards an entirely new take on the franchise. Quite frankly, it remains one of the most interesting Pokemon games almost twenty years on.
A Complete Genre Pivot
Click to enlargePokemon Colosseum acquaints you with what's different in this adventure from the very start - with a bang. Set in the desert, urban, crime-heavy Orre region, you're a member of Team Snagem - the iteration of Team Rocket that's actually good at stealing Pokemon.
Although you were one of the best "Snaggers" on the team, you've become a turncoat. After denouncing the villainous organisation, blowing up its headquarters, and stealing the iconic "Snag Machine," you set out to right the wrongs you committed as a villain yourself.
If Pokemon Colosseum sounds more like a mature late-1990s anime or Square Enix RPG than a typical Pokemon game, that's because, that's exactly what it is. Influenced by role-playing games like Final Fantasy VII and Persona 2, designer Akihiko Miura and director Manabu Yamana wanted to design a world and concept that was different from the Pokemon world so far.
All of this while being an experience exclusive to home consoles. Altogether, the plan was to have the story feel more like that of a manga than the usual games.
Lush Japan to Desert Dystopia
Click to enlargeIn execution, the opening segments of Pokemon Colosseum feel like you've delved into playing a sci-fi western like Cowboy Bebop or Star Wars - fitting its setting being based on Phoenix, Arizona. With your trusty Espeon and Umbreon at your side, riding your giant rusty speeder bike across the vast sands of Orre - seeing futuristic cities and technology that are dripping with dirt and grunge after being ravaged and forgotten by time.
For the first (and still one of the only) time, a Pokemon game has landed you in a dystopia to explore with a rich story to keep you going.
A Darker Tone
Click to enlargeAfter settling you into its world that's different from what you're used to, Pokemon Colosseum takes you further into the darker twist of the series' core gameplay. That's with introducing the second half of its premise: Shadow Pokemon.
After Team Snagem would steal others' Pokemon using the arm-equippable Snag Machine, it's the game's true villains and inventor of the device (Team Cipher) who would corrupt those Pokemon. In an undisclosed but cruel process, Team Cipher would artificially close a Pokemon's heart, cutting them off from all emotion. Although Shadow Pokemon are faster and stronger, they've been turned into soulless instruments for battle.
If you play Pokemon GO, this should sound familiar. That's because a few years after the mobile game's launch, Shadow Pokemon were added into the game to be used by Rocket Grunts. Over a decade and a half since launch, it's a testament to how extraordinary Colosseum's Shadow Pokemon were to the franchise.
- Here are ten games like Pokemon GO you should also play.
Gotta Save 'Um All
Click to enlargeThat's where the heart of Pokemon Colosseum's gameplay comes in, feeling new but still in line with the series' heart. With your new companion, Rui, who has the anime-esque ability to spot the characteristic dark aura of a Shadow Pokemon, it becomes your mission to explore Orre's various towns, fighting your way up Team Cipher and Snagem's ranks.
Using the Snag Machine to steal back any Shadow Pokemon you encounter and cure it by reopening its heart, you'll also be aiming to dismantle Cipher and its hold on the land. Capturing all 48 Shadow Pokemon and trying to take down Cipher will take you to Orre's stadiums, underground cities, and towns of either a quaint or rundown charm. That includes Mt. Battle, a 1-to-100 trainer battle challenge up an active volcano, getting more difficult as you progress and is just as fun to play after the story's credits roll.
Even though you're stealing Pokemon, this twist on the usual Pokemon narrative still feels justified since you're saving them from a cruel existence - treading a fine-but-fun anti-hero line. Along the way, Pokemon Colosseum's colourful cast of characters you meet along the way still stands out compared to the forgettable bunch featured in various mainline Pokemon games since. One of the best is Miror B., a Cipher Admin - an inarguable supervillain rip-off of Disco Stu.
Others' like Eagun, the older Pikachu-wielding guardian of a remote village - or Gonzap, the Snagem boss who could easily double as a Dragon Ball Z character, continue to impress with either the nuances their arcs bring to the story or the absurdity of their characters that further the game's exclusive tone.
Furthermore, Colosseum is one of the most difficult Pokemon games you can still play. Along with some of the boss battles featuring Shadow Pokemon that include the legendary dogs; Entei, Suicine, and Raiku; the Cipher Admin teams are insanely levelled with a competent AI system. If you want a classic level of challenge in a Pokemon game, this is it.
- Take a look at which is better: Pokemon Scarlet or Violet?
Pokemon's Charm in a Different World
Click to enlargeAt the time of development Genius Sonority realised Pokemon fans who would have played the first games at the age 10 or 11, would now be around 17. So they wanted to make an RPG that was closer to an adult tale for those growing up with the series.
With the DNA of Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2, the mainline handheld games, and its manga and JRPG inspirations culminating together, Colosseum was and still is perfect for the Pokemon fan who wants something fresh.
Exploring Orre and catching as many Pokemon as possible is just as wondrous as what you're used to. But, this GameCube classic's particular traits, like its story, namesake colosseums, and Tsukasa Tawada's exciting yet soothing soundtrack add an extra sense of thrill and grandeur to the experience.
The Pokemon Game Ahead of its Time
Click to enlargeWhy do you need to play Pokemon Colosseum again? Even eighteen years later, this home console Pokemon game made by a totally different developer, is far more memorable and interesting than the majority of mainline Game Freak titles that have come out in the last decade.
While yes, those released on 3DS and Nintendo Switch looked prettier graphically, and features have been streamlined, improvements to actual gameplay have merely devolved into a "gimmick of the generation" mechanic. Whether it's Sun and Moon's Z-Moves, X and Y's Mega Evolutions, Sword and Shield's Dynamaxing, or now Scarlet and Violet's Terastalising, modern-day Pokemon games have mostly come down to a minor tweak that's soon forgotten by the time the next title comes around.
Whereas the story in mainline Pokemon games today is more or less a modified copy and paste of those before, Pokemon Colosseum tells a different tale in a bold and grittier setting. Why Pokemon Colosseum and not its sequel, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness? While XD offered more Pokemon to catch and more features to enjoy, Colosseum stands out far more with a more intriguing protagonist, mature theme, and darker edge - softened by its sequel trying to appeal more to younger audiences like its handheld equivalents.
At its heart, Pokemon Colosseum is a tale of redemption like those that inspired its creation. A villain-turned-hero' journies across a decaying desert dystopia to bring down the corrupt organisation which maintains a stranglehold on society - and it all centres around stealing evil Pokemon!
With so many mediocre Pokemon games released since its launch, the need for standouts like Pokemon Colosseum is greater than ever. Sure, you'll be made to play with only up to third-generation pocket monsters, movesets, and graphics. Nevertheless, a good story and adventure are what you will remember the most, and that is what Pokemon Colosseum does best.
If you haven't played Pokemon Colosseum since it first came out, or have never it at all, you owe it to yourself as a Pokemon fan to do so. Until, if ever, we get a re-release on modern Nintendo systems, digging up your old Nintendo GameCube is well worth the effort.
- Check out the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starter evolutions.
That's a wrap on why you need to play Pokemon Colosseum again. For even news, guides, and thoughts on Pokemon games, you can be sure to find them right here at GGRecon.
