Stakes are High

Cipher makes Colosseum's Team Snagem look like a bunch of two-bit amateurs. This is made immediately clear during the game's opening sequence, when you witness Cipher's Shadow Lugia effortlessly pluck a massive cargo ship straight out of the ocean.

Known as XD001, Shadow Lugia is Cipher's ultimate Shadow Pokemon. Cipher's goal is to create more Pokemon like Shadow Lugia to assist in their plot for world domination.

Shadow Pokemon

Like Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon XDfeatures Shadow Pokemon that have been corrupted by evil Trainers. Shadow Pokemon can execute powerful Shadow moves, but they are unpredictable and will sometimes disobey commands.

Michael uses an Aura Reader to identify Shadow Pokemon, and a newly-designed Snag Machine is used to swipe them from unsuspecting evil-doers. When you face a Shadow Pokemon, Michael's Aura Reader is activated and the Shadow Pokemon is identified. Weaken the opposing Shadow Pokemon, then use the Snag Machine to attempt to rescue it.

Purify Chamber

Shadow Pokemon must be purified before the doors to their hearts can be completely opened. Purification can be accomplished by keeping Shadow Pokemon in your party, or you can visit the all-new Purify Chamber to purify multiple Shadow Pokemon more quickly.

To use the Purify Chamber, you must first select a Pokemon to purify and place it in the center of one of nine "sets." Next, you place regular Pokemon around the Shadow Pokemon to aid in the purification process. The process will go more or less quickly depending on the number and types of the regular Pokemon you select.

Using the Purify Chamber, it's possible to quickly purify up to nine Shadow Pokemon simultaneously. This is a very handy tool, but you'll have to build up a collection of purified Pokemon before you can take full advantage of the Purify Chamber.

Eevee

You'll begin Pokemon XD with Eevee as your companion. Early in your adventure, you'll meet a sailor who will offer to give you one of five items which aid in Eevee's evolution. Depending on which item you choose, Eevee can evolve into Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, or Umbreon. Choose wisely!

VS. Mode

In addition to the incredibly deep RPG portion of the game, Pokemon XD also features an awesome VS. Mode that allows you to participate in intense 3D Pokemon battles.

Using a nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable, you can import your favorite Pokemon from Game Boy Advance Pokemon games to battle in full 3D. Two or four players can tweak a variety of options to create the ultimate Pokemon battle!

Bottom Line

With a huge number of Shadow Pokemon to purify and an option-rich VS. Mode, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is a satisfying RPG that is sure to please any Pokemon fan!