Pokemon XD (Extra Dimension) takes place five years after the events that transpired in Pokemon Colosseum.Controlling a young Pokemon Trainer named Michael, your objective is to
thwart the evil plans of Cipher--a ruthless organization bent on using
Shadow Pokemon to take over the world.
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!