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Nintendo's marketing is making a big hubbub about you getting to be a Pokemon. After playing this game for a few hours, most people will think, "So the hell what?!?" One of the qualities that made the RPGs so addictive is the attachment the player develops with his Pokemon. Gaining wicked attacks and watching Pokemon evolve gave players an almost parental feeling. Catching rare Pokemon also added a sense of accomplishment. These aspects are totally lacking from this game because evolution doesn't happen fast enough and acquiring new Pokemon takes too much time and money.
The lack of depth is also apparent in the game's difficulty - at least in the initial run. The combat is so easy that battles are often reduced mashing buttons so you can end this pathetic skirmish and go back to finding the exit to the next level of the dungeon. The only thing that adds difficulty is the inept companion AI. Your friends will put themselves in precarious positions or wander off or not heal themselves fast enough or do any number of things that will piss you off. You have a limited amount of control over their attacks and behavior, but you need to keep a watchful eye on them because they will do something stupid. There are eight-year olds that have mastered Pokemon, but apparently the creatures are too moronic to figure anything out themselves.
