Wednesday 6 June 2012
Review: Ponymon Dawn/Dusk 0.2 Alpha
Download it Here!
Now updated to 0.4, since 0.2 is gone at this point. -Lex Rudera
One bright, optimistic morning, you
awake to find that someone’s stored a potion in your computer. Hazily, you
withdraw the useful item, recalling last night’s dream: A professor, although
slightly confused by the complexities of gender, had welcomed you to a new
world. On this morning, after ten long years of isolation, you’re finally ready
to conquer the dangerous grass outside your front stoop and see the world. And,
just when you think today couldn’t get any better: you crack open your first
red-and-white ball and a wide-eyed filly stares back at you.
If at this point, you’re not yet
overcome by nostalgia and anticipation, you’ll want to go read another review,
or grow a childhood and come back later.
All on
the same page? Good. Well, is Ponymon Dawn/Dusk worth your time, or is raising
and battling your own team of Equestrians just another pipe dream? Perhaps you
should find out after the break.
Honestly, there’s no way you can really go wrong hacking Pokémon
ROMs and ponifying them. That’s exactly what the lead developer, Flutteryay,
has done with Pokémon Fire Red/Leaf Green. However, the degree of modification
is certainly very impressive. Each one of the mane 6 is available as a starter
(Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle in Ponymon Dawn, Fluttershy,
Rarity and Applejack in Dusk.) The old type-trump system has been scrapped,
replaced by more Equestrian elements such as chaos, honesty, and passion. Much
of the NPC dialogue is tailored, with varying degrees of neatness, to fit the
new storyline.
Additionally, the game boasts an impressive, though far from
finished, 151-slot Ponydex, complete with filly, gala, and nightmare night
versions of most Ponymon. Each has its own custom set of moves, strengths, and
weaknesses. As in Pokémon, as you progress through the game, you’ll come across
varying ponies in their filly forms hiding in the tall grass. Some are
relatively rare, meaning that after you complete the demo you’ll still need to
go back and hunt for them (Filly Derpy, I’m looking at you.)
Finally! Ok, play it cool... *SAVE STATE SAVE STATE SAVE STATE*
This project has enormous potential—although it’s still in
its early stages. The Ponydex is currently woefully devoid of detail, and most
Ponymon have yet to be added. Many ponies’ moves and statistics are unbalanced,
making it less useful to train a varied team and limiting possible battle
strategies. Unfortunately, the demo only currently reaches Mount Moon, making
it difficult to train your charges past level 20.
However, potential Ponymon champions need not despair! The
game is still in alpha 0.2, and the developers are working hard to fix bugs,
increase play time, and give it the polish that it deserves. Their progress can
be monitored from the game’s budding wiki. Even its early stages, Ponymon
Dawn/Dusk is definitely a must-play for fans of the series.
Author's note: Guest-authored by Arctic Lux – I’m a first-timer
here at EQG, but you might see some more of me in the coming months. If you’ve
somehow got a strong opinion on me already, I’m sure Enigma would love to hear
it.
- Arctic Lux
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