Pokémon Scarlet and Violet – this amazing duo is the newest installment in Nintendo’s long-running franchise of beast-catching, bond-forming, berry-finding games. Pokémon has had a history of A-Tier games, with quality and creativity to match. From the worldbuilding to the Pokémon themselves, the games get increasingly more sophisticated with every chapter. Scarlet and Violet are no different – they bring amazing new graphics, gameplay, and perhaps most important of all, Pokémon!
In Scarlet and Violet, you set out on an adventure across the Paldea region, a new, vivacious landscape taking heavy inspiration from Spain. You set out with your newest companion, Koraidon/Miraidon (Left/Right, respectively), seeking out the secrets of The Crater Of Paldea, A.K.A. “Area Zero.” You start your journey choosing from three starters – Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly – a fire type, grass type, and water type, as is customary with Pokémon games. I personally chose Fuecoco, the Fire-Crocodile Pokémon as I’ve always been a fan of fire-types. Which starter you choose invariably affects your journey, shaping how your future conflicts, rivalries, and triumphs will go. All three make good companions, but whether or not they make great companions is up to you!
Why the two different games? Well, between the two are some key differences, the most obvious of which being the kinds of Pokémon you’ll encounter. One example of this is how Charcadet, the Fire-Child pokemon, evolves. If you happen to own Scarlet, Charcadet will evolve into Armarouge. If you happen to own Violet, Charcadet will instead evolve into Ceruledge. On top of this, there is one major difference in the types of Pokémon you’ll encounter in Area Zero, however this is very spoiler heavy. I will detail it here in an italicized font, preceded and followed by bold text to signal the beginning and end of the spoiling area.
**SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT**
Scarlet and Violet’s key difference is the time period from which they draw their Pokémon. In both games, a certain Professor, either Sada or Turo, draws Pokémon from different periods using a teleportation/time-machine. In Scarlet, Professor Sada draws Pokémon from the distant past, ancient, unevolved, primordial beasts who leave dust in their wake, making the ground thunder with every step. In Violet, Professor Turo draws Pokémon from the distant future, high-tech, optimized, steel titans who move with utter efficiency, almost indiscernible from machines. Koraidon and Miraidon are themselves ancient/future forms of a Pokémon called “Cyclizar,” who is very common in the Paldea Region.
**SPOILERS OVER SPOILERS OVER SPOILERS OVER**
Personally, I much prefer Scarlet to Violet, not just for its better Pokémon selection, but for its better choice of characters. I felt I could get closer to those in the story, form better bonds, and enjoy the experience more overall. Plus, Koraidon is much cooler than Miraidon. No matter which you choose, I’m sure you’ll have just as amazing an adventure as I had. With an open-world experience, allowing you to choose how you plan out your adventure, you’ll be sure to play how you want to. On top of this, with over 100 new Pokémon, you’ll never run out of adventures to have. I urge you, get the game, grab your starter, and begin your journey!
