Pokémon Unite: Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android
As a millennial, I grew up with the first generation of Pokémon. I have watched episodes of the anime in English, Japanese, and even Mandarin (and yes, they each have their own theme songs that are equally iconic in my mind). I have watched this franchise blossom beyond a manga and anime and into the timeless cultural movement that we associate with the brand today. So, when a MOBA game using the franchise’s IP was released, you bet your ass I got on that shit faster than Dan Andrews announcing a lockdown.
For those who are unaware, MOBA is basically a game format closely associated with League of Legends, DOTA, and Mobile Legends. But why is Pokémon Unite better? I have compiled a list of why you should get into it.
Cute ass characters and good ol’ nostalgia. After all, who doesn’t want to adopt a Charmander and evolve it into a Charizard by bop-bop-bopping an annoying Snorlax into oblivion?
The game is simpler than other MOBA games.
There are no items, meaning you do not need to spend time researching the items best fit for your character.
Instead of destroying ‘towers’ and ‘objectives’ that can do damage to you, your aim is to destroy ‘goal posts’ with orbs that you collect from defeating wild Pokémon around the map. This means that your damage to a goal post depends on how many wild Pokémon you have defeated. This also means that you can do substantive damage to a goal post by yourself if you have enough orbs in your possession.
In other MOBA games, you are motivated to eliminate the opposing team because of the money and experience you get from defeating them. Here, experience is secondary because it is relatively simple to level up if you battle enough wild Pokémon. Instead, you are motivated to eliminate the opposing team to collect the orbs that they have in their possession.
The game is guaranteed to end in 10 minutes. The winner is determined by which team has scored more orbs, rather than who destroys all the goal posts first. This makes each round last a shorter amount of time, so it is perfect for a law student looking for a quick break.
Less toxicity! Without a voice chat or a chat box function, you are no longer subject to toxic teammates yelling slurs and abusive vulgarities at you, which is always great for maintaining an already declining mental health from law school.
So, tell me why you aren’t on this game yet? It’s free to play, easy to learn with its in-game tutorials, and minimally invasive in-game purchases (though I am unclear if the mobile versions have ads). Go get your daily dose of serotonin from an adorable Scorbunny kicking a flaming football at a clueless Slowbro!
