The internet sphere has been on an emotional rollercoaster since the long-awaited reveal of Pokemon Legends: Z-A's new Mega Evolutions, with some fans really happy about the designs while others are mad at how their favorites now look in their brand new Mega forms.
"Lazy", "ugly", and "downgrade" are words that fans have thrown since the official trailers or even formerly unconfirmed leaks surfaced. But do they really deserve the hate, or are we just missing the point?
Are the New Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A Overhated or Is It Justified?
It is probably a mixture of yes and no. We can't blame fans for having high expectations, especially with Mega Charizard X or Mega Metagross existing, but Game Freak isn't just here for the design.
What if, in addition to its looks, Game Freak also incorporates lore and personality? Either way, it's not really that bad.
Needless to say, Mega Hawlucha's and Mega Malamar's designs were loved by the trainers around the globe. Enough to get you excited for the game's release, and that may also be thanks to the love and care in their marketing. But moreover, it's the design.
When players finally saw Mega Feraligatr, Mega Dragonite, or Mega Starmie, people were quick to judge and outright call them "goofy" or "uninspired". Goofy, maybe, but uninspired? Think again. We might just be missing a deeper meaning or context as to why such design philosophies were chosen.
A perfect example is everyone's favorite Johto reptile, Feraligatr. Its Mega form has been wrecked on the internet since its reveal. It has a red hood-like frill that folds over its neck and connects to its arm spike to make it look like a giant Totodile head. Funny, right?
But it's actually genius. Mega Feraligatr, an apex predator, uses mimicry to lure its victims by pretending to be its cute, bobblehead-ish first form. Look inside and snap! A fully-grown alligator is waiting to take a bite. That is nature's finest trickery imbued in Mega Evolution.
There's also Mega Starmie, which is being compared to Patrick the Star wearing fishnets because of its comically long legs. It is easy to judge it as lazy because, besides the height that makes Farigiraf jealous, nothing much has changed.
For those who don't know, Staryu and Starmie's Japanese names are Ultraman references. Ultraman is one of those Japanese hero versus kaiju TV shows where characters often strike weird, theatrical poses while also moving erratically. Exactly like how Mega Starmie moves and acts in the game. Its design is a love letter to Japanese pop-culture history.
The same goes for Mega Dragonite and Victreebel, who were the subject of memes for weeks because they seemed to have looked less serious or "softer" than their original forms. But if that sacrifice makes them more lore-accurate, why not? Pokemon don't need to look sharper or angrier for them to be better.
Its rounder edges and bigger size provide vibes of "gentle giants," and for those who like to collect plushies, then you know what's coming next to your nearest, local Pokemon store!
To be fair, there are indeed some Mega designs that just stopped with lore and focused on the word "more". Like Mega Pyroar, who just has more hair or mane. There's also Mega Meganium, which just has more flowers or petals in its neck.
But again, sometimes, there's beauty to that, and just enhancing a Pokemon's best quality can be meaningful. Subtlety and emotions sometimes are the point. Mega Meganium may represent growth and healing, while Mega Pyroar enhances its proud and regal aura.
Pokemon Mega Evolutions are always going to be a creative gamble because every person will have their own definition of cool and lame. So that's perhaps why the focus isn't just on making Pokemon look more threatening or more powerful, because sometimes, personality is key.
You have to admit, these designs sparked multiple conversations, and that is a good thing. Pokemon evolves with its fans, and hopefully, our perception does too. Pokemon isn't just for kids, but kids deserve a warm entry into the series as much as we did.
The bottom line is, these new forms remind us that power or edginess isn't what makes a design perfect, but the ingenuity of its thought process, overall charm, and implication is what we need. Yes, people did hate some of these designs, but despite the digital noise, many still fell in love with them.
And that's the point, we can share perspectives and maybe grow to love what we thought were bad. Mega Evolutions are a second look, a second chance sometimes, for Pokemon that need to be rediscovered because they simply deserve more love. So are they overhated? Absolutely! But it isn't too late to take a second glance and see the value.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming features and opinions.