It felt more grounded, more human, and more relaxed at the same time. I think modern 3D Pokémon games get compared due to these two entries giving players something different. Having a Pokémon game with actual difficulty after years of the 3DS games being dumbed down feels cathartic. Colosseum even features fantastic Double Battle strategies from the Protect/Earthquake style of Dakim, to Miror B’s iconic Ludiocolo Rain Team. Not only are they more difficult, they force the player to think strategically rather than rely on the standard type of matches that have been done to death. Double Battles are the quintessential competitive Pokémon experience. Much like tag team wrestling in AEW, Pokémon Colosseum invests in a style people want to see more of. My absolute favorite thing about these games? The Double Battles. I wanted to save them all and felt more invested in this goal than with the core series. Nothing got me more nervous than battling a Cipher Peon and wondering which Pokémon would be a shadow. Facing a secret society of villains wanting to destroy Pokémon friendships as we know it is a clever next stop for Pokémon at the time. Turning Pokémon evil and closing the doors “to their hearts” is an effective tool to add stakes to the world of pocket monsters, especially considering the entire goal of the series to befriend these creatures. The concept of Shadow Pokémon was a welcome addition.
