Cullination Royalty: Mystery Part 2

WELCOME TO THE SECOND PART OF THE MYSTERY CHARACTER!  HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT WHO IT IS WITH PART 1?  CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LOOK AT PART 1 AGAIN!

Mystery Character Royalty: Part 1

NOW HERE IS PART 2!

What makes this mystery character so special?  Is it his cool hair?  How about his interesting outfit?  What ever it is that people love about him or her, they have been doing it for a long time.  This character just has a certain thing about them.  What is it, you may ask?  I don't even know.  They just have "it" or the "it factor" as some might say.

This character travels back through time and forward through time all to save a particular someone.  That sounds like a pretty heroism act.  Or is it?  This character likes to travel through time to save someone very special in his life.  Now, I'm not going to say who this person is.  I'm not going to say if they travel through time to save a princess (because that seems to be a theme with Nintendo) or if this person goes through time to save a dying pet or someone else that is special to them.  However, what I will say is this.  Who ever this person does save in the game it seems that they are a little greedy and self absorbed.  I'm not saying that it was technically a bad thing that they saved this person.  I'm also not saying that Nintendo intended for this character to be this way.  All I'm saying is that if you just think about the plot and who they have to save, it seems that they wasted going through time instead of doing something even more extraordinary!  I mean, this character could have went back and got George Washington to be president again!  They could have even went back and got Andre "the giant" just so we could hear the phrase "Does anyone want a peanut?"

"Does anyone want a peanut"
-Andre The Giant in Princess Bride

Even though this character went through all this time to bring back someone important in their life, it seems that Nintendo just didn't care and they act like this character failed in the mission!  Nintendo, please bring this character back!

Have you figured out the mystery character yet?  Sound off in the comment section below to make a guess.  Then come back on Friday when we reveal the mystery character!

By: Shawn 

Cullination Royalty: Mystery Part 1

Hello everyone!  It's Sunday and that means a new edition of Royalty!  It's also the 15th edition which means that this character is going to be the second mystery character!  Enjoy!

Find the Flux Capacitor!

This mystery character became very popular in the mid '90's.  In the games, they usually use time travel in order to save one's life.  Time travel?  Perhaps Dr. Emmet Brown has something to do with it?  Or maybe even Austin Powers is in there somewhere to find his...faja.

So what about weapons?  This mystery characters likes to use magic.  That really narrows it down.  Try to name at least five characters that were created in the 90's that didn't use magic in some way.  It's almost impossible!  I guess you could also say that this character had some help from his friends.  In his journey's, his friends were never far behind and always helped him when he needed it.

Figure it out yet?  This character is extremely underrated and I just hope that some day he gets featured in the popular series Super Smash Bros....or is he already in it?

Come back on Tuesday when another clue is revealed about the mystery character


By: Shawn

Cullination Royalty: Dr. Robotnik Part 3

Part 3: A game to get the character noticed

Welcome to the third and final installment of Dr. Robotnik's Royalty! This is my last day as the fill-in Royalty author already...but I have to say it's been a lot of fun. Next week will be even better with the return of Shawn behind the, uh, keyboard. Actually he'll be in front of the keyboard...but don't worry it will be fantastic as always! Now let's get on with this!

It's easy to see that Sega was onto something the few times they've allowed Sonic and his allies to team up with Eggman to fight for a larger cause. This is mostly because it humanizes the evil genius and allows players to see him in a light other than the usual not-so-great, mutilation of innocent bunnies light. The way I see it, a game that would give Robotnik the push he needs to skyrocket to the top of the popularity charts would be one that plays on this feature.

Let's explore this idea a little bit. Shadow the Hedgehog would be a perfect villain to a game of that caliber, especially considering he works for himself, with complete disregard for both villains and heroes alike. Suppose the maniacal hedgehog becomes corrupted by the Chaos Emeralds and has hijacked one of Robotnik's inventions...Metal Sonic! Shadow plans to use the emeralds to create an army of androids similar to the original Metal Sonic and take over the world. The player would be forced into a choice between controlling Eggman or Sonic as they team up to fight against Shadow's plot! Between Sonic's athletic prowess and Eggman's technological genius, Shadow and his army have no chance of success.

That's the groundwork for a game that would have a lot of potential. Eggman would finally have a chance to be on the good side and fight against a threat much larger than just himself. And, no bunny murdering plots! Okay maybe one thrown in there.

Anyway, what does everyone think? Feel free to post a comment or let us know through any of our sites. It's been a great week my friends, come back on Sunday for Shawn's newest character!


WE ARE...CULLINATION!

Cullination Royalty: Dr. Robotnik Part 2

Part 2: Why you should love him

Welcome to part 2 of Eggman's Royalty! Let's keep this short and simple and find out the answer to the burning question, why should we love him?

Sega's powerful storytelling throughout the Sonic The Hedgehog series convinced gamers he was a twisted wrong-doer who must be stopped. But did anyone take the time to step back and think, "Hey, this Robotnik guy's an engineering genius"?

Leaving aside his regrettable obsession with ensnaring woodland animals for maniacal mutilation, we're talking here about a man capable of welding together some quite remarkable machines. An aircraft with an integrated cow-size iron fist? A craft with its own gravitational field for manipulating smaller versions of itself within a localized orbit? That's some impressive work.

Yes, the man would've benefited from a one-on-one with a skilled mental-health professional. But break through that insane, anger-encrusted exterior, and you'll find a mind of remarkable vision and skill.


Come back on Friday for the final installment of Dr. Robotnik's Royalty!


WE ARE...CULLINATION!

Cullination Royalty: Dr. Robotnik Part 1

That's right! The rotund mastermind, Dr. Robotnik is this week's Royalty crown-bearer!

In light of a brief vacation, Shawn has been given the week off, and yours truly (Joe) will be taking the reigns for the week! I'm very happy to be back after getting a little taste of Royalty way back when Cyrus was our featured character. But that's enough chitter-chatter, let's get down to business!

Mostly known these days by his alias, Doctor Eggman, but also known by his real name, Doctor Ivo Robotnik is the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, a comically obese scientist with an IQ of 300, and the arch nemesis of Sonic the Hedgehog. He is a short-tempered, loud and pompous evil genius who plans to take over the world. However, his plans have always failed thanks to Sonic and his meddling allies!

The original Dr. Ivo Robotnik appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog, with a black pants/shoes suit, a red shirt with two downward yellow triangles on it, a pair of white gloves, and of course, dark blue, clip-on-to-nose, one-way glasses. The official continuity gives no real official origin for Robotnik, but it is known that Sonic is Robotnik's arch-enemy, always out to stop the Doc's schemes. Although Eggman has appeared mostly as the enemy, he's also been playable in games like Sonic R, Sonic Riders, and Sonic Adventure 2.






He has built immense warships, such as the Death Egg and the Egg Carrier, as well as escape units such as the Egg Mobile. In fact, his most famous machine is an Egg Mobile with a wrecking ball attached to the bottom, which appears in Green Hill Zone as a boss. His plans to create the ultimate utopia, the Eggman Empire, are always in full swing, and he doesn't care where to create it. His abominable laughter and maniacal declarations contrast his self-professed softer side as both a romanticist and a gentleman. Despite his and Sonic's constant feud, he has secretly developed a begrudging respect for the hedgehog, an attribute that sets Robotnik apart from his villainous counterparts like Bowser. Although Eggman is a villain, he helps Sonic and co. when the world is at stake, most likely because if the world is destroyed, it defeats his whole purpose.

Sadly, despite all of his accomplishments, Robotnik has become one of the largest wastes of intelligence in the video game villain world thanks to Sega's constant undercutting and underplaying of the mastermind, his creations, and his schemes to take over the world, downplaying them to the likes of "being thwarted by running really fast, collecting rings, and jumping on a few heads." It's about time Eggman gets some praise for all of his hard work, and we at Cullination are here to provide just that to our newest Royalty character.


Come back on Tuesday for Part 2 and the continuation of Dr. Robotnik's Royalty!


WE ARE...CULLINATION!

Cullination Royalty: Bulbasaur Part 3

Part 3: A suggested story/game to make him more popular.

THE STORY

Pikachu is very far from being a great electric type Pokemon.  But why do people love him so much?  And why do people try to catch one even though there are Electabuzz's and a Zapdos running around?  The answer to that question is because since the beginning of Pokemon, Pikachu has been the flagship Pokemon.  In addition to that, with Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition people fell in love with this yellow mouse even more than before!  So, why not do the same thing with Bulbasaur?  At first, people probably won't like this idea because for some reason Bulbasaur has a bad reputation.  But once people play this game (with an open mind) they'll soon learn what it was about this blueish-plant-dog-like-thing that made me fall in love with it!

For those of you who do not know what playing Pokemon Yellow is like, I'll tell you.  Remember when you played Pokemon HeartGold and/or SoulSilver?  Remember how shocked you were to see your Pokemon out of their Poke-balls and following you around?  Did you say something like "WOW!  They have never done that before!"  Well, you are wrong.  Way before HeartGold and SoulSilver came out, Pokemon Yellow was around (in fact I still play mine).  In this game you start with a Pikachu and he does follow you around outside of his Poke-Ball.  Also in this game, you can catch all three of the starting Pokemon.  How awesome is that!  Now in Bulbasaur's own game, you cannot catch Squirtle or Charmander because the player will just get rid of Bulbasaur and that's not the point.  The point of this game is for Bulbasaur to get the love and respect that he deserves!

By: Shawn

Did you like this week of Royalty?  Did you hate it?  Let me know in the comment section below or send me an email at shawn@cullination.net

POKE-FOCUS #18: GARDEVOIR

Introduction

Gardevoir is nothing short of awesome. Back in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, she was a psychic mainstay of the team, using both Psychic and Thunderbolt to bring opponents to their knees. She also was the star of the Cool Competitions, managing some fairly difficult wins in order to get a portrait.









About the Pokemon

Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokemon. Probably such because its main instinct is to guard its Trainer from danger, "embracing" him/her in some form of a psychic shield (which apparently is a black hole). It has the ability to see the future... definitely a useful skill when scoping out dangers that will befall its Trainer. (Apparently, said black hole is a dimension-distorter, which means it likely diverts the timeline-dimension to a safer one.) It will also sacrifice itself for its trainer if necessary (as seen in Mystery Dungeon Red/Blue).

All in all, quite the Pokemon to have by your side.

Despite its female-humanoid look, Gardevoir can be both male and female (which will prove interesting if we end up with a male Gardevoir on our team), and in fact does not belong to the Humanshape egg group (but rather the Indeterminate group). Makes one wonder exactly what Gardevoir is.

Height: 5'3", Weight: 106.7 lbs. Hey, that's pretty much my height and weight. Scary right? What if I told you that was really the weight of my cat? Just got awkward? Okay let's move on.

Capture/Training

Gardevoir is one of Ralts's final evolved forms (the other being Gallade). Ralts can be found during a Swarm on Route 34 (wait, Rule 34?). They have a catch rate of 235; however, keep in mind that any at level 12 or higher know and might use Teleport. That said, putting one to sleep and using a Great Ball, at full health, will have a 92% chance of catching the Pokemon.

Ralts evolves into Kirlia at Lv. 20 and then into Gardevoir at Lv. 30. Delaying the final evolution by one level to learn Psychic two levels earlier can be done, but there is no need to delay the evolution more than that.

Statistics

68 HP, 65 Atk, 65 Def, 125 Sp. Atk, 115 Sp. Def, 80 Spd
Stat-wise, Gardevoir notably excels in Special Attack and Special Defense. Compared to the "main" Psychic-type, Alakazam, Gardevoir has slightly less Special Attack (though still really high) and significantly less Speed, but in exchange has much more Special Defense. Its physical stats are also higher, though still not recommended for taking hits (unless Will-o-Wisps are involved). Gardevoir is great for taking hits against special attack users, or just plain-out smacking enemies around. (Its average Speed, though, means you might have to be careful who you send it out against.)

Recommended Natures are those that hinder Attack (useless on Gardevoir), and help either Sp. Attack, Sp. Defense, Speed, or maybe Defense. Since Ralts come in swarms, in this case we can catch several of them pretty easily and choose one with a good nature and IV setup.

When EVs are to be re-focused, they should definitely be siphoned out of Attack. Distribution of stats otherwise will likely depend on the role Gardevoir plays on the team. It has use for pretty much any of the other stats except maybe Defense, so focus should be on removing the Attack EV's it's likely gained from fighting lots of Fighting-types. Have fun growing lots of Kelpsy berries.

Movesets

For its abilities, Gardevoir can either get Synchronize or Trace. Generally speaking, Trace is preferable, and can be fun depending on the situation. It's pretty easy to tell when a Ralts has Trace (since the battle text outright says so at the start of battle) and Ralts will come in swarms, so catching one (or six) with this ability will be easy enough.

There are a couple of ways Gardevoir can go with movesets.

Psychic is Gardevoir's primary mode of attack, and should be on any moveset.

Gardevoir has a handful of choices for a secondary attack. Shadow Ball can take down other Psychics as well as Ghosts, but runs into trouble against Dark and Steel types. In contrast, Focus Blast hits Dark and Steel types hard, but in turn does not work against Psychics and Ghosts. Thunderbolt is a good third option, useful against many Pokemon in general. For a wild-card option, Signal Beam can hit Psychic and Dark-types, but isn't as good against Ghost and Steel-types, and is, base-power-wise, the weakest of its choices. Energy Ball is another decent option.

Gardevoir seems to be the type that likes to help out its teammates, and it gets two moves that can help in that regard. Wish is the obvious one, and can be used if you want Gardevoir to soak up an attack before switching out to a teammate. On a more extreme end is Healing Wish, which will outright knock out Gardevoir, while completely healing its replacement. Both are nice little moves to complement Gardevoir's personality, while being fairly practical in battle as well. As a side note, Gardevoir's pre-evolved forms cannot learn these moves, so a Heart Scale will be needed.

Calm Mind is a great move, boosting Gardevoir's already-high Special Attack and Defense to new heights. Stall up against a special attacker and crank up those stats, then start sweeping. Extra EVs in Speed are recommended.

For disrupting opponents, Gardevoir can use Thunder Wave to paralyze enemies, reducing the impact of Gardevoir's average speed. Alternately, with the help of a Shuppet/Duskull family member, Will-o-Wisp can be bred onto it, which can screw over physical attackers attempting to prey on its weak Defense. If TMs or breeding is not desired, there's always Hypnosis for the ever-fun Sleep status.

If Gardevoir is to be supporting its teammates, Reflect and Light Screen are good moves to be had. Reflect in particular helps Gardevoir itself, but having both is an option. Since these are "team" moves, they go well with Wish. In this case, there is less need of a secondary attack, since it's easier to switch out to someone who can properly take down an enemy if Psychic won't work. Also, Special Attack EVs are not as necessary here. Watch out for Brick Breakers!

Finally, some oddball moves. We're not really competitive-battling here, so Double Team is always an option. However, that's pretty much the only level-up move worth using other than those already mentioned. If Gardevoir's team has several slower Pokemon, Trick Room is an option. Magic Coat could potentially be used, too, if you want to Move Tutor it. As for Egg Moves, there's the disruptors Mean Look and Confuse Ray, as well as the sacrifice moves Destiny Bond, Memento, and Grudge.

So, the primary moveset choices are:

Moveset 1: Wish/Status Support

- Thunder Wave/Will-o-Wisp (disruptor)
- Wish/Healing Wish ( healing support)
- Psychic (primary attack)
- Shadow Ball/Focus Blast/Thunderbolt/Signal Beam (secondary attack)

Disrupts enemies, supports teammates, and launches attacks, all in one Pokemon. Great deal, ne? Gardevoir's Special Attack and Defense should be pretty well-balanced for this set; Speed is not as necessary and can be refocused. More HP EVs would be nice, though. Defense EVs can help if Thunder Wave is chosen over Will-o-Wisp.

Moveset 2: Calm Mind

- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- (secondary attack)
- Will-o-Wisp/Wish (self-defense/healing)

Calm Mind up a couple of times, then start blasting away. Send it out against a special attacker for the most opportunity to Calm Mind itself. Will-o-Wisp can provide a barrier against physical attacks, while Wish can heal the damage Gardevoir took while building up Calm Minds. Good if Gardevoir has an innately higher Speed, since it'll start looking like a sweeper after those Calm Minds are used. EVs should be focused more on Speed and Special Attack here.

Moveset 3: Screen Support

- Reflect/Light Screen/Will-o-Wisp (defensive support)
- (second defensive support)
- (healing support)
- Psychic

A team supporter. Speed EVs are helpful for setting up the first screen to soak up the first attack. Other than that, this particular moveset does not require as much Special Attack, so go ahead and refocus those EVs to HP, Defense, and Special Defense.

Overall

- Psychic
- (healing support) OR (self-defense/healing)
- (disruptor) OR (defensive support) OR Calm Mind
- (secondary attack) OR (secondary defensive support)

A general blueprint for Gardevoir's movesets. Example: Psychic, Wish, Reflect, Shadow Ball.

Effective Movesets:

1. Calm Mind + Wish support
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Wish
- Thunderbolt/Shadow Ball/Focus Blast/Signal Beam/Energy Ball

2. Paralyzer
- Psychic
- Thunder Wave
- Wish
- Energy Ball/Shadow Ball/Focus Blast/Signal Beam/Thunderbolt

3. Will-o-Wisp
- Psychic
- Will-o-Wisp
- Wish
- Focus Blast/Thunderbolt/Shadow Ball/Signal Beam/Energy Ball

4. Sacrificial Dual-Screen
- Psychic
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Healing Wish
Item: Light Clay

5. Multi-Status
- Psychic
- Hypnosis
- Will-o-Wisp
- Shadow Ball/Thunderbolt/Signal Beam/Energy Ball/Focus Blast

6. Trick Room Support
- Psychic
- Trick Room
- Wish
- Shadow Ball/Thunderbolt/Focus Blast/Energy Ball/Signal Beam
Item: Macho Brace
Note: Use with Speed-hindering nature.

7. Sacrificial Dual Screen: Memento Ver.
- Psychic
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Memento


Breeding

Best egg moves: Will-o-Wisp, Memento, Encore

Notes:
- Encore and Will-o-Wisp are incompatible.
- A Shuppet can pass on Will-o-Wisp as well as a free Shadow Ball.

Postscript: Fun Abilities to Trace

- Adaptability: Unlikely to run into a Pokemon team with this ability, but if you do... extra-powerful Psychic attacks, anyone?
- Aftermath: Trace this from a Skuntank, and watch as some of its health gets sapped away after it Night Slashes you. Hopefully you got to land a Thunderbolt on it beforehand.
- Chlorophyll/Swift Swim: If the opponent is slower than you in normal weather, this will make it so they're still slower than you in their preferred weather.
- Cute Charm: I think Gardevoir's cute enough to pull this off... Could potentially be used to disrupt Pokemon of the opposite gender, especially because Gardevoir itself has no contact moves.
- Filter: Could be interesting if facing a Mr. Mime with Shadow Ball or something.

- Flash Fire: Would be more useful if Gardevoir had usable fire attacks. Still, free switch-in against Fire-types!
- Forewarn/Frisk: Because secret intelligence runs both ways.
- Honey Gather/Pickup: Uhh... hope you get a free item?
- Ice Body: Could be an interesting switch-in during hail. Like Snow Cloak, it will make you immune to Hail damage.
- Intimidate: A pretty obvious one. Gardevoir isn't going to be using physical attacks anyway, and it can keep the Intimidator from hurting it too badly with the switch-in.
- Levitate: Use against a Flygon or Claydol (draw out a Ground-type move first) and you can get a free switch-in, plus a free immunity against one of their STAB types. (In Claydol's case, their other STAB-type is fairly screwed, too. Make sure you have Shadow Ball, though.)
- Magnet Pull: If you have Focus Blast, trap a Magnezone or a Probopass and blast away.
- Motor Drive: Free switch-in against Electivire AND free speed boost? Good stuff.
- Multitype: Uhh... have it hold a weird Plate and matching secondary attack?
- Natural Cure: Not sure if this would work, since Trace resets upon switching, but this may equal to one free status cure.
- No Guard: Could be fun for 100%-accurate Focus Blasts.
- Own Tempo: Yes, some of the Pokemon with this ability can confuse you...
- Pressure: Turnabout is fair play.
- Rain Dish: Potentially interesting switch-in during rain.
- Sand Veil/Snow Cloak: Switch in while the corresponding weather condition is active, and the opponent might miss their switch-in strike. As a bonus, these two abilities also confer immunity to the damage associated.
- Serene Grace: Lesse... that's now a 20% chance of lowering Special Defense? Hmm.
- Simple: Calm Mind just got twice as effective. Yikes.
- Soundproof: Could screw over an Exploud.
- Speed Boost: Well, Gardevoir sure doesn't have to worry about Speed now.
- Swarm: Hey, if you're using Signal Beam...
- Thick Fat: Switch in against Dewgong or Walrein and they lose one of their STAB moves.
- Trace: ...
- Truant: Yeah, you probably shouldn't use Gardevoir against Slaking.
- Wonder Guard: Would be more effective if it weren't for both of Shedinja's types being super-effective against Gardevoir. Still, if you can survive a hit and Will-o-Wisp or Shadow Ball it out of commission, you could have some fun.

Future Sight

Gardevoir gets a couple of fun new moves to play with. Top of the list is Psycho Shock, a move that is powered by your Special Attack but hits the opponent's Defense. This means specially-defensive Pokemon *coughBlisseycough* cannot wall you. Assist Power can also be fun, gaining power with each stat boost you get. On a Calm Mind set, this move can easily become massively powerful.

However, what really looks to be Gardevoir's future is the realm of Double and Triple battles. Its Dream World ability, Telepathy, prevents all damage from your teammates' attacks; go ahead and Earthquake and Explode all you want! Add to this moves like Healing Beam, which allow Gardevoir to directly heal teammates, and Gardevoir looks to be a great partner for Multi-Battles.

Cullination Royalty: Bulbasaur Part 2

Part 2: Why you should love him.

In 1976 a film was made about a boxer.  This boxer was a low time boxer that seemed to not do much with his life.  This boxer eventually gets a trainer named Paulie.  Paulie trains this boxer with drinking raw eggs and running up the stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art all while the song The Eye of the Tiger is playing in the background.  When this boxer's training is complete is fights in the ring against the World Heavyweight Champion.  Everyone has strong doubts that this no body of a boxer will actually win the fight.  But to everyone's surprise this boxer became a legend in one night by winning his match and putting the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist.  

Now, obviously I'm talking about the movie Rocky.  But what does Bulbasaur have in common with the popular character played by "the mumbling" Sylvester Stallone?  The answer to that question is a lot more in common than you might think.  Let me ask you a question.  Why do people love the Rocky movies so much?  Why did people instantly fall in love with this no body of a boxer?  The answer to that question is because people love an underdog story.  People all across America and all across the world love to watch a guy or girl almost have nothing in the beginning and then win it all at the end.  People love it when other people have doubts about this person winning, but then at the end they are at the top of the world!

In my opinion, Bulbasaur is much like Rocky Balboa because he is an underdog.  A lot of people do not think that Bulbasaur is very good.  Why do they think that?  I have no clue.  But what I do know is that for years Bulbasaur has been living in the shadows of the other first generation starting Pokemon.  Beginner trainers will most likely select a Charmander in hopes of it turning into a ruthless Charizard one day or selecting a Squirtle because of its blueish cuteness.  While the selection process is over more times than not, Bulbasaur gets left out.  Again, I don't know why.  Bulbasaur is a strong Pokemon once he evolves into Venasaur.  Albeit, he has a few weaknesses... but what Pokemon doesn't?

If you are one of those people that have some kind of mysterious grudge against Bulbasaur, please try him out again.  If you do (and train him well) then I'm sure that he will knock out a Hitmonchan just like Rocky did.

CHARACTERS 1 ON 1 UPDATE

Greetings from Cullination!

We are very proud to announce the launch of our Youtube crossover series from right here at Cullination Corner, Characters 1 on 1! The first episode, Ganon vs. Giga Bowser, has gotten a lot of positive feedback so far. If you haven't seen it yet, you can check it out below.

With every great work comes a crapload of mistakes and failures...so we decided to make fun of ourselves a little bit and showcase some of our more interesting screw ups and gags in a Characters 1 on 1 Blooper Reel. Check it out!

A big shoutout to everyone who contributed to the new series. This took quite a lot of work and dedication to put together from all of our staff members, so major props guys!

Because of the good reception so far, more episodes are in production as we speak. Don't forget to leave us some feedback or suggestions through comments or even our Support tab. We're looking forward to bringing you more Characters 1 on 1!

As always Cullination fans, you are amazing. Keep showing why you are the best fans on Youtube!

WE ARE...CULLINATION!



Cullination Royalty: Bulbasaur Part 1

The very first Pokemon featured on Cullination Royalty!  Introducing Bulbasaur!  

Bulbasaur's first game is Pokemon Red and Blue.  He is one of three of  the first starting Pokemon...ever!  Though Bulbasaur does not get as much love as the other starters (Charmander and Squirtle) Bulbasaur is one of the best!  But why doesn't he get as much love as the other starter Pokemon?  I have been wondering this for a very long time.  I personally really like Bulbasaur.  But the reason as to why people do not like him as much is because he was not chosen to be on the cover of the original Pokemon games for the Game Boy (in America).  Although that is true, Bulbasaur does not get as much love as he should.  Now, I'm not saying that I have some kind of crush on Bulbasaur because he was my first Pokemon ever (because he wasn't) but because I truly believe he is very underrated and one of the best starting Pokemon in history and even one of the best grass types in the game!

Bulbasaur is also one of the easiest starting Pokemon to train.  He evolves into Ivysaur at level 16 and then Venasaur at level 32.  A strategy I just love to use with Bulbasaur, which is a good way to torture your enemy, is to use leech seed and then poison powder.  With this strategy you can really torture your opponent  because each turn they lose some health with poison powder plus they lose even more health with leech seed as you gain health and then you still attack them with whatever move you want during that same turn!  I don't know why but I just love doing this to my enemies!

Anyway, Bulbasaur in my opinion is a very good Pokemon.  Go ahead and try him out again.  But be sure to train him with an open mind because if you already think that he stinks then you will not give Bulbasaur a fair shot and you will always not like him.  So, train Bulbasaur again with an open mind and if you still do not like him, at least you tried.  

So, how did you like Royalty this week?  Sound off in the comment section below to let us know or send me an email at shawn@cullination.net.  Also remember that I am always open to suggestions so send me an email to see your favorite underrated character on Cullination Royalty!  As for right now, come back on Tuesday as Bulbasaur's Cullination Royalty continues! 

FAN CHOICE: POKE FOCUS #17: SCIZOR

It's FAN CHOICE time!

Introduction

Our next Pokemon is one that can be found within the confines of the Johto Pokedex. However, it will require some trading-and-trade-backing to bring it about... which shouldn't be too hard to arrange. Scizor is a flying, bladed bug of doom. Now is certainly a great time to try it out, with the plethora of new and powerful attacks available to it.







About the Pokemon

Scizor, the Pincer Pokemon. With those eye-patterned pincers, Scizor can crush any foe with ease. And those eyes aren't just for show, either; Scizor can make it look like it has three heads with those. Fearsome, eh?

Those wings, though, are for show. Or rather, they don't help Scizor fly, and are only used to cool its body down. Still kind of cool. *groan*

Height: 5'11", Weight: 260.1 lbs.

Capture/Training
Ah, the Bug-Catching Contest. That was loads of fun in Silver, and it's guaranteed to be just as fun in the remake... what with Scythers tending to win the competition (so long as no one else catches a better one <_<).

Statistics

70 HP, 130 Atk, 110 Def, 55 Sp. Atk, 80 Sp. Def, 65 Spd

Scizor's stats are extremely good. Huge attack power, and no real weaknesses except in Speed, which Scizor has ways of compensating for. There is certainly plenty of use for that high Defense, too. Scizor works well as a straight-out physical sweeper (obviously, it shouldn't be using special attacks), or it can take a supportive role with Baton Pass and other support moves.

With the relative difficulty in catching Scyther, there should not be too much focus on trying to find the "perfect" Scizor. We probably do not want one that has a Special Attack-boosting nature (that, and obviously natures that hinder Special Attack are preferable), but other than that it's pretty safe to work with the Scizor you catch.

EV refocusing should obviously involve focusing them out of Special Attack. Other than that, though, it doesn't really matter where they go.

Scizor's typing is extremely nice. It's only weakness is a 4x weakness to Fire, so watch out for that, but otherwise, it has resistance to nine types and immunity to Poison--definitely makes up for that 4x weakness.

Movesets

Abilities are Swarm and Technician. Both are great abilities and whatever one ends up on the Scizor you stick with can be used. The moveset used will differ depending on the ability chosen. Swarm is pretty straightforward and encourages the use of moves like Substitute and items like Life Orb, which will help bring Scizor down to that 33% mark. Technician boosts the power of low-power attacks, which is most obvious with a certain attack called Bullet Punch, a first-strike attack that already gets STAB. With Technician, the power of this heart-scaled move really starts reaching levels that can one-hit-KO enemies with some attack-boosting help. Other moves that benefit from Technician are Quick Attack, Pursuit, and Double-Hit.

For its primary attacks, the obvious choices are X-Scissor for Bug and Iron Head for Steel. However, if Scizor has Technician, its strongest Bug-type move is actually the Move Tutor-able Bug Bite, of all things. (As a bonus, the move can screw over the enemy's berry strategies.) Scizor can also consider Metal Claw, which gets the Technician boost and has a slight chance of getting that Attack boost.

Secondary attacks can vary. Technician-boosted Double-Hit is probably its strongest option, and can break Subs if they come up. It's more powerful than a full-powered Return, though that move is better if Technician is absent. Brick Break, meanwhile, has great type coverage. Night Slash has a nice critical-hit ratio and can hit Ghost-types hard. Aerial Ace gets a Technician boost, hits Fighting-types and Bug-types, and can be used on dodgy opponents. With a Technician boost, even Rock Smash is somewhat useable. Superpower is a somewhat oddball choice that can hit hard, and then Scizor can switch out.

Scizor has several other options for attacks. Among them are its first-strike attacks, most notably Bullet Punch. STAB + Technician = one powerful attack that, for the most part, ignores Scizor's low Speed. It can even be Scizor's primary Steel-type move. Even without Technician, it's useful for finishing off enemies, especially after a Swords Dance. For the handful of types that it does not hit well, Quick Attack also works, and can also get that Technician boost.

As for other assorted attacks: Pursuit can screw over Pokemon who try to escape, and after that Technician boost, becomes pretty darn powerful. Even without the Technician boost, it's a decently-powerful attack, just a bit less powerful than Night Slash. U-Turn is a fun option, particularly on a Swarm Scizor: if it starts getting weak, it can switch out and deal some really nice damage beforehand. If Scizor hasn't used Agility beforehand, it can also make sure its replacement doesn't take any damage by soaking up the enemy's hit first. With Technician boost, even Thief has some potential. If you don't want to give up an item, you can always use Knock Off. Meanwhile, 130 base Attack plus Technician means that Scizor might just be the strongest False Swiper out there, which is good for all your Pokemon-catching needs, though more-or-less useless in competitive battle. Scizor can also pull off Counter well. You might need some Agility support, but an Endure-Reversal combo can work, too.

With solid defensive stats, Scizor can function well as a Baton Passer. Passable moves include: Swords Dance is probably the most obvious subject, being able to bring Scizor's Attack power to ridiculous levels and allowing it to pretty much level the competition with even Technician-boosted Bullet Punches easily. And then, once it's done, it can pass that huge Attack stat to a teammate. Agility can be used on Scizor itself to compensate for its low Speed. Iron Defense makes for a very bulky Scizor, and can help its less-defensive brethren. Also passable are Substitutes.

While Scizor can use the aforementioned Iron Defense as a defensive move, its best defensive move is definitely Roost. However, that move does require using up the TM, as it cannot be bred onto it. Also available to Scizor is Light Screen, which can make Scizor resistant to both physical and special attacks, and good for supporting teammates.

Moveset 1: Baton Passer
- Baton Pass
- (passable move)
- (defensive move)
- (primary attack - either type)

Straightforward Baton-Passer. Defensive move suggestions are Roost, which is always good, and Substitute, which can be Baton Passed. Either Swarm or Technician can work here; Technicians should consider Bug Bite or Bullet Punch as the primary attack, the latter more so if Swords Dance is the passing move of choice. Good on a defensive Scizor; EV refocusing should be directed at defensive stats.

Moveset 2: Choice
- (primary Bug attack)
- (primary Steel attack)/(secondary attack)
- (secondary attack)/(first-strike attack)
- (secondary attack)/(assorted attack)
Item: Choice Band (or Choice Scarf)

Really, just choose four attacks. The list of possible attacks were previously given. U-Turn can be used in place of the other primary Bug attack. Technician is recommended for this set; remember that Bug Bite is the strongest primary Bug attack in that case. Stat-wise, the usual Attack/Speed combo is a good way to go.

Moveset 3: Sweeper
- Swords Dance/Agility
- (primary attack)
- (primary attack)/(secondary attack)/(assorted attack)
- (first-strike attack)/(secondary attack)
Item: Life Orb

Depends on the stat-booster chosen. A first-strike attack is an absolute necessity on a Swords-Dancer, while not needed if Agility is being used. Swarm is useful for the Agility-sweeper, while Technician helps the Swords Dance user by providing it with super-powered Bullet Punches. The Life Orb works well here either way. Roost can be used on the set to recover health. Stat-wise, high Attack is great; other than that, go defensive, particularly in HP. Agility-sweeper can use more Speed, too.

General Moveset

- (primary Bug attack)
- (primary Steel attack)
- (secondary attack)/(assorted attack)
- (offensive buff)/(defensive move)

Really, Scizor has so many possibilities it's hard to list a single general moveset. Play around to find one that works well.

Rocky Scizor!

Effective Movesets
1. "Classic" Choice Band
- Bullet Punch
- U-Turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Technician

2. Swords Dance Sweeper
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Brick Break
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Technician

3. Baton Passer
- Swords Dance
- Agility
- Baton Pass
- Bullet Punch (if Technician)/X-Scissor (if Swarm)

4. Ninja
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Night Slash
Ability: Technician

5. Priority Abuse
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Quick Attack
Ability: Technician

6. Sub-Salac
- Substitute
- Reversal
- X-Scissor
- Bullet Punch
Item: Salac Berry
Ability: Swarm

7. Pure Utility
- Thief
- False Swipe
- Rock Smash
- Light Screen
Ability: Technician

Breeding

Best Egg moves: Baton Pass
Notes:
- It is impossible to breed Roost onto Scizor.

- The easiest benefactor of Baton Pass is a Ledyba, who learns the move at Lv. 22 and is common in SoulSilver.


- However, a Ninjask, although not learning Baton Pass until Level 45, can also breed Swords Dance onto Scyther beforehand. It can also start off a Scyther with Agility or Bug Bite/X-Scissor if the parent Scyther/Scizor already knows the move.


Don't forget to place your vote below this article for the next Poke-Focus Fan Choice article!


WE ARE...CULLINATION!

Cullination Royalty: Ness Part 3

Part 3: A suggested game/story to make him more popular.

The Story

Like I said earlier in the week, the reason Ness is considered to be underrated is because for a character that Nintendo made out to be the main guy in the game Earthbound, why did he have to share the spotlight with three more people?  So in order to show Ness' dominance and bravery, he must go out on his own adventure to save his friends.  In this game, Giygas makes his shocking return to the world of Onett!  He captures Paula, Jeffrey, Poo, and Lucas.  Ness now must start an epic adventure to find and rescue his friends before Giygas harness' all four of their powers to become all powerful!  Ness travels to faraway lands to find his friends and to save Onett from chaos!

Game Play

This game will be a RPG style game.  Controlling Ness, the player free roams collecting upgrades to make him more powerful.   You can upgrade Ness' speed, power of his bat and his intelligence.  Ness' intelligence will allow him to crack codes causing him to enter locked buildings that store secret equipment for his adventure.

50,000 View Giveaway Special: Winners Announcement

Greetings from Cullination!

As many of you know, the Cullination HeartGold 50,000 View Giveaway Special ended yesterday, so now it's time for the results!

To all announced winners, your instructions are simple. Message our Youtube channel to confirm you want your prize (if we don't get a response we will let another person have it) and we will send you a link to a page containing further instructions for you regarding the wireless settings necessary to receive your Pokemon. When you get your link, make sure your settings are consistent with the instructions on the linked page, and let us know a good time to send you your Pokemon. All you have to do is visit the GTS with a full party, and it is all yours! No trading or giving up one of your own Pokemon is necessary.

Without further delay, here are the winners of the HeartGold Team Giveaway!


DRAGONITE: skyluigi2

HERACROSS: Guzzinator484

TYRANITAR: TheMrminimario

STARMIE: alinktothefuture44

MEGANIUM: marioguy55

ARCANINE: pokemonparty25


Congratulations to the winners and we extend our special thanks to everyone who joined our special promotion! To our winners, if you have any problems receiving your giveaway Pokemon, you can contact us through the support tab on our blog and website, or message us on Youtube. We will do what it takes to get you your deserved prize. And, be sure to give us some feedback on what you thought of our Pokemon!

To the rest of the Cullination community, we will be back with another giveaway in the near future, also compatible with all 4th Gen games, this time with our team from Pokemon Colosseum!


WE ARE...CULLINATION!

Cullination Royalty: Ness Part 2

Part 2: Why Should you love him?

Did someone say boy and little!

Ness is super cool!  I mean, who doesn't love little boys?  Slow down Pedo bear...not like that.  

Ness is a boy from the game Earthbound that has PSI powers!  In Super Smash Bros., once you hear him say "PK Fire" you know stuff is going to go down.  

Earthbound was developed to be a big hit among Nintendo fans!  Once Nintendo released the game for the Super Nintendo, fans were asking to see more of this "hipster boy" named Ness.

Not only did Ness appear in a popular game series, but he also has a way with fashion.  Ness sports a striped t-shirt with matching "jorts" and a baseball cap.  Ness is so cool that he doesn't even wear the cap the way it was designed for.  Ness likes to set trends by wearing his baseball cap side ways!  How original!  He is such a visionary!

Although Ness is not the only antagonist in his games, he certainly is the most lovable.  It was a shock to everyone to see that Nintendo didn't forget about him by adding him to the roster in the original Super Smash Bros. and being in those games ever since.  All I can say is that we hope Ness eventually comes back to us in a game of his own very soon.  This is because not only is he hitting home runs with his signature bat, but he is also rounding the plate and stealing our hearts.

Cullination Royalty: Ness Part 1

That's right, the little boy with PSI powers is the next character in Cullination Royalty!

Ness first appeared in the game Earthbound, which was for the platform Super Nintendo.  He is the main antagonist for the game along with three other characters.  The other characters are Paula, Jeff, and Poo.  Naturally, any of those characters could be featured on Royalty, but the reason I chose Ness was because Nintendo intended for Ness to be the main antagonist in the game. If he was the main hero, then why did they want to include three other "little kids" that could easily out stage him.  

In Earthbound, Ness is approached by an alien from the future known as Buzz Buzz.  Buzz Buzz informs Ness to embark on a journey to stop the evil Giygas so he can save the future!  

Not a single Fudge was given that day!

It's a shame that a boy from a very popular game series is really only famous because of being in Super Smash Bros.  Honestly, I didn't even know who he was until I saw him in "Smash".  That's kind of a sad fact.  I think Ness and Lucas (both from the same series) are the only characters in Smash that are not as popular or as famous as the other characters.  So, Ness is kind enough to not just represent himself in this week of Royalty, but to be the next King for all Earthbound characters alike!

By: Shawn

Cullination Royalty: Yoshi Part 3

Part 3: A suggested game/story to make him more popular.

Yoshi is the star in a few of his own games.  Like I said before, the reason he is underrated is because the way Mario treats him.  Mario usually rides him like a horse and have Yoshi eat (probably bad tasting) enemies.

The Story

Because of the way Mario treats his "pet" why doesn't Yoshi give Mario a taste of his own medicine.  In this game, Bowser kidnaps Mario.  Now, don't automatically assume that this is one of those games where Yoshi just has to save Mario...because it's not!  Once Bowser kidnaps Mario, he transforms Mario into an animal. Not necessarily a horse or a yoshi, more like a werewolf.  Werewolf Mario escapes Bowser's castle and finds Yoshi.  Yoshi and Werewolf Mario then are off to find a cure for Mario so he can return back to normal!

Game Play

This game is a free roaming game similar to Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine.  The player plays as Yoshi, which he can do his usual moves like eat enemies and turn them into eggs and he can eat apples to regain health too.  The player can also jump on Werewolf Mario's back and ride him just like Mario use to on Yoshi.  Werewolf Mario is a bit faster than Yoshi is and a stronger character as well.   

So what did you think about this edition of Royalty?  Sound off in the comment section below to let us know or send an email to shawn@cullination.net.  See you on Sunday when a new character gets his or her turn in the spot light!

WE ARE...

CULLINATION!

Cullination Royalty: Yoshi Part 2

Part 2: Why should you love him?


Yoshi is a dinosaur!  That's the best reason ever!  Now this part is about why you should love him, so try not to think about Barney the dinosaur for a second....or ever.

 

Yoshi has been in video games since 1990.  Since then, the world has fallen in love with him.  What exactly is it about Yoshi that got him so popular?  I mean, all he really did was be Mario's horse and eat apples.  Maybe it was that very creative design on his egg that Nintendo came up with?  Maybe it was all of the different colors you could get?  You could get a yellow yoshi, a blue yoshi, a red yoshi, and even the traditional green yoshi.  Or maybe it was Yoshi's lovable smile that made people love him.

Yoshi has made numerous appearances in games.  That's what made him so popular.  He is in party games, sport games, and traditional Mario games such as Super Mario Galaxy 2.  

Everyone loves Yoshi!  Yoshi is one of the most lovable characters of all time!  He also won't slow down any time soon!  People love playing as Yoshi at every chance they can!  Beating someone up in Super Smash Bos., eating up apples in Super Mario World, or even hitting home runs in Super Mario Sluggers!  The point is...Yoshi is a gold mine of a character.

POKE-FOCUS #16: MAMOSWINE

Introduction

Ah, Piloswine. First of all, while his typing is great offensively, it's pretty bad defensively, having only one immunity (Electric), one resistance (Poison), and taking everything else at neutral or worse. This made it hard to switch him into other Pokemon. That plus low Special Defense meant it wasn't going to be taking hits well, particularly of the Fire, Water, or Grass sort--the first and last of which it supposedly has a type advantage over.



Also, its low Special Attack meant that it would not be doing much damage with its Ice attacks nominally. That, plus the lack of an Ice Beam TM, meant we had to use the powerful but unreliable Blizzard. Finally, its slow Speed really did not help its cause at all.

Piloswine needed so many things. It needed some better defensive aspects of its typing. It needed a better way to hit with Ice attacks. It needed something to compensate for its low Speed. Heck, it just needed some better stats, although the only way that was going to happen was if it somehow got a new evolution.

Enter 4th generation. What happened? Sandstorm and Hail use proliferated (saying nothing of Hail's nonexistence in 2nd generation), Stealth Rock appeared and gave most Ice-types a fair amount of trouble (while Piloswine takes the move at neutral damage), Physical/Special split meant it could now use physical Ice-type attacks, particularly Ice Shard, which compensated for Speed by striking first, Blizzard could be used in Hail with never-miss effect, and... oh, it got a new evolution, and with it improved stats. The addition of assorted new hold items and a fairly useful ability (under the right circumstances) helped it a lot, too. And as an added bonus, it now learns Earthquake on its own, meaning we don't have to use up a precious TM 26 to teach it its most powerful attack.

There's a reason Piloswine jumped up from Neverused in 3rd Generation to Mamoswine being Overused in 4th Generation.

Capture/Training

Should be easy to catch a Swinub: they're all over the place in the Ice Path. Do catch several of them so you can get one with Snow Cloak and a good nature.

Swinub evolves into Piloswine starting at Level 33. Piloswine (and Mamoswine) learns Earthquake only three levels later, so there's no need to delay the evolution. Piloswine evolves into Mamoswine if it levels up while having learned Ancientpower; you'll need a Heart Scale to pull this off. There's no point in delaying this evolution, as Mamoswine's moves are learned at the same levels as Piloswine.

Statistics

110 HP, 130 Atk, 80 Def, 70 Sp. Atk, 60 Sp. Def, 80 Spd

So much better stats from its predecessor. Base 130 Attack is always going to be a real killer. Base 110 HP means it has pretty good survivability, moreso against physical attacks. 80 Speed isn't the best (it's right at average), but it sure is an improvement.

The Nature chosen probably shouldn't be hindering Attack. Depending on the moveset, the hindered nature should be either Special Attack, Special Defense, or Speed (if Curse is used).

EV re-focusing will depend on the moveset.

Movesets

Snow Cloak should always be the ability of choice, especially considering Oblivious is near useless. Snow Cloak gives extra evasion in Hail, which makes Mamoswine a good Pokemon to put on an Abomasnow/Hail team.

Mamoswine has the following primary Physical attacks to take advantage of that base 130 Attack. Earthquake is a given. It sure is a nice bonus that it can learn the move on its own; those TM 26's do not come by easily! Ice Shard is actually the primary Ice physical attack used. On one hand, it's not particularly powerful, but on the other hand, the ability to strike first is invaluable, and with base 130 Attack, Mamoswine can easily defeat those weak to it in two or even one hit(s), especially those foes that are 4x weak to Ice (like practically every major Dragon-type).

Other than that, there's Ice Fang, which loses priority but is more powerful. Avalanche is best used on a Curse set, where Mamoswine would be taking hits first anyways while being able to mostly absorb said hits, and the resulting base 120 attack with STAB and boosted Attack will likely one-shot foes, and will put a big dent in even resistant foes. Then again, with base 130 Attack plus stat boosts, even a non-boosted Avalanche will hurt badly.

If you really want a Special Attack to use, Blizzard can be used, especially on a Hail team featuring Abomasnow. Base 70 Special Attack isn't horrible, and Blizzard's base power compensates nicely.

Secondary attacks are fairly plentiful. Stone Edge is a good alternative way of putting the hurt on flying foes, particularly those resistant to Ice. Return is a good general attack, having a bit more powerful than a STAB Ice Fang. Superpower puts some real pain on any Steel-type that thinks it can just fly, Levitate, or Magnet Rise over Earthquakes. Body Slam trades power for a chance to paralyze faster enemies. Certain Levitators might be particularly weak to Bite, and if you happen to be faster, you might flinch the enemy.

Endeavor is an oddball move. Properly timed, it can combine with Ice Shard to all but ensure a KO.

Mamoswine can summon its own Hailstorm, which is useful if you think the enemy might interrupt your Abomasnow Hail with his own weather. It's not the best choice of a moveslot, though.

Protect has some use on a Hail team, as it forces the enemy to take more Hail damage. As always, it can also be used to scout out an enemy attack. Substitute has a similar role, but has additional roles such as blocking status and lowering HP for Endeavor-based endeavors.

Stealth Rock is a good move to have if you want your Mamoswine to lead off. Mamoswine has fun ways of countering many popular leads.

Curse is usable if the enemy isn't a particularly strong one. It particularly works well with Avalanche.

Moveset 1: Endeavor Moveset
- Endeavor
- Substitute
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake

Use Substitute to bring yourself down, then get ready to Endeavor once that last sub is up. Finish off the weakened foe with Ice Shard. Speed is somewhat important here, as the enemy is just as liable to try to stop you with its own priority attack.

General Moveset
- Earthquake
- (primary physical Ice attack)
- (secondary attack)
- (secondary attack)/(supporting move)

Nine times out of ten, the primary physical Ice attack will be Ice Shard, and the secondary attack will be Stone Edge. As for that fourth slot, choose one of its remaining options. Said option will likely dictate what Nature, IVs, and EVs you feed Mamoswine. Most sets can take EVs out of Special Attack, but if you're using Blizzard as part of a Hail Team, that is obviously not recommended, for example.

Effective Movesets

1. Charge!
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stone Edge
- Ice Fang/Avalanche
 Item: Life Orb



2. Lead
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Endeavor
Item: Focus Sash

3. MixMamo
- Earthquake
- Blizzard
- Ice Shard
- Stone Edge

4. Endeavor
- Endeavor
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Substitute










5. Choice Band
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
Item: Choice Band

6. CurseMamo
- Curse
- Earthquake
- Avalanche
- Stone Edge

7. Choice Scarf
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Stone Edge
- Blizzard

Future Sight

Mamoswine just keeps on improving, as it has gained a number of new toys. Bulldoze is among the least of them, but being able to lower the opponent's Speed isn't a bad thing even if it's no comparison to Earthquake (and thus should be used auxiliary to it).

Icicle Crash is a great new move for Mamoswine: it is physical, does 85 base damage (20 more than Ice Fang) and a respectable 90% accuracy (only 5% less than Ice Fang anyway). With Mamoswine already being such a hard hitter, having a hard hitting STAB move is great.

Finally, Mamoswine finally got an ability worth talking about. Thick Fat meshes well with Mamoswine, removing its Fire weakness and giving it a resistance to Ice (effectively adding Mamoswine to the list of BoltBeam resistors... except that many BoltBeam users are Water-types...).

Cullination Royalty: Yoshi Part 1

Everyone knows who this guy this!  It's Yoshi!  Everyone's favorite multi colored dinosaur-thing!

Why is this week Yoshi?  He is in a lot of games and is usually a playable character.  Yes, that is true but I believe the people at Nintendo have what we call "dinosaur discrimination!"  This is because in every game that Yoshi is in, what is he usually?  He is hardly ever the star or the hero.  He actually is portrayed usually as Mario's pet, Mario's lackey, Mario's slave. See a trend here?

Yoshi's first appearance was in the game Super Mario World (1990).  Since then, Yoshi has been Mario's side kick.  Mario would usually hatch a Yoshi egg and ride on his back like Yoshi is a horse.

Yoshi finally came to his fifteen minutes of fame when Nintendo gave him his own game.  In fact, he starred in a few games, such as Yoshi's Story, Yoshi's Safari, Yoshi's Cookie and more.  Sadly, this isn't enough.  If Nintendo wants him to star in his own games, why do they always have him be Mario's "horse" when he is sharing a game?  It just doesn't make sense!

Mario is known for stealing the spot light from other characters *cough...Luigi...cough* but Mario doesn't steal the spot light from any one else more deserving than this guy that we all know and love.

By: Shawn


shawn@cullination.net