Bibliographic Information:
Title: Pokémon Unite
Developer: TiMi Studio Group
Release Date: 2021, July (Switch); 2021, September 22 (Mobile)
Publisher: The Pokémon Company
Platforms: Nintendo Switch; Mobile (iOS and Android)
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence)
Genre / Format: Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA); Action, Fantasy; videogame
Game Summary: Pokemon Unite is the newest addition to the expanding Pokemon game lineup. Pokemon Unite utilizes the world of Pokemon and its characters to create a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA). Matches between two teams takes place on Aeos Island, where an energy source known as aeos energy is found in abundance. The objective of the game is to gather enough aeos energy to destroy the opponent’s goal posts. As Pokemon gather aeos energy, they grow and learn new abilities, allowing them to overtake the other team’s area with greater force.
For those unfamiliar, a MOBA is a subgenre of strategy-video games where two teams compete against each other to score the most points. In Pokemon Unite, two teams of up to five players each pick their Pokemon partners and enter an open arena where standard matches last ten minutes. This arena has wild Pokemon and the players need to go around knocking them out to level up and collect aeos energy. This energy is then “scored” by dunking it onto one of the opposing team’s goal posts; if you get knocked out before scoring the energy you were carrying, you will lose half of that energy and you will have to reaccumulate when you respawn. As the player levels up during a match, their Pokemon will evolve and learn new moves. While type advantages from other Pokemon games don’t carry over (Venasaur’s grass-type Petal Dance will not be super effective against the water-type Blastoise), players need to build their teams based on a Pokemon’s class designation: Speedster, Attacker, Defender, Supporter, or All-Rounder.
Pokemon Unite is a competitive-focused game that utilizes a Ranked-Match system where players of similar levels are matched online. As you climb up the ranks, your rewards will improve and your progress will be reflected on the leadership board for the world to see. While the game is free to download, there are in-game purchases that can dramatically speed up the rate at which your Pokemon grows and can give you an edge in matches (more on this in the Potential Challenges section). The game supports cross-platform functionality on both the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices (iOs and Android).
Official Trailer
Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items: This game is not perfect, but it is so much fun! The matches are fast, energetic, flashy, and exciting! While the game is easy to pick up and play, it can be difficult to master, which will become clear as you go up the leadership board. With so many different variables to take into account (team composition, spawn rates, refresh rates, special moves, item enhancements, etc), you have to be ENGAGED to perform well. While matches are short, a player will be focused the entirety of the match. Matches include special “boss” spawns (Rotom, Drednaw, and Zapdos) that grant a huge amount of points, making it possible for a team to make a dramatic comeback! This forces you to stay focused the entire match and makes the short ten-minute matches fly by.
A team’s half of the arena can be divided into four segments: Home (the main post where players spawn), top and bottom lane, and the central area (jungle). Both the top and bottom lanes offer increased movement prior to the team’s goal posts being destroyed and the center has wild Pokemon to knock out for experience and aeos energy.
The arena is essentially split in half with each team defending their respective half. Each team has five goal posts to defend, four of which can be destroyed when enough energy has been dunked into them. When a player is on their team’s side, they will be able to move about the top and bottom lanes a lot faster whereas opponents will be slowed down. When a post is destroyed, the movement speed effect is removed and all players can move about at the same speed, regardless of the team. The objective of the game is to take over the opponent’s area by destroying their goal posts and moving into their “home” post. This main “home” post cannot be destroyed and players can continually score here when the remaining posts are gone.
TiMi Studios / The Pokemon Company
Creative Use for a Library Program: Pokemon Community Day! Pokemon Unite Tournaments will be held on Pokemon Go Community Days, which are worldwide events that take place once a month. Pokemon fans will already be out playing POkemon Go during Community Day; participating in Pokemon Unite tournaments will be a nice short break from the six hour Community Day event. Since Pokemon Go players will already have a phone, they will be able to play the mobile version of POkemon Unite and participate in local battles.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: The Cost of Upgrading -- The Neverending Grind and Insidious Microtransactions
The game has streamlined, easy to pick up gameplay that makes it great for first time MOBA players. Unfortunately, Pokemon Unite’s one glaring drawback is it’s in-game economy and inclusion of microtransactions. The game is incredibly confusing with its four different types of currencies, four of which you can accumulate by simply playing the game (Aeos Coins, Aeos Tickets, Fashion Tickets, and Holowear Tickets). Aeos gems are premium currency only available through the Nintendo eshop (which requires actual real-world money). And this is where it gets a bit controversial because while you can technically grind your way to success and unlock everything the game has to offer by simply playing the game, it is so much faster to simply pay for upgrades. In a competitive game that relies on strategy to win, it can be incredibly frustrating to lose to a team that played recklessly yet won because their characters had maxed out items. You end up with cases where players are not being outplayed but outpaid and strategy becomes less important than money.
Concerned parents may complain about the ‘gambling’ aspect of the game with microtransactions of loot boxes. Again, the confusing in-game economy can lead a young player to resort to payment in order to remain competitive. The library goes out of its way to provide resources free of charge and believes in removing barriers to access for our community members. The library would utilize Pokemon Unite’s free to play options and make it very clear to patrons that they do not have to pay to play the game. Library staff will take the time to explain how to navigate the game and utilize all of its (free) features to its full capacity.
TiMi Studios / The Pokemon Company
Speed-Round Table Talk:,Ten minutes. Five on five. Choose from 10 Pokemon across all eight generations! The team with the most points before the time runs out, WINS! But scoring won’t be easy: you’ll have to battle wild Pokemon, including the legendary Zapdos!
Reason for Inclusion: For fans of Pokemon, this is a no brainer--try this game now! It’s free to download so a couple of matches will be enough for you to get a feel for the game and if it’s right for you. If you like all things Pokemon AND like competitive games, you owe it to yourself to try this one out. The microtransactions are terrible, yes, and it’s truly a shame that the Pokemon Company decided to go in this direction. There is always the (hopeful) chance that the game will be updated in the future to make it more balanced; a user survey recently went out to players to provide feedback on game improvements.
But the good news is that you can still enjoy the game with friends! And that’s really where this game shines: playing with strangers online is enjoyable, but playing with people you know is rewarding on a whole different level: win or lose, you truly feel like a team. You cannot be successful in this game on your own and you need to rely on your team while making sure that you are also fulfilling your role within your team. The game requires you to strategize and constantly tweak your approach depending on the match as it unfolds.
Overall, Pokemon Unite is a fun, competitive game that can be enjoyed by everyone, but will be especially nice for fans of Pokemon. Each of the eight generations of Pokemon are represented in the playable characters so fans are likely to find someone they can attach themselves to. Pokemon Unite’s stripped down, streamlined gameplay make it an approachable, yet entertaining and exciting introduction to the videogame subgenre of MOBAs.
Official Cinematic Trailer