Pokémon Uranium took the internet by storm recently. The creators, currently only known as The Uranium Team, spent approximately 9 years working on the game, trying to get it as close to a real Pokémon experience as possible. So many people downloaded the game in a single day that it locked up the download page and the creators had to offer alternative links. Despite its instant popularity (or, more likely, because of it) Pokémon Uranium was hit with a cease and desist. Now the game isn’t available through any official channels, but is still being downloaded through third-party links every day.
Here are 5 reasons Pokéfans are flocking to this fan-made game.
Humor
Uranium is full of sarcastic wit and biting humor, like this deadpan sign which congratulates you for reaching a town in the middle of nowhere. The humor is more adult and highly nerdy, switching between sarcastic humor and nerdy references. Talk to enough NPCs in this game and you’ll notice references to Legend of Zelda, Lord of the Rings, Gamer Girl Meme, and more. It’s the perfect blend for Pokéfans who grew up with the game because, let’s face it, we’re mostly adult nerds and geeks now.
Solid Starters
One of the most frustrating elements for the original series’ fans has been the starter typing. Fans are fine with primary typing focusing on grass/fire/water, but we can only take so many fire/fighting starters before we scream. The love for Fennekin’s evolutions (fire/psychic) prove fans are ready for more and Uranium delivers. In this game, you choose between three solid starters: Orchynx (grass/steel), Raptorch (fire/ground), and Eletux (water/electric).
These combos are awesome and make your starter truly worth keeping in your party the entire game. Oh, also, they can all mega-evolve. It’s a little odd that they only evolve once, unlike the traditional twice of most starters, but you’ll get used to that pretty easily.
A Pokédex to put Gen I Dexter to Shame
The game includes 200 pokémon. Over 100 of those are brand new creations, including new evolutionary forms of old Pokémon. I applaud the Uranium creators for making so many new monsters while keeping in line with the artistic look and feel of the original series. I personally really like Glavinug (the blue Pokémon featured below).
I don’t know what the creators were thinking with Titanice, but hey, some pokémon are keys and candles so…
Online Trading
Some Pokémon in this game are only attainable through trading, which may seem confusing until you realize that you can actually trade with other people in Uranium. The creators incorporated an online trading feature so that you can complete your Pokédex or get that one Pokémon that you just have to have. You choose between either trading for a specific Pokémon or trading for something random (supposedly for fun).
Game with Plot
Guys, it’s a rare Pokémon game that tells you where your missing parent(s) are or what happened to them. The entire opening sequence of Uranium explains why your parents aren’t in your life and why the game is called “Uranium,” and then sets you up for an epic adventure. I can’t tell you how much it annoys me that I don’t know what actually happened to Red’s dad in Gen I, so having the main story of the game also focus on what happened to the missing parents is a big deal for me. Also, since your parents are missing, you live with your elderly aunt, which will make you feel like Spider-Man the entire time.
Bonus: There are pirates and ninjas and three (count them, three) avatars to choose from for your character.
Bottom Line: although there are several bugs, Pokémon Uranium captures the feel of a real Pokémon game while providing elements that have largely been missing from the mainstream games. Overall, Uranium has the potential to be the ultimate fan game!
Have you been playing Pokémon Uranium? What’s your favorite part of the game? Let us know in the comments!
Featured Image Credit: Uranium Team
Image Credit: Uranium Team