An Open Letter To Pokemon

Dear Pokemon,

Today is your 26th birthday. You may have been around longer than me, but that has also meant you have been able to be one of the only constants in my life. Ever since I can remember, I was a gamer, but what is the one franchise that has always been there for me? You, Pokemon.

When I was a little boy, I was fortunate enough to grow up with a Gameboy Color and a Nintendo 64. I didn't have a huge variety of games, but that didn't matter. On the Gameboy, my main game was Pokemon Gold, one of my all time favourite games. I played that game for hours on end, and I could feel a flame ignite inside me. I was obsessed from the very beginning. On the N64 I had Pokemon Stadium 1 + 2 and Pokemon Snap, which are by far some of the most nostalgic games to me, and also favourites for sure! This was all while watching the anime, of course.

School was not an easy time for me, while I had minimal (yet the most amazing) friends, I still had Pokemon. I eventually moved onto the Gameboy Advance, and Pokemon Ruby was my game of choice. This is probably the game I have put the most hours into out of every game. Even while I was being bullied for being different to the rest of the kids, I could still always play Pokemon to lift my spirits. It was always there.

High school was a time where that I struggled in many ways during. Even though I had friends, amazing ones at that, I still felt my mental health going downhill so many times. I felt like I was alone at times. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. But again, I was able to take solace in Pokemon to be a safety net for me. I was able to play Pokemon X and Y and just escape reality, even if just for a moment. Pokemon has truly been there for me in moments when it felt like people hadn't been.

Even though my experience with Pokemon may seem morbid, there has been more happy moments than sad. I am lucky enough to have the most amazing best friend in the world. We have known each other since we were 5, and one of our biggest connections is our love for Pokemon. We have played games from the series for as long as I remember, whether it's Pokemon Stadium mini games, getting a little competitive and battling each other in so many games, or even teaming up and conquering the field in Pokemon Unite. This just proves that Pokemon is that amazing that is can bring us together, and I'm insanely grateful for that.

Although some people do nothing but complain about the newer games we are getting from Pokemon, I adore them all. Whether it's Let's Go, Pokemon Quest, Pokken Tournament, Sword and Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Legends Arceus or Pokemon Unite, I adore them all. Pokemon will forever be one of my favourite series of all time, and I'm so excited to see what is coming in the future.

So, Pokemon, on your birthday, I just want to say thank you for existing. Thank you for literally helping me through my darkest times. And most importantly, thank you for bringing me and my best friend together so many times. I am so excited to see what the future brings, and I can't wait for another 26 years of amazing games and content!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer

PC vs Console: The Real Gaming War

Hey everyone! It's your lad, Galaxy Gaymer!

You know, in modern gaming, there's a 'war' that people talk about so much that it's almost impossible not to hear about it. 'The console wars'. There's this peculiar belief within the world of gaming that there absolutely HAS to be a superior console, there is absolutely NO chance of just letting people have their opinion on the matter, and it shapes the way people perceive you. That argument has been shown in so many places like YouTube videos, every social network, and even the Neptunia series is based around different consoles. You know what argument we don't address and criticise enough however? The battle between console and PC players.

There is this strange habit that so many have gotten into where they will blame people being on console for them losing a game. "Oh, this person was on console so they were toxic." "Oh, this person is on console, so that's why we lost!" It tends to be a lot of excuses and belittlement, and it personally has never made any sense to me. Heck, a lot of PC gamers won't even criticise people using a controller from a console instead of a mouse and keyboard, because "at least they're not a console player!" I have a lot of thoughts about this.

For starters, I think the whole thing is really dumb and ignorant. I'm a proud console player, and I like to flaunt that in a non arrogant way, but sometimes just playing on console alone is enough to fan the flames of this conflict! It feels as though, as a console player, I am almost not welcome sometimes to play certain games, or squad up with certain people, and why? Because I can only afford a console worth hundreds of dollars, instead of a PC that can cost thousands of dollars. It can be end up feeling like such a patriarchy, and just completely take the enjoyment out of gaming, my favourite thing in the world to do! 

When people blame their loss on someone, or call someone toxic, just because of the platform they are playing on, it can actually be one of the saddest moments when you are enjoying a game. Suddenly you can feel no longer welcome, and as if you are lesser to the people saying it. Look, maybe sometimes having a controller, or playing on console can be more or less of a challenge, but it's not a console players fault that maybe you're just not very good at the game.

All in all, I really believe this stigma towards console players needs to stop as soon as possible. I'm not even being soft by this point, it just frustrates me that there's so much gatekeeping in gaming by some very clearly narcissistic people. And yes, I know there are some amazing PC players who don't mind playing with console players and are just there to game regardless, and for that, I commend you. You're almost a minority in the gaming community! So, next time you want to insult someone, or blame your failure on someone being a console gamer, maybe check yourself first. :)

What is your opinion on this whole silly feud? Comment down below!

Have a nice day!

Love, Galaxy Gaymer