Bye-Bye BoxBoy! review – thinking outside the box

Bye-Bye BoxBoy! (3DS) – closing the lid on Qbby

The third and final entry in Nintendo’s cult puzzle series comes to the 3DS, and ends up as one of the best bargains of the year.

In the pantheon of iconic Nintendo characters, Qbby does not rank highly. If you’ve heard of the BoxBoy games but not played them you probably assumed that’s what the character was called too, but it’s not. But while even Mario and Link have appeared in the occasional bad game Qbby will retire on a 100% record of success. For while neither he nor his games look like much at first, they’re some of the most enjoyable puzzlers of recent years.

As you might gather by the name this is intended to be the last of the BoxBoy games. But rather than being some clue as to Nintendo’s future support for the 3DS the reason seems to be the simple, honest, admission that the concept doesn’t really have anywhere else to go. The first two games were already pretty similar, and this third one isn’t much different either. So rather than try and reinvent Qbby as an action hero, or add more and more gimmicks to the existing gameplay, developer HAL Laboratory has simple decided to draw a line under everything and go out with a bang.

Despite what you might imagine there is an ongoing storyline in BoxBoy. This finale picks up from the end of the last game, as Qbby and his crew find themselves aboard a spaceship able to visit different alien worlds – as they attempt to free them of an infectious corruption. The storytelling is just as minimalist as the graphics, but despite the cute characters and animations there’s a surprisingly poignancy to its ending and the final adventures of an unsung hero.

Bye-Bye BoxBoy! (3DS) – box clever

Apart from being a box with legs, Qbby’s main claim to fame is that he can generate additional boxes out of his own body. He can produce up to five at a time, which he can move up and down and left to right while they’re still connected to his body. He can also detach the boxes whenever he wants and use them as an impromptu bridge, set of stairs, or a hook to navigate the perilous landscape. What he can’t do is create multiple sets of boxes, as he could in previous game BoxBoxBoy, which seems to be an attempt to bring this final part of the trilogy back to basics.

Whatever way you look at it this is clearly a very odd idea for a game, and we’ve no idea how anyone at HAL ever came up with it, but it works. The mechanics may be bizarre but the controls are extremely simple and the difficulty increases at a satisfyingly even pace, as you work out how to use your limited set of abilities to solve increasingly impossible-looking puzzles. Qbby can also perform a small jump, so a lot of the early problems involve simply getting across gaps and navigating the terrain.

Soon enough switches, conveyer belts, and gravity changes become involved, but that’s only the start. After a beguilingly easy first set of stages the game starts to throw in escort missions and all manner of different boxes; including explosive ones, boxes that act as teleports, and another that creates a string of boxes that you can control remotely. Some of the concepts are repeated from the previous games, but most are brand new and the game manages to maintain an impress turnover of new ideas right until the end.

Bye-Bye BoxBoy! (3DS) – at least give the free demo a try

As you might imagine there’s very little fat in Bye-Bye BoxBoy’s list of features, but you do have optional crowns to collect in each level – that can only be reached if you use a set minimum number of boxes. There’s also special challenge stages separate from the story campaign and a well-stocked shop to spend collected monies on costumes, comic strips, and music.

Bye-Bye BoxBoy is much longer than either of the previous games, at 180 stages, and considering it costs less than a fiver you’re looking at roughly 2p per three minute(-ish) stage. In terms of value for money and consistently clever challenges you’re unlikely to see better from a puzzle game all year.

The experience is especially well suited to the 3DS, and although this is supposedly the last of the series we do hope some kind of compilation can be made for the Switch. We won’t mind if there’s never another sequel though. For in a world where no franchise is ever allowed to die a dignified death it’s nice to know that Qbby has been all that he can be, and that his final adventure was his best.

Bye-Bye BoxBoy!

In Short: A rousing send-off for one of Nintendo’s strangest mascots, and a satisfying conclusion to one of the best puzzle franchises of the last few years.

Pros: Elegantly simple, if bizarre, set-up is very easy to pick up but subject to constant variation and expansion. Charming presentation and great value for money.

Cons: There’s less fundamental change than in the last game, and most of the basic concepts are identical across all three games.

Score: 8/10

Formats: 3DS
Price: £4.49
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Release Date: 23rd March 2017
Age Rating: 3

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Dark Souls III: The Ringed City DLC review – prepare for closure

Dark Souls III: The Ringed City (PS4) – the end of everything

The final DLC for Dark Souls III may end up being the last Dark Souls-related content ever, so is it a good ending?

And so, the long, magnificent saga of Dark Souls finally comes to an end. This is the last DLC expansion for Dark Souls III and therefore the last Dark Souls release of any kind. As far as developer From Software are to be believed there won’t be a Dark Souls IV, and although their next game is likely to be similar it will not be a direct sequel – with hints of a possible new sci-fi theme. Whether that’s true or not only time will tell, but it puts a lot of pressure on this DLC for providing a suitable send-off…

Although a few expansions have underwhelmed, From’s track record with DLC is amongst the best in the industry. Even if the previous one for Dark Souls III – Ashes Of Ariandel – was one of the lesser examples. Ashes Of Ariandel put a surprising amount of focus on player vs. player content, but The Ringed City is more concerned with the single-player story. And while we’re certainly not going to spoil any of the important revelations, what’s particularly interesting about them is how they tie together the three games in a way that’s never really happened before.

There have always been minor links between the three games, but they’ve been oblique enough to go unnoticed by many players. In typical Dark Souls fashion The Ringed City doesn’t exactly spell things out for you either, but, especially if you poke around for hidden secrets, there are some surprise reveals that are going to keep fans talking for years.

The Ringed City assumes that you’ve beaten either the main game or Ashes Of Ariandel, and the only way to access it is via new bonfires that appear next to the final bosses of each. Which is a clear way of saying that this expansion is not going to be beating around the bush when it comes to its difficulty or its assumptions about how much of the parent game you’ve already played.

Making use of the bonfires you find that The Ringed City starts with a strange conglomeration of ruined buildings that have been culled from not only the world of Dark Souls III but also the two proceeding games. We’ll say no more than that, except that the more curious you are in your exploration the more you’ll be rewarded – especially when searching for illusory walls.

In attempting to bring closure to the series The Ringed City’s priority is clearly its lore, to the point where even the new enemies are more interesting once you realise the implications of what exactly they are. But while many of the revelations will only be found or understood by more committed fans the ending itself is more accessible, even if it is predictably melancholy and understated.

Dark Souls III: The Ringed City (PS4) – even bad guys need help sometimes

In terms of gameplay and visual design the new enemies aren’t especially interesting, but the game throws so many of them at you at once that you’re forced to adopt an even more cautious pace than usual for game. Which is no doubt meant to increase your chances of not missing any of the secrets. The DLC includes four bosses, one of which is optional and all of which are interesting. One fight in particular takes place in an unusually large area for a Dark Souls boss fight and there’s also the threat of player-controlled invaders helping out against you.

That alone gives the DLC a degree of replayability, but there’s also a surprising amount of new gear and weapons to collect, for those aiming to loop around for another New Game+. The Great Door Shield is particularly entertaining, and so large it can be used as an enjoyably effective battering ram.

There will be some that are disappointed by The Ringed City. It’s a solid expansion, but in design terms still not the best From has ever produced. And anyone expecting a character at the end to quietly take you aside and explain everything that’s been going on is definitely going to feel let down.

But we doubt that’s going to be many people. Dark Souls has been too efficient at moulding its players for that to seem like a likely conclusion to the franchise. Instead, Dark Souls ends as it began: with confusion and frustration turning into awe and admiration for one of the most audacious success stories in video game history.

Dark Souls III: The Ringed City

In Short: As satisfying an ending as Dark Souls was ever going to get, with some shocking story revelations and memorable boss battles.

Pros: The Ringed City itself looks great and is filled with secrets and a surprising amount of new gear. Lore revelations are handled well and the bosses are impressively varied.

Cons: Most of the new non-boss enemies are fairly forgettable and the extra slow pacing can be frustrating.

Score: 8/10

Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One, and PC
Price: £11.99
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Release Date: 28th March 2017
Age Rating: 16

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Rain World review – come again another day

Rain World (PS4) – if only it played as good as it looks

It’s got animation to die for and the cutest new character of the year, so what’s the catch with this new indie download?

One aspect of the video games industry that we’ve never understood is why early games were always so hard. Arcade games were difficult because they didn’t want you to last too long before you had to put in another 10p, but why did games companies think anyone wanted that frustrating difficulty replicated at home?

Thankfully, by the onset of the PlayStation era the practise had all but died out, and games which are purposefully difficult are now seen more as a novel rarity. Dark Souls managed to inspire a mini-renaissance of firm but fair games that are actively out to punish the player, but other titles take things just a bit too far. And unfortunately Rain World is one of those.

Having seen some early footage of the game we were very excited at the prospect of playing Rain World, with its gorgeous pixel artwork and animation. Although we’ve seen some compare it to Limbo and Inside there was something in the tiny sprites and detailed backdrops that reminded us more of Super Meat Boy. And now that we’ve played the game the comparison is even more obvious. Except Rain World is like the evil twin that does everything wrong.

Another tempting comparison is Ori And The Blind Forest, but since developer Videocult has apparently been working on the game for six years we’re not sure how direct an influence that has been (and yes, that means the original Super Meat Boy is older than six years). The little ‘slugcat’ you control is a similarly cute main character, but the comparisons quickly begin to peter out after that. Apart from being a platformer Rain World is more survival game than Metroidvania, as you attempt to return home in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by strange mutants and under constant threat of deadly rainstorms.

Your slugcat can defend itself with makeshift weapons pulled from the detritus of the old world, but this is often little use against the monstrous creatures that range from giant lizards to electric centipedes, huge sea creatures, and more intelligent spear-wielding enemies. These creatures respawn at random whenever you die, so you never know what you’re going up against and there’s no way to plan in advance.

To make progress you have to get to a series of safe rooms where you can hibernate and save your progress. But to access new areas you have to have a certain level of karma, which you can keep topped up by eating the flower that marks the spot you last died – an obvious nod to Dark Souls. Although the threat of rainfall does add urgency you’re able to explore wherever you want in the world, with the game providing little in the way of suggestions on where to go or what to do.

Rain World (PS4) – the water effects are gorgeous too

In theory, all of this sounds great, especially given how good the game looks in motion. But not only is it brutally, dispiritingly hard from the very first moment but more unforgivably it’s an absolute nightmare to control. Super Meat Boy worked because despite being sadistically difficult it was always scrupulously fair. There was never a reason to blame the randomness of the game or its controls, only your own lack of skill. Rain Wold is the exact opposite.

The randomised enemy placements may have seemed a good idea on paper but at the very most they needed to be just an optional, harder difficultly level. Especially as you need to collect food in order to hibernate, and its placement is also randomised – so you can luck out on one go and be doomed to failure the next, through no fault of your own. Which is even more infuriating when you realise you can’t revisit new areas you’ve already unlocked until you’ve gone through the process again.

But what’s most unforgiveable is how imprecise slugcat is to control. We know there’s the whole slug side of things to consider, but he’s a lot heavier than he looks in the videos and because of the procedural animation he often doesn’t respond as quickly as you need him to. Add in the boredom and repetition from having to constantly hibernate and the game proves to be very aptly named: it’s dull, miserable, and makes you want to stay inside and do something else instead.

Rain World

In Short: One of the best-looking 2D games ever made, but the beautiful animation can’t compensate for the tediously unfair gameplay.

Pros: The graphics are amazing, with some incredible animation and environmental effects.

Cons: The platforming is awful, and far too imprecise for such a difficult game. Horribly unfair in terms of enemy and food placement. Karma requirements only add to the tedium.

Score: 4/10

Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed) and PC
Price: £15.99
Publisher: Adult Swim Games
Developer: Videocult
Release Date: 28th March 2017
Age Rating: 7

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‘Pokemon Go’ Shiny Pokemon Chart: List of All Shiny Colors

‘Pokemon Go’ is available for iOS and Android devices. (Niantic)

Shiny Pokemon are now available in Pokemon Go.

At this time, there are only two shiny Pokemon available in the game: Magikarp and Gyarados. The word “shiny” is actually a bit misleading here, as that actually refers to Pokemon that are completely different colors than they usually are. Shiny Magikarps are yellow, and shiny Gyaradoses are red.

There is reason to believe that more shiny Pokemon will eventually be added into the game, though, and that could happen at any time. After all, Niantic never did make an official announcement about the release of shiny Magikarps and Gyaradoses, and so you will now want to be on the lookout for other possible shiny creatures.

So that players know what to look for going forward, here’s a look at all of the shiny Pokemon in generation one and generation two:

Pokemon	Normal Color	Shiny Color
Bulbasaur	Green	Light Green
Ivysaur	Blue	Light Green
Venusaur	Blue	Light Green
Charmander	Orange	Yellow
Charmeleon	Red	Yellow
Charizard	Orange	Black
Squirtle	Blue	Light Blue
Wartortle	Blue	Purple
Blastoise	Blue	Purple
Caterpie	Green	Yellow
Metapod	Green	Orange
Butterfree	Purple	Pink
Weedle	Brown	Yellow
Kakuna	Yellow	Green
Beedrill	Yellow	Green
Pidgey	Brown	Yellow
Pidgeotto	Brown	Yellow
Pidgeot	Brown	Yellow
Rattata	Purple	Yellow
Raticate	Brown	Red/Orange
Spearow	Brown & Red	Yellow
Fearow	Brown	Yellow
Ekans	Purple	Green
Arbok	Purple	Yellow
Pikachu	Bright Yellow	Dark Yellow
Raichu	Orange	Dark Orange
Sandshrew	Yellow	Green
Sandslash	Yellow & Brown	Tan & Red
Nidoran	Blue	Purple
Nidorina	Blue	Purple
Nidoqueen	Blue	Green
Nidoran	Purple	Blue
Nidorino	Purple	Blue
Nidoking	Purple	Blue
Clefairy	Pink & Brown	Light Pink & Green
Clefable	Pink & Brown	Light Pink & Green
Vulpix	Brown	Yellow
Ninetales	Yellow	Silver
Jigglypuff	Pink With Blue Eyes	Purple With Green Eyes
Wigglytuff	Pink With Blue Yes	Purple With Green Eyes
Zubat	Blue & Purple	Green
Golbat	Blue & Purple	Green
Oddish	Blue & Green	Green
Gloom	Blue	Green
Vileplume	Blue	Green
Paras	Orange	Red
Parasect	Red	Yellow
Venonat	Purple	Dark Purple
Venomoth	Purple	Blue
Diglett	Brown	Dark Brown
Dugtrio	Brown	Dark Brown
Meowth	Cream & Brown	Cream & Red
Persian	Yellow	Light Yellow
Psyduck	Yellow	Blue
Golduck	Blue & White	Blue & Red
Mankey	Cream	Light Green
Growlithe	Brown/Orange	Yellow
Arcanine	Brown	Yellow
Poliwag	Purple	Blue
Poliwhirl	Purple	Blue
Poliwrath	Blue	Green
Abra	Gold	Light Yellow
Kadabra	Gold	Light Yellow
Alakazam	Gold & Brown	Gold & Pink
Machop	Blue	Brown
Machoke	Blue	Green
Machamp	Blue	Green
Bellsprout	Yellow & Green	Yellow
Weepinbell	Yellow & Green	Yellow
Victreebel	Yellow & Green	Green & Brown
Tentacool	Blue & Red	Purple & Green
Tentacruel	Blue & Red	Purple & Green
Geodude	Grey	Gold
Graveler	Grey	Brown
Golem	Grey	Brown
Ponyta	Yellow & Red	Yellow & Blue
Rapidash	Yellow & Red	Yellow & Purple
Slowpoke	Purple	Light Pink
Slowbro	Pink	Purple
Magnemite	Silver	Yellow
Magneton	Silver	Yellow
Farfetch’d	Brown	Pink
Doduo	Brown	Green
Dodrio	Brown	Green
Seel	Light Blue	White
Dewgong	Light Blue	White
Grimer	Purple	Green
Muk	Purple	Green
Shellder	Purple	Orange
Cloyster	Purple	Blue
Gastly	Black & Purple	Purple & Blue
Haunter	Dark Purple & Light Purple	Dark Purple & Blue
Gengar	Purple	Grey
Onix	Grey	Yellow
Drowzee	Yellow	Purple
Hypno	Yellow	Purple
Krabby	Orange	Yellow
Kingler	Orange	Green
Voltorb	Red	Blue
Electrode	Red	Blue
Exeggcute	Pink	Yellow
Exeggutor	Grey & Green	Yellow & Brown
Cubone	Brown	Green
Marowak	Brown	Green
Hitmonlee	Brown	Green
Hitmonchan	Brown & Red	Green & Blue
Lickitung	Purple	Yellow
Koffing	Purple	Grey
Weezing	Purple	Grey
Rhyhorn	Grey	Brown
Rhydon	Grey	Tan
Chansey	Pink	Tan & Green
Tangela	Blue	Green
Kangaskhan	Brown	Grey
Horsea	Light Blue	Dark Blue
Seadra	Light Blue	Purple
Goldeen	White & Red	White & Orange
Seaking	White & Red	Orange & Yellow
Staryu	Brown	White
Starmie	Light Purple	Dark Purple
Mr. Mime	White & Purple	White & Green
Scyther	Light Green	Dark Green
Jynx	Purple & Red	Purple & Pink
Electabuzz	Yellow	Orange
Magmar	Red & Yellow	Purple
Pinsir	Grey	Purple
Tauros	Brown	Yellow
Magikarp	Red	Yellow
Gyarados	Blue	Red
Lapras	Blue	Purple
Ditto	Purple	Blue
Eevee	Brown	White
Vaporeon	Blue	Purple
Jolteon	Yellow	Green
Flareon	Red	Orange
Porygon	Red & Blue	Blue & Purple
Omanyte	Blue	Purple
Omastar	Purple	Blue
Kabuto	Brown	Green
Kabutops	Brown	Green
Aerodactyl	Purple	White
Snorlax	Blue	Dark Blue
Dratini	Blue	Purple
Dragonair	Blue	Purple
Dragonite	Orange	Green
Chikorita	Green	Yellow
Bayleef	Yellow & Green	Tan & Yellow
Meganium	Yellow	Green
Cyndaquil	White & Blue	White & Brown
Quilava	White & Blue	White & Brown
Typhlosion	White & Blue	White & Brown
Totodile	Blue	Green
Croconaw	Blue	Green
Feraligatr	Blue	Green
Sentret	Brown	Yellow
Furret	Brown & Tan	Pink & White
Hoothoot	Brown	Yellow
Noctowl	Brown	Yellow
Ledyba	Red-Orange	Yellow
Ledian	Red	Yellow
Spinarak	Green	Blue
Ariados	Red	Purple
Crobat	Pink	Purple
Chinchou	Purple	Blue
Lanturn	Blue	Purple
Pichu	Yellow	Dark Yellow
Cleffa	Pink & Brown	Pink & Green
Igglybuff	Pink	Dark Pink
Togepi	Yellow	Brown
Togetic	White	Light Yellow
Natu	Green	Green-Yellow
Xatu	Green	Green-Yellow
Mareep	White	Purple
Flaaffy	Purple	Light Pink
Ampharos	Yellow	Purple
Bellossom	Green	Purple
Marill	Blue	Green
Azumarill	Blue	Yellow
Sudowoodo	Brown & Green	Yellow & Red
Politoed	Green	Blue
Hoppip	Pink	Green
Skiploom	Green	Purple
Jumpluff	Purple	Pink
Aipom	Purple	Pink
Sunkern	Yellow	Dark Yellow
Sunflora	Green & Yellow	Yellow
Yanma	Red & Green	Blue & Green
Wooper	Blue	Purple
Quagsire	Blue	Purple
Espeon	Purple	Green
Umbreon	Black & Yellow	Black & Blue
Murkrow	Dark Blue	Purple
Slowking	Pink	Purple
Misdreavus	Blue	Green
Unown	Black	Blue
Wobbuffet	Blue	Purple
Girafarig	Yellow	Dark Yellow
Pineco	Blue-Grey	Yellow
Forretress	Pink & Red	Yellow
Dunsparce	Green	Purple
Gligar	Pink	Purple
Steelix	Grey	Yellow
Snubbull	Pink	Purple
Granbull	Purple	Tan
Qwilfish	Green	Purple
Scizor	Red	Green
Shuckle	Red	Blue
Heracross	Blue	Purple
Sneasel	Dark Blue	Pink
Teddiursa	Orange	Green
Ursaring	Brown	Green
Slugma	Red	Grey
Magcargo	Red	Purple
Swinub	Brown	Grey
Piloswine	Brown	Yellow
Corsola	Purple	Blue
Remoraid	Grey	Purple
Octillery	Red	Yellow
Delibird	Red	Purple
Mantine	Blue & White	Dark Blue
Skarmory	Silver & Red	Green
Houndour	Black	Blue
Houndoom	Black	Blue
Kingdra	Blue	Purple
Phanpy	Blue	Light Blue
Donphan	Grey	Green
Porygon2	Red	Blue
Stantler	Brown	Yellow
Smeargle	White & Brown	Yellow & Brown
Tyrogue	Purple	Grey
Hitmontop	Brown & Blue	Grey & Purple
Smoochum	Purple	Pink
Elekid	Yellow	Dark Yellow
Magby	Purple	Yellow
Miltank	Pink	Blue
Blissey	Purple	White & Light-Pink
Larvitar	Light Green	Dark Green
Pupitar	Light Blue	Purple
Tyranitar	Green	Brown
Celebi	Green	Purple

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
March 23, 2017 2:11 pm

‘Pokemon Go’: Full List of Shiny Pokemon & Their Colors (Gen 1 & 2)

What do the shiny Pokemon look like? (Niantic)

Shiny Pokemon are beginning to invade Pokemon Go and trainers couldn’t be more excited. But how will you know if you’re encountering a shiny Pokemon in the wild? In addition to the sparkle animation that you’ll see on the capture screen, shiny Pokemon will also be a different color. Depending on the species, this can be a big color change or just a minor, more subtle difference. So far, as of the time of publication, only shiny Magikarp and shiny Gyarados have been spotted in the game.

Shiny Pokemon are a different color from regular Pokemon. That’s the main difference: their color is different and they are more rare. You won’t know if you’re encountering a shiny Pokemon in the wild until you try to capture it. All shiny Pokemon should evolve into shiny Pokemon.

Here’s a complete list of the shiny Pokemon from Generation 1 and Generation 2 that you may eventually encounter, along with their colors, from sources including Ranked Boost, Bulbapedia, and Pokemon Go Hub. This is according to other Pokemon games, not what’s been encountered in Pokemon Go, so there’s a slight chance some of these may change for the game itself. So far, only shiny Magikarp and shiny Gyarados have been reported by Pokemon Go trainers.

These Pokemon are listed in order of their Pokedex. To find a specific Pokemon, search for it on this page. These are just general color descriptions of the shiny Pokemon.

1. Bulbasaur: Green
2. Ivysaur: Green
3. Venusaur: Green
4. Charmander: Yellow
5. Charmeleon: Yellow
6. Charizard: Greyish
7. Squirtle: Blue
8. Wartortle: Light purple-ish
9. Blastoise: Purple
10. Caterpie: Yellow
11. Metapod: Red/orange-ish
12. Butterfree: Pink wings and Purple body
13. Weedle: Yellowish
14. Kakuna: Green
15. Beedrill: Green
16. Pidgey: Greenish yellow
17. Pidgeotto: Greenish yellow
18. Pidgeot: Yellow
19. Rattata: Green-ish
20. Ratticate: Orange and Green
21. Spearow: Green and yellow wings
22. Fearow: Green
23. Ekans: Green
24. Arbok: Yellowish
25. Pikachu: Slightly different orangey shade
26. Raichu: Orange
27. Sandshrew: Green
28. Sandslash: Brownish with red feathers
29. Nidoran – F: Purple
30. Nidorina: Purple
31. Nidoqueen: Green
32. Nidoran – M: Light blue
33. Nidorino: Blueish purple
34. Nidorking: Blue
35. Clefairy: Light pink
36. Clefable: Light pink with green ears
37. Vulpix: Yellow body
38. Ninetales: Light purple-ish
39. Jigglypuff: Light purple-ish
40. Wigglytuff: Purple
41. Zubat: Green
42. Golbat: Green body
43. Oddish: Green
44. Gloom: Green
45. Vileplume: Green with an orangeish peach top
46. Paras: Dark Orange-ish
47. Parasect: Orange instead of red
48. Venonat: Dark purple with blue eyes
49. Venomoth: Blue
50. Diglett: Blue nose
51. Dugtrio: Blue noses
52. Meowth: Darker peach orange
53. Persian: Lighter yellow (very difficult to tell the difference)
54. Psyduck: Blue
55. Golduck: Brighter blue
56. Mankey: Green
57. Primeape: Peachish body with green legs and arms
58. Growlithe: Yellow
59. Arcanine: Yellow
60. Poliwag: Blue
61. Poliwhirl: Bright blue
62. Poliwrath: Green
63. Abra: Lighter yellowish
64. Kadabra: Lighter yellow with purple
65. Alakazam: Yellow with pink
66. Machop: Greenish
67. Machoke: Green
68. Machamp: Green
69. Bellsprout: Yellow
70. Weepinbell: Lime green
71. Victreebel: Green and beige-brown leaves
72. Tentacool: Purple body and green eyes
73. Tentacruel:  Blueish purple body and green eyes
74. Geodude: Yellow
75. Graveler: Brown
76. Golem: Brown
77. Ponyta: Blue mane and tail
78. Rapidash: Blueish mane and tail
79. Slowpoke: Lighter pink
80. Slowbro: Purple
81. Magnemite: Beige-and-greyish
82. Magneton: Beige and grey
83. Farfetchd: Pink wings and head
84. Doduo: Green
85. Dodrio: Green
86. Seel: White/greyish
87. Dewgong: White
88. Grimer: Green
89. Muk: Green
90. Shellder: Orange
91. Cloyster: Blue
92. Gastly: Purple with blue smoke
93. Haunter: Brighter purple (this one is tougher to distinguish)
94. Gengar: Blueish-grey body
95. Onix: Green-yellow
96. Drowzee: Pink and dark pink
97. Hypno: Pink
98. Krabby: Yellow
99. Kingler: Green
100. Voltorb: Blue
101. Electrode: White and blue
102. Exeggcute: Yellow
103. Exeggutor: Yellow body and orange leaves on the head
104. Cubone: Green with white head
105. Marowak: Green with white head
106. Hitmonlee: Green
107. Hitmonchan: Green head, blue hands
108. Lickitung: Yellow
109. Koffing: Blue with pink smoke
110. Weezing: Blue with purple smoke
111. Rhyhorn: Brown
112. Rhydon: Grey/beige
113. Chansey: Beige with green feet and ears
114. Tangela: Green
115. Kangaskhan: Lighter brown (very tough to distinguish)
116. Horsea: Bright blue with pink stomach and fins
117. Seadra: Blueish purple with pink fins
118. Goldeen: White with yellow instead of orange
119. Seaking: White with lighter orange and green
120. Staryu: Beigish-blue with a blue center instead of a red center
121. Starmie: Blue body, blue center
122. Mr. Mime: Green dots
123. Scyther: Darker green (tough to distinguish)
124. Jynx: Lighter pink dress (tough to distinguish)
125. Electabuzz: Orange
126. Magmar: Pink
127. Pinsir: Purple
128. Tauros: Yellow with green mane
129. Magikarp: Yellow
130. Gyarados: Red
131. Lapras: Purple
132. Ditto: Blue
133. Eevee: Greyish
134. Vaporeon: Pink
135. Jolteon: Green
136. Flareon: Light brown
137. Porygon: Blue and light pink
138. Omanyte: Purple body
139. Omastar: Purple body
140. Kabuto: Green
141. Kabutops: Green
142. Aerodactyl: Pink with blue wings
143. Snorlax: Brighter blue (tough to distinguish)
144. Articuno: Lighter blue (tough to distinguish)
145. Zapdos: Deeper orange (tough to distinguish)
146. Moltres: Pink body
147. Dratini: Pink
148. Dragonair: Pink
149. Dragonite: Green
150. Mewtwo: Green tail
151. Mew: Blue
152. Chikorita: Yellow
153. Bayleef: Orangeish-peach body
154. Meganium: Yellow body
155. Cyndaquil: Orangeish brown on head rather than blue
156. Quilava: Orangeish brown on head and body stripe rather than blue
157. Typhlosion: Pink stripe down top of body rather than blue
158. Totodile: Bright blue
159. Croconaw: Bright blue with blue spikes instead of Orange
160. Feraligatr: Bright blue with blue spikes instead of orange
161. Sentret: Rather than brown on brown, it’s reddish brown on beige
162. Furret: pink
163. Hoothoot: Yellow body
164. Noctowl: Yellow body
165. Ledyba: Yellow head and back instead of orange
166. Ledian: Orangeish yellow head and back and feet instead of red
167. Spinarak: Blue
168. Ariados: Purple body
169. Crobat: Pink body and green wings
170. Chinchou: Brighter blue
171. Lanturn: Purple
172. Pichu: Brighter yellow (might be tougher to distinguish)
173. Cleffa: Pink with green ears
174. Igglybuff: Brighter pink (might be tougher to distinguish)
175. Togepi: Subtle difference
176. Togetic: Subtle difference, more white
177. Natu: Subtle difference, lighter green and orange
178. Xatu: Brighter/lighter green body (subtle difference)
179. Mareep: Pink
180. Flaaffy: Lighter pink with a green end on the tail (subtle difference)
181. Ampharos: Pink
182. Bellossom: Pink head
183. Marill: Green
184. Azumarill: Yellow
185. Sudowoodo: Green body
186. Politoed: Blue
187. Hoppip: Green
188. Skiploom: Purple/pink
189. Jumpluff: Pink
190. Aipom: Pink instead of purple
191. Sunkern: More orangeish yellow (subtle change)
192. Sunflora: Lighter yellow (subtle change)
193. Yanma: Blue
194. Wooper: Pink body
195. Quagsire: Purple
196. Espeon: Green
197. Umbreon: Dark with blue trim instead of yellow
198. Murkrow: Purple/pink
199. Slowking: Lighter purple with some blue accents
200. Misdreavus: Green
201. Unown: Blue
202. Wobbuffet: Pink
203. Girafarig: Brighter yellow with blue spikes instead of pink
204. Pineco: Beige/yellow
205. Forretress: Yellow
206. Dunsparce: Yellow with pink trim instead of blue
207. Gligar: Blue
208. Steelix: Yellow
209. Snubbull: Blueish body instead of pink
210. Granbull: Peach-ish body instead of pink
211. Qwilfish: Pink
212. Scizor: Yellow and green
213. Shuckle: Blue instead of orange
214. Heracross: Pink
215. Sneasel: Pink
216. Teddiursa: Green
217. Ursaring: Green
218. Slugma: Grey
219. Magcargo: Purple/pink
220. Swinub: Greenish
221. Piloswine: Yellow
222. Corsola: Blue
223. Remoraid: Light purple
224. Octillery: Yellowish
225. Delibird: Pink instead of red
226. Mantine: Blue
227. Skarmory: Grey body with green wings instead of blue with red
228. Houndour: Blue
229. Houndoom: Blue
230. Kingdra: Purple
231. Phanpy: Lighter blue (tougher to distinguish)
232. Donphan: Greenish body with brown on top
233. Porygon2: Blue body with pink feet and tail
234. Stantler: Green
235. Smeargle: Yellowish body with a pink-tipped tail
236. Tyrogue: Blue accents on grey body
237. Hitmontop: Pink accents on grey body
238. Smoochum: Lighter pink (tough to distinguish)
239. Elekid: Slightly different shade of yellow (subtle)
240. Magby: Yellow
241. Miltank: Blue with brownish ears and tail tip
242. Blissey: Lighter pink (subtle difference)
243. Raikou: Orange body and green hump
244. Entei: Orange/peach body, blue accent on ear where there was red
245. Suicune: Lighter blue and darker blue where there was purple
246. Larvitar: Yellow green
247. Pupitar: Purple
248. Tyranitar: Beige with purple stomach
249. Lugia: Lighter blue with pink accents instead of dark blue
250. Ho-Oh: Yellow wings
251. Celebi: Pink

It’s important to remember that some Pokemon will have a dramatic, stark difference from their Shiny counterparts, and some will be very subtle and tough to decipher. So look for sparkling animation to clue you in on whether a Pokemon is Shiny. As far as which Shiny Pokemon are best to catch, it won’t be any different from their regular counterparts. The ones that are generally the best gym attackers and defenders will still be so.

Read the stories below for more details about Shiny Pokemon:

‘Pokemon Go’: How to Get Items From PokeStops While in a Car

Pokemon Go is available for iOS and Android devices. (Niantic)

Pokemon Go is one of those mobile games that’s perfect to __play while on a commute to work, but unfortunately, the app prevents players from doing much if they are in a moving vehicle like a train, as there is a speed limit that limits your activity. Now, some dedicated fans have found a few ways to get around this speed limit.

This trick is intended to allow players to collect items from PokeStops while they are on a train, a bus, or in the passenger seat of a car. The game should of course never be played while you are operating a vehicle.

Reddit user CatFrogArts this week posted a recently-discovered glitch that helps gamers to get around the speed limit. When you’re getting close to a PokeStop, open your journal. You do this by hitting the player avatar on the bottom left of the screen, selecting the button on the bottom right with the three horizontal lines, and then selecting journal.

Then, while you’re still close to the PokeStop, close the journal, quickly swipe the Photo Disc, and you should be able to collect the items. The idea here is that opening and closing the journal makes for a few seconds where the game is loading and does not properly register the speed at which you are traveling, and this gives you a brief window of time in which to obtain the PokeStop items.

This is one of several tricks that players have tried in order to get items from PokeStops while in a moving vehicle. Another one posted by Reddit user ger7zyzz is specifically for Android devices: lock the phone right before getting in range of the PokeStop, and then immediately unlock it once you are within range. Then, quickly swipe on the Photo Disc. Once again, the idea is to try to collect your items while the game is still loading and while the white spinning PokeBall is on the top of the screen.

Still other players will sometimes specifically time the opening of the app for when they are just about in range of a PokeStop. When you first open the game, it takes a few moments for it to load everything properly, and this again provides a brief window of opportunity. For this to work, though, you have to already know where the PokeStop in question is located.

Have you had any success with getting items from PokeStops while in a moving vehicle? Let us know in the comments below!

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
March 19, 2017 3:30 pm

‘Pokemon Go’: How Rare Are Shiny Pokemon?

How rare are shiny Pokemon in ‘Pokemon Go’? (Niantic)

Shiny Pokemon have been released in Pokemon Go, but a substantial number of players have not yet had the experience of encountering one. So how rare are these new shiny creatures, exactly?

Based on previous games, shiny Pokemon always tend to be fairly rare. That’s kind of the appeal of them; there’s nothing inherently valuable about these differently-colored creatures other than the fact that they are rather uncommon and not easy to come by.

When shiny Pokemon were first introduced in the original games, there would be about one shiny Pokemon for every 8,192 regular Pokemon. However, this number was later tweaked to 4,096.

Nobody yet knows what that number is for Pokemon Go, but there’s evidence to suggest that they are about that rare. In a recent poll of about 3,100 Pokemon Go players on Reddit, 94 percent of those polled said that they have not yet encountered a shiny Pokemon, compared to six percent who have encountered one. In total, 185 players have already caught a shiny Pokemon, while 2,965 have not encountered one.

And the Pokemon are likely going to be much rarer than that going forward. After all, there is currently a water festival event ongoing in Pokemon Go, during which Magikarp and other water-type Pokemon spawn more frequently than usual. You are therefore much more likely to encounter Magikarp this week than any other, and therefore you are more likely to encounter a shiny Pokemon.

We’ll know more about the rarity of shiny Pokemon after this week’s water festival ends and after more shiny Pokemon are released into the game.

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
March 23, 2017 4:47 pm

‘Pokemon Go’: Where to Catch Magikarp in the Wild

Where is Magikarp in ‘Pokemon Go’? (Niantic)

Shiny Pokemon are now available in Pokemon Go, and seeing as Magikarp is the only shiny species currently in the game, players are even more desperate to find this creature than usual. So where exactly can Magikarp be captured in the wild?

In general, Magikarp is found in water biomes. These are areas in the real world where you will also find a high concentration of Psyduck, Slowpoke and Tentacool. If you’re on the hunt for a Magikarp, then, your best bet would be to go to areas where you have previously caught these three Pokemon.

These areas are also often near actual bodies of water, which makes sense seeing as Magikarp is a water Pokemon. However, it’s common to find Magikarp in places other than bodies of water, too.

If you want to zero in on specific locations where Magikarp is commonly found, you can make use of the nest atlas over at The Silph Road. This website features a giant map of the world and allows gamers to report areas where they have caught specific Pokemon.

To use the map, simply click on the “species” button on the top of the screen, and then select “Magikarp” from the drop down menu. Markers will then pop up on the map showing areas where players have reported a high frequency of Magikarps.

If you want to catch a Magikarp, this is the perfect week to do it. On March 22nd, Niantic Labs began a week-long “water festival” event, during which water Pokemon spawn at a much higher frequency than usual. Niantic notes in its announcement of this event that for the next week, “you’ll be more likely to encounter Magikarp, Squirtle, Totodile, and their Evolutions all around the world.”

Of course, not every Magikarp that you encounter in the wild is going to be a shiny one, and you’re not going to know whether the Pokemon is shiny until you’re in battle with it; the Magikarp will be displayed as if it’s a normal Pokemon on the map and on the nearby tracker, and it’s only when you are engaged in battle with it that it will reveal itself to be a shiny Magikarp.

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
March 22, 2017 7:42 pm

‘Pokemon Go’: How Many Shiny Pokemon Are in the Game So Far?

How many Shiny Pokemon are in the game so far? (Niantic)

Pokemon Go just started a special water event and, in conjunction, has released some shiny Pokemon into the wild. But how many and which species of shiny Pokemon have been spotted so far?

Here’s what you need to know. We’ll update this story as we have more information.

So far, only two species of shiny Pokemon have been seen. It’s possible that we’ll only be seeing shiny water species in celebration of the water event, but we will likely be seeing more. In the latest APK mine by Silph Road, it was discovered that Shiny gender icons now appear next to all standard Pokemon gender icons. This means that shinies could be available for many different species eventually. However, in the main game, they’re supposed to be pretty rare (at about 1 in every 4,096 Pokemon.) Although it seems like the shiny Magikarp are spawning in greater numbers than that, maybe other shiny species will be rarer.

If you want to catch a shiny Pokemon, try for every possible shiny that you see on the map. The Pokemon Go tracker won’t indicate to you on the map if a Pokemon is shiny or not. You won’t know until you try to catch it and are taken to the capture screen.

Also note: according to trainers, just because a Pokemon appears shiny on your capture screen doesn’t mean the same Pokemon in the wild will appear shiny when someone else tries to catch it. It also appears that you won’t be getting special IV stats from your shiny Pokemon. Their IVs appear completely unrelated to whether or not they’re shiny, according to Pokemon Go trainers who have caught them so far. So shiny Pokemon are essentially just Pokemon of different colors.

The shiny Pokemon seen so far are:

---

Shiny Magikarp

Reports emerging that SHINY MAGIKARP has been encountered in the wild, travelers! pic.twitter.com/DuT5hCL3ED

— The Silph Road (@TheSilphRoad) March 22, 2017

People are capturing shiny Magikarp all over the place, and in different countries.  They sparkle in the animation and are yellow in color. If you try to transfer them, you’ll get a message asking if you want to transfer a shiny Pokemon. (Note: some trainers are saying they didn’t get this message.)

---

Shiny Gyarados

In homage to many players' first shiny (the red Gyrados in the Lake of Rage) Niantic has made Gyrados/Magikarp the 1st shiny variant family: pic.twitter.com/k3IQK2T4Cw

— The Silph Road (@TheSilphRoad) March 22, 2017

Some players have also reported evolving their shiny Magikarp into shiny Gyarados. This Pokemon appears red in color and has sparkles around him in the animation.

Have you seen other species of shiny Pokemon? If so, let us know in the comments below.

‘Feminist Frequency’ Calls ‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ Sexist With Series of Tweets

Feminist Frequency, the non-profit organization ran by Anita Sarkeesian, creator of the Tropes vs Women in Video Games Youtube series, has called out The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for being sexist.

There is so much to admire in BOTW. Its gameplay is incredible. But that absolutely doesn’t excuse its use of tired, sexist plot devices.

— Feminist Frequency (@femfreq) March 15, 2017

Through the memories players can collect, BOTW acknowledges the ongoing problem of Zelda being damseled but doesn't do anything about it.

— Feminist Frequency (@femfreq) March 15, 2017

Critics might call out sexism in games with bad gameplay but often act as if it’s not worth mentioning when the gameplay is great. It is.

— Feminist Frequency (@femfreq) March 15, 2017

In a series of tweets posted to the account yesterday, Breath of the Wild is called out for having “sexist plot devices” and suggests critics don’t mention blatant sexism in video games if the game is good. Mention is made of the memories Link collects throughout the story and how the game acknowledges the ongoing problem of Zelda being a damsel in distress but doesn’t do anything about.

This isn’t the first time The Legend of Zelda has come under fire for being considered sexist. Ocarina of Time was called classist, sexist and racist in an article on Salon.

Anita Sarkeesian rose to fame for her role in Gamergate in 2014. She received death threats and was forced to move out of her home through all of this controversy according to an interview with The Washington Post. She even had YouTube delete her Feminist Frequency channel for a little while.

Three More Games Join Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Program

Darksiders, Darksiders II and Assassin's Creed Revelations are coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility today https://t.co/qPMRNrLoTQ pic.twitter.com/pqaFZSEHVT

— Larry Hryb 💬 (@majornelson) March 23, 2017

Darksiders, Darksiders II and Assassin’s Creed Revelations are joining the collection of available backwards compatible titles on Xbox One today.

Darksiders and Darksiders II are hack and slash games often looked at as “Zelda clones” that were released in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Both titles have since seen remasters on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The first title was supposed to see a remaster released on Wii U but still has not been released.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations is the fourth major installment in the series and was released in 2011. This game has also received a remaster for the Xbox One and PS4 and was bundled into the Ezio Collection along with two other Assassin’s Creed titles.

If you owned any of these titles digitally, they will be found in your “Ready to Install” section and you could also put the disc in your Xbox One.

WATCH: Shattered Alliances Part 3 Story Trailer for ‘Injustice 2’

As we get closer and closer to the launch of Injustice 2, the game’s story becomes way more clearer. The newest trailer to get revealed to us all is the 3rd part in the “Shattered Alliances” plot preview video series. This latest piece of in-game footage shows off two main story moments – Supergirl’s early origins and how she came to Earth, plus the return of the 1st game’s villain known as Black Adam. What’s even better about this new story trailer is the sneak peek we get of Black Adam’s finishing move, which he chooses to pull off on a fully grown Supergirl. Make sure you watch it in all its pyramid destroying glory. Enjoy the new Injustice 2 trailer, folks. We’re almost there, as in we’re inching ever so closer to the game’s release.

‘Pokemon Go’: Do Shiny Magikarps Turn Into Shiny Dittos?

Is shiny Ditto in Pokemon Go yet? (Niantic)

Shiny Pokemon have become available in Pokemon Go. 

At the moment, the only two shiny Pokemon that are in the game are Magikarp and Gyarados. But what happens if one of these shiny Pokemon transforms into a Ditto? Will the Ditto be shiny as well?

Unfortunately, the answer appears to be no: a number of players have had the experience of encountering a shiny Magikarp, getting excited for it, only for it to transform into a regular Ditto.

Nobody has yet had the experience of getting a shiny Ditto from this experience, and, in fact, it does not appear that shiny Dittos have yet been released in Pokemon Go. 

It is possible, though, that when shiny Dittos are added into the game, these Pokemon that started as a shiny Magikarp but transformed into regular Dittos will suddenly start retaining their shiny status. For that reason, it might be worth hanging on to these Dittos just in case.

Normal Dittos in Pokemon Go are purple, while shiny Dittos are blue. For Magikarp, the normal color is red-orange, while the shiny color is gold. Finally, a normal Gyarados is blue, while the shiny Gyarados is red.

It does not become clear that a Pokemon is shiny until you are in an encounter with it, as it appears in its normal color on your map and on your nearby tracker.

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
March 23, 2017 12:27 pm

Nintendo Switch Production To Double Starting April 1

Nintendo is doubling their production on the Nintendo Switch from eight million units to 16 million according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The decision to double production is a result of demand for the system as it is currently sold out at most major retailers. The trend the Switch is on closely matches with the Wii, which sold 20 million units by the end of 2007, a year after its launch.

Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo chief executive, said the company would ship two million consoles globally each month but a person familiar with production told the Wall Street Journal that 2.5 million is more likely.

2. Fri-Sat sales for Nintendo Switch exceeded first 2-day sales in Americas for any system in Nintendo history. Next biggest was Wii.

— Nick Wingfield (@nickwingfield) March 6, 2017

This goes into effect with the new fiscal year which begins in April. Manufacturers under contract with Nintendo now plan to produce 16 million or more consoles, doubling the initial tally of eight million. The Switch has eclipsed the sales of the Wii launch in raw sale numbers in terms of first 48 hours of sales. The Wii went on to sell more than 100 million units becoming Nintendo’s best selling console ever.

A report from Gamesindustry.biz suggests the Switch has sold 1.5 million consoles worldwide since launch. To go along with buying a Switch, the report says 89 percent of people who bought the Switch also bought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

‘Pokemon Go’: What’s Special About Shiny Pokemon?

What are shiny Pokemon in ‘Pokemon Go’? (Niantic)

Shiny Pokemon have been released in Pokemon Go. So what is it that’s so special about these creatures, and why should players want them?

The shiny Pokemon are not actually inherently more powerful than their less shiny counterparts. In fact, the early evidence suggests that there’s really no link between a Pokemon’s shininess and its individual values.

Really, the shiny Pokemon are just cool looking and are valuable due to their rarity.

Shiny Pokemon date back to the second generation of Pokemon, and it seems that at least part of the reason for their creation was to show off the graphics of the Game Boy Color; at that point, the previous Pokemon game had been in black and white.

In the games, a shiny Pokemon tends to also have shining stars surrounding it, and it often makes a unique sound effect upon being captured. When they were first introduced, a Pokemon being shiny meant that it was more high powered than usual, but that does not appear to be the case in Pokemon Go. 

For the most part, shiny Pokemon have a color that is dramatically different than its non-shiny counterpart, so the shiny creatures really stands out. Unlike what the name suggests, it is not simply the same looking Pokemon but with a shiny glow to it. For example, the shiny version of Magikarp is gold, and the shiny version of Gyarados is red.

There’s not much you can do to increase your changes of finding a shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Go. Rather, you just have to be lucky, and catching a shiny Pokemon will come as a nice, random surprise every now and then. You’ll want to make sure to catch every single Magikarp and Gyarados you see if you don’t do so already. After all, you won’t be able to tell whether the given Pokemon is shiny by looking at your map and nearby tracker; the Pokemon will appear normal colored on these screen and will only reveal itself to be shiny during your battle.

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
March 22, 2017 8:15 pm

‘Pokemon Go’: How to Tell If You’ve Captured a Shiny Pokemon

A ‘water festival’ event is occurring in ‘Pokemon Go’ this week. (Niantic)

Shiny Pokemon are now available in Pokemon Go.

Specifically, shiny Magikarps started popping up in the game on Wednesday afternoon. But there have been some glitches with the launch, as there are reports of shiny Pokemon not actually changing colors once captured. So how can you know for sure whether you’ve captured a shiny Pokemon?

Obviously, a shiny Magikarp is supposed to appear gold colored, and a shiny Gyarados is supposed to be appear red colored, as is the case with the Pokemon in the following two screenshots:

Shiny Magicarp? from pokemongo

[Screenshot] Shiny Gyarados (not mine) from pokemongo

But if you want to verify whether your non-gold Magikarp or non-red Gyarados is secretly a shiny Pokemon, there’s a simple trick.

All you have to do is try to transfer the Pokemon in question. You can do this by clicking the red Poke Ball on the bottom of the screen and then selecting “Pokemon.” Then select the Pokemon in question, press the button on the bottom right of the screen with the three horizontal lines, and hit transfer.

Normally, you will receive a message that says “Do you want to transfer Magikarp to the professor?” or “Do you want to transfer Gyarados to the professor?” If you get this message, this confirms you have a normal Pokemon.

However, if it’s a shiny Pokemon you’re dealing with, you will receive a different message asking if you’re sure you want to transfer the shiny Pokemon. It will say, “Do you really want to transfer this Shiny Pokemon?” If you get this message, now you know that the Pokemon is actually a shiny one, even if it’s not appearing that way on screen.

The gallery below, for instance, shows a Pokemon that appears to be a normal Magikarp at first glance, but when the player tried to transfer it, they discovered that it’s actually a shiny Pokemon:

View post on imgur.com

It seems that the same Pokemon is not necessarily shiny for all players, as some have reported that they have caught a shiny Pokemon but that same Pokemon appears non-shiny in their friend’s game.

It also seems that the Pokemon do not appear in their shiny form on the game’s map or on the nearby tracker; it’s not until the actual encounter that the Pokemon reveals its true nature, and even then sometimes the game doesn’t seem to register the new color properly.

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
March 22, 2017 7:06 pm