Metagross ex · Hidden Legends (HL) #95

4 comments

1. 

   Ambassador

   (3 years ago)

   · Metal Reversal previously appeared on AQ Metal Cube 01!

   · “Extra Comet Punch” probably should’ve been translated to “Meteor Mash” to match the way the video games translated the attack コメットパンチ, but コメットパンチ is literally “Comet Punch” so I can see what happened here. The Generation 1 move we know as ‘Comet Punch’, れんぞくパンチ, would’ve been better translated as “Consecutive Punch”, or “Repeat Punch”, but, well, character limits, so we ended up with Comet Punch.

   So here comes Ruby and Sapphire with an attack that is literally “Comet Punch”, but they’ve already used that name. In the video games, they invented a name – Meteor Mash – and in the TCG, they went with ..whatever they tried to do here, I guess. Be faithful to the actual name of the attack, without overlapping with the other move they’ve already translated as Meteor Mash, I guess? It’d be nice if they’d done it without invoking “Extra”, which is something of a loaded term on a Pokémon 𝒆𝒙, but I like it.

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2. 

   norblarchoop

   (1 year ago)

   Fun to play in 2004, but weak to Blaziken ex and Team Magma’s Groudon, the two most famous decks in the format

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3. 

   Charmaster

   (2 months ago)

   I cited this Metagross ex as having possibly the worst ex illustration during a discussion of Mitsuhiro Arita’s OTHER Metagross (https://pkmncards.com/card/metagross-journey-together-jtg-063/). The reason why I singled out Arita’s Metagross ex art is that I just don’t think there’s anything interesting going on in the illustration. I decided to write this follow-up to explain what I enjoy about other ex’s from this era and why I think this illustration is worse than, say, Raichu ex from Emerald.

   There’s no dynamic motion like on the other Metagross ex, no memorable posing like on Hitmonchan ex, no dramatic lighting effects on the Pokémon itself like on Jirachi ex or Kingdra ex, no distinct texture like on Arita’s Regi ex renders, and no “early 2000’s cgi” goofiness like on the Raichu ex from Emerald or the Jolteon ex from Delta Species. It’s three dimensional nature is also a lot sharper than on Electrode ex or Entei ex or Scyther ex or Sandstorm’s Gardevoir ex, and the Pokémon itself isn’t even emoting within its limited capacity by roaring at the viewer. It feels full compared to other ex’s and compared to other Metagross cards. AND it lacks the complete, angular, rough landscapes that make many Gen 1 and 2 era cgi cards entertaining.

   I feel like Mitsuhiro Arita played a bit too safe with his Metagross artwork. The flashiest effect was the blinding white silhouette in the background. I’m a big fan of early cgi jank as well as of well polished cgi artwork (Probably measurable on a scale of Raichu ex EM to Jirachi ex CG where ex’s are concerned), but Metagross ex just feels too… COOKIE CUTTER.

   https://pkmncards.com/?s=is%253Aex-%E2%86%93&sort=date&ord=rev&display=images Here is a list of ex’s from this era. Messaging from my phone, so I don’t feel like hyperlinking to every ex I mentioned, but it’s worth giving them all a look.

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   • 

     NosCharmaster

     (2 months ago)

     You articulate your point well. It is especially apparent how lackluster this art is when you compare it to the Metagross ex that came out a few years later in Power Keepers. The dynamism, lighting, and framing really sell you a powerful metal monster while here we see it awkwardly framed off center.

     What’s even worse to me is that the bland art is also paired with incredibly forgettable attributes that don’t set it apart or give it any sort of niche. Once again, something the Power Keepers card excels at.

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