Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Pokémon Violet and Scarlet are the series’ best bird-watching games

By

Pokémon Violet and Scarlet are currently the talk of the gaming world, though that conversation is mostly about the bizarre slew of technical issues. While those are understandably the focus, they shouldn’t totally paper over one of the best aspects of the games: They’ve got a lot of good birds.

Yes, Pokémon’s ninth generation feels as though it’s been specifically built with bird-watchers in mind. While previous games in the series tend to have one all-star flying evolution line and a smattering of winged friends hanging out in the world, Paldea might be Pokémon’s most avian friendly region yet.

A Pokemon trainer takes a selfie with an Ostrich Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In terms of returning monsters, Scarlet and Violet include some of the series best. The excellent Corviknight and Talonflame evolutionary lines return, as do classics like Staraptor, Pelipper, Honchkrow, and Braviary. That selection alone gives players a lot to choose from if they want a strong flyer in their party.

Recommended Videos

However, I’m most smitten by its new birds, which are design triumphs across the board. This generation’s signature bird is Kilowattrel, which is Pokémon’s spin on a petrel. It’s notable for its unique flying/electric pairing, which cuts down its list of weakness to only rock and ice. It’s a combination that’s only been available on a handful of monsters, mostly reserved for more powerful legendaries (as well as the legendarily cute Emolga).

That’s just one of many great birds on the roster this time. Flamigo, which just looks like a regular old flamingo, is an excellent fighting/flying type that feels like this generation’s version of Cramorant. Espathra is a powerful psychic type that takes its design cues from Cleopatra. Bombirdier, a personal favorite, is a dark/flying combo that has fun trying to twist a stork into a classic Pokémon. The best of the flock, though, might be Squawkabilly — which is one of the series’ funniest name puns to date. The normal/flying type is a parrot with a pompadour haircut, making it look like Elvis. That’s about as delightful as these creatures come.

A Squawkabilly flaps its wings in Pokemon Scarlet.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re someone like me who has always imagined you’d be a bird keeper in the world of Pokémon, our time is now. It’s a bird’s world in Paldea, and the skies are wide open.

Pokémon Violet and Scarlet are out now on Nintendo Switch.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni Colantonio
Section Editor, Gaming
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
If you love Amazon’s Fallout, play the series’ best games on Game Pass and PS Plus next
Two characters in power armor in Fallout 4.

The Fallout TV series just released on Amazon Prime, and it's one of the best video game adaptations out there. It perfectly captures the tense, humorous feel of the postapocalyptic video game series while telling a new story with original characters. If you've just watched the show, you're probably itching to play a Fallout title again or check out one of the games the series is based on for the first time. Thankfully, if you're subscribed to one of the major video game subscription services, that's very easy to do.

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 are all on at least one gaming subscription service. While PC and Xbox players will be looking to Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation owners can get in on the fun with PS Plus Extra's game catalog. We've combed through what's available on PC Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass, and PS Plus Extra, and there's no shortage of options. Here are the best starting points on each service.
PC Game Pass

Read more
The best video game movies of all time
Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu

For as long as video games have existed, film producers have adapted them for the big screen. The rationale behind these decisions is clear, as big-name video game properties have the potential to bring a lot of fans into the theater. But they have seen limited success over the years.

Some video game movie adaptations have managed to capture the spirit of their source material and deliver an exciting take on the franchise. Others, however, have treated the video games as a vague reference point, resulting in underwhelming films that disappointed the average moviegoer, as well as longtime players.

Read more
World of Goo 2 might just be the Nintendo Switch’s next must-own co-op game
A built structure in World of Goo 2.

When I sat down to demo World of Goo 2 at this year’s GDC, I noted to the developers on hand how surprising it was to see a sequel after so long. “It’s been, what? Ten years?” I said. I was very far off the mark: They noted that the original World of Goo launched in 2008. After playing a few levels (and having an existential crisis over time’s rapid passing), I’d find myself wondering how such an obvious slam dunk didn’t come sooner.

Like its predecessor, World of Goo 2 is a physics-based puzzle game where players craft structures from little, gooey critters. It presents a series of engineering challenges, as poorly built structures will topple under the weight of all those jiggly little pals. Rather than reinventing that concept entirely, World of Goo 2 adds some wild new ideas onto that stable structure that opens up its puzzle potential. The result is a chaotic co-op game that’s a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.

Read more