Nostalgia Hit: Pokémon

Pokémon Red was good, but the new games are better.

If Pokémon Red or Blue ever get casually brought up in conversation, it’s quite possible that a whole ream of nostalgic memories will come rushing back. For me, it’s beating the elite four with my Charizard and Snorlax for the first time and running round the house like a maniac.

However mention the newer Pokémon games, and people suddenly get defensive: “It’s not as good as the originals” I hear. But why?

Certainly they aren’t going to be as nostalgic, but in my opinion they’re just as good, given the chance.

Let’s take Pokémon Black as an example. Set in the brand new region of Unova, this game introduces over 150 new Pokémon of interesting type combinations, a mildly gripping story and, most importantly, lots of new trainers to beat. Are these not the basic principles of Red? But not wanting to stay static, Black provides a load of new features to ensure that the franchise keeps moving forward, such as triple battles (as fun as they sound with 3 Pokémon out at the same time), and the Entralink to meet up with strangers and swap items.

These new features extend the experience that Red or Blue could provide, without compromising the classic combat that fans would know and love. Moreover, despite Red and Blue being nostalgically good, technically there were a lot of things wrong.

The most infamous of these being rare candy glitch, which while a load of fun, took any challenge out of the game and exposed your save file to the dangerously game corrupting ‘Missingno’, who would ruin all your progress with the slightest touch.

In addition to this, using attacks like ‘wrap’ and ‘focus energy’ broke the combat system, with the latter CUTTING your critical hit ratio as opposed to raising it as it is supposed to do! The final clinching point in this is that getting the game and Nintendo DS to play it on these days isn’t that expensive, especially when sourced on internet sites like eBay.

I would suggest that we never forget the genius of Pokémon Red, but not at the expense of the newer games. And with X and Y just around the corner, the world of Pokémon looked so good, so go get your gym badges!

 

Oscar Maddox

A Day in the Life of: A Pokémon Trainer

‘Welcome to the world of Pokémon!’ he said.

‘You’re alright to go on an adventure at age 10’ he said.

Thanks to Professor Oak, I am now stuck in a darkened cave in the middle of nowhere being attacked by Zubats every other step and sentient rocks with arms which keep trying to crack my skull open with their giant boulder fists.

And my Squirtle has fainted.

And my Clefairy is poisoned so I have to hear this constant ‘BLAR BLAR BLAR’ every time I move and I have no Antidotes, since I spent all my money on Pokéballs trying to catch this damn Clefairy.

Which, by the way, took me about an hour of stumbling around in the dark to find, and it turns out it only knows Sing.

Plus, when I eventually get out of this hellhole, that dick of a rival will probably pop out of nowhere with his over-levelled Ivysaur to smack my crippled team into the ground, just to send me BACK through the cave and into the Pokémon Centre back in Pewter City just to go through this ALL over again. Also, he has the balls to take $100 off me for the trouble.

Should have called him Ballbag instead of Gary.

I’ve also had to deal with a goddamn terrorist organisation which is trying to steal Pokémon, who thinks it’s okay to try and attack a ten year old who is lost, cold, has hardly any money and who only wants to go home.

Why am I even out travelling? Shouldn’t I be at school instead of risking my life capturing creatures to fight for fun?

Also, the Gym Leader I just fought has a GIANT SNAKE MADE OF ROCKS while I have a small turtle which can spit water from its mouth, a pigeon and a mouse which shoots electricity from its face. How is that fair?!

Plus, according to the Pokédex (which is a useless device as it magically has all of the entries already within its memory but only unlocks when I see a Pokémon) you can only catch one up near Lavender Town in the Rock Tunnel and he has no means of getting there. This Gym Leader thing is a load of crap.

 

Next thing I know, I’ll have to fight a crime boss and all of his executives, as well as dealing with very embodiments of the elements whilst also trying to capture a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong.

Also, what is the deal with Trainers? I am just going for a casual stroll through the fields with my Pokémon and they want to fight me for money? No, I don’t want to fight you, I’m just going to the shops to get some bread.

I don’t care about your Rattata being in the top percent, just go away.

Furthermore, why don’t you have a name? Why are you just called ‘Youngster’ or ‘Bug Catcher’ and why don’t you move or sleep or even eat?! What is wrong with people in Kanto?

Okay, made it to the end of the cave and I can see Cerulean City in sight. I can rest up my Pokémon, go to the PokeMart and then continue on. At least I only have 7 more Gym Leaders to fight. And the Elite Four. And then the Champion.

If Gary’s the champion, I’m going to be so pissed.

 

Sam Foxall

How To…Wear Red Trousers.

Ladies and Gentlemen of Exeter,

 

It is a daunting task tackling a fashion issue so close to an Exeter student’s heart. Red trousers are a staple piece in any self-respecting Exeterians wardrobe. They can suit a day at the races as well as hitting the edgiest places in the city. They can be slung on after a night out, and unfailingly succeed to make you look presentable and ready for a day of relaxing in the Forum. Nevertheless, it’s easy to pair them with a couple of select outfit combinations and not sway from these. So here are a few outfit suggestions to liven up your wardrobe if you’re getting into a red trouser rut:

 

In the day…

 

Ladies: Red trousers with ….

 

A patterned shirt. A cotton blue flowered blouse; cream embroidered; antique cream with little flowers printed across. Put boots or brogues on to cover your cold winter feet. Put a quilted jacket of any colour in and you will be ready for a winter walk along the Quay.

Feeling pretty? Adding a pastel sheer top to red jeans is the perfect outfit to float through campus with. Add pumps in an identical shade to your blouse and a pretty jacket in a pale colour to let your jeans pop.

If you want to delve into spring/summer 2013 whilst sticking to your roots then add a graphic top half. Whether that’s the monochrome checkboard of Louis Vuitton, or a more graphic origami print, you will be set to zig zag through Exeter. Pair with some black French Sole’s for a polished look.

Who said trainers were for the gym only? Put your red jeans with Nike Air’s and lycra top half for the most time efficient way to go from sporty to trendy. Check out Moschino Cheap & Chic for fashpiration.

Cropped was also rife on the catwalks, so if you’ve got a sparkling new pair of shoes you want to show off roll your jeans up and use the street as your catwalk.

If you’re not feeling ready for bright red trousers, and want more autumnal hues, then opt for burgundy trousers with a cosy navy jumper. A failsafe, chic classic combination.

 

Gentlemen: Red trousers with ….

 

Anything Ralph Lauren and Barbour as long as it’s not red. Deck shoes in every season unless it’s winter, at which point put the loafers on. Put lace up plimsolls on if you’re feeling dressed down.

 

Evening wear…

 

Ladies: Red trousers in ….

Timepiece, then any top goes. Long sleeved lacy, strapless cream with bows and beads, a dark gold sleeveless, black and backless. If you’re feeling ready for the hockey team to circle you, then a bustier with a leather jacket slung over is set to make you stand out.

Cellar Door, then add a top with an animal twist. Whether it’s got a bird of paradise on or in a snakeskin print, you will be ready for 2013.

Arena, then go glam! If you’re feeling the Sixties vibe of Spring/Summer 2013 then it’s all about a makeover. Beehive and dramatic eyeliner with a slick of red lipstick that exactly matches the shade of your jean. Put a cream top on with a black peter pan collar, and a la, you’re a modern day Twiggy.

 

Gentlemen: Red trousers…

In the evening, don’t be scared of being ‘smart’. Wearing a shirt is a positive thing, because yes, even drunk girls judge you on your fashion sense.

Red chinos and a white shirt is a surefire way to look dapper. Add a brown belt and brown loafers for extra brownie points with the girls.

Blue check shirt again tucked in to red jeans or chinos with a brown belt. Compare your pulling power in this outfit with your normal jeans and a t-shirt and you’ll know what to wear out next time!

 

By Emily-Rose Rolfe.

Photos by Emily-Rose Rolfe and Chessie Hughes.

A Twitter User's Freedom of Tweets

Tom Bond, Exeposé Print Books Editor, looks at Suzanne Moore’s recent Twitter row and argues the importance of sites like Twitter to offer everyone a voice, whether professional writer or not.

Photo credits to espacio CAMON

Last week a writer left Twitter and Twitter ate itself in a cycle of outrage and anger. In a piece for Red, The Waterstones Anthology, titled ‘Seeing red: the power of female anger’, Suzanne Moore called for women to embrace their anger in the fight for gender equality. As she proudly announces, “Sex Pistol John Lydon’s chant, ‘anger is an energy’, is still my cri de coeur”. Her points are vociferously made, covering a wide range of issues too numerous to address here. I suggest you read the article for yourselves and make your own judgments, but sadly, the content of the article is not why I am writing. I am writing because of the ferocious response she has received, primarily to her use of one small phrase, that for many people, undermines her whole argument. At the end of the piece she praises the power of anger, saying, “cherish it, for this is how the future will be made.” I wonder if the anger she has received in reply has made her rue the prophetic nature of her words.

The offending sentence describes the negative female psychology of the body, claiming, “We are angry with ourselves for not being happier, not being loved properly and not having the ideal body shape – that of a Brazilian transsexual.” Within minutes she had been called out for her choice of example with one Twitter user saying “I loved your piece on anger – except for the shock transphobia. Trans women deserve solidarity, not implicit shaming.” Even after reading several articles explaining people’s outrage I don’t quite see the issue in the phrase she used. Moore later justified her choice, saying “I deliberately used the word Brazilian transexual [sic] as ideal shape small hips and big T and A.” The problem truly arose a few tweets later when Moore embraced her manifesto of anger and began to dig her own grave, replying with things like “I dont [sic] prioritise this fucking lopping bits of your body over all else that is happening to women Intersectional enough for you?” and “People can just fuck off really. Cut their dicks off and be more feminist than me. Good for them.” As reasoned and powerful as her original article was, her responses have turned it into nothing more than another online soap opera.

These days, the battleground for debate is virtual, with articles, links and opinions traded with fervour across Twitter, Facebook and online comment threads. The fact that you can find a host of reactionary idiots in these places is hardly a revolutionary one but the more we rely on these formats the more important it becomes. I agree with most but not all of Moore’s original article but I strongly disagree with her bullish and aggressive response to others’ outrage. By dismissing the complaints and queries of the trans people that took offence with her article she is doing just what she has attacked the patriarchy for. She is shutting down a minority opinion from her position of relative power and dismissing its relevance offhand.

Her self-acknowledged friend and ally Julie Burchill rode to Moore’s defence on a bucking bronco days later in an Observer article that was later removed with an apology by the editor. Make no mistake, Burchill’s piece exists solely to troll the nation and its argument consists of little more than a string of insults flung at transgender people through a blinding red mist. Nevertheless I will always defend her right to publish such an article, however offensive it may be. Toby Young from the Telegraph accused The Observer of censoring Burchill, though more accurately it was a case of editorial cold feet. Denying someone the right to use your publication as a platform for views you find deeply offensive is not the same as denying them the right of free speech.

Twitter is brilliant because you can speak directly to your heroes and people you admire, even if Salman Rushdie did think I was insulting him. You can interact with professionals who do what you one day dream of doing, and sometimes they even reply. Twitter is a beautifully democratic medium, allowing everyone their say. The problem is that it gives a voice to the abusive as much as the open-minded who use Twitter in search of knowledge and entertainment.

There is hope though in the way people have responded to such abuse, with Moore, her attackers and Burchill all being condemned by the vast majority of users. Twitter demonstrates the ultimate strength of freedom of speech, allowing everyone to contribute whether they have a national newspaper column or not, and then to be judged fairly by their peers.

Taylor Swift – Red

If you want to spend over an hour having about as much fun as if someone was boring into your skull with a drill, take a listen to Taylor Swift’s new album, ‘Red’. In her latest offering to the musical world, Swift takes a step just beyond the 13-year-old Disney romance dream world she usually sings about and has edged into the realm of bitter, twisted 15-year-olds who wish to humiliate their ex via the medium of music.

 

The vast majority of her new songs have the lyrical complexity of nursery rhymes whilst being littered with bizarre metaphors that make no sense, see the album’s title song ‘Red’ for example. Though pitched by her record company as Swift’s most ‘adventurous’ album out of the four she has now made, in truth, ‘Red’ just rips off all the ‘best’ of Swift’s old work and merges it with anything that’s ever been remotely popular in the charts. The random, unnecessary  bit of dubstep bass on ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ is your prime example.

In all fairness to Swift, some of the songs aren’t half bad, and if you’re a fan of her standard country-pop rock sound, you may even enjoy the likes of ‘Holy Ground’, ‘Stay Stay Stay’ and ’22’, which haven’t been fiddled with by her record company as much and retain a bit of banjo. There are some tracks with catchy melodies that’ll be popular amongst teenage girls and my housemates and it certainly won’t be the worst 65 minutes and 9 seconds worth of music made this year; that honour will go to One Direction.

Meg Drewett, Features Editor