Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is a role-playing video game in the Pokémon series developed by Genius Sonority and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. It was released for the GameCube on August 4, 2005, in Japan; October 3, 2005, in North America; November 10, 2005, in Australia; and November 18, 2005, in Europe. Pokémon XD is the successor to the GameCube title Pokémon Colosseum and takes place in Orre, the setting of Pokémon Colosseum's adventure mode. All of the Game Boy Advance Pokémon games can connect to this game through trading and Battle Mode.
Pokémon XD was first announced in March 2005 as a new GameCube game and not a sequel to Colosseum, though later developments as well as two promotional demo versions confirmed the game would be similar to its predecessor. Shadow Pokémon, first introduced in Colosseum, are a major gameplay element, and a Shadow Lugia is featured on the game's box art. Munchlax and Bonsly, two Pokémon from the fourth generation of main Pokémon games, make debut appearances in Pokémon XD.
The game garnered mixed reviews among critics, with common criticisms being directed at similarities to and re-used assets from Colosseum. Commercially Pokémon XD was a success, selling more than 1 million copies since its release. Pokémon XD, along with Colosseum, will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 through the Nintendo Classics service.
The main focus of the game, like its predecessor, is to fight and capture Shadow Pokémon. Shadow Pokémon are captured using the Snag Machine, identically to Pokémon Colosseum. There are 83 different Shadow Pokémon to collect. Shadow Pokémon come with Shadow-type moves, which, unlike moves of other types before the physical-special split in generation IV, can be physical or special. These moves often have lower power than their non-Shadow counterparts, but are super effective on non-Shadow Pokémon. If the player cannot catch a Shadow Pokémon, there is a second chance available: at random points throughout the game, Miror B., an antagonist from the previous game, will appear with Shadow Pokémon that the player was not able to catch. Once a Shadow Pokémon is captured, the player needs to purify it. There are two different ways of purifying Pokémon: using the Purification Chamber, and carrying the Pokémon in the party until it can be purified.
The story begins five years after the events of Pokémon Colosseum with the introduction of the Hero, named Michael by default, as the main protagonist. Michael talks to Professor Krane, his mother's boss, who introduces the concept of Shadow Pokémon, which are Pokémon whose hearts have been artificially closed. The criminal syndicate Team Cipher is creating and distributing. Krane also introduces the Snag Machine, which is used to capture Shadow Pokémon to purify. Krane entrusts Michael with the Snag Machine to capture the Shadow Pokémon the Aura Reader to identify them from normal Pokémon.
Shortly after this, Krane is kidnapped by Cipher agents. Michael goes after the Cipher Agents to rescue Krane and rescue the Shadow Pokémon. At the end of the game, Michael goes to Citadark Isle and battles the main villain: Master Greevil, who, in the beginning of the game, was disguised as an old rich man named Verich. Greevil sends out a seemingly unpurifiable Shadow Lugia, codenamed XD001, but Michael catches and eventually purifies it.
In March 2005, Nintendo of America executive Reggie Fils-Aimé said that Pokémon XD would be a new GameCube game, but not a sequel to Colosseum. He said that the gameplay would be more similar to the Game Boy Advance role-playing video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
Japanese gaming magazines Famitsu and CoroCoro Comic later gave screenshots and information that revealed that the game would have 3D graphics similar to those of its predecessor, Pokémon Colosseum. It was also revealed that the game would continue the inclusion of Shadow Pokémon and snagging from Colosseum. Nothing of the plot was revealed, other than the fact that a black Shadow Lugia was said to play a large part in the story. It was also revealed that the player starts with an Eevee, and that the levels progress more closely to the main handheld series.
Nintendo released two demos to promote the game. In the demo released to retail stores, the player goes through two battles where the player can snag three Shadow Pokémon. The second demo was playable on the "Pokémon Rocks America" tour.
The game features two Pokémon from generation IV: Munchlax and Bonsly.
Pokémon XD received mixed reviews, usually scoring 6–7 out of 10 (8.6 out of 10 was its highest score).
The game was commonly criticized for having a large amount of recycled material from the earlier Pokémon Colosseum. This recycled material includes a number of reused areas, some recycled graphics and a modified engine. GameSpot commented that "not much has changed since the original". Another common complaint were the Poké Spot areas, regarded as very limited and small compared to Ruby and Sapphire. While discussing the mixed quality of the Pokémon console games, Retronauts recalled it as an example. Gamepro magazine gave the game a mixed review, criticizing the gameplay being monotonous and lacking challenge. They also felt the game "doesn't have the pizazz for mature audiences," but gave praise for the game's flashy visual style of the Pokémon and their attacks, concluding “Gale of Darkness is not a terminally unplayable game by any stretch of the definition, but gamers are going to really have to love Pokémon in order to find gratification here.”
Like its predecessor, Pokémon XD was a commercial success, selling over 1 million units as of March 31, 2006.