Pikachu-Colored Pichu Got!

Remember, you have until February 14th to get to a GamStop and get one too! That is unless you don't want Spiky-Eared Pichu.

Gizamimi is pretty much useless

but it's nice to have

Berry Pots? Really? XD
I'm not the only one who always found it weird how now you grow your personal plants on a little secret plant grower, right?

Anyway, no slot machines? Europe is getting to the Pokemon Company isn't it >.> I never used them, but still...

I saw all this early this morning but I had to leave to get to college on time. However that doesn't mean I can't comment on them!

CHARACTERS:
(Japenese/English)
Hibiki/Ethan | Kotone/Lyra

Apollo/Archer | Athena/Arianna | Lance/Proton | Lambda/Petrel

Kobushi/Magnus

Well let's start with the main characters, shall we? No need to mention Lyra as it has been pretty much agreed that the name is nice and fits in with her Japanese name (Kotone means "koto note" with koto being a harp-like instrument. Lyra comes from the constellation of the same name which is shaped as a lyre, another harp-like instrument). As for Ethan, the names alright, would have liked to see him named Jimmy but then again the Japanese games also changed his name from Kenta to Hibiki. Incase your wondering, Hibiki means "echo" but being Ethan doesn't seem to have a symbolic meaning (or at least the ones I found didn't relate to Hibiki's meaning) I think there is no need to dwell on it.
And now onto the Team Rocket Executives and I must ask why with the entire group name change? I mean Lance was obviously getting a re-name, Lambda probably too, but there was no real need to change Apollo's and Athena's name. From the looks of it, they are trying to get rid of anything that might have been offensive and thus since Apollo and Athena are names of a Greek God and Goddess they got kicked, but I'm not to sure if that was true or not. But anyway they changed all the names which isn't really a bad thing, I mean there are plenty of spacecrafts and satellites with names they could use... huh... what do you mean they aren't named after spacecrafts in the English version? That was there whole Theme Naming shtick... what? What do you mean they don't have a Theme Naming anymore! Okay, Okay, I went on long enough, but seriously why did they choose those names? Archer and Arianna, okay, they're normal names. But then you come to Proton and Petrel (which sounds even dumber than Lambda) and if they were going to give them normal names give them ALL normal names, why make two have strange names that have nothing to do with each other or anything with Team Rocket for that matter! Proton is subatomic particle and Petrel is a bird with an odd-looking beak!... Actually scratch that, apparently Proton and Ariane are a type of rocket and Petrel is a British rocket... but I still can't find anything for Archer so the Theme Naming is still broken! HERE, there is a WHOLE page worth of rocket names on there, take a pick of your favorite.
Oh, and I don't really have anything to say about Kobushi/Magnus. Kobushi means "ancient warrior" and Magnus means "Large; The Great" in Latin and Scandinavian. So they sorta relate.

ITEMS:
(Japenese/English)
Apricorn Case/Apricorn Box | Berry Planter/Berry Pots | Itemfinder/Dowsing Machine

Enigma Crystal/Enigma Stone | GB Player/GB Sounds | Green Orb/Jade Orb

Magnet Pass/Pass | Tide Bell/Tidal Bell | Unown Notebook/Unown Report

Compe Ball/Sport Ball

*A trainer goes into back ally with shifty eyes and walks up to a guy in a longcoat*
Longcoat Guy: You got the PokeDollars?
Trainer: Yay, I got the PokeDollars, you got the stuff?
Longcaot Guy: *Looks around and takes out a Berry Pot* Here you go my man, a Lum Berry fresh from my stash...

Sorry, couldn't resist, but Berry Pot (as well as Apricorn Box) isn't that bad though don't see what was wrong with the normal name. Itemfinder was kind of an odd change as it was called that in FireRed and Leafgreen and I think they should have kept it that way and left "Dowsing Machine" only for the Poketch Application or any other equipment devices like it. Enigma Crystal & Enigma Stone are basically the same. I'm not to sure how I feel with GB Sounds, GB Player pretty much decribed it while GB Sound makes it sound like it'll revert everything back to beeps without anything hinting it is related to music. Jade Orb... Jade Orb... JADE ORB! WHY WOULD YOU CALL IT THAT! In Ruby & Sapphire the two orbs were called Red Orb and Blue Orb, this orb was suppose to be the third member of these two (like how Rayquaza is the third member to Groudon and Kyogre), so naturally it should be the Green Orb to relate with Rayquaza's main color. And if for some odd reason you didn't want to call it that, then go with Rayquaza's game color and make it the Emerald Orb. WHERE IN THE WORLD DID JADE ORB COME FROM! Anyway, continuing on, I kind of find it odd they just made the Magnet Pass just Pass but it isn't anything to sweat. Tide Bell/Tidal Bell and Unown Notebook/Unown Report are the samething so no need to comment there. And you already know my beef with the Compe Ball/Sport... If they didn't want to call it a Park Ball they could have just changed it to Insect Ball...

TERMS:
(Japenese/English)
Pokethlon/Pokeathlon | Technique Stat/Skill Stat

Apricorn Drinks/Aprijuice | Shinto Ruins/Sinjoh Ruins

Triad State/Mystri Stage | Hidden Tower/Embedded Tower

Pokethlon/Pokeathlon and Technique Stat/Skill Stat are basically the same. I actually like the Aprijuice name. Shinto Ruins/Sinjoh Ruins is basically the same. I also like the Mystri Stage, if you can't tell I'm a sucker for conjoined words. Also Embedded Tower is a logical change, plus Hidden Tower makes me think of something else.

GAME CORNER CHANGE:
The Game Corners have been changed so that instead of the slot machines we get a Minsweeper-like game called Voltorb Flip. Voltorb Flip still requires a bit of luck as you're give a field of tiles with either a multiplier or a Voltorb on it. As you keep getting progressing without hitting Voltorbs the levels get more difficult by adding more Voltorbs, but in addition the multipliers increase. If you hit too many Voltorb tiles you'll start back at level 1.

I don't know what to say, I somewhat feel dissapointed that they did this (though in European versions of the game the slot machines have already been taken out and replaced with something called "Game Machine" where players would find 5 to 20 coins randomly due to a stricter legislation in the European Union towards gambling). Actually, this might have been done because the Pokemon Company would rather change the type of game being played instead of it just being removed altogehter. But still, even though I never played the slots, they have been around since Pokemon started and being this is made-up money which you can get tons more of by battling trainers I think makes no sense. Oh well, I always did think the Game Corner needed more types of games anyway.

Hey people! Wow, its been a long time since I've been on tv.com! I've just been silently watching the news about the new games! I am so excited! Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know that the HeartGold and SoulSilver section of the Pokémon site has been updated, with a new site apparently coming soon. There's some new news about the figurines if you preorder the game!

In the US, Amazon.com, Best Buy, GameStop, K Mart, Sears, Target, Toys R Us, and Walmart are giving out the figurines!

In Canada, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Future Shop, GameStop, and Toys R Us are participating!

Isn't this great? My sister and I have already ordered HeartGold and SoulSilver at Toys R Us just last weekend; we're so psyched for the games and the figurines! We can't wait!

Someone's already posted the figurines before, but I'll paste them again for you:

Yup, they're only available from preorder. If you preorder SoulSilver, you get Lugia and if you preorder HeartGold, you get Ho-Oh. They're really cool figurines made by the company Kaiyodo, which also made the Giratina figurines that came with the preorder of Platinum. Ho-Oh is 2.25 inches tall, and Lugia is 2.5 inches tall. I just cannot wait to get them!