A few more weeks to go and we can finally get our hands on Nintendo 3DS new game, Pokemon Sun and Moon. From all the hype the upcoming RPG game has been receiving, it will not come as a surprise if it will have a huge following. Seriously, who doesn't love Pokemon?
Pokemon Sun and Moon news and leaks are all over and with the Demo Version released; players are able to meet the adorable (and annoying) Pokemon featured in the upcoming game. Of course, the game is also expected to have all sorts of new stuff which can be quite interesting. However, there are still things that would remain the same and that would include the "Masuda Method" from Pokemon creator, Junichi Masuda.
Pokemon Masuda Method
Pokemon games are said to incorporate the Masuda Method which is a trick that encourages trading to increase the likelihood of acquiring a Shiny Pokemon. So what is a Shiny Pokemon and how rare are they?
Shiny Pokemon
A Shiny Pokemon are Pokemon that have different coloration from the normal ones of their species. They were first introduced in Generation II. When these rare-color Pokemon will appear, they will be surrounded briefly with stars. And yes, they are incredibly rare to see, too. In fact, when breeding two Pokemon, getting a Shiny Pokemon as the offspring has a one in 8192 chance.
However, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl players noticed that when you breed a Pokemon traded from other countries with a Pokemon from your game, the chances of getting a Shiny Pokemon improved to five in 8192.
Pokemon Trading
To explain, Masuda had coded in the ratio change to encourage Pokemon trading with other players from different countries. He told Eurogamer, "We really wanted to encourage trading which we've always had as part of the games, so we thought - how can we make promote this, how can we make people want to trade. The idea of having people get eggs which have a higher chance of being Shiny Pokémon if they are from different locations seemed like a good way to do this. Basically the idea was to spread the idea, the joy of trading in Pokémon."
However, it wasn't until years that the "trading mechanic" had become widely known as the "Masuda Method". The method has become a mainstay of the Pokemon game series, in fact, chances of getting a Shiny has even improved slightly. Who knows, you might encounter one in the new Pokemon Sun and Moon.
Pokemon Sun & Moon is set for release Nov. 18.
