Advanced Challenge- Good or bad

[Piplup46]

I want to see Advanced Challenge too but right now there's no dvd boxes yet. Just the single discs and I don't want those. But it is good or is it bad? I'm asking for the fans opinions on that season.

 

[Vernikova]

Advance Challenge is the second of Hoenn. It wasn't the best season, but better than all of Johto, so I don't know what you want.

 

[precita]

Its middle Hoenn, so there are some good episodes, some dull ones, and some good Gyms/Contests.

If you plan to collect all of Hoenn I'd say go for it. There were some great evolution eps too, Treecko, Torchic and Taillow, and Lotad all evolve this season.

 

[Random Guy]

It depends what you like. Many people liked Johto way more than Houen and vise versa. This season was like so-so. It had a bit of this and a bit of that. Since it was in the middle of a region, don't expect many battles as good as the ones at the Pokemon League. However in saying that, they did have some good gym battles, contests and some worthwild episodes. But I'm pretty sure you know the deal with seasons like this, most episodes are fillers where a new pokemon might be introduced, some better than others.

 

[Roronoa Zolo]

In my opinion Hoenn was way better than Johto.
Johto was pure utter crap that doesn't fit together.
The pokemon was good but they mostly show the Kanto team.
Especially the Johto League.

I like how they did it in Hoenn.
They advertise the 3rd gen pokemon.
And even though it has a boring fillers.
It make sense not like Johto.
And it has character development.

But one thing pissed me off is how they barely showed the Team aqua and Team magma rivalry.

 

[ShadowDeeps]

I've always been of the view that the Johto seasons are better. Don't get me wrong - they're bloated with little more than simple and blearing, repetitive concepts building to larger filler material (being events rather than stories), and Misty and Brock become completely stagnant characters (ear pulling and girl-hitting comes to mind, rather than just Togepi, who was not even developed in those seasons given the auguring and whimscal nature of it beforehand), standing in character perhaps a bit too much so, as if to stretch the notion of "if it ain't broken, don't fix it".... they're just so unequivocal. I find the Pokémon themselves good for the most part, though there was a rather large share of Kanto ones. Withal, my issue with the Hoenn series is that while the characters are developed more, the Pokémon lose so much creativity, design, and interest that I just can't sustain my interest. IMO. I don't mind the human characters.... I just find that May and Max are not strong, dynamic, and unique enough to partake the main cast. They don't pique my interest, but I certainly don't hate them. Still, looking at what happened to Misty and Brock after they stayed the course of the series so long, that Misty left was still very sobering in my eyes, but at least not completely a gratuitous decision on the writer's behalf. But I also think it can't hurt for Brock to leave as well, despite that he's needed. Ash himself matures a lot, but I feel that's already well established by the end of the Johto seasons.

I also feel that the shell life of the series has been extended a tad too much, but that's for another thread of discussion. In any case, I do prefer the Johto seasons. What I do find good, however, are the Hoenn movies (Movie 6, 7, and 8) - a lot of effort goes into them, and I'd say they're well merited. But that may be for another thread as well.

That aside, my sentiments remain.

 

[Vernikova]

Well, that was the problem with Johto and Hoenn. Sinnoh tries to have both of the successful elements of the regions while expanding and improving on Kanto ideals. But as Shadow said, for another thread.

Advance Challenge's problem is that it does nothing with Magma and Aqua. It leaves their arc pointless with no excitment.

 

[PorygonSquared]

Aah, memories. True Blue Swablu, A Shroomish Skirmish, Lessons in Lilycove, those three episodes changed my perspective of May from a whiny Neville Longbottom to a growing Neville Longbottom. Despite being the midpoint of the Hoenn saga (of course, I tend to personally feel things peak at the midpoint for some reason), I liked it because I felt that the characters developed the most, and for the aforementioned Crowning Moments for May. Definitely worth a look.

Advance Challenge's problem is that it does nothing with Magma and Aqua. It leaves there arc pointless with no excitment.

Aside from the Mewtwo scheme, they never did much with Giovanni either. Probably the biggest letdown in the Pokemon anime is that they don't really develop their actually evil villains much in the series.

 

[Random Guy]

Probably the biggest letdown in the Pokemon anime is that they don't really develop their actually evil villains much in the series.

True that. The 3rd generation games and now Platinum had a good stroyline, its a shame that they never expand on it in the anime. If they did, I think the anime would be more successful. Stuff like exploring the Magma and Aqua base, diving underwater, going to that tower to find Rayquaza, battling Archie and Maxie, seeing all three Groudon, Kyogre and Raquaza fight maybe, that would've been great but unfortunately that was not meant to be.

But in saying that, Advance Challenge wasn't completely bad. It did develop characters and really launched the series forward into the final series in Hoenn. Some funny fillers, decent battles, contests and the developments of mainly May is what really went on along with the usual evolution and capture of pokemon.

This is from a personal view of things but I really hated Max, it really brought the whole Advanced season down. I know without him some episodes would be sort of weird but I hate it how he always tries to act smart and make stupid comments. I never liked him from day 1. Sorry, I had to mention that.

 

[Spinor]

Nah, It's better to get Advanced or Advanced Battle but not Advanced Challenge. Advanced Generation was like a Tootsie Pop:

The first lick is an exciting new experience for the day, but it wears off and gets boring after a while, that's Advanced Challenge.

But once you hit the middle, BAM! It's a whole new exciting thing that tastes better than the lolli and you just wanna chew it away, and when it's gone. Diamond and Pearl is next, a big fat tamarind pop.

Morals of the story? Don't get Advanced Challenge, Beginnings and ends are better than middles. Also, you never get tired of the Tamarind Pop if you're Mexican, basically, the Mexican DP Anime is better than the Gringo Dub.

Also, there aren't as many episodes as there are lick to the center if that's what you were thinking. Oh boy, the number of licks is so big and infinite, you're FAAR off track.

 

[Charaxes]

While Aqua/Magma had a minimal presence in Challenge, the two episodes they were in were the tops (particularly "Fair-Weather Friends"). Plus, we had major plot with three Gyms, so can't complain.

I'd recommend it, though, it can't beat early Hoenn (that was my favorite part of the arc).

 

[Taemin]

Hoenn, aside from the original Kanto, is my favorite arc.
So if you're gonna buy any of the seasons, I would recommend one of the Hoenn sets.
As for Advanced Challange, it's a good season, so I say go for it.. like other have said, it has some good episodes.
All seasons have their certain dull episodes, but Advanced Challange is pretty entertaining, in my opinion. :3