3rd Gen Mr. Dad Norman

Started by Pendraflare March 22nd, 2015 7:03 AM
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  • 23 replies

Pendraflare

Age 32
Male
Pennsylvania
Seen July 30th, 2021
Posted March 29th, 2021
6,263 posts
9.8 Years
As Marriland calls him... Anyway, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald are the first - and so far only - games in the series (ORAS notwithstanding) that we see the player character's father, in Norman, who appears at the Petalburg City Gym and is the Gym Leader there. He uses Normal-type Pokémon, and at the beginning of the game he gives Wally a Zigzagoon so he can catch his first Pokémon using it. When your time to battle him comes after you obtain four badges, watch out, because his Slaking are very strong! In Emerald they swapped one of them for a Spinda and Linoone, but they still are nothing to mess with.

What did you think of the first time we get to see the player's father in-game? For that matter, how was battling him for you? Was he ever easy or hard for you? If so, how did you go about beating him? Discuss.
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Imperator161

Seen February 5th, 2023
Posted July 31st, 2020
1,415 posts
14.7 Years
I really liked having the player's dad take on a significant role in the game. There are too many absentee father games, and enough other father characters appear in the series that it makes sense for the player to have a father who appears at some point. Norman also gave you a good reason for moving to Hoenn and journeying in the first place, and he gave you a mid-game goal to work towards, which was nice.

I had a hard time with him in one of the games (maybe Emerald? I don't quite remember) because his team seemed so strong. More recently, he hasn't been so challenging, but he did make a good gym leader, and it was fun to have a father/child gym battle.
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Tetra

Male
Seen November 13th, 2021
Posted October 27th, 2017
1,084 posts
13.7 Years
I think this is the only game to actually have a father which you can talk to! And he is one amazing dad to the character. You don't really meet him much throughout the game until you're able to battle his Gym, aside from him giving Wally a Zigzagoon to help him catch a Ralts. And battling your own dad as a gym leader felt amazing! Really gave it that good feeling and boost. Especially because it was a difficult event! Those memories >.>

Lycanthropy

Owl + Bear =
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Age 26
any
Clan of Fools, Waterdeep
Seen December 14th, 2022
Posted December 14th, 2022
11,033 posts
9.3 Years
Firstly the fact your Dad actually appeared in the game was a great point. This made you feel your parents actually had a decent marriage and not that he had just left and never came back or just died or something.
Secondly, his role in the games is quite cool, being able to face him as Gym Leader. This really made some good dialogue. You could almost feel his double feelings about his lose and his son/daughter's victory.
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Age 28
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Distortion World
Seen December 13th, 2020
Posted February 26th, 2018
2,473 posts
12.9 Years
Firstly the fact your Dad actually appeared in the game was a great point. This made you feel your parents actually had a decent marriage and not that he had just left and never came back or just died or something.
Secondly, his role in the games is quite cool, being able to face him as Gym Leader. This really made some good dialogue. You could almost feel his double feelings about his lose and his son/daughter's victory.
I also liked how he told Wally to show us how to catch a Pokemon, instead of some old random creep.

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Zeffy

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Male
Seen December 1st, 2022
Posted January 30th, 2021
6,395 posts
14.1 Years
When I was a kid, I thought it was pretty cool that the player's dad is a Gym Leader! Now? Well, I think the player's dad isn't doing a good job in being an actual dad. No hate on Norman though, he's pretty cool, but the games didn't do a good job at showing him being an actual fatherly figure aside from that ONE call during the boat ride to Dewford Town.
Age 28
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Seen December 13th, 2020
Posted February 26th, 2018
2,473 posts
12.9 Years
When I was a kid, I thought it was pretty cool that the player's dad is a Gym Leader! Now? Well, I think the player's dad isn't doing a good job in being an actual dad. No hate on Norman though, he's pretty cool, but the games didn't do a good job at showing him being an actual fatherly figure aside from that ONE call during the boat ride to Dewford Town.
That's true. But I dont think you can expect a lot from the family aspect. I mean, you are let on your own as a 10-year old kid. I mean its nice to have freedom, but that is too much freedom given by your parents at the age of 10 +/-

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Seen May 31st, 2015
Posted April 16th, 2015
7 posts
8.1 Years
Firstly the fact your Dad actually appeared in the game was a great point. This made you feel your parents actually had a decent marriage and not that he had just left and never came back or just died or something.
Decent marriage? You mean that having your mother live at home by herself while your dad lives in a gym in another town and never-ever comes home, or is ever seen together with his wife, is a good marriage?:P

Yeah, when I played Fire Red (my first Pokemon game), I always wondered what happened to my player character's father. I bet he left and joined Team Rocket...

Lycanthropy

Owl + Bear =
Owlbear

Age 26
any
Clan of Fools, Waterdeep
Seen December 14th, 2022
Posted December 14th, 2022
11,033 posts
9.3 Years
Decent marriage? You mean that having your mother live at home by herself while your dad lives in a gym in another town and never-ever comes home, or is ever seen together with his wife, is a good marriage?:P
It's not like he's never home. He is when you return home after beating the Elite Four. It's hard to say anything about the time scale, as you never make your time to sleep, but it could be well possible that your whole adventure happens in just one day. If so, Dad could just have his job from let's say 8 to 6 and be home in the evening.

SiriusAlpha

One and only

Male
Seen May 28th, 2015
Posted May 13th, 2015
69 posts
8.1 Years
I liked seeing finally seeing the player character's dad instead of wondering where he went or if the player character's mom just really got around but he's not doing a good job as a dad. Still he's pretty cool.
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Pendraflare

Age 32
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Pennsylvania
Seen July 30th, 2021
Posted March 29th, 2021
6,263 posts
9.8 Years
^ Really? Because a lot of people have struggled big time with his Slakings, even with their Truant ability.

But other than that, I know that some people think he's an uncaring father who treats Wally better than the player. And many are known to give him a daunting demeanor in their own playthroughs.
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Age 31
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Fortree City, Hoenn
Seen December 6th, 2017
Posted November 14th, 2017
1,276 posts
9.5 Years
^ Really? Because a lot of people have struggled big time with his Slakings, even with their Truant ability.
.
I found him easy to bulldoze with my team in Alpha Sapphire (I think so in Ruby as well but can't remember as that was years ago). Fighting pokemon just take him apart. They should have gave him a something other than 2 slakings and vigorth.

Bobsomeness

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Male
Pallet Town
Seen September 9th, 2020
Posted April 28th, 2017
214 posts
8.1 Years
Norman wasn't hard for me. After his last pokemon by Combusken evolved into a Blaziken :D
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Male
Seen July 21st, 2017
Posted June 14th, 2017
1,333 posts
11 Years
It's definitely a unique change! I had a hard time battling him and he's probably the hardest Hoenn gym leader for me. It's the only game iirc to stray away from the traditional mom and child structure and I'd like to see some more diverse families for the player character in the future. Maybe a single father would be nice...? :)

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Gandhi Savage

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Age 27
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Ireland
Seen July 28th, 2022
Posted April 2nd, 2019
699 posts
12.3 Years

I thought it was just awesome to have your dad not just included, but given a prominent role in the games. His Gym was actually the one I struggled most with during my original R/S/E playhthroughs, his Slaking is just too strong! I'd have liked to see him place higher in the Gym rankings, but they couldn't have him be 8th what with them already having the last Gym in the second town in Gen 1! I liked his character a lot, shame he didn't tag-team with his son/daughter to take on Team Magma and/or Aqua, that would've been awesome. I think Gym Leaders should play more of a part in the battles against the evil teams, when Clay lead all the Unova leaders to combat the Seven Sages for example was one of the most epic moments in the whole franchise, for me at least. I'm rambling now so I'll stop writing, aha!

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Male
Seen January 20th, 2017
Posted January 2nd, 2017
4,705 posts
9.7 Years
I'm in with the Hoenn region games including us a father. They've given him a role, so Norman wasn't just there for nothing. :)
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GengyGengar

Sp00py

Male
England
Seen August 5th, 2019
Posted August 4th, 2015
141 posts
7.8 Years
I'm a little disappointed that RSE are the only games to have any sort of father figure. I think it would be great if every game did this, since it really worked this time.
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Hikamaru

Age 30
Female
Australia
Seen January 24th, 2019
Posted September 4th, 2018
50,214 posts
12.2 Years
I found it very interesting Hoenn was the only region that truly gave the protagonist a father, and to make said father a Gym Leader as well was definitely something unique. Norman is also very tough as well, which I guess is why his Gym Battle is so epic.
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Pave Low

Male
London
Seen 6 Days Ago
Posted December 15th, 2022
3,326 posts
14.8 Years
I think it was a very nice touch. The fact that Norman is a gym leader makes it a far more interesting 5th gym battle, especially since he was actually a tough leader. It's nice to see someone related to your character play a part in your journey, especially at a stage where not too much is going on.