Pokemon X - Beat. Levels around 57-59 at the very end (a level lower before starting the E4), that's largely with one party and no Exp Share and is about what the game feels balanced for. I didn't have too much trouble with the E4.. or even the final boss really until that final pokemon which was nasty. Four special moves off 165 SpA and 100 speed (overlevelled as hell so the actual stats might as well be 15-20 higher than this), ouch. Ended up beating it by having Delphox Calm Mind up against Tyrantrum with Feather Dance and Leech Seed applies first for defensive support, then sweeping the remaining pokemon away with its ridiculous speed.
Team notes! If I don't note an item they probably just had a +20% damage boost on their best move or something.
Delphox - Flamethrower, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Shadow Ball/Grass Knot
Certainly the strongest fire starter I have ever used, but since I've not used Infernape this... doesn't really say much! Anyway it has a bit more speed/SA than the standard charphlosion stat build, but more importantly it has a way better skillset... plenty of special moves, a second STAB (which I used to hit both defences, though Psychic is more damage at base), and Calm Mind. Fire gaining another resistance this gen also helped, and the huge number of enemy fighting types in this game help the value of psychic. Did have a notable midgame lull where it was stuck with non-STAB Psybeam as its best move in the late 20's. The high level curve of this game means that "becomes awesome at Level 34" isn't so damning, though.
Venusaur @ Venusaurite - Petal Dance, Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Sleep Powder
I don't think this needs much explanation, Venusaur is OP. Sleep Powder and Leech Seed off average speed and good durability can cripple most things you need crippled, Petal Dance is really great now and gained early (Level 32!)... 120 power move with only a relatively minor drawback since you can switch out to avoid the confusion. Poison helps against fairies and lets it beat up other grasses which it would otherwise fail against. Oh yeah and a Mega Evolution which cancels two of its weaknesses and makes it bulky as hell. Probably the overall MVP?
Starmie @ Leftovers - Surf, Ice Beam(/Psychic/Thunderbolt), Confuse Ray, Recover
Nothing new here, Starmie does everything and does it well. Its special coverage is better than ever with the addition of Dazzling Gleam, and if this game had Choice Specs I would probably just have run it as a pure destroyer with dual STABs and Boltbeam. That said I like the fast, reasonably durable, confuse/heal build too much, easily beats most pokemon who can't do huge damage to it. Ice Beam ended up the move of choice because I had so little answer for dragons otherwise. Probably the most valuable pokemon I had against three of the E4 (dragon, fire, and water, though the last is debatable), otherwise was just generically good.
Hawlucha - High Jump Kick, Fly, Feather Dance, Roost
Like Starmie it has a great skillset which I struggled to decide what to do with... Swords Dance, X Scissor, Poison Jab, to say a few. I settled on having it do double duty of claiming swift OHKOs with its dual STABs and acting as a fast annoyer with Feather Dance and Roost. It's a bit fragile but with that skillset and that speed I have nothing to complain about. Obviously really great midgame due to being a final evo before gym 3 (with Roost at base and 80 power STAB by level 28).
Krookodile - Earthquake, Crunch, Low Sweep, Strength
My second physical fighter and obviously the inferior one though still pretty good. Intimidate's always nice, Low Sweep was mostly for some type coverage but hey sometimes speed lowering is cool, otherwise it just rocks its STABs off above average speed and high attack. Durability was a bit problematic although it did pull past Hawlucha late (although it felt worse because it wasn't as fast and thus got hit more), although the first two forms in particular felt quite fragile. Might be the LVP, I dunno, but hey, it had two attacking STABs and you can never go too wrong with that + over 200 Attack/speed sum.
Haunter @ Eviolite - Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Thunderbolt, Dazzling Gleam
Hey Eviolite gave me an excuse to use Haunter, whose design I dig, instead of Gengar, whose design I do not dig. Also, mine had crazy had SA so it actually felt like a more durable Gengar who only was lacking speed! Unfortunately lacking Gengar's speed is bad, since "more durability than Gengar" still sucks, and my attempts to give it utility didn't work too well and I ultimately decided having more type coverage would be more useful. Still, three immunities and two R4s gave it plenty to work against. Obviously not one of team leaders but it played its role well enough.
I used Sigilyph until reasonably late when I decided that I probably didn't need a third psychic, or a third healer. I used Lapras until I got Starmie which fanboyism would make an easy switchover even if the far greater speed and Recover didn't.
Anyway this game was a lot of fun, very good chance it's the best Pokemon game. I really love that the game decided to dewussify the non-boss sections of the game. Any given trainer needs to be taken at least moderately seriously, even randoms are decently legit. Victory Road has generally been my favourite parts of Pokemon games, XY was, from somewhere around the second gym on, kinda like all Victory Road, all the time. Also a whole host of minor improvements: saving is fast! Animations are pretty great! Catching things doesn't randomly deprive you of Exp! High pokemon availability! In a vacuum none of them are that big a deal but it adds up; this is a sleeker experience than past games for sure. There are still some improvements that I would like to see of course, but generally I was impressed by this. The plot was stupid when it existed (not often) but whatever you don't play the games for this.
One of the best games I've played this year though I haven't played any games that have really blown me away this year. (Same way I feel about Dual Destinies.)
VVVVVV - So this is one of those games I'm not sure why it took me so long to play, generally heard good things about it and they are generally right. Anyway apparently while I wasn't looking it came out for the 3DS, so yeah, sold. Anyway very fun little platformer. Rather limited in that there tends to be only one way to do any given thing, so it'll be replay-value light, and it's also kinda short? But it's still a lot of fun for what it is, I love gravity physics so much. It is a whole game of Gravity Man's stage in MM5 or those fun 2D gravity sections in a few Mario Galaxy levels, you had to know I was going to hype that. Anyway I haven't gotten around to the extra created stages the game comes with, hopefully those are good since what I'm currently counting on to extend my playtime.
Got 19/20 trinkets. 20th was a matter of FAQing where it was; I will get that later. I got the three which are difficult to do by technical means (edge games, prize for the reckless, doing things the hard way) though there was some hair-pulling involved of course.
