In 2011, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company released a free app for the Nintendo 3DS, titled Pokédex 3D.
This app was exactly what the name implies—a Pokédex containing
detailed information on Pokémon, including stats, move sets and more,
along with gorgeous 3D models. The catch was that Pokédex 3D only included information on the Unova Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Black/White.
Pokédex 3D Pro is an updated version of Pokédex 3D,
and is no longer free—it costs $15. However, it contains almost
everything you want to know about every Pokémon, right from the first
generation to the latest, at a glance. (Barring some recent legendaries
like Meloetta and Genesect, who need to be unlocked.)
Everything
from gorgeous 3D Pokémon models to information such as its stat
ranking, Pokédex entry, abilities, type strengths and weaknesses,
evolutions, and—of course—attack lists. Pokémon are searchable by
various criteria such egg group, ability, regions, and type. You can
also “Move-hop” by looking up a move a Pokémon can use, and then seeing
what other Pokémon can use that same move.
The original Pokédex 3D had these features, too, but there are a few other major differences on top of the fact that Pro has expanded the Pokédex to all five regions (and the fact that all of the Pokémon are unlocked from the get-go).
The
greatest change is that now, you can compare the many different Pokémon
listed in the Pokédex with your AR Viewer. Using QR codes on my laptop
screen (see above screenshot), I could compare and rank Pokémon by stat
(Who has the highest Attack? Speed?), and by height and weight. I could
also easily check how a Pokémon would fare against one attack type (for
example, choosing “Dark” while looking at a Musharna would cause the
words “Super Effective” to pop up).
Of course, you can
also take photographs of the Pokémon using the AR Viewer. The Pokémon
can perform actions and be paused just like in their original Pokédex 3D entries, which you can also view with the press of a button. Every Pokémon in Pokédex 3D Pro
still performs one action, but now you can pause them in the middle if
you just want to admire them. (This is the same option that was included
in last year’s Pokédex 3D update patch.)
Another
addition is that of quizzes. Called “Pokémon Challenges,” these test
your knowledge of Pokémon. At first, they start fairly easy—a couple
show a Pokémon on the top screen and you have to choose their name, and a
few are the nostalgic “Who’s that Pokémon?”-type silhouette guessing
games.
As you unlock more quizzes by answering more
questions correct, though, some of the themes start getting more
esoteric and tricky. One quiz covers up most of the Pokémon and you can
only view a part of the Pokémon at a time.
Another has you
identify Pokémon by evolutions, and yet another asks you to identify
the different forms of a Pokémon. Not all of the questions are about
identification either—some ask you to compare which is taller or
heavier.
