This Pokemon Clone Is Brutally Raising The Stakes

"Pokémon" stands as one of the most popular monster taming franchises, but it's not the only one. Big names like "Digimon" and "Yokai Watch" also entertain sizable audiences. Even indie games like "Disc Creatures" have launched with some degree of success. Freedom Games, an indie publisher and first-time E3 presenter, has recently showed off TRAGsoft's "Coromon" at this year's E3 conference as its own contender in the genre.

"Coromon," a JRPG-inspired monster-collecting game, resembles old-school Pokémon games with colorful pixel art and unique monster designs. However, it also incorporates modern features implemented in newer games. Difficulty levels are only one of the features promoted on the game's website. According to TheGamer, that includes a "Nuzlocke" option for trainers who want to raise the stakes of their monster-collecting adventure.

The Nuzlocke Challenge was created to increase difficulty with self-imposed restrictions in "Pokémon" games, giving fans a whole new way to play "Pokemon." The original "Pokemon" games essentially offer limitless chances to retry battles, even after healing and fainting companions over many battles. This challenge take that safety net away with the condition that Pokémon "die" if their HP reaches 0. Pokémon are then considered permadead and can't be used for the remainder of the run. 

Players have taken on different variations of the challenge, such as Nuzlocke runs that involve nicknaming Pokémon to intensify bonds. The two base rules include the permadeath condition and players only being able to catch the first Pokémon that they meet in each area of the game.

"Pokémon" games don't actually enforce Nuzlockes (players have to do it themselves), so being able to select brutal optional feature is truly unique to "Coromon." The Nuzlocke option isn't the only thing that stands out about this "Pokémon clone," either. Trainer and stat customization, two newer trends that "Pokémon" fans didn't get until games went 3D, are offered right away in this 2D game. "Coromon" layers still get to personalize their avatars.

Like "Pokémon," "Coromon" revolves around the same concept of collecting monsters and pitting them against each other in turn-based battles. Over 120 Coromon will be available for players to collect for battling against bosses and progressing through the game's story.

According to the "Coromon" trailer, the title will be released on PC and Nintendo Switch. The official website goes into further detail, adding that Windows and Mac will support the game, as will iOS and Android mobile devices.