Press Start: Top Fifteen Ratchet and Clank Weapons

Note: All pictures in this post are from the Ratchet and Clank wiki.

In case it wasn’t obvious already, I love Ratchet and Clank. I love its personality, I love its creativity, but best of all, I love its gameplay. The games gives you plenty of tools to destroy your enemies and save the universe. The weapons of Ratchet and Clank are some of the craziest conceived in gaming, and many are tons of fun to use. So as a tribute to my favorite video game franchise, I’ll be listing my fifteen favorite weapons from the series. I’ll be ranking them based on their utility, their creativity, how fun they are to use, and how they fare in battle. Only two rules: only weapons from games I’ve played, and no RYNO or RYNO-like weapons (otherwise this list would be nothing but RYNO weapons). Let’s get started!

#15- Shield Charger

Even if you’re a veteran Ratchet and Clank player, you’ll eventually get hit by an enemy attack. It’s unavoidable. Fortunately, several games include a weapon that can produce shields. My favorite would have to be the Shield Charger from Going Commando. It creates an energy barrier around Ratchet that absorbs incoming fire. It’s a great safety net, especially if you’re going into a heavy firefight. The main problem with the Shield Charger is that while it does have an offensive component (the barrier can damage enemies if they come into physical contact with it), it’s negligible for most foes, and it's the only way to level up the weapon. Still, the sheer utility of the Shield Charger makes it one of the best weapons in the series.

#14- Netherbeast

Into the Nexus may be the shortest console Ratchet and Clank game, but it had one hell of an arsenal. Nearly every weapon was viable to some degree, and most were very fun to use. One of my favorite weapons from the game was the Netherbeast, a glove weapon that allows you to use a tamed Nether (an interdimensional monster) to pulverize enemies. Each time Rachet punches, the Nether cuts a destructive swath through the enemies in front of you. The Netherbeast is a very fun weapon to use, and has a great premise, but it’s lacks the utility some of the other weapons on this has. Still, can’t go wrong with a scary interdimensional attack dog, now can you?

#13- Scorpion Flail

Deadlocked is a different than most Ratchet and Clank games in the sense that it's much more action oriented than its kin. Firefights are more frequent and intense, and the overall feeling of the game is much faster in comparison to other games in the series. So you’d think a weapon that anchors you in place when you fire it would be terrible, but instead it’s the best weapon in the game. The Scorpion Flail is a melee weapon that creates a massive shockwave when it makes contact with the ground. It is one of the most destructive weapons in the game, especially with the shock modification equipped that zaps any nearby enemy. In terms of raw destructive power, few weapons come close to the Scorpion Flail. If it wasn’t for the fact that it's a melee weapon in a game with tons of hectic firefights, it would be much higher on the list.

#12- Nether Blades

Disk blade weapons in Ratchet and Clank are similar to blaster weapons in the sense that they have high ammo capacity and good range, but do low damage. However, the disks fired from these weapons can ricochet off of enemies and hit other enemies on the rebound, making them ideal for clearing out dense packs of enemies. The Nether Blades exemplifies this the best, as it can clear through enemy groups better than any weapon from Into the Nexus. It can even be upgraded so that every blade will split in two on contact. The Nether Blades also have a cool design that complements the rest of the game very well. This weapon is very versatile thanks to its ricocheting blades and long range, and is the crowd clearer for Into the Nexus.

#11- Spiral of Death

I present to you the most kickass boomerang-like weapon in existence. Originating from A Crack in Time, the Spiral of Death is one of four weapons Ratchet can win in the Argorian Battleplex. The Spiral of Death fires an energy-charged buzzsaw that slashes enemies before returning to Ratchet. Mobility is key to wielding this weapon, as strafing while firing the weapon allows the player to steer the buzzsaw. The weapon is fairly powerful in its own right, but the sheer fun factor and concept of the weapon makes it’s turns an otherwise good weapon into a great one. In terms of heavy firepower, the Negotiator is better, but in terms of fun, the Spiral of Death beats it by a mile.

#10- Constructo Shotgun

A Crack in Time has several mechanics that made it stand out from the other entries in the series, one of which was the three Constructo weapons. These weapons could be customized by collecting upgrade kits scattered throughout the game. The Constructo Shotgun was my favorite, as the versatility this weapon possesses is phenomenal. Normally, I dislike the shotgun weapons in Ratchet and Clank for peaking too early, but in the Constructo Shotgun’s case, it remains invaluable throughout the game thanks for its high degree of customizability. Whether you want a heavy duty mid-range weapon or a crowd clearer, the Constructo Shotgun has you covered.

#9- Mag-Net Launcher

While Ratchet and Clank has several weapon types it uses in most installment: flamethrowers, rocket launchers, grenades, and so on. But every game has a handful of unique weapons that really stand out. The Mag-Net Launcher fires an electrical net that traps and electrocutes the enemy. The Mag-Net may not be the the most powerful weapon in either Tools of Destruction or A Crack in Time, but it serves some very useful purposes. You can use the Mag-Net to immobilize an enemy and concentrate fire on another enemy, or you can stun them long enough to finish them off with a heavier weapon. The Mag-Net Launcher is a great strategic weapon in an arsenal filled with straightforward “point and shoot” weapons.

#8- Tesla Claw

Weapons that utilize electricity in the Ratchet and Clank are pretty common, but the first one is the very best. From the original comes the Tesla Claw, a weapon that fires a stream of electricity that automatically seeks out enemies. Once it’s done with one enemy, it moves on to the next one. This makes the Tesla Claw an ideal crowd clearer, and a great all-around mid range weapon. It may be the second most expensive weapon in the whole game after the RYNO, but it’s worth every bolt. Without it, the fight with Drek becomes astronomically harder. The Tesla Claw is a truly great weapon, and comes in handy in nearly every situation.

#7- Mr. Zurkon

Sometimes in a firefight, you need a little extra supporting fire. And while the Miniturret Glove is a fantastic weapon, I prefer Mr. Zurkon. This hovering robot provides covering fire on other enemies while you can focus on other ones. Or better yet, he could provide extra fire while fighting a single big enemy. But the greatest part about Mr. Zurkon is his catalog of hilarious quotes, including:

• "Ha ha! Mr. Zurkon requires no nanotech to survive. Mr. Zurkon lives on fear!"
• "Mr Zurkon does not believe in shoot first, ask questions later. Asking questions is stupid."
• "Mr. Zurkon will read your fortune. Your fortune reads "death by Mr. Zurkon"."
• "Mr. Zurkon does not discriminate. Mr. Zurkon hates all life forms equally."

Mr. Zurkon is a weapon with a personality, and provides great covering fire. This combination makes for a welcome addition to Ratchet’s arsenal.

#6- Visibomb Gun

Want a weapon that allows you to steer your missiles? The original has you covered. The Visibomb Gun fires rockets that allows you to direct them as they fly. Not only does this weapon have the best range of any weapon in the original, but it also has the highest damage output per rocket in the game. This means that one Visibomb missile can destroy tanks, hoverships, and just about any heavy enemy in the game. Not only is the Visibomb Gun very powerful, it's very fun to use. For a long time, it was a my favorite weapon from the original until a recent playthrough. Still, it’s power and fun factor lands it just shy of the top 5.

#5- Plasma Striker

Sniping weapons in the Ratchet and Clank series are always some of my favorites, since they come with great range, high firepower, and cool designs. The best sniping weapon in the series is the crossbow styled Plasma Striker. Not only does it provide amazing range and sniping capabilities, but it also rewards you for being a good sniper. The Plasma Striker’s scope displays weak points of enemies, and if you hit them, you do far more damage. Combine this with an upgrade that slows down time as you aim, and you have the best sniping weapon in all of Ratchet and Clank.

#4- Winterizer

Each Ratchet and Clank game has a morphing weapon; a weapon that turns the enemy into something ridiculous. The original had one that turned enemies into chickens, Going Commando had one that turned enemies into sheep, and Into the Nexus has my favorite: a weapon that turns enemies into snowmen. All while playing Jingle Bells. Not only is the Winterizer a hilarious weapon, it's an effective one. It can be upgraded to have a crazy range, and its damage output is pretty impressive. Not to mention it can slow down enemies as they’re taking damage. The Winterizer is the best morpher in the entire series, and it’s an amazing mix of fun and utility.

#3- Devastator

Rocket launchers in the Ratchet and Clank don’t offer a lot of variety, since most function the same. However, the best rocket launcher turns out to be one of the best weapons in the entire series. From the original comes the Devastator, a rocket launcher with tracking capabilities. Combining that with ridiculously long range and impressive damage output, the Devastator is one of the most useful weapons in the series. Seriously, you can practically snipe with this weapon. It’s ludicrously awesome. In terms of pure utility, no rocket launcher beats the OG.

#2- Bouncer

Want a weapon that’s fun and practical at the same time? The Bouncer is the second best example of this. The Bouncer fires a large bomb that, after it explodes, releases a small swarm of bouncing bomblets. The bomblets also have homing capabilities, causing them to bounce towards nearby enemies. This is hands down the best crowd-clearer in the franchise, as the bomblets can clear packs of enemies faster than anything in your arsenal. It also chews up heavy enemies, as all the bomblets can hone in on a single target. This makes it one of the most effective weapons in the franchise, and watching the chaos caused by the bomblets is very satisfying. If it wasn’t for the next weapon on this list, it would easily be my favorite.

#1- Rift Inducer

This weapon is the epitome of “fun but functional”. The Rift Inducer from Up Your Arsenal literally fires small black holes that suck your enemies into an unknown dimension. This weapon may not be able to exist in real life (the black hole would destroy the planet you’re fighting on), but it's fun as all hell to use. Watching waves of enemies being sucked into a void is very satisfying, and sometimes even hilarious. It also helps that it can clear out clusters of enemies when the black hole is fired into the crowd. Combining a ridiculously awesome premise with functionality and fun factor, the Rift Inducer is the best weapon Ratchet and Clank has to offer.

Liberal Rant: The Government We Deserve

I’m just as surprised as anyone that Donald Trump is doing as well as he is doing. It’s baffling; despite who he is, what he does, and what he says, he consistently places first in primary polls everywhere. Often by double digits, no less. It may be because I’m a business hating liberal, but no one should be looking at Trump and think, “yeah, that guy should be the most powerful man in the free world.” And yet millions of Americans are.

But this isn’t another editorial about how Trump is a terrible candidate, because honestly, all slavoes against Trump make him stronger. Actually, I’d like to open by talking about the Republican consistently placing second in these polls: Ben Carson.

Ben Carson shares a lot of positions with your typical modern Republican, and on paper he seems like a good choice for the Republican nominee. Then he opens his mouth. He got some weird looks for saying that the Affordable Care Act was the worst thing since slavery. He’s gotten a lot of flak recently for saying that a Muslim should never be president because of Sharia Law. He even went as far as to cite prison rape as indisputable evidence that being gay is a choice. Carson may speak softer than Trump, but he carries a much wackier stick.

But the worst part about Carson is the support he enjoys. That comment about Muslims he made? That got him the admiration of many on the right. When people got justifiably angry about his remark, they jumped to his defense saying that the rest of America is just too politically correct. Hell, his campaign is now raising more money than ever since his remarks. Just how Trump’s popularity baffles me, it also baffles me that a blatant discriminatory remark would earn admiration.

Carson is of course getting flak for what he said, but the fact that he’s winning supporters due to this should not be the case. Yet he’s constantly second in polls across the nation.

This is what our political landscape has become; where people clearly not fit for governance are met with roaring cheers from a significant part of the populous, and where anyone actually fit is shoved to the side, or worse, is jeered into submission. And we deserve it.

The state of the Republican primary, the state of our government, and the state of our political landscape has been pinned on many things. But one thing that must be accepted is that voters brought it on themselves. At the end of the day, it was their choice to put these destructive, polarizing politicians into office. It was they who voted for men and women who proudly ran on a platform of not compromising and tearing down the government. They were chosen precisely because they had no experience, as if that was an admirable quality. People have no right to be shocked or angry about how our officials are tearing apart the government.

It’s easy to blame something else. Many people blame the disproportionate (and admittedly unfair) influence the wealthy that has been exacerbated by Citizen’s United. And it's true that their money has bought a good deal of airwaves, allowing them to control the message. It’s also true that their money help shape legislative agendas through campaign contributions and lobbying. But at the end of the day, the wealthy cannot buy a person’s vote. People, at the end of the day, are still in charge of who gets into office. They have no one to blame but themselves.

I am not saying that voting conservative is the same as voting for this government to continue its downward slide. The government can still do great things when placed into the hands of moderate conservatives. But many of the conservatives that we elect or pay attention to are not those. Many are those that despise government and are content with shutting down everything without offering an alternative. Yet we chose to elect those people, and our government, and our nation as a whole, is worse off for it.

We vote for these people because we allow ourselves to be easily swayed. We allow ourselves to be caught by meaningless slogans, flag waving, and Constitution thumping, that we are willing to overlook the fact that these people will destroy the very institution we’re sending them to. We don’t look at what they’re saying, and we don’t stop to consider the consequences of choosing an inexperienced, uncompromising politician to run our nation. We allow ourselves to fall for backwards logic that expertise and experience are things to be shunned. As such, this is the government we brought on ourselves.

But all's not lost. We get the government we deserve, and if we educate ourselves, we can again have a government worth believing in. We must be more cynical; take every slogan or reference to our Constitution with a grain of salt. We must prize an ethic to work, not an ethic to destroy. We must toute a willingness to compromise, not willful uncooperation. Cynicism and better judgement are the key to a better government.

Voter may have brought Trump, Carson, and our dysfunctional government on themselves. But regardless of what the wealthy or politicians do or say, they cannot take away our ability to make an informed decision. We may get the government we deserve, but that can work in our favor with a healthy dose of cynicism and self discipline.

Mechanime: Brave Express Might Gaine

As a wise man once said: "I like trains."

Original Run: 1993-1994

Number of Episodes: 47

Average Episode Length: 21 minutes

Subgenres: Shounen

Dub?: No

I would like to thank the Planetary Defense Subtitling Group for subbing Might Gaine. I couldn’t have done this review without their sub.

Usually I choose what I review at random. However, I chose to to watch Might Gaine out of curiousity, thanks to how much I like J-Decker, and partially thanks to the show’s gimmick of trains. Unfortunately, the best thing Might Gaine did for me is further my appreciation for J-Decker. As per usual, this is a review of the first 13 episodes, but unlike Eureka Seven or J-Decker, there won’t be a follow-up with this.

Opening

Note: I could not find a good MP3 of the opening. Might Gaine's OP should be on YouTube. Check it out if you're curious enough.

Given that the Brave series has 8 openings to its name, it would make sense that some openings are better than others. Might Gaine’s opening, called “Arashi no Hero (meaning Hero of Storms),” sadly, is one of the lesser ones. The song is perhaps the cheesiest, most 90s-ist thing I’ve ever heard, but instead of being a glorious guilty pleasure, it just ends up being average. It didn't impress me, but at the same time, I didn’t find it to be offensively bad. In terms of opening themes for the Brave series, this is probably right in the middle.

Story

Nouville Tokyo is the setting of the anime.

Might Gaine takes place in the near future, fifty years after the disappearance of oil. Society has since been able to rebuild itself since then thanks to advancements in electrical energy and robotics. Still the world is a very dangerous place, with criminals and evil masterminds having access to dangerous new technologies. Luckily for the citizens of Nouville Tokyo, a new hero has appeared on the scene. His name is Maito Senpuuji, a teenage boy who has recently acquired his late father’s company. Together with robots equipped with sentient AI, he vows to rid his home of Nouville Tokyo of all crime.

I will say that the story of Might Gaine has an interesting setup. But despite how interesting the concept of a world without oil is, the story of Might Gaine seems to use it solely to explain why the robots are trains, as electric trains are the only viable mode of public transport left. The story also has a big problem with tone; it repeatedly hints at how dangerous the world has become since oil’s disappearance, yet the actual tone of the show is very lighthearted and silly. The story as a whole feels very generic, as most episodes boil down to a criminal starting trouble, and Maito and his robots show up to save the day. The story has potential, but sadly it never gets past the standard shounen plot.

Characters

The main villains of the series. From left to right: Shogun Mifune, Don Hoikowloh, Joe Rival, Catherine, and Wolfgang.

Sit down, I have quite a bit to say about the characters. Let’s start as we usually do; an objective look at both the heroic and villainous sides. Our heroes include Maito, the main protagonist of the story, Izumi, the main secretary of the Senpuuji Corporation, Aoki, Maito’s butler and resident Alfred stand-in, Hamada, Maito’s best friend and head engineer, and Sally, Maito’s love interest. On the villainous side, we have Wolfgang, a mad scientist obsessed with the creating “the world’s strongest machine,” Hoikowloh, a Chinese mob boss who sells his robots to the highest bidder, Shogun Mifune, a terrorist who wishes to destroy technology, Catherine, a world class jewel thief, and Joe Rival, a former fighter pilot who only wishes to find and defeat the perfect opponent.

Maito and the three main robots. From left to right: Guard Diver, Might Gaine, and Tribomber.

On the robot side, we have Gaine, Maito’s partner that helps form the titular robot of the series. Supporting him are the Bombers, a group of three robots that have both a vehicle form and a animal form. They are Lio Bomber, Bird Bomber, and Dino Bomber. The other support team are the Divers, a group of robots built for rescue purposes; the group includes Fire Diver (a fire engine), Police Diver (a police chaser), Jet Diver (a fighter jet), and Drill Diver (a drill tank). The Bombers can combine to form the powerful Tribomber, and the Divers can unite to form Guard Diver.

Before I get started on judging the cast, I want to point out that this show has a character named Joe Rival. That’s not a nickname, that’s his actual name. That is so dumb it wraps around and becomes awesome.

After the solid cast of J-Decker, this cast came as an unpleasant surprise. The biggest offender is Maito, who is a blatant Marty Stu (a implausible perfect character who is beloved by everyone). He’s rich, good looking, athletic, and no one calls him out on shirking his responsibilities as a company president. And it’s not like his allies are any better; all of them are derivative, forgettable, and bland. The villains fair slightly better, as they have gimmicks to compensate for their one-note personalities. I appreciated how they stuck to five big bad guys as opposed to creating a new villain every week. The villains aren’t actually strong though; they’re only interesting in comparison to the lackluster cast of heroes.

This line contains the whole personality of Gaine. I'm serious.

What they did with the robots, however, is just downright sad. Unlike J-Decker, were each robot had a defined personality, strengths, and weaknesses, the robots in Might Gaine are all practically interchangeable. Gaine has barely a personality to speak of, and each support team has only one trait to share between them. They are boring as all hell, which is a huge disappointment. The robots are central part of any robot show, and when you can get invested or even get interested in any of the robots, they show fails. The entire cast of Might Gaine may be a pack of forgettable cutouts, but for the robots to have so little personality made an otherwise dull cast into a poor cast.

Writing

This is an actual line. And it's played completely straight. I know this is a kid's show, but come on...

The writing in this show is just as bad as the cast. The dialogue is derivative and flat, and the humor is even more so. The characterization is terrible all across the board, with boring characters and even more boring robots. This is a huge shame, as good writing is one of the things that could have saved this show. Instead, we get paint-by-numbers cast members, predictable plots, a half baked world, and robots just as deep as the toys they were meant to sell.

Animation

Gaine's transformation sequence.

There are some good things about Might Gaine. Perhaps the best thing about this show is the animation. The animation is smooth and there are few hiccups. It’s more low budget than J-Decker, as it has some much more noticeable shortcuts, feels and looks less polished overall, and it’s much more willing to recycle its animation. For instance, all the gattai sequences are recycled, which is fine, given how well animated they are. However, Might Gaine’s gattai sequence is more than a minute long, and for all of the first 13 episodes, it insisted on playing out in its entirety. Also, Might Gaine uses the same finisher in every fight, meaning another minute of beautiful but nevertheless recycle animation. This show isn’t as bad as Golion when it comes to recycling it's animation, but it's still annoying that nearly a tenth of every episode is stock footage.

Mecha and Fight Scenes

Might Gain's finisher involves a vertical cut that splits the enemy in two. It's always the best part of an episode.

Despite being bland, the robots of Might Gaine are well designed. Like in J-Decker, the base robots are the right mixture of simplicity and detail; not terribly complex, but having enough visual appeal to avoid being boring to look at. The combined robots look really good too, but are more complex and cooler looking than J-Decker’s giant robots. It also helps that this show really goes above and beyond with the whole train concept. The main robot can transform into a train, and can combine with a bigger train to make the titular giant robot. A team of three triple changers, all of which have trains as their vehicle forms, can take the form of a larger train by default. A team of four robots can meld together to form their own giant train. That’s a lot of trains.

Tribomber engaging in a fierce slideshow battle with the Robot of the Week.

But like J-Decker, the fight scenes in Might Gaine range from “nothing special” to “uneventful and boring.” The fights often don’t have a lot going on, and often devolve into a slideshow rather than an animated fight. In most fights, you’ll be lucky to see any remotely interesting  before Might Gaine’s finisher, and while the finisher itself is awesome, it gets old after the third time you see it. Honestly, I would have forgiven this anime for most of its shortcomings if it had good fights. New Getter Robo is a case of that. But the lame fight scenes turned out just to be another problem on Might Gaine’s long list of flaws.

Conclusion

Might Gaine has a lot of potential to make a great anime, but it squanders a lot of it. While it does have good animation and cool looking robots, it's largely a derivative, paint-by-numbers mecha show that does little to differentiate itself from its peers. Unlike J-Decker, this does feel like a 21 minute weekly toy commercial. I can’t recommend this unless you’re dying to see all the Brave shows; otherwise, don’t even bother with this one.

5.5/10 - Mediocre

Press Start Double List: Top 5 Favorite Gym Leaders/Top 5 Least Favorite Gym Leaders

Pokemon is a franchise that has earned my respect. The series is a simple one, but under its cutesy surface is a deep and entertaining RPG that has kept my attention for years. The games are home to some great monsters, great characters, and great boss fights. One constant in every main series Pokemon game are the Gym Leaders, a group of eight powerful trainers that test how far you’ve come as a player. And like how the series can have its ups and its downs, the Gym Leaders range from being great to being terrible. This list is dedicated to my favorite and least favorite of all 58 Gym Leaders. I’ll be judging them on their gym, their character, and most importantly, their fight. Let’s get started.

#5 Favorite: Clay

Game: Black and White, Black 2 and White 2

City or Residence: Driftveil

Type: Ground

Note: I have not played Black 2 or White 2, so this segment will judge Clay on his original appearence.

Given that Unova is based on America, it shouldn’t surprise you that one of the Gym Leaders is a cowboy. However, there’s more to Clay’s character than wearing a cool hat and speaking in a southern drawl. He’s a self-made man who started with nothing and worked himself up to be not only a successful miner, but also the fifth Gym Leader in Unova. His gym is my personal favorite of Black and White, being one giant mine shaft. Players must operate elevators in order to get to Clay, who resides at the very bottom of the Gym. I really like how the Gym’s bottom floor is not only noticeably darker that upper levels, but is also filled with gems, which really sells the whole mine concept.

But despite the fun puzzle of his gym and his character, Clay’s fight isn’t terribly challenging. Like most Gym Leaders in Unova, he only has three Pokemon, which means this fight is likely to be a short one. His Krokorok and Palpitoad should go down without a hitch, especially if you have a decent Grass type. While his Excadrill offers some challenge, it’s no match for a good fighting type. But despite the mediocre fight against him, Clay manages to be one of my favorites because of his Gym and personality. This is a personal choice more than anything, but it’s a choice I support wholeheartedly.

#5 Least Favorite- Falkner and Chuck

Game: Gold and Silver, Crystal, Heart Gold and Soul Silver

Cities of Residence: Violet City and Cianwood City

Types: Flying and Fighting

Gen 2 of Pokemon is my least favorite generation. It has an uninteresting region, a lackluster selection of Pokemon, poor characters, and underwhelming boss fights. The games are an unfortunate mix of boring, grindy, and (occasionally) frustrating. Naturally, I find a lot of Johto’s Gym Leaders to be underwhelming. This spot is a tie between the worst Johto had to offer: Falkner and Chuck.

Both Falkner and Chuck share the same set of problems. Both are poorly developed, with Falkner barely having a personality and Chuck being a shallow “passionate fighter” archetype. Both have underwhelming gyms: Falkner’s is essentially a straight path to him that offers little challenge, and Chuck having either a boulder puzzle (the originals) or a switch challenge (the remakes) that are not hard to solve in the slightest. These could be forgiven if the fights were any good, but they aren’t. Both have a team of only two Pokemon, and both teams can be crushed if you have a Electric type (in Falkner’s case) or a Psychic type (in Chuck’s case). They barely pose a challenge, which is a theme that you’ll see often in this list.

#4 Favorite- Misty

Game: Red and Blue, Yellow,  Fire Red and Leaf Green, Gold and Silver, Crystal, Heart Gold and Soul Silver

City of Residence: Cerulean City

Type: Water

No, this isn’t because of her anime role, though I will say Misty is more entertaining than any of Ash’s other female companions (hey, having an actual personality helps). The reason Misty is on this list is because she serves as Red and Blue’s wake-up call. Brock is pretty much a pushover even if you chose a Charmander, and Mount Moon may be long, but it’s more annoying than challenging. However, Cerulean’s resident Gym Leader is there to show you that you can’t just breeze through the game.

In terms of gym design or character, Misty doesn’t have much going for her. There’s no real puzzle to speak of, and list most Gen 1 gym leaders, she doesn’t have much character to speak of. However, the fight more than makes up for it. True, she only has two Pokemon, and her Staryu isn’t terribly tough, but her Starmie is what makes this fight worth remembering. Her Starmie can tank Thunder Shocks and Razor Leafs like they were nothing, and can deal tons of damage too. This means that if you walk into the fight without a backup plan, you will get wrecked. Misty is the first actual challenge in Red and Blue, and while there are better Gym Leaders in the same game, Misty gets a spot for letting the player know that the game is not always a cakewalk.

#4 Least Favorite: Liza and Tate

Game: Ruby and Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

City of Residence: Mossdeep

Type: Psychic

Ruby and Sapphire may be my favorite Pokemon game, but I still know a bad Gym Leader when I see one. Or in this case, bad Gym Leaders.

This fight has a lot going for it. The gym has a cool sliding tile puzzle in Ruby and Sapphire, and while it was replaced by a much easier puzzle in the remake, the spectacle made up for it. The twins are pretty interesting, being able to (allegedly) communicate telepathically. This battle also stands out as being the only gym battle that is a double battle, which is really cool, especially when you consider Ruby and Sapphire introduced the mechanic.

However, the battle has one major pitfall: it’s way too easy. Tate and Liza only have one Pokemon each, which means that the battle could last less than a couple minutes if you bring a capable Ghost type. Also, their Pokemon choices are lackluster. They have a Solrock and a Lunatone, and while they make a decent team, there are far better Psychic types in the game. In a game with Gardevoir, Alakazam, Metagross, and other powerful Psychic types, they went with two mediocre Pokemon that can be easily dispatched. If these two had more and better Pokemon, this would be one of the best fights in the game, but instead they end up being pushovers. Talk about wasted potential.

#3 Favorite: Sabrina and Blaine

Game: Red and Blue, Yellow, Fire Red and Leaf Green, Gold and Silver, Crystal, Heart Gold and Soul Silver

Cities of Residence: Saffron City and Cinnabar Island

Types: Psychic and Fire

I may not have the same nostalgic attachment many others have with Red and Blue, but I can easily say that they have some the best fights in the series. The Gym Leaders (discounting Brock) can be very challenging, even if you have a good counter for their teams. Two Gym Leaders that exemplify this the best are Sabrina and Blaine.

Unlike Misty, both Sabrina and Blaine have well established characters that really add to their status as Gym Leaders. Sabrina is a Psychic master who can communicate with her Pokemon telepathically, and it is established that she feels very passionate towards them, only fighting when she absolutely has to. Blaine is a bright old man who devotes a great deal of time towards Pokemon research, and is always eager to test the knowledge of younger challengers. In addition, both gyms have great puzzles: Sabrina has the very first teleporter puzzle in Pokemon history, and Blaine’s gym has you answering increasing difficult quiz questions as you get closer to Blaine.

Where these two really shine are their fights. Both Sabrina and Blaine pack a team of four powerful Pokemon, each with several powerful moves. While Blaine prefers to overpower his opponents with Fire Blasts and Fire Spins, Sabrina takes a more strategic method, with Pokemon knowing moves like Calm Mind and Baton Pass. Either way, you’re in for a tough fight thanks to how both have powerful Pokemon in their own right. Both Blaine and Sabrina are great mixes of good characters, good gyms, and great fights.

#3 Least Favorite: Koga

Game: Red and Blue, Yellow, Fire Red and Leaf Green

City of Residence: Fuchsia City

Type: Poison

I never really was a fan of Poison types. They are the greatest at heckling and crippling the opponent, but few Poison types have the muscle to back up these tactics. I’m not saying their aren’t good Poison types: Crobat, Dragalge, and Nidoking all do their jobs very well. All I’m saying is that a mono-Poison team wouldn’t pose much of a threat, given their lackluster offensive capabilities. Maybe that’s why I never found Koga to be a big challenge.

Despite being a ninja and a potions master, Koga has one of the worst gyms in Pokemon history. The challenge is trying to navigate a maze with invisible walls, which is incredibly frustrating without a guide. Most of the gym trainers don’t even use Poison types. Of the 14 Pokemon used by the gym’s trainers, only 3 are Poison types, and they’re all Arboks. The gym itself is very bland in terms of design. Koga’s gym is easily the worst in Kanto.

The fight with Koga is definitely not worth the struggle. Regardless of what version you’re playing, his team is very lackluster. In Red and Blue, he uses two Koffings, a Muk, and a Weezing. In Yellow, he comes packing three Venonats and a Venomoth. In either case, you’ll probably be sweeping his team effortlessly. Yes, many of his Pokemon can utilize moves that can cripple your team. However, his Pokemon aren’t strong enough to last one round with a decent Psychic type, or really any Pokemon that can hit remotely hard. Janine may have the same crappy gym and a worse character than Koga, but at least her team can put up a good fight. Koga is just a bad Gym Leader. He does make a decent Elite Four member though.

#2 Favorite: Norman

Game: Ruby and Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

City of Residence: Petalburg City

Type: Normal

Norman is a nostalgic boss for me. Ruby and Sapphire was the first was the first Pokemon game I ever beaten, and any fan of Ruby and Sapphire will tell you that the first Gym Leader you encounter is not the first one you fight. He’s your father Norman, and he’s Hoenn’s fifth Gym Leader. When I beat him for the first time, I felt like I actually got stronger as a trainer, something that none of the previous four Gym Leaders managed to do.

But there’s a lot more to Norman than nostalgic value. For starters, he has a great gym. The gimmick here is that you progress through the gym by going through different rooms. Depending on what room you enter, the trainer will use a certain item at the beginning of the battle, boosting a certain stat of your opponent’s Pokemon. So not only can you pick who to fight ahead of time, but you also get to chose what challenges you get to face first. It’s a great concept, and it puts you on your toes more than most gyms do.

The fight with Norman is also really good. He comes at you with a Vigoroth and two Slakings, which doesn’t seem like a good team on paper. After all, Slaking can only attack every other turn. But honestly, Norman’s Slakings are the biggest threat in the game up to that point. They have some serious attack power guaranteed to deal serious damage to even the toughest Pokemon. His Slakings also have some serious defensive capabilities, meaning they’ll be able to survive a lot of the Fighting type moves you’ll throw at him. Norman offers a tough but fair challenge, especially in the original Ruby and Sapphire, and holds a special place in my heart.

#2 Least Favorite: Juan

Game: Emerald

City of Residence: Sootopolis Gym

Type: Water

I was never a big fan of Wallace to begin with. Yeah, he’s absolutely fabulous, and his Milotic is pretty beastly, but other than that, he’s pretty average. As a Gym Leader, he’s just okay. In Emerald, he replaces Steven as the champion (which is a terrible decision, honestly), and his replacement, Juan, is one of the most forgettable Gym Leaders in Pokemon history.

Juan’s biggest problem is that he’s essentially Wallace-lite. He shares the same love of elegance and flair for the flamboyant. He has a harem of female trainers ready to fight you in case you mess up on the puzzle. The gym’s puzzle involves you trying to step on each tile once and only once before you can move on. Juan has very few, if any, original bones in his beautiful body. It certainly doesn’t help he’s a Water type boss in a game filled with Water type bosses.

Aside from being bland and forgettable, Juan’s fight is really easy. Wallace’s fight in Ruby and Sapphire wasn’t that hard; not terribly easy, but nothing really that hard either. Juan’s fight somehow manages to take a step back from that, with a worse team than Wallace that can be crushed in as little as five turns. Wallace had the same problem, but Juan’s blandness really pushes it over the edge for me. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s the only Gym Leader exclusive to Emerald, he’d be my least favorite Gym Leader.

#1 Favorite: Blue

Game: Gold and Silver, Crystal, Heart Gold and Soul Silver

City of Residence: Viridian City

Type: None

Gen 2 may be my least favorite generation, but it’s home to three of the greatest boss fights in Pokemon history. There’s Lance, who shows you how terrifying a goofy looking dragon can be, Red, who’s probably the hardest boss in all of Pokemon, and my favorite Gym Leader, Blue.

Blue is one of the greatest characters in all of Pokemon, being the world’s biggest jerk and Red’s number biggest rival. In Gold and Silver, his title of biggest jerk has been usurped by Silver, but he’s still an arrogant jackass. He’s taken over the Viridian gym, and unlike all other Gym Leaders, he doesn’t specialize in a type. The gym itself, at least in Heart Gold and Soul Silver, has one of my favorite puzzles. Like the Mossdeep gym, the floor is covered in sliding tiles, but in Blue’s gym, you actually have to think twice about where you step It’s a fun puzzle through and through.

The reason Blue’s my favorite Gym Leader is the fight with him. Like the champion bout with him in Red and Blue, you’ll be facing a balanced team that doesn’t have a clear weakness. His team is a strong one, filled with Pokemon that can hit hard, take punishment, and are often able to cover their weaknesses. Unlike most Gym Leaders, where you can just bring one or two Pokemon that have a type advantage, you have to make sure that you have a balanced team in order to even stand a chance. Blue’s champion bout in the first generation may be more memorable, but this fight is easily the greatest gym battle in all of Pokemon.

#1 Least Favorite: Wulfric

Game: X and Y

City of Residence: Snowbelle City

Type: Ice

In order to be considered the worst, you don’t have to be terribly offensive, you just have to lack any semblance of good. My least favorite Gym Leader has all the elements of a bad one: a poor gym, a lack of character, and a underwhelming fight. That man is Wulfric, the eighth Gym Leader of the Kalos region.

The problems Wulfric has are shared with all the other Kalos Gym Leaders. For one, his charcter is non-existent. Other than being the “gentle giant” archetype, there’s nothing to his character besides looking like a walrus. His gym, while a visual spectacle, is not that fun to navigate. In his gym, you have to rotate huge platforms to progress through the gym. A cool idea on paper, but the puzzle is too easy to be impressive. Ironically, this Ice type gym is all flash and no fire.

However, the biggest sin Wulfric commits is having an easy battle. He only has three Pokemon, which is common for Kalos Gym Leaders. However, most Gym Leaders at least attempted to cover their weaknesses by having Pokemon with typing that negated some type weaknesses. Wulfric’s team does not. Each of his Pokemon are weak to all of Ice’s weaknesses, so as long as you come in with a strong Fire, Steel, or Rock type, you can crush his team. Even his beefy Avalugg can be stomped with a Flamethrower or a Flash Cannon thanks to its pathetic Special Defense stat. The kicker here is that Wulfric is supposed to the the final Gym Leader; the final stepping stone before you can challenge the Elite Four. Wulfric is the ultimate culmination of blandness and easiness, with no redeeming qualities. That’s why he’s my least favorite Gym Leader.