It’s fair to say Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have caused their share of complaints. Now, fans are upset that a Pokémon is too good.
Fire starter Fuecoco has been branded as “broken” by proponents of Pokémon’s “Nuzlocke” style of gameplay – the fan-invented method of playing Pokémon which essentially amounts to permadeath.
Any Pokémon which faints in a Nuzlocke run is considered dead and must be released back into the wild. Additionally, you may only catch the first creature in any area and no other, severely limiting the number of Pokémon at your disposal.
These rules add to the importance of your starter Pokémon pick, which is likely to carry you through the game’s opening stages. And it’s here which Fuecoco is coming up a cropper – at least, with fans after a tougher challenge.
Why? It’s all down to Fuecoco’s typing and moveset, which give him an advantage over five gyms, an Elite Four member and the game’s overall Champion.
That’s according to PokemonChallenges, a high-profile Pokémon streamer who specialises in Nuzlocke runs and who yesterday completed a zero-death run of Violet in 20 hours (thanks, The Gamer).
Fuecoco is already easily the most broken starter in Nuzlocke history. Solo sweeps five gyms, an e4 member and the champion. No other starter in any game comes close. I recommend banning it for a more interesting run.
— pChal (@pChalTV) November 24, 2022
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“I did notice it a bit after using Sprigatito and thinking to myself ‘this game seems like it would be a lot easier with fuecoco’, but after seeing the entire game, plus your analysis…” another fan replied. “People always ask for difficulties, this starter choice is as close as it gets.”