Cheating
Cheating is a highly controversial but frequently used method of playing the Pokémon games. It is notably used to duplicate rare and valuable items and to obtain certain legendary Pokémon which would not be available until a Nintendo Event otherwise.
Methods of cheating
Glitches
Fake glitches
Perhaps one of the greatest source of rumors in the Pokémon fandom is fake glitch methods. These are often described to sound more like easter eggs than glitches.
The most notorious example of this is rumored methods of finding Mew which were very common during the Generation I era. These have become an inside joke of the fandom, and some fans will invent absurd methods to make Mew appear in the game. However, there is a way to get Mew in Red and Blue versions known as the Mew glitch.
Cheating devices
Some cheaters will use devices like an Action Replay to affect the execution of the game and easily obtain things they would otherwise need to work for. This is one of the most controversial methods of cheating because it is deliberately altering the gameplay experience, rather than exploiting something already in the game.
Cheating devices are commonly used to get Pokémon or items which are otherwise only obtainable through a Nintendo promotional event, if at all. Commonly, in Generation II and III, this means using the device to gain a special item to catch a Pokémon, such as the GS Ball or Old Sea Map. In Diamond and Pearl, a code which has been come to be known as the "walk anywhere code" allows cheaters access to any remote location by simply walking from one map location to another, sometimes passing through the Mystery Zone.
With cheating devices, cheaters can also simply alter the games code to give them many other valuable Pokémon, making the hunt for Template:Shiny2 Pokémon and those with optimal DVs and natures incredibly easy. This method of gameplay can irritate other players, particularly when they receive blatantly hacked Pokémon at the GTS.
Using the downloadable program, Pokésav, in conjunction with an Action Replay DS, allows one to literally make their own Pokémon from scratch.
However, not all players will use cheating devices to make the game easier. In some cases, cheating devices are actually used to make the game harder, such as the case where a player would use a code to trigger a battle with Professor Oak.
Controversy
The primary complaint against cheating methods is that it takes no particular ability to exploit a glitch or enter a cheat code, and thus detracts from the point and spirit of the game, making it less enjoyable. While this is a subjective matter, it is the primary cause of cheating offending most players.
Some Pokémon fans, mainly those with any sort of affection towards their Pokémon, view cheating as unethical, although this argument is widely ridiculed by more reluctant fans.
Another more practical argument against cheating is that glitches and cheat codes often hurt the stability of the game. Many players have lost their Pokémon or save files while trying to exploit their game. Occasionally entire parties of Pokémon will be overwritten because of a destabilized glitch.
Some will justify using cheating devices to get Pokémon when they cannot attend Nintendo promotional events, the only legitimate way to get these Pokémon. Whether or not this is a valid excuse for cheating is a matter of opinion.
Related articles
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This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |
