Now that we're a little ways into the Halloween event, I've just got to say that, besides Giratina and Spiritomb, this event is really lackluster. Perhaps the biggest issue is that the candy bonuses are only applied to catching, not transferring or buddy candy. The buddy candy part was a big deal the past two Halloween events. It was an easy way to get candy for rare Pokémon. Speaking from experience, it would completely change the way you played the game, as you would prioritize walking more to max out that candy, and I always say that the best events are the ones that change the way you play. Not to mention, walking to get candy was the perfect representation of Halloween, specifically trick or treating. Without that bonus, this event just feels a whole lot more dull.
Then there's the shortage of new stuff, as compared to last year. Last year, we got three new Pokémon appearing in the wild, as well as a new hat Pikachu. This year, all we're getting is two new things in the wild, neither of which are particular "Halloween-themed" beyond their type. Speaking of new Pokémon, why would they not release Honchcrow and Mismagius here? Those two would fit perfectly. We even got a Mismagius hat in the shop, but no Mismagius. Weird stuff. Also, we're just getting a repeat of last year's Pikachu. All the repeat Pikachu events we've gotten this past year have been with special moves to differentiate themselves from the first run. This year's witch hat Pikachu is the first time we've gotten a repeat without anything at all to make it different.
Perhaps most strange is the lack of aesthetics. This is the first Halloween even to not give us a new loading screen background. In fact, the first Halloween event gave us the first ever background to replace the original. This is especially strange, as the current summer-themed background has not only been around for quite a while, but doesn't fit at all anymore, now that summer is over. We're overdue for a new loading screen. But, perhaps worst of all, is the missing Lavender Town/Pokémon Tower music. Last year, during night a remix of the infamous Lavender Town music would play on the map. This was perhaps the most amazing part about the event. I personally hoped that it meant we would be getting more special remixes for other events, but in never happened. Regardless, the music is already made, and is still even in the game's files. IT would only require hitting a switch to have it start playing again. Why in the world are they not using it?
So yeah, while Giratina and Spiritomb are great (and Giratina's really only that good because of my personal bias), the rest of the event could have been so much better if just a few simple and easy changes were made. Bummer.
