My 3DS Game of the Month for July is one that isn’t really a game per se. It is a spin-off of a certain series that teaches players how to draw, and it features some rather familiar monsters. Of course, the player will be given lessons on how to draw said monsters.
Pokémon Art Academy is the game. There are a fair few Pokémon, and this game teaches players how to draw certain ones. Things start out simply. You choose to draw Pikachu, Froakie or Piplup, and are given the pastel tool to do it with. After completing that, novice lessons open up which introduce more tools.
Later lessons introduce new techniques for drawing and colouring. Of course, there is also the option to draw freely, using one of several templates available or just doing whatever.
Since this is a Pokémon game, there is a rival. Her name is Lily (coincidentally sharing the same name as the protagonist of a novel I am writing), and she is eager to become a Pokémon card artist. Her attempts at drawing… well, they’re certainly something.
The only other character in the game is Professor Andy, the guy who teaches you how to draw the Pokémon. He is the brother of Vince, the teacher from the other Art Academy games.
The toolset available in Pokémon Art Academy is much more diverse than the one found in the Wii U’s Art Academy: SketchPad. There are also layers, which makes colouring a lot easier. Of course, this is a full retail game, as opposed to an eShop download.
Rory Muses 