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Mawile

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mawile
Pokémon character
Mawile artwork by Ken Sugimori
First appearancePokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2002)
Designed byKen Sugimori (finalized)[1]
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypeSteel and Fairy

Mawile (/ˈmɑːwaɪl/), known in Japan as Kucheat (Japanese: クチート), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise.

Conception and development

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Mawile is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.[2] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[3] Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[4] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[3]

When designing the 2002 sequels Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Game Freak initially wanted to not include any of the Pokémon from the previous games, with lead artist Ken Sugimori using this as an opportunity push the concept of what a Pokémon could look like. To this end, he wanted to try more "humanoid" designs, but also wanted to emphasize "cooler" designs, due to feedback the team had received that Pokémon was seen as too "babyish". Additionally, while the previous Pokémon Gold and Silver were bound to simplistic designs for the sake of the related anime and toy manufacturing, Sugimori stated in an interview he said "screw it" and focused on more complex and fleshed out designs with these games. As the art team developed the Pokémon species, Sugimori would finalize their work and draw the promotional art, altering details as he felt necessary.[1]

Appearances

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Critical reception

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Mawhile was mostly well received since its debut. The staff of Inside cited Mawile alongside Gardevoir as example of Pokémon that stood out amongst the Ruby and Sapphire's cast for how cute they were, something they felt took players by surprise especially after the realization they were not strictly female.[5] While they emphasized its cute appearance was meant as a trap for it to get food, calling its nature "truly frightening" and "unbearable", they observed Mawile was still one of the most popular and desired Pokémon by players.[6] Carolyn Gudmundson in a podcast for GamesRadar+ meanwhile praised it as "one of those Pokémon that's more interesting from a design and story perspective than from [...] a battling perspective". She considered it a fan favorite despite what she considered "dismal" gameplay, and enjoyed its presentation in the anime. Co-host Henry Gilbert offered his own input, liking the contrast between Mawile's creepy "jaw ponytail" and more cute front.[7]

IGN in their "Pokémon of the Day Chick" series of articles expressed that Mawile had become one of their favorite Pokémon since its introduction, calling it "adorable yet exceedingly tough, evil", and "reminiscent" of Cubone, another Pokémon introduced earlier in the franchise, due both "sporting a large and bulky headpiece". They were surprised at the time it did not have more fans due to its Steel-typing, something that had been requested for some time by players. They stated that while it was not one of the strongest Pokémon in the franchise, they felt it was underappreciated and added "Mawile has a certain specific role to fill", and that it "fills it exceptionally well".[8]

Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen however was critical of its design, calling it "a terrible looking Pokémon". Though he praised the design of its rear mouth, he added that "the little, weird body it is attached to doesn’t look interesting at all", proposing it appeared as if another character design had been spliced to the larger maw. Despite this he felt the species' gimmick was cool and appreciated the lore aspects of it, though expressed that for the size of its secondary face he expected Mawile to have a more muscular design due to how easily it carried around its weight. He added the fandom around the character particularly in regards to fan art illustrated that Mawile "has some really...dedicated artists", and the amount of not safe for work content made it difficult for him to find an image to illustrate the article.[9]

Kat Bailey in an article for US Gamer meanwhile cited Mawile as an example of the improvements Pokémon X and Y brought to the games and refreshed the feel of older Pokémon. Calling it "once a bit of filler" from Ruby and Sapphire "with the misfortune of having a set of jaws straight out of The Little Shop of Horrors", she felt the addition of its Fairy typing and its Mega Evolution helped increase its popularity. She also emphasized how the improvements felt tailored to the character, stating that Mawile was "emblematic" of a "nuanced" approach Game Freak appeared to be taking to balance its games, one focusing on giving the characters the tools they need rather than sweeping buffs or debuffs. She further added that Mega Mawile "represents everything Pokémon X and Y is trying to accomplish."[10]

Cian Maher writing for USA Today stated that despite the improvements, describing it as having one of the best Mega evolutions in the franchise and having "fascinatingly niche strategic values", over time the Pokémon had felt forgotten even though it had since seen usage in titles such as Mystery Dungeon and New Pokémon Snap. He attributed some of this to its classification as a Steel- and Fairy-type Pokémon as he felt its appearance fit neither, and argued that its "earthy colouration and weird snout with too many teeth" made it appear more in line with Ground- and Dark-type Pokémon in the franchise. He further expressed that the character's strengths were in its design, stating that "it’s still extremely cool" that for decades people had assumed the snout on the back of its head was its true face, while its actual front face was "actually really lovely", and praised how its lore-based design helped make it believable as something people could encounter in the real world.[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "ポケットモンスター ルビー・サファイア 大ヒット記念 ロングインタビュー". Nintendo Dream (in Japanese). No. 84. February 2003. pp. 117–126.
  2. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  4. ^ Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook. Scholastic Inc. July 28, 2015. p. 5. ISBN 9780545795661.
  5. ^ 【特集】アドバンスに進化するルールやシステム達…ポケモンゲーム史「ゲームボーイアドバンス」編 [[Special feature] Rules and Systems Evolving on the Advance...Pokémon Game History "Game Boy Advance" Edition]. Inside (in Japanese). February 25, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  6. ^ 家族にしたいポケモン21選・前編！定番のポケモンから犬・猫系ポケモンも [21 Pokémon You’d Want as a Family Member - Part 1! From Classic Pokemon to Dog and Cat Pokemon]. Inside (in Japanese). February 16, 2018. p. 3. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  7. ^ Gudmundson, Carolyn; Gilbert, Henry. Pokémon Monday Episode 13 (MP3). GamesRadar+. Event occurs at 21:50.
  8. ^ "Pokemon of the Day: Mawile (#303)". IGN. April 14, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  9. ^ Zweizen, Zack (December 15, 2020). "Mawile Will Eat You Up In One Big Chomp". Kotaku. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Bailey, Kat (December 25, 2013). "2013 in Review: The Year We All Became Pokemon Masters". US Gamer. Retrieved October 4, 2024 – via VG247.
  11. ^ Maher, Cian (January 22, 2022). "The Top Ten Steel Pokémon, Ranked". USA Today. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Maher, Cian (December 15, 2022). "The Top Ten Fairy Pokémon, Ranked". USA Today. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
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