When Digimon is good - anime, games, designs, etc. - I like it even more than Pokemon. But when it's trying something that doesn't click with me, well, I shy away.
I favor the original Japanese version of the franchise, so will be primarily referring to the monsters by their Japanese names!
Feel free to browse around!
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Anime
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Digimon Adventure is the ultimate starting point, and fan-favorite of the franchise - for good reason! Adventure introduces its audience to a large cast of characters seven, later eight, children and their talking monster companions. It's a fantasy adventure that involves each member of the party undergoing change and character development. The original series, while on a cheap budget, oozes with charm. Each of the Chosen Children, and their Digimon partners, are memorable and well defined. The series is unafraid to tackle somewhat mature concepts like divorce, adoption, and even death of loved ones. Perhaps even more memorable are the evolution sequences, a series staple. While a bit repetitive after a few episodes, it's still a treat to see each Digimon's new forms, especially when paired with the theme "Braveheart". Digimon Adventure is a fun series that Bandai and Toei have never quite been able to recapture. Nowadays, the brand leans heavily into Nostaglia for this series, but I don't think it's ever been quite as powerful as it was originally. |
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Tamers is my favorite season of Digimon. Hands Down. Unlike its predessors, Tamers is much more grounded in reality. The plot centers around a smaller case of characters living with Digimon in the real world. The storyline is much darker, with genuinely frightening villians and moments. It takes its audience seriously, and gives this season some of the best characters and arcs of the entire franchise. Digimon in Tamers are seen as a "game come to life" rather than mythical creatures. This meant, if you were a kid, you felt like maybe you TOO could have YOUR own monster come to life. Not only that, but the card game was worked into the narrative in an organic way that didn't feel like the toy ad it was. For the first time, the tamers got to actively assist their Digimon in winning battles instead of only initiating evolution. Speaking of evolution, the soundtrack and transformation sequences are fantastic. These sequences are dynamic, and even a bit violent. I love that by the end, the Tamers fuse with their Digimon to become even more involved with what's going on- almost like partnered super heroes. I gush a lot about this season, but more than any other, it's the one I want to go back and watch again and again. |
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Really Awesome Fan project(s)
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The best season of Digimon that we never got. Digimon Reboot is a fan-made webseries by Rebekah L., Keisha P., and Zuza J. featuring an entirly new continuity, cast of characters, and of course, Digimon. Unlike other fics, Reboot features multiple "screen caps" during each episode/chapter as well as fully animated evolution sequences. How cool is that? The premise centers around a cast of eight young adults who have been partnered with their Digimon since birth. No one is sure why, but they've assimilated into their lives happily. Suddenly, antagonistic Digimon begin appearing in the real world, and each of these individuals begin to realize they were not the only ones who have Digimon partners... Since thecharacters are adults, the story has more mature themes and scenarios compared to the anime, but certainly not in a "dark-edgey" type of way. Each chapter is crafted like an episode of a show, and weaves into a cohesive narrative that's hard to stop reading. I recommend this to every Digimon fan out there. The content is high quality, and better than most of the anime seasons. The creators poured their hearts into this, and unlike many other fan projects, actually finished it! Read it for yourself at the Digimon Delta! |
Favorite Digital.Monster
As mentioned before, I LOVE Digimon designs. I couldn't create a single list of my favorites, so here is an ongoing list of who I like best.
PS1 Games
I've played quite a few Digimon games, way more than just these, but I have something of a soft spot for the three Digimon World games on Playstation. All three are wildly different from one another, and have glaring problems. It's honestly hard to call any of them truly "good" games due to punishing gameplay and grindy mechanics. But, nostalgia is a fickle beast, and I love the aesthetic of these polygon messes. If it weren't for renting Digimon World 2 at Blockbuster, I would never have even become a Digimon fan. So here's to some of the games that I love-havemixedfeelingsabout!
Monster raising simulator- World cpatures the original spirit of the v-pet Digimon was adapted from. I adore exploring the vibrant "File Island" with my personl Digimon companion, similar to the characters in Adventure. However, this game was quite tedious for new players. Important stats are hidden, and care mistakes are punished with evolutions that are completely garbage (Numemon all day everyday). It also didn't help that Digimons' lifespans were incredibly short, and losing three battles resulted in getting a completely new baby monster.
Still, the colorful world and varied monster desgins keep me coming back. Only- with a few cheat codes up my sleeve.
World 2 was my introduction to the franchise, and what a weird way to start. It completely divorces itself from its predecessor by being a dungeon crawler RPG. Battles are three on three with no life-or-death systems, and new evolution mechanics. As strange as it sounds, I really love the look of the Digimon in this game. Their models are a bit smaller, and rugged looking to match the Bandai artwork. However, what kills this game is its lack of respect for the players' time. Battles, while neat to look at, last a painfully long time with unskippable animations. Evolution is constantly halted by the DP system that forces players to reset and merge their monsters. Dungeons all look the same, and are filled with punishing hazards that are hard to prepare for with limited inventory space. Even with all of this in mind, I can't hate the game. I love its music and its ideas. I collect everything Digimon 2 related just because it's so damn nostalgic for me. (Poor excuse, I know). Still - I'm glad the series never used this format again.
World 3, in my humble opinion, is the best of the original trilogy. World 3's Digital World is vibrant, created with 2-D sprite renderings, and pays constant homage to the series as a whole. Digimon no longer have to be fused, and instead can explore a wide variety of evolution trees. Mid-battle evolutions make the game feel more like the anime than ever before. The battle system is 1 on 1 and turn based, feeling a lot like Pokemon. Unfortunately, the game isn't perfect. It suffers, once again, from the need to grind for absurd amounts of experience. Difficulty spikes are numerous, and punish the player for exploring too much. There are far too many uninitutive fetch quests and back tracking which had me scratching my head as a kid. Regardless, I immensely enjoy World 3, and it's the game I revisit the most. It also is the game that helped launch the Digimon Story series, which are, in my opinion, the best RPG games the series has to offer.
