Pokestar Studios

in the last thread i said i "100% agreed" that pokestar studios was the best part of b2/w2
well i'm replaying it now and getting absolutely FUCKED

pokestar studios is basically a puzzle game using Pokémon mechanics
which is cool
what's not cool is that they kept in the RNG bullshit

let's look at Invaders 4

the basic outline:
1: Reuniclus uses Trick (eats a Quick Attack)
2: Switch out for Krokorok (eats a Quick Attack)
3: Krokorok uses Roar (eats a Quick Attack)
4: Switch out for Reuniclus (eats a Dark Pulse)
5: Reuniclus uses Trick (eats a Dark Pulse)
6: Sack Runiclus (eats a Dark Pulse)
7: Krokorok uses Earthquake (eats a Dark Pulse)
8: Krokorok uses Earthquake, GG

if any of opponent's attacks are critical hits, the run is over
if dark pulse flinches reuniclus on #5, the run is over
this makes seven separate complete RNG checks (six for criticals, one for flinch) that must be passed to win

from the point where i figured out exactly what they wanted me to do, i failed several times because
1: Emolga got a critical hit on Reuniclus
2: Emolga got a critical hit on Reuniclus
3: Prop got a critical hit on Reuniclus
4: Prop flinched Reuniclus
5: Prop got a critical hit on Krokorok
got it on attempt 6

RNG is fine when it comes to actual Pokémon battles
RNG is fucking bullshit when you lay out a very specific list of moves i have to make, give me just enough HP to survive, then RNG decides to fuck my shit up five times in a row

if a speedrunner gets killed by RNG because he's playing the game like a moron (underleveled, needing to use X Attack items all the time), that's on him
if someone playing a puzzle section the intended way and doing every move the only way that can possibly work gets killed by RNG, that's bad design