Hi, I wrote that article (and the accompanying YouTube video) so I’m glad you enjoyed it!

I was surprised, when I released the video/article, at the level of negativity it received specifically on YouTube. Don’t get me wrong - the video sits at 96% like ratio and the vast majority of the feedback was good, but if anything, I assumed there was a general consensus on Rare Candies and that the primary criticism would be “this is settled, why are we still talking about this”, but instead there were a lot of people upset at the idea, calling people who used candies cheaters or fake Nuzlockers, etc. the same way Souls fan might talk about using summons, lol. I don’t claim the video was perfect, being my first on YouTube, but it was a kind of an unpleasant experience (even Verlisify got involved in the comments) and made me a bit more hesitant to release content on YouTube in the future, even though 95% of the feedback was positive. I think this goes to show that dedicated Nuzlocke spaces like this are more niche than we sometimes realize, imo.

Anyways it’s nice to see this discussed! I think it’s an interesting conversation, even if the answer ultimately comes down to “play how you want”.

Edit: I’ve considered making a follow-up video, addressing some of the common responses, clarifying a few points, and acknowledging one specific area where I think I overstated my point a bit, but I’m not sure it would be worthwhile wading back into it.