So Pokémon’s been “going downhill” for a while now.
The thing you have to understand about me is that I interface with Pokémon in much the same way that I did when I was 10. Like, yeah, I can appreciate the complaints about bad graphics and I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE how many mobile games we’ve gotten because it feels like the Mystery Dungeon and Ranger games that I grew up with where sacrificed in favor of 10 pointless apps that are now closed so we can’t play them ever again, but I always felt like that was just entitled fan rage. I enjoyed Sword and Shield, and I was really okay with Pokémon just…continuing on forever the way it has been. Just more of the same forever.
The thing is Pokémon as a franchise has limitless potential. I mean that. I feel as though they could make a game for one of basically every Pokémon and I would play it. An action-platformer where you play as Cyndaquil and you have to use your fire to solve puzzles? Yes please. A horror game where you’re trapped in a house with Ghost Pokémon, Luigi’s Mansion style? Yes please. A big, Zelda-like fantasy game? Yes please. But I don’t really expect to get any of that. Pokémon has figured out what works, and it’s such a huge franchise it’s a risk to do anything else.
I tuned into the Pokémon Presentation expecting more weird stuff. Pokémon Sleep was announced like two years ago and we still know literally next to nothing about it. I’m used to like Pokémon shirts getting revealed or something. I love that short of crap. I live to know how much ridiculous Pokémon merchandise there is.
And they announced a Pokémon game that takes place in a fantasy world with sneaking mechanics. We still know like next to nothing about it, honestly. Are there gym leaders? Are Dialga and Palkia in it? Can I customize my character? Game Freak really didn’t care about giving us details. Some of those might come out in the next couple of days, but I think they’re still indicative of the new sort of mentality that I’ve seen the company going towards, what with the third version of Sword and Shield being just DLC instead of a full game, and us getting Mystery Dungeon remakes and a new Pokémon Snap. I think Pokémon is trying to be better, or at the very least trying to cater to old fans like me instead of just appealing to the young ‘uns. I mean, I still have complaints-Pokémon’s still going to make more app games and I really don’t care for the art style they selected for the Diamond and Pearl remakes, but I really like these new directions. I don’t think that’s a controversial opinion, really. I guess I feel like fantasy Pokémon is a sign that Pokémon is finally utilizing some of that potential they have. Today’s announcement felt like a fantasy, kind of like if they ever made an anime series where Ash meets his father or, you know, grows up past the age of 10. Which is really good. I don’t think Pokémon should focus too much on stagnating and being the same thing, and this is what excites me-Pokémon doing new, crazy stuff.
Well, there aren’t so many ways I can say “man, that new Pokémon game is exciting” so I guess that’s it for now. I gotta say though, the idea of getting a Pokémon Legends game on Johto sounds so much better than getting a Let’s go Johto game.
Well then, without further ado, here’s my 10,000 word essay one why a pixelated art style, such as the sort seen in Shovel Knight and Octopath Traveler, one that is designed to be like the art style of the original Diamond and Pearl but taking advantage of the greater hardware, would be infinitely better than the unnerving chibi art style they went with…
Christian Vaughan 