The history ofPokemonspans nearly a quarter of a century, with the much-anticipated 25th anniversary happening in 2021, and since the original Game Boy releases ofPokemon Red,Green, andBlue, the franchise has come a long way.SwordandShieldmarked Gen 8, and thedebates aboutPokemon’s Gen 9and what should be included are a frequent topic among series fans.
Each newPokemongeneration has seen the introduction of a new region and main games taking place in that location. Generations 5 and 7, featuringBlackandWhite’s Unova andSunandMoon’s Alola, respectively, also included new features for those main games. Generations 3, 4, and 6 took players to multiple regions by making remakes:FireRedandLeafGreenin Gen 3,HeartGoldandSoulSilverin Gen 4, andOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphirein Gen 6, as well some new areas. Some people are concerned about the future of the logical next remake of the Sinnoh games, and others have various criticisms to make about the direction the franchise has been going.
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To manyPokemonfans, the essential formula that has worked for over two decades and sold hundreds of millions of game copies is what’s worth sticking to. For a large portion of the fan community, this means several core elements that people value seeing in the games. If Gen 9 is to continue themassive success of thePokemonfranchise, it would be worth tuning into what fans are asking for.
The Pokemon League
The majority of regions make one of the player’s main goals as entering andwinning the Pokemon League, meaning that they collect all the Gym badges, traverse Victory Road, and defeat the Elite Four and League Champion. This core structure mirrors the basic setup of a lot of similar games, where players train, solve some sort of puzzle or challenge in a lair, defeat a miniboss and their cronies, then rinse and repeat.
Near the end of the game, the players face off against the most challenging bosses yet and the BBEG. ThePokemongames vary on whether players' final challenge isdefeating the Elite Four and Championor defeating the evil team’s boss, but after beating both, they’ve technically won the game.
Most people continue to play in their save files to complete the endgame story, fill out their Pokedexes, capture Legendaries, and take on facilities like the Battle Frontier and PokemonBattle Subway. Completion means different things to everyone, which one of the beauties ofPokemongames. However much these vary, the Pokemon League challenge is a huge part of the game, and deviating from it inSunandMoonwith the Island Trials got backlash. Some people preferred them, while others wanted to go back to gyms, which the franchise did withSwordandShield.While some people argue the gyms have gotten stale, it’s the most tried and true method.
Battling and Trading
There’s no arguing that the central mechanic of the main games is the turn-based battling system. The games have made smaller changes like how many Pokemon gain experience after a battle, and larger changes like the Special vs. Physical Attack classification. However, the basic mechanics remain the same, down to the number of moves a Pokemon can have and how big the player’s party can be. Many games have introduced variations on this system, for example,RubyandSapphire’s Double Battles,BlackandWhite’s Triple and Rotation Battles, and most recently, theMax Raid Battles inSwordandShield. However, the majority of battles in a game use the same basic structure.
One of thebiggest criticisms ofPokemon SwordandShieldwas the removal of a ton of Pokemon from older generations. While it’s true that the number of Pokemon grows with every generation, the “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” slogan is a huge part of the franchise, and a lot of people were disappointed to see many of their favorite Pokemon completely unavailable in Galar, even with transferring from outside games. The data for a huge chunk of Pokemon simply doesn’t exist in these games. If this is a continuing feature in Gen 9 and beyond, Nintendo can expect to see a lot of disappointed players.
Save Drastic Changes for Side and Spin-Off Games
The basic formula for a corePokemongame works, and has worked for over 20 years. Rocking the boat too much disillusions a huge existing fanbase that not only counts on the nostalgia factor, but is very good at using the current system. Some changes, like easier experience sharing and more transparent type matchups, have angered some people for their ease and accessibility to newer, younger players. The difference is that many of these changes don’t force experienced players to change their playstyles. And some additions, likeMega Evolution and Z-Moves, were more accepted in the community, which disappointed people when they were taken away forSwordandShield.
The side games and spin-offs have had their own levels of success, and have created their own formulas that work well for them. One example is thePokemon Mystery Dungeongames, which are set within the world of Pokemon but offer a very different type of plot, battling system, and gameplay experience. Playing as a Pokemon and joining rescue teams would be odd in a core Pokemon game, but they are expected inMystery Dungeon. Other games likePokemon GO, Pokemon Conquest,and thePokemon Rangergames provide alternative experiences. More types of these games could provide the developers the space they need to innovate and try out new mechanics or explore different aspects of the world of Pokemon.
While there have been some new features in Gen 7 and 8 that people have enjoyed, there’s been a basic structure that people come to expect, and it’s what’s kept thePokemonfranchise going strong for almost 25 years. There is plenty of room for innovation, whether that’s in the side and spin-off games or through smaller, supplementary mechanics in the main games. People want to see new and exciting aesthetics, themes, and gimmicks, not a complete overhaul of what they know and love. Gen 9 will need to walk the balance between too stale and too risky if it wants to prove successful.
