Pokemon is pretty much the most successful RPG around. Fifteen years after we first meet Pikachu, Charizard and company the game is still selling millions upon millions of copies around the world. The most recent entries in the main series, Black and White, have breathed new life into the franchise with a better story, more interesting characters, and a new land modeled after a major metropolitan city outside of Japan (New York City.) Some are even saying that they might be the best pair of games since the originals.
But even though Pokemon has stayed relevant and maintained a rabid fan base, there are also plenty of people calling for even more change. And really, it;s hard to argue with them. Despite the fact that the main series of games spans five 'generations', each with two or three titles in it, the game has largely been the same since Red and Blue. Thats not a bad thing because Pokemon has a formula that just works, but in order to avoid alienating even more people, and to really bring the franchise to the next decade, some more changes are necessary. Here are a few good places to start.
Honorable Mention - Enough Legendary's
This is one that put here simply because I think it needs to be said. There are too many legendary pokemon. The term used to apply to pokemon that were extremely hard to obtain, or were the best of the best. Now there are some that are about as easy to obtain as normal ones, and some are even given away. In my eyes, that diminishes their importance, and just clogs the games up with too many superpowerful monsters. Refocus the importance of these pokemon, or make them harder to get, that way getting them means much more than it currently does.
#5. Some Character Creation
I'm not necessarily a fan of this idea, but I recognize that it's an idea that would certainly make quite a few people happy. Pokemon has always forced you to play as a child. While initially you could only play as a boy, Game Freak did bring the option to play as a girl in Gold and Silver. Since then nothing has really changed character wise. In fact, that was one of the reasons I really enjoyed Black and White. The finally introduced playable characters who were teenagers. Now maybe it's because I am no longer ten, but playing as kid every single Pokemon game just gets a little old. It'd be nice to let you truly step into the world of Pokemon as yourself. Everyone likes to see themselves in their favourite games, and might even make your adventure a little more memorable.
#4. Let Us Visit Every Region
I'll admit, this is one I personally want to see quite a bit. There are now five regions in the Pokemon world, and other than Gold, Silver, And Crystal (and their remakes) we've never been able to visit other regions of the Pokemon world in the same game. It's not like it's impossible to do so either, characters from other regions frequently show up in different games. It'd make for one monstrous game, certainly something that would require a long term commitment. Sadly, that is one of the many pitfalls of trying to pull this off however. There's lots of other problems and questions, some with easy answers, many where outside the box thinking is probably necessary. Still, it would be nice to be in Goldenrod, and then go visit Castelia City without changing which game I'm playing.
#3. Even More Online Options
This is one we all can benefit from. The online options have gotten much better with Black and White than the previous versions, now with the ability to simply challenge anyone online instead of needing to be in the same general area, or have a friend code. Previous games have also had some kind of fun diversions, and have even started allowing players to team up in the game in certain areas. Yet, as nice as it's gotten, it could be even better. Ash pals around with two people in the anime. Always does. So why not let us roam around the Pokeworld with our own friends? It'd make for even more fun for everyone when you can pal around with your buddies, and could even open up new options for gameplay options and challenges. It'd also be nice to have some more options when facing another person online. The way it is now, your getting luck of the draw, and sometimes you'll be facing people with some pretty tough pokemon. There should be more of a system in place for who you get matched up with. Also, item trading. Get on it Game Freak. Like, now.
#2. Even More Story Improvements
Black and White made some big steps in the right direction with this, but it still needs to go even further. Every game is set up much the same story wise. X bad guy group wants to achieve Y objective while you face eight gyms spread through a region and then challenge the elite four to become the Pokemon Champion. Even Black and White stick somewhat to that formula, and it's starting to get a little stale. Change the gyms, give us a true Pokemon League Tournament. Make it be one bad guy instead of a group, make the objectives of said bad person more interesting, have more characters in the game play into the whole story. There are so many ways the story could get better. I know some people are seeing this and saying "How could he think such thoughts! This is part of what makes Pokemon Pokemon!" While that is true to a certain point, I think Game Freak could make a game that doesn't stick to those rules and still have it feel like a pokemon game. After all, the Pokemon Ranger games have done a good job of telling different stories, and while Ash is usually chasing gym badge, he still finds time for some pretty lengthy side stories. Let us experience some of that too.
#1. Graphics Upgrade
This is the one just about everyone is calling for at this point. The graphics style is one of the most recognizable parts of the Pokemon games. It is also showing it's also showing it's age and despite the attempts to slap new coats of paint over the framework, it is just about time to ditch the 2D sprites all together. There might be some people who won't be happy about it but with the power of the 3DS' graphics, there is no longer any excuse to keep the game stuck in even partial 2D. We have seen plenty of Pokemon games outside the main series that have featured 3D and some have looked pretty good at their launch. It seems like such a trivial thing, and yet it could really bring a fresh feeling to the next game. They don't have to change perspectives, and they do not need to change the battle style. They just need to break free from the sprites.
That's all I got for now. Given this list is just a few of the things they could do, this is certainly a good place to start. Future Pokemainiacs will appreciate this changes as much as current ones do, and most of these can come about without sacrificing the feel of the game at all, which is an important key to any change to a long running franchise.
To wrap this up, I just want to say Extra Life 2011 went very well. If you didn't donate, but still want to and think it's too late, there is a small window of time to get late donations in, but do it ASAP please. I appreciate it all the same.
And with that, I bid thee farewell for now.
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