There’s been many mainline Pokemon video games launched through the years, every containing distinctive facets or inclusions of recent features and options. Sadly, not all of those options have been constantly included within the following titles, leaving them at the hours of darkness limbo of outdated consoles and Pokemon sport generations.
Whereas there’s little doubt that not each sport mechanic can be a winner, a few of them proceed to face out in opposition to trendy Pokemon titles, leaving a gap within the hearts of Trainers who’ve been dreaming of their return. Retaining this in thoughts, we’ve gone forward and caught 10 of probably the most deserving Pokemon sport mechanics that have to make a comeback.
Pokemon Contests
If there’s one minigame I miss most from ORAS, it’s the Pokemon Contests. Not solely did it enable your coach to decorate up in a flashy new outfit and take part in one thing aside from a Health club Battle, however you additionally acquired a brilliant funky little Contest Pikachu who might swap between a number of totally different outfits. Everytime you have been sick of grinding out ranges or hitting the Pokemon Gyms, Pokemon Contests have been a enjoyable approach to move the time and get some use out of the opposite ‘Mons you won’t use in battle.
I’d like to see this characteristic make a return to Pokemon video games sooner or later, maybe reworked as an alternate story path very similar to Scarlet & Violet’s Starfall Avenue, Victory Highway, and Path of Legends. It could be lots of enjoyable having the ability to hit up varied contests to earn Ribbons in the identical format as Health club Badges, very similar to the Contest variation within the animated present.
Most of all, the most effective a part of this characteristic was that in ORAS, there was an choice to compete in opposition to your mates in contests fairly than battles, which added one other enjoyable multiplayer exercise to get pleasure from collectively. As the way forward for Pokemon is heading extra towards an expertise that may be loved alongside your mates, Contests would absolutely be a welcome addition to any future Pokemon title.
Battle Frontier & Battle Tree
Two of probably the most adored options of earlier technology Pokemon video games are the Battle Frontier and Battle Tree. The Battle Frontier is a post-League location within the Hoenn Area that hosts a number of totally different buildings, every with its personal Frontier Mind that the participant can problem after racking up an amassed variety of battles received inside the particular college, giving a further League-like problem to take part in when you’ve develop into the Champion.
The Battle Tree is a facility positioned within the Alola Area the place trainers compete to see what number of different challenges they will defeat in a row after which end off with a match in opposition to a Battle Legend. Nonetheless, the largest enchantment to this mechanic was {that a} stable number of Battle Tree challengers consisted of many acquainted faces from earlier generations, similar to Allies, Rivals, Champions, and Staff Leaders, deemed ‘Particular Trainers.’ This was an excellent approach to let these characters shine once more, as there’s nothing fairly like going head-to-head in opposition to your favorites from earlier Gens.
If the record of Particular Trainers was expanded for the Battle Tree to be reintroduced in a brand new Pokemon title, it might provide some critically enjoyable post-game content material to maintain gamers round and show they’re the most effective like nobody ever was.
Exploring A number of Areas in One Sport
There’s one motive specifically why the Johto Area video games (Gold/Silver/Crystal & HeartGold/SoulSilver) have all the time had a particular place in my coronary heart as my favourite franchise titles; they’re the one video games that allow you to discover a couple of Area. Once I left the Johto Area and surfed my manner throughout to Kanto as a little bit child on my GameBoy Shade, it blew my thoughts. Why have we by no means had the privilege of experiencing such pleasure once more?
What would I give to have the ability to unlock a world map when you clear your property Area, permitting you to journey to and discover the others like Ash Ketchum himself? Nicely, Dusknoir is the closest factor to a Grim Reaper, so I’d completely sacrifice my soul to this creepy Ghost-Kind in favor of this idea. This might even work within the type of DLC, plus it might give an opportunity to revisit outdated associates and rivals from earlier generations, each sparking that nostalgic curiosity from old-time gamers whereas additionally introducing newbies to a number of the pleasant and joyful people (I’m you, Silver) we’ve met alongside the way in which.
DexNav
DexNav is by far one of the crucial well-liked mechanics launched to a Pokemon sport. Current within the ORAS titles, DexNav was a enjoyable little characteristic of the PokeNav that instructed the participant info similar to degree, talents, and IVs of the wild Pokemon roaming their present location. DexNav would additionally present info on hidden Pokemon, giving the participant an indicator when a species they hadn’t but found is close by.
On prime of this, DexNav additionally got here outfitted with a ‘search’ perform, permitting you to scan the realm for a selected Pokemon that inhabits it. This made DexNav the right software for shiny searching, as it might additionally depend the chain of Pokemon that you simply had seen in a row, indicated by a ‘Search Stage’ stat.
Pokemon-Amie
Pokemon-Amie was a characteristic launched in Pokemon X & Y, permitting the participant to deal with their Pokemon and enhance bonds by petting, feeding, and taking part in with their beloved workforce. As you’ll be able to think about, this was very lovely and amusing, with every Pokemon having its personal distinctive animations and behaviors displayed.
Pokemon-Amie featured enjoyable minigames that you could possibly play to boost the friendship ranges of your Pokemon. This was way more entertaining than merely elevating friendship by means of strolling and Pokemon battles, and it actually made the expertise extra private, such as you have been actually caring for a beloved pet.
Diving
Browsing in Pokemon video games is all the time enjoyable till it’s not. Finally, swimming throughout those self same outdated seas can really feel repetitive and tiresome, particularly when the likes of Tentacool and Wailmer are so relentless about getting in your manner. Nicely, within the Hoenn Area titles, there’s a novel mechanic concerning the transfer Dive that truly means that you can discover the underwater trenches of the oceans you surf upon.
This provides one other layer of exploration to a Pokemon sport, giving the participant extra possibilities to search out gadgets and uncover distinctive Pokemon preferring to stay within the depths of the ocean fairly than close to the floor. This mechanic was lots of enjoyable, particularly as a result of gamers received to decide on the areas that they wished to dive into, nearly including a puzzle-like aspect to the enjoyable of your search. Plus, it was simply actually cool to find the labyrinth-like seafloor of the Hoenn Area.
Mega Evolution
Again earlier than all the wild mechanics, similar to Terastallizing, Dynamaxing, and Z-Strikes, there was Mega Evolution. Arguably the most effective amongst them, Mega Evolution launched varied Mega Stone maintain gadgets for particular Pokemon, permitting you to activate a Key Stone and alter their kind to a extra highly effective one as soon as per battle.
There are 46 totally different Pokemon able to Mega Evolving, with 48 totally different Mega Evolution kinds in existence. Mega Evolution was extraordinarily well-liked not only for the enjoyable mechanic however for the good designs many Pokemon acquired, leading to a flurry of fan-made Mega Evolution ideas over the next years.
Battle Types (Triple, Rotation, & Inverse Battles)
Pokemon Battles are the core facet of any mainline Pokemon sport, with many gamers even having fun with going head-to-head in opposition to their associates in PvP matches or moving into the world of on-line Aggressive Battling. In the course of the DS/3DS period of video games, there have been just a few further battle modes included on prime of the traditional Normal and Double Battles format.
The primary of those was Triple Battles, permitting trainers to battle with three Pokemon on the sector every. This allowed for some actually fascinating combos and concord of talents to negate qualities similar to Kind benefit or resistance. Rotation Battles have been just like Triple Battles within the structure of three Pokemon being on the sector at a time for both sides; nonetheless, as a free motion every flip, the participant might rotate the positioning of their Pokemon, as solely the lead Pokemon can assault.
Inverse Battles have been a wacky battle variant, shaking every part up with reversed Kind matchups and eradicating immunity from the battle, that means you’d continuously be stored in your toes, double-checking the reversed-type matchups in your head. This added a puzzle-like feeling to the battles and made them way more difficult to drag off with none struggles. These totally different battle modes have been actually a little bit quirky in nature but in addition lots of enjoyable to play for a problem in opposition to different gamers. For that reason, they might be a welcome addition again to any future Pokemon titles.
Shadow Pokemon
First launched in Pokemon Colosseum, Shadow Pokemon are beings which have had the doorways to their hearts shut by a man-made course of and at the moment are being utilized in wrongful acts. Shadow Pokemon might be restored to their commonplace kinds by purification. Shadow Pokemon are actually intriguing, sporting a ghostly, darkened visible kind in comparison with their default sprites. For that reason, it might be superior to see them seem in a future mainline Pokemon title, even when the prospect to acquire them is restricted to a special day, similar to a limited-time occasion (Shadow Lugia, we’re all you.)
Shadow Pokemon are current in Pokemon GO, with Shadow species benefiting from a 20% enhance to the Assault stat whereas in fight. It could be extraordinarily fascinating to see this mechanic switch right into a mainline Pokemon title, as it might maybe give Trainers an entire new species to gather alongside the unique Dex and glossy searching.
Problem Mode / Altering Issue
Pokemon is a franchise that’s beloved by all ages, and in relation to Pokemon video games, that’s each a blessing and a curse. Elder followers continuously complain that the video games are far too straightforward, aimed extra at a baby viewers, whereas kids nonetheless battle with many trendy facets of Pokemon video games on occasion. Nicely, the Pokemon Black & White video games quickly helped to repair this with the inclusion of their Key System perform, permitting a participant to decide on between Simple, Regular, and Problem modes.
Deciding on a mode aside from Regular on your playthrough would alter the degrees of enemy Trainers’ Pokemon groups in addition to the smarts of the battle AI, giving gamers on Simple mode a a lot much less intense time getting by means of the sport, and preserving Problem Mode gamers on their toes, particularly as a result of reality the Elite 4 use further Pokemon on their workforce, alongside way more favorable movesets and Maintain Gadgets.