Pokemon SwordandShieldhas been out for a few weeks now and fans have had time to simmer with their thoughts on thecontroversial new installmentsin the beloved franchise. With the widespread popularity of the Nintendo Switch, many Nintendo-related IPs are being reinvented to see a fresh start on the hybrid handheld-console, but not Pokemon. When the two games were first announced, many fans were expecting a bold new take on thePokemonfranchise, but leading up to release many fans realized that they were getting effectively little more than another handheld game. When looking at the other hit franchises on the Switch, it is clear thatPokemonneeds to take some notes fromThe Legend of ZeldaandSuper Mario Bros. franchises to truly win back longtime fans while taking the series to new heights.
A Lesson in Taking Risks
Pokemonhas long been a series that has played it safe when making design choices, and that needs to change.Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldfeature some small changes, but when comparing them to previous installments likeSunandMoon, fans are finding that little has changed in the grand scheme of the series. At the time of writing,Pokemon Swordis sitting at an 81 Metacritc critic score (only a 4.2 user score), whilePokemon Sunis sitting at an 87 critic score (8.3 user score). Clearly fans are dissatisfied with the direction the series has taken - or rather the direction it hasn’t taken.
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But what does this have to do withMarioandThe Legend of Zelda? Nintendo put outThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandSuper Mario Odysseyduring the Switch’s launch year, and these two very quickly became some of the most successful games in Nintendo history. But what did these games do differently than their previous installments? They revolutionized their formula. WhileSwordandShieldfeature some minorchanges to the core Pokemon gameplay loop,Breath of the WildandSuper Mario Odysseytook a risk by being revolutionary in their game design for their respective series, and it made each of them massive hits.
Freedom of Choice and Gameplay
Breath of the WildandSuper Mario Odysseyfeature one major gameplay hook that keeps players invested: freedom to choose how to play the game. WithBreath of the Wildas soon as players complete the tutorial, the world is opened and players are free to explore and complete objectives at their own pace. If they want to fight Ganon right off the Great Plateau they can do that. Or, if they want to leisurely explore the world and uncover shrines they can do so.Pokemonhas traditionally been a linear experience, though the early generations of the series had a feeling of exploration when wandering around Kanto and Johto with no guides or assistance. Players have long asked for an open worldPokemontitle, and with the Switch’s hardware now would be the time - if done correctly it could be one of thebest open world games of all-time.
In the case ofSuper Mario Odyssey, Nintendo returned to the style of games likeSuper Mario SunshineandSuper Mario 64by creating a loosely-linearMariotitle that ditches the standard level design in favorite of larger, open maps for players to explore to find collectibles.Super Mario Odysseyfeatures hundreds of moons to find, and players can tackle the puzzles in any number of ways to get them. Players are rewarded as they go based on the number of moons collected, so players can find moons on any of the worlds to get rewards.
Once players complete the main story, they are free to explore the worlds and collect the many moon that unlock post-game.Pokemonhas this to an extent due to theall the newPokemonaddedwith each generation, but cutting the available Pokemon per game severely limits this. IfPokemonwere to give players more freedom of choice when it came to gameplay, it would not only add replay value but overall increase player time investment to make fans happier.
Bringing Back a Challenge
In recent years,Pokemontitles have gotten easier in many fans' eyes. With the introduction of things like thealways-on experience shareand “hand-holding” tutorials and features, many fans feel as if the game is just railroading players through thePokemonexperience rather than letting them get immersed and dive into the experience themselves.The Legend of Zeldaas a franchise was notoriously known for having pretty rough “hand-holding” features, like having traveling companions who interrupt the player frequently to remind them of the main objective.Pokemonhas also lately been notorious for this - namely in the form of the rival(s) the player travels with. InSwordandShield, Hop is almost always waiting to stop the player with a conversation about the current objective, and while Hop is a very fun character his constant interjections gets tiresome very quickly.
To take a page fromBreath of the WildandSuper Mario Odyssey, Pokemon could either have tutorials be optional or just outright throw players into the world with little assistance. BothSuper Mario OdysseyandBreath of the Wildintroduce their main mechanics and concepts without berating the player with tutorials, and if Pokemon did that it would likely go a long way to earn back some of the favor of long-time fans that was lost during the#Dexit controversy. To go one step further, having players work harder to make their Pokemon battle-viable would help players appreciate their Pokemon more and make each battle more fulfilling. If more battles tested the mettle of the trainer, it would make the entire experience a true tale of a trainer climbing the ranks to be a champion.
Getting Sidetracked (and Being Rewarded for It)
If players ofSuper Mario OdysseyorBreath of the Wildtook a wrong turn or got sidetracked exploring, odds are they would in turn find something worthwhile to do while they wandered. WithMario, moons are hidden throughout the various worlds. Clues are scattered around for keen-eyed players to track down. WithBreath of the Wild, Hyrule is filled with shrines to complete or Korok seeds to find. Even if players did not want to track down shrines, there are plenty of items to find or enemies to fight - and players can always stop to cook whenever they like.Sword and Shield’s brand-new Wild Areahas some secrets to find, but despite the Wild Area being a large part of the Galar region’s map, it lacks any sort of driving reason for players to keep exploring.
Pokemon needs to reward players for exploration again. Earlier Pokemon titles encouraged thorough exploration of the region. Players could find secret challenges, powerful items, or even legendary Pokemon just by venturing off the beaten path. InPokemon’s third generation, players could accidentally stumble upon an entire hidden quest to find the three Regi Pokemon, which had players learn braile to uncover the mystery.DiamondandPearlfeatured several legendary Pokemon that could only be found by the curious and adventurous soul.Pokemon SwordandShieldhas someimpressive secrets hidden in the game, but nothing that drives a player to truly explore.
Many longtime fans of thePokemonfranchise have argued that the series has gotten stale, and that the games need a revolutionary change to revitalize the beloved series. If Game Freak took a page from their publishing partner Nintendo, the Pokemon series could sail to new heights just by following in the footsteps ofSuper Mario OdysseyandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. These titles became some of thebest selling titles of 2017for good reason, andPokemoncould end up the same way if Game Freak took a risk and made some key changes to thePokemonformula.
Pokemon Sword and Shieldare available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
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