The Pokémon Company is currently having discussions on game quality and the timing of releases. This is due to the extremely poor technical state in which the most recent core entries, Scarlet & Violet, came out. Follow the patch notes for ongoing updates.
When confronted by the press at the 2023 Pokémon World Championships, COO Takato Utsunomiya confirmed the team was discussing how the team behind the franchise can maintain quality while adhering to a consistent release schedule.
Legends: Arceus vs. Scarlet & Violet
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was not the introduction of a new generation, but it did provide gamers with the first fully open-world catch-’em-all experience in early 2022. With cel-shaded graphics a la Breath of the Wild, it showed off the capability of the Nintendo Switch while also pushing it to its limits. It was incredibly well received, winning accolades across all major journal outlets.
The Broken Ninth Generation
With news that the ninth generation of Pokémon, set in the Paldea region, would continue this long-awaited and beloved formula introduced in Legends: Arceus, fans were more excited than ever. Unfortunately, Scarlet & Violet were beset with inconsistent framerates, low-quality textures, crashes, and view distance issues–to name several key problems.
Still, this did not stop people from buying and playing the game. They also do not make the experience unplayable, and fans still praised the experience in many respects.
However, the technical problems plaguing Scarlet & Violet were so prevalent that Nintendo came out to issue a statement stating that fan feedback was being taken seriously.
Give Fans What They Want
Aside from waiting until a core entry is polished before delivering it to the fans who made the franchise the most successful in the history of entertainment, there are many more ideas that Game Freak could jump on, even now.
The biggest request that people have been asking for, not just from The Pokémon Company, but from Nintendo in general, is a greater emphasis on support for legacy games.
Back in February 2015, Nintendo offered Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow as downloadable games on the 3DS eShop. Not only could you relive the days of the Kanto region and the original 151, but you could transfer Pokémon caught in these games into the now-defunct Pokémon Bank for use in newer titles. Sadly, this did not last, and the eShop for the 3DS closed down.
When the Switch debuted in 2017, it left many long-time fans feeling betrayed by the lack of a dedicated Virtual Console that was seen with the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U. Since this time, Nintendo has been providing official emulation for its classic library of games via Switch Online, but there are still so many titles missing.
With respect to the Pokémon franchise, only several classic games are currently available, namely Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Stadium 2, Pokémon Puzzle League, and Pokémon TCG. Clearly, none of these are past core entries.
The Greatest Idea
The best strategy for The Pokémon Company to make amends for the recent issues regarding the technical problems of Scarlet & Violet is to re-release all classic Game Boy Pokémon games via Switch Online with connectivity to Pokémon HOME and gate the titles behind the Expansion Pack.
Not only will this create new subscribers of Switch Online but it will motivate existing ones to upgrade to the premium package.
Fans will be more motivated than ever to relive their childhoods and introduce new generations of fans to the older games in a way that everyone can experience with ease. Trading could also be simplified, and done via the Internet without a link cable.
What’s more, with support for connection with Pokémon HOME, fans can transfer the mons they worked so hard for in the classic games and bring them over to modern titles to more easily complete their collections.
This idea can be a financial opportunity not seen since the billion-dollar success of Pokémon GO.