If you could design a Pokemon game, what would you do differently?

[Ursus Buckler]

I often hear people complain regularly about the stale formula of games in the Pokemon franchise (myself included, gorramn it). I myself complain regularly about the new generations of the little bastards that diminish in quality with every new batch, but at the same time, without these new Pokemon being introduced, I'm wondering how Pokemon would be kept fresh.

So, if you could design a Pokemon game, what would you do?

 

[JordanXlord]

easy...

Allow the Trainer to Join the Enemy Team if they want to..

also a Buddy System because Pokemon is Better with a friend...

 

[shadowelancer]

Allow you to travel through all the previous regions and fight all the gym leaders and catch most of the legendarys

 

[JokerboyJordan]

Incorporate Generations 1-3 into one game

 

[The Shade]

Make it an MMO.

Seriously... does anybody else think they're missing a great opportunity? Pre-existing fanbase, open-world concept, levelling system.

Seems like it would be a perfect fit to me.

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

Step one, stop adding stupid looking new pokemon.

Step two, make every single pokemon available in one game. And add all the regions.

Step three, stop having a villain. Or at least make it a good villain.

Step four, make the rivals less annoying.

Step five, REMOVE THE FUCKING HMs.

 

[Voodoomancer]

All regions included in the game, you get to pick your starting town.
- Starting town determines the storyline, somewhat.
- Also determines your options for starter pokemon.

All pokemon to date included in the game.
- Maybe a new batch too.
-- design those in the spirit of generation I and II
-- Also, no more legendaries, we have enough of the bloody things.

Team [whatever] doesn't get total free reign, where's the police dammit!
- Include police stations

Don't strongarm the player into following exactly this storyline. Options are nice.
- Joining Team whatever would be hilarious, for instance
- Also, don't make supercontestmusicalwhatsits mandatory.

Don't make HM's unforgettable, dammit!

+ A few more minor details.

 

[Vault Citizen]

I might add every Pokemon but I'm not sure, after all the whole point is to get people trading, something which has only gotten easier since the introduction of the GTS (thanks to which I have Zorua and all three Unova starters).

I would definetly, make all events easier to access. Remove HMs. Make it possible to progress through the game entirely through pokemon contests, making them more of an alternative.

I'd also stop the one action per turn gameplay, allowing for more strategy in the games.

 

[Palademon]

Put it in 3D and let me ride Pokemon to each town.
Also, we need to fix this:

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

I liked the Mystery Dungeon idea where you actually ARE the pokemon, except with real time battle mechanics. Maybe if it was done in a Kingdom Hearts style, I mean you usually have one or two partners with you so might as well.

Put it in 3D and let me ride Pokemon to each town.
Also, we need to fix this:

Have you seen the new city in Black/White? It was a huge improvement and had random pedestrians who wouldn't talk to you and pass by. I was a bit dissapointed when I found out this was the only kind of city in the game. Yea we need more of that.

 

[OptimisticPessimist]

Well, the last Pokemon game I played was Pokemon Stadium on the N64. Sooo....I guess remake that, but better.

 

[Voodoomancer]

Put it in 3D and let me ride Pokemon to each town.
Also, we need to fix this:

This is possibly the best point ever made about pokemon

 

[A LargePlatypus]

Custom user sprites,Multiplayer,all regions (start in whichever one you like),and more choices that affect the game.

 

[alik44]

How about a game where i start off as a team rocket grunt and work my way up to exceutive or whatever there higest rank is then go to other regions kick out there team what ever crime syndnicate and establish another team rocket branch. now that would be an intrestin game

 

[Ursus Buckler]

Put it in 3D and let me ride Pokemon to each town.
Also, we need to fix this:

I like that. I like that a lot... yes, riding a Venusaur into town and kicking ass would have made everything better. I was kind of thinking a new thing to do would be a sandbox kind of style instead of the usual stuff, sorta Assassin's Creed like.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Flareon gets +30 Base Speed.

And Flare Blitz.

 

[Swifteye]

Oh goodness gracious. I could go all day on what I'd do I could write soo much that it would be overwhelming for pretty much anyone to read. So i'll just keep it restrained to cliff notes

Have the game start out in a city instead of a no name village like we always do and instead of one rival a dozen actively moving acquaintances with different goals and many many interactions with you.

Being able to have a starter pokemon of any one type.

In battles you can tell your pokemon to generically attack your opponent instead of choosing a move and it has four moves and a HM slot reserved only for one HM move.


Have the ability to damage the pokeecosystem (such is the case if you train your pokemon by grinding wild pokemon that will damage that area's eco system creating a temporary collapse or the overgrowth of other creatures).

reinvent the gangs that have appeared in the pokemon lore and have them interact with the player, his acquaintances and each other.

Have pokemon types serve different purposes other than using as a weapon (like say you own two rock types. Breed the rock types and along with a new pokemon you may get one of those precious stones that we need for evolutions and etc)

Abadon most one evolution or two or three evolution pokemon that are just knock offs of others and create more webbed evolutions for the pokemon that are left.

make researching pokemon an objective.

Make gym battles a way to train Pokemon of a certain type at an accelerated rate an give a option to have a gym battle or a mini game which trains that Pokemon's abilities.

Give pokemon the ability to do the things that's suggested of them in there pokedex and then go out and solve the problems caused by pokemon being pokemon.

bring back all the islands in previous lands or create an actual continent rather than just a small japan like doppleganger.

customizeable character models.

A more tamagotchi approach to treating your pokemon (keeping them in a pokeball for a long time will make them upset with you and keeping them in the computer will make them forget who you are and won't respond unless petted up a bit and have some one on one time in the gym).

Be able to interact with legendary pokemon instead of catching them.

Pyshic pokemon being able telepathically talk to people.

The unknown mystery leading to a situation where you enter or reality clashes with the alternate dimension unknowns dwell in.

Swimming and Flying pokemon actually being recognizeable when used.

A place to gain experience at any level.

And other things but I must do other things now.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Oh this is far to easy. How about a goal besides 'Catch them all' or 'Become the Pokémon Master'. Or hell, if you're going to let me become the Pokémon Master at least have it mean something. Okay so great I beat the Elite Four and the current Master, but what I just get to go home as if nothing ever happened? How about letting me be the Master and have random powerful trainers challenge my title every now and then?

Oh and transportation: why the fuck am I riding a bloody push bike when I've got a Rapidash? Seriously it'd be so much cooler to see your overworld avatar darting around on a Pokémon.
Also HMs need to become redundant. They serve no purpose other than allowing the use of obstacles for story progression and their role could easily be filled with Pokémon traits or key items. Say, got a Scyther but don't want it to have shitty CUT for a move? Well one of its traits lets it cut things down!

I have far too many complaints about this stale series to put into one post. I bloody love Pokémon, it's one of my favourite long running franchises but its been stagnating for a while and needs freshening up.

EDIT

Also yes, I get that it's a classic turn based RPG that requires stragey and thinking... but honestly couldn't it be a bit more exhillerating? I always thought that a real time battle system would be awesome for Pokémon.

Imagine it in an arena similar to Pokémon Stadiums arenas. Instead of choosing your move you get you control your Pokémon fully and each button is mapped to a move. Say it's on the next Nintendo console and it has a classic Gamecube layout. You'd move around with the analog stick, attack with A, B, X and Y, dodge with L and R (to varying success), switch out with Z. I always thought that Pokémon would be better with more involvement in the actual battles.

 

[Piorn]

Keep the franchise, but rewrite the games from scratch. It was ok for a GameBoy game, but now, the whole system is just outdated. Catching carboard cutouts isn't as fun when you could actually play something better.
How can it be that, as a Pokemon trainer, the only interaction with your critters is giving them orders in battle? You are supposed to care for them, yet they are all replaceable, because the only difference between them are some invisible numbers.
I'd say quality over quantity.