Remaking Pokemon: Nintendo Take some Notes.

[DeleteThisPlease]

This has been bothering me recently:

Pokemon. It's a great way to waste time. I can remember the hours I spent chaseing the Legendary Dogs in Crystal Version, or talking to Pikachu in Yellow, fighting the Elite 4 for the first time, challenging Red to a battle in Gold and Silver...

Good times. Great times even. Lots of good memories and stories to be told. But it's been a while.

And I mean a WHILE.

Nintendo is wasting some serious gameplay potentinal here. The formula for the pokemon games haven't changed a tick.

Wake up.
Talk with Professor Tree of Some Kind
Name your Rival (always Male)
Get your first Pokemon.
Get your Pokedex
Get a side quest to get your first pokeballs.
Start your adventure.
Catch pokemon.
Fight Trainers.
Explore the Routes.
Discover a plot of some kind from Team (something to do with space/nature)
Fight Gymleaders and work to stop Team space/nature from compleating... whatever it is they are doing.
Stop Team space/nature.
Catch/defeat legendary pokemon.
Train more.
Finish the Gym leaders.
Fight though Victory Road.
Battle the Elite 4.
Beat the Elite 4.
Game 'Over'. You've won!

Ok, fine, there's more to it then that, but still, Pokemon games have followed the same pattern FOREVER, and Nintendo is wasting a perfectly good oppertunity here.

I mean, can you imagine what would happen if the whole world was opened up from the start? Not just one reigion?

The possiblities are almost endless! Plotlines everywhere you look, from the Ghost Tower from the origional games to a great-inter-arching war between Team Rocket, Magma, Aqua, and Glatica (or whatever that last teams name is... I never got to play Diamond or Pearl...)

A war over the Safari zones.

A city in panic because a vicious pack of Houndooms are running amuk in the allyways.

I mean, heck, you could even take pages out of the Anime and use Ash, Misty, Brock, May, and everyone else as characters in this amazing pokemon game I'm outlining here. Bring up a party system in the whole thing to have other characters with you.

Now, I've got a thousand more ideas for how to make a game that I love even better, but I'm not making this thread to rant (too much anyway), but to hear what you, yes you, escapists, think would make Pokemon better then it is.

 

[FactualSquirrel]

Pokemon. It's a great way to waste time.

I find it ironix that as I read that I was playing pokémon...

But yeah, it still sells, so they still make it.

Simple as.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Ah, the classic theory of "To make a JRPG better, make it a WRPG."

 

[DeleteThisPlease]

Ah, the classic theory of "To make a JRPG better, make it a WRPG."

Does it really sound like that?
If it does, I think I eather missed my point by a ways, or I wrote it wrong. I'm not trying to change the core of the pokemon games... just spice them up a little. Add to the experience so to speak.

 

[SavingPrincess]

A war over the Safari zones.

A city in panic because a vicious pack of Houndooms are running amuk in the allyways.

I mean, heck, you could even take pages out of the Anime and use Ash, Misty, Brock, May, and everyone else as characters in this amazing pokemon game I'm outlining here. Bring up a party system in the whole thing to have other characters with you.

Now, I've got a thousand more ideas for how to make a game that I love even better, but I'm not making this thread to rant (too much anyway), but to hear what you, yes you, escapists, think would make Pokemon better then it is.

Sounds a bit like what they tried to do with Pokemon Ranger. There are a lot of spin-off games that really do what you're talking about... but because they're Nintendo, they are keeping the core series to the core gameplay.

If I were me, which I am, I'd be the one taking notes from Nintendo, on how to make tons and tons of money AND make great games.

 

[DeleteThisPlease]

-snip-

Sounds a bit like what they tried to do with Pokemon Ranger. There are a lot of spin-off games that really do what you're talking about... but because they're Nintendo, they are keeping the core series to the core gameplay.

If I were me, which I am, I'd be the one taking notes from Nintendo, on how to make tons and tons of money AND make great games.

I know, and believe me, I'm taking as many notes from Nintendo as possible, it's just...

I don't know. How much farther can they really take the Pokemon series? The new mon's are ok, I guess (I'm still convinced that the pokemon up to Ruby and Sapphire exist, but again, this is because I haven't gotten to play Diamond or Pearl), but I want to see MORE from the Pokemon world. The old formula works, but it's starting to get, well, old and tired.

 

[Psychedelic Squid]

-SNIP-

A city in panic because a vicious pack of Houndooms are running amuk in the allyways.
-SNIP-

Hehe. Running a Muk.

Sorry, what was the question?

 

[Jamis]

Complaining about this is redundant. It's like complaining that all Link does is go through temples pissing off Ganon, then beating the shit out of Ganon, then not getting laid. Or the fact that all Samus does is cover her naughty bits in rare, ancient, extinct armor then kill aliens, one of which WILL be Ridley. Then theres Mario... shall I go on? Nintendo jerks off the same formula because we continue to buy the crusty socks.

 

[Mray3460]

1. Character F***ing customization. One of the things I liked about Pokemon Battle Revolution when I rented it was that I could customize my character from my clothes and body to my catchphrases and opening statements in battle. It's petty, but come on Nintendo. At least let us customize our online appearance beyond picking one of four pre-done appearances(That are determined by your serial number of all things, )
2. Alternate Means of Advancement. The contests and art of breeding Pokemon are both something that I enjoy doing (The latter being how I build my online team), but they have no bearing on advancing the plot or giving me useful items.
3. More variety among the individual Pokemon species/Inheratable traits for breeding Pokemon. Make it so base stats (Natures) can be passed from parent to child, rather than being randomly generated, additionally, give us some variety in how the individual pokemon appear, for Eevee for example, have one have a spotted coat, one a solid one, one with a slightly altered color scheme, or other ways of tell individual Pokemon apart other than shiny/not shiny, and enable these traits to be inherited by the Pokemon's offspring. It'd give people (Or at least me) more of a feel that the pixilated creature on screen is "mine" rather than a generic creature with some stats I fiddled with.
4. Finally, online matchmaking/friends list (or, "Kill the F***ing friend code system!"). This is more a general gripe about Nintendo hardware but, yeah, the friend code system irredeemably sucks, and if it were changed to something more akin to other online systems, I and a bunch of other people would probably enjoy online play a fair bit more.

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

Fallout 3 is a great game, but that doesn't mean every game should be like it, especially not Pokemon.

Don't break whats working great just to see if you can fix it better.

 

[DeleteThisPlease]

1. Character F***ing customization. One of the things I liked about Pokemon Battle Revolution when I rented it was that I could customize my character from my clothes and body to my catchphrases and opening statements in battle. It's petty, but come on Nintendo. At least let us customize our online appearance beyond picking one of four pre-done appearances that you have to pick from (That are determined by your serial number of all things, )

Oooh! On this point:
Let us be able to acually pick out the gender of our rival and what they wear as well, please? I mean, come on, besides having the ability to make them wear bright pink and get a couple of snarky jokes out of what you name them, the fact that your Rival is ALWAYS a guy is a bit annoying.

I mean, I would much rather have a female rival. I like the idea of having a girl chaseing me thoughout the game. (Ok, bad joke, but still..)

 

[DeleteThisPlease]

Fallout 3 is a great game, but that doesn't mean every game should be like it, especially not Pokemon.

Don't break whats working great just to see if you can fix it better.

When did I start talking about Fallout?

Come to think of it, when did we get on the topic of WRPGs over JRPGs?

 

[Generator]

-snip-

These are all great ideas to improve the basic game without really changing too much.

I think one reason that Nintendo doesn't change the core mechanics is because a lot of their fanbase is in it for nostalgia's sake, and if they threw a wrench into the mix, that demographic would be gone. Still, minor tweaks and improvements could greatly increase the experience, such as the ones you've suggested.

Also, this might be just me, but I really want to walk diagonally. It seems like that could really open up the world to the player. I suppose that could act as the "wrench" I was talking about earlier though...

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

Fallout 3 is a great game, but that doesn't mean every game should be like it, especially not Pokemon.

Don't break whats working great just to see if you can fix it better.

When did I start talking about Fallout?

Come to think of it, when did we get on the topic of WRPGs over JRPGs?

I say fallout 3 because it seems your trying to make a pokemon version of it, by your suggestions. The WRPGs statement was brought up because your suggestions are typically IN WRPGS.

 

[Darkstorm091]

WRPGS are characterized by an open world and customizable characters.
They are more open and "chose your own adventure"-esque

The WRPG vs. JRPG came up because your proposal of an open world sounded suspiciously like a WRPG to someone.

On Topic: Pokemon is a great game, and there is little in it I would like to see changed. On thing I will agree with is the gripe on the "Beat Elite Four = Game 'Over'" problem. One of the reasons I love Gold/Silver (and am playing HG right now) is because beating the Elite Four is only the halfway point. YOu then get to go to Kanto, which has new badges, new music, and tougher opponents to face. Why can't more Pokemon games take this approach (Battle Frontier DOES NOT count)?

 

[TheGreenManalishi]

Ah, the classic theory of "To make a JRPG better, make it a WRPG."

This made me laugh, and I agree with it completely. The first two genereation Pokémon games are the only RPGs I've bothered to finish, if anything, Nintendo needs to get back to what made those games so good, and away from what makes all the other games so mediocre.

 

[DeleteThisPlease]

WRPGS are characterized by an open world and customizable characters.
They are more open and "chose your own adventure"-esque

The WRPG vs. JRPG came up because your proposal of an open world sounded suspiciously like a WRPG to someone.

On Topic: Pokemon is a great game, and there is little in it I would like to see changed. On thing I will agree with is the gripe on the "Beat Elite Four = Game 'Over'" problem. One of the reasons I love Gold/Silver (and am playing HG right now) is because beating the Elite Four is only the halfway point. YOu then get to go to Kanto, which has new badges, new music, and tougher opponents to face. Why can't more Pokemon games take this approach (Battle Frontier DOES NOT count)?

Maybe my suggestion of a open-world from the beginning wasn't quite the right foot to put forwards...

On that point though, a little bit more choice would be nice, like... I don't know.
Being able to chose which reigion you start in? (for the next game that comes out)?

That would be a nice start.

I'm not trying to destroy the nestoliga, I'm just saying that there is plenty of room for origional thought (and plot) to be added to the quazi-story that they build into the game from the beginning.

 

[Enigmers]

Why would Nintendo need to take notes if everything they make sells like hotcakes already?

 

[DeleteThisPlease]

Ah, the classic theory of "To make a JRPG better, make it a WRPG."

Well, it is true. JRPGs, to be frank, aren't fun. 15 (if anyone gets literal on me, I will kill you) year old guys (who look like chicks) fighting to save the city/world/solar system/galaxy/universe/multiverse? Really, Pokemon at least strays away from some of the JRPG clichés.

Indeed!

12 year old guys (or chicks, both of which look like their respective gender (kinda)) Making allies and collected monsteres to help them to fight save the continent from a evil organisation with little to no help or character interaction, and to become the greatest the world has ever known.

... never mind.

@Enigmers: The title is just for show really, couldn't think of a good thread topic name.