Pokemon was a big part of my childhood. I grow nostalgic as I look back on fond memories
of getting Pokemon: Blue Version for Christmas, watching the anime in the mornings before
school, and scouring booster packs for the elusive Charizard card. Suffice it to say that I’m
really, really, excited for Generation VI, the new set of Pokemon games due to be released on the 3DS later this year.
This is a big moment for the Pokemon franchise. I believe it is an opportunity for change–for
Evolution, if you will. Let’s take a look at the way GameFreak has been releasing Pokemon games since its inception:
Generation I: Two main games, 1 supplementary game
Generation II: Two main games, 1 supplementary game
Generation III: Two main games, 1 supplementary game, 2 remakes
Generation IV: Two main games, 1 supplementary game, 2 remakes
Generation V: Two main games……..and two sequels
They’ve already started to change up the format of their releases, and the game’s transition to a 3D system marks a natural place to implement some more changes. In fact, we already know of a couple changes that will be occurring in the new games. At first glance, we notice that the games’ titles are deviating from the established pattern. Up until now, all of the games have been named after colors (or colorful gems). The new games break from this and are called X and Y. So either they couldn’t think of any more colors (Pokemon: Brown and Orange don’t sound very appealing) or this marks some sort of change.
Then, of course, there’s the glaring issue that Pokemon is moving to into a 3D world. And I mean, really moving into a 3D world. This was hinted at in Gen V, with a slightly 3-dimensional overworld, but from what we’ve seen of Gen VI, it looks like they’re taking the plunge. Battles with 3D models instead of sprites. Exciting stuff, right? Yes, exciting stuff.
What I’m getting at…is that I’m excited. Pokemon has come a long way since its release in 1995, and I feel like it’s aged well. I have high hopes for the release later this year.
What do you think? Are you anticipating a lot of change for the next games? How do you think they’ll compare to the older games? What’s on your Gen VI Wishlist?