The "Nintendo Games" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Interest in the Pokemon series has lowered significantly, not just because the Pokemon fad has ended, but also because the games are no longer innovative. Apart from big fans of the series that want more of the same, I doubt all that many people will be hugely excited about the prospect of another sequel.
But how can Nintendo revive the struggling franchise? Firstly I think a GameCube Pokemon title would help. And not something like the ‘Stadium’ games on the N64. I mean real Pokemon RPGs like on the GameBoy. But in 3D. And not just that. A new, better combat system. I think turn based combat for Pokemon works well. But turn based combat doesn’t necessarily mean wading through menus constantly, or waiting for ages until it’s your turn again. When battle initiates you choose which Pokemon to fight with and then it appears in the 3D area. You can them move your Pokemon around as you wish. Obviously you wouldn’t be able to go all over the 3D world as your Pokemon, so there would have to be a kind of boundary set out somehow to show players how far their Pokemon can roam. Then, as each pokemon only has four attack slots each attack can be assigned to a button (A, B, X and Y) while L and R could be used for side step dodging. This would leave the Z trigger for calling your Pokemon back to its Pokeball. Basically for your Pokemon to attack a bar would have to fill up, and the speed of the bar would depend on the speed stat of your Pokemon. But you could move or dodge at any time, to try and avoid attacks, and you would have to get in close to use attacks like slash, etc. When you have no Pokemon fighting, but there is still an enemy and you’re still in the battle mode you control your trainer and can either select another Pokemon to get out or you can choose to try and run away. However the wild Pokemon may give chase and attack the trainer, meaning there would be a risk involved. When in a battle against another trainer it would be the same, but just outside the battle ring boundary the two trainers would be, at opposite ends. The Pokemon, as well as attacking each other could attack the trainer, meaning you could opt to fight dirty by taking out the trainer, so the enemy Pokemon would be disoriented. If your trainer was knocked out it’d be game over, so there’d be the extra element of having to protect him/her from attacks. This mode of play would also allow for three or even four way fights, which could mean four player multiplay battles!
As well as the added depth to gameplay, I’m sure this system would give some astounding looking battles. Of course, HP bars and the like would be kept, and each attack would deal varying amounts of damage depending on the level and strength of the Pokemon. Anyway, what do you think? Does this system sound better than selecting attacks from menus?
Also, depending on how much your Pokemon trusted you, would also effect how it obeyed you, or how likely it was to resist the effects of being paralyzed... etc.
The franchise combined with the power of the Gamecube has some serious potential. Unfortunately, going by some of the screenshots I've seen, the new GBA versions are looking like the old games only with slightly spiced up graphics, which would be a BIG disappointment.
I might be proved wrong. I hope I will be. :-)
That would add some extra depth and still allow for for the fact that you're not directly controlling the Pokemon.
So in the Gamecube version, although it would be menu's, instead of simply seeing your Pokemon attack, you'd see your trainer call out what move to use, watch them take it in and then the Computer AI would determine how they caried it out and how the other Pokemon reacted.
Because the computer AI is controlling your Pokemon, they'd be on the move all the time, rather than simply sitting and staring at their opponents in between attacks (a la Pokemon Stadium).
Interest in the Pokemon series has lowered significantly, not just because the Pokemon fad has ended, but also because the games are no longer innovative. Apart from big fans of the series that want more of the same, I doubt all that many people will be hugely excited about the prospect of another sequel.
But how can Nintendo revive the struggling franchise? Firstly I think a GameCube Pokemon title would help. And not something like the ‘Stadium’ games on the N64. I mean real Pokemon RPGs like on the GameBoy. But in 3D. And not just that. A new, better combat system. I think turn based combat for Pokemon works well. But turn based combat doesn’t necessarily mean wading through menus constantly, or waiting for ages until it’s your turn again. When battle initiates you choose which Pokemon to fight with and then it appears in the 3D area. You can them move your Pokemon around as you wish. Obviously you wouldn’t be able to go all over the 3D world as your Pokemon, so there would have to be a kind of boundary set out somehow to show players how far their Pokemon can roam. Then, as each pokemon only has four attack slots each attack can be assigned to a button (A, B, X and Y) while L and R could be used for side step dodging. This would leave the Z trigger for calling your Pokemon back to its Pokeball. Basically for your Pokemon to attack a bar would have to fill up, and the speed of the bar would depend on the speed stat of your Pokemon. But you could move or dodge at any time, to try and avoid attacks, and you would have to get in close to use attacks like slash, etc. When you have no Pokemon fighting, but there is still an enemy and you’re still in the battle mode you control your trainer and can either select another Pokemon to get out or you can choose to try and run away. However the wild Pokemon may give chase and attack the trainer, meaning there would be a risk involved. When in a battle against another trainer it would be the same, but just outside the battle ring boundary the two trainers would be, at opposite ends. The Pokemon, as well as attacking each other could attack the trainer, meaning you could opt to fight dirty by taking out the trainer, so the enemy Pokemon would be disoriented. If your trainer was knocked out it’d be game over, so there’d be the extra element of having to protect him/her from attacks. This mode of play would also allow for three or even four way fights, which could mean four player multiplay battles!
As well as the added depth to gameplay, I’m sure this system would give some astounding looking battles. Of course, HP bars and the like would be kept, and each attack would deal varying amounts of damage depending on the level and strength of the Pokemon. Anyway, what do you think? Does this system sound better than selecting attacks from menus?