As we rapidly approach the end of the year the next entry in the legendary Pokemon franchise looms ever closer, and I for one could not be more excited. And why shouldn't I be? The globe trotting series has final come to my home landmass (at least in inspiration) and I'm curious to Game Freak's vision for a Pokemon-ruled Britain. (At least they've gone out of their way to ensure that the legendaries are indicative of our national animal: The Wolf. Wait a second...) They say that you never know your home until you've explored it with a tourist, and in a way I suppose that is kind of what I'm looking forward to with this game; To take a look at England through the eyes of someone who hasn't lived here for 20-odd years and hates it. (Like practically everyone here.)
That excitement comes from a place of long fostered reverence too, considering that the Pokemon games are quite possible the first franchise that I fell in love with. (Metal Gear Solid might be my earliest gaming memory but I didn't pick up that series again until I was 12. Which was both far too early and far too late.) As my first ever personal console was the Gameboy Advance, Pokemon Emerald was my jam and still very much is. (Through methods that I cannot officially disclose but might rhythm with 'Ventalation') I spent a great many nights with my hunched over in the backroom playing Pokemon from dawn to dusk. (literally.) That's the kind of love that I put away when I left that series behind and that's what I want to recover with this upcoming Pokemon game.
However, controversy has already struck with this new entry before it's even so much as hit the shelves. Why, you ask? Because of the apparent limitations that the team have had to employ in order to bring this current entry to life. You see, Pokemon Sword and Shield are set to be the very first main-series Pokemon games that are designed for a home console (The switch may be portable but it has the capabilities of a home console) which has allowed Game Freak to go to new extremes when it comes to updating this engine for the new entry. They can expand upon the graphical overhaul that began in Sun and Moon, create 3D battle environments with animated foliage (Cool?) and entirely remodel every single Pokemon in the game. The problem is, this increased workload has meant that not every Pokemon will be able to make the final cut.
This is a shame because ever since Gen 2, each Pokemon game has possessed something called the 'National Pokedex' which allowed for players to port their fighting monsters from game to game and improve them along the way. In this way, every single Pokemon game has maintained the coding of every single Pokemon in existence up to that moment in a manner that represented the ever expanding universe. As every entry added around 100 new Pokemon, they would be added to the rooster and no one would be left behind in the evolution of the franchise. If you read my last blog on this situation, then you likely know where I'm going with this; Sword and Shield will officially discontinue this National Pokedex and everyone will start afresh.
Initially this caused substantial backlash from fans who were desperate and eager to bring their Pokemon with them. "Is this a matter of balancing? Time? Take all the time you need, just bring us our Pokedex", they pleaded. However, Game Freak have officially claimed that it would be impractical for them to work on that feature. (Plus they wouldn't delay the game seeing as how the Pokemon Company are hellbent on providing a Pokemon release every year.) Recently the game's producer, Junichi Masuda, claimed that it wasn't an issue of gameplay balance, but of development balance: "We need to be able to prioritize new gameplay ideas, We need to be able to find a way to balance the right number of Pokémon and also still introduce new ways for players to enjoy the game, new gameplay ideas to keep the series fresh and enjoyable far into the future.”
Just when things seemed their darkest, however, there was a glimmer of hope. The National Pokedex may be as good as scrapped, but that didn't mean that the new Pokedex couldn't be just as varied. Afterall, this is going to be the first home console Pokemon game, surely that means the game will be capable of much more, right? More animation, more fidelity and more memory. So it is feasible that the Pokemon Devs could find a way to bring every single Pocket monster into the game afterall, even if it won't be the specific one's that we've bought with us all this time. However, that was recently revealed to be a pipe dream once a leak from development revealed a sobering truth: The final game would only feature 400 Pokemon, essentially cutting over half of the full roster. (There exists just over 800, to save you a google search.)
Now sure, fans knew that this would be the case, but they still bemoaned the news like a wound being freshly opened. Especially as some fan favourites didn't make the final cut, like Blaz- Wait, Blaziken isn't in the game? I think I need a moment... Okay so that undeniably sucks, but people aren't willing to let bygones be bygones in this issue as many believe that it is just a matter of logistics and that all parties could, feasibly, come away from this issue happy, if only Game Freak were given the space and time to put their game together.
Personally, I am more inclined towards considering this a non-issue, as I treat every new Pokemon as a fresh experience. But as I say that, you must realize that I am not the target demographic for a feature like the National Pokedex. I forge new friendships with my digital pets each game, but some people have Pokemon they've dragged around since their first Pokemon, and they are distraught at the prospect of leaving these friends behind. Honestly, I think it's rather short-sighted for The Pokemon Company to force this issue, as I do believe they are the culprits, but then I'll always be iffy of yearly franchises because I vividly remember what happened to the Assassin's Creed franchise when they underwent a similar transition. Pokemon may not be cheapening it's own brand by becoming that rapid fire, (yet) but the extra pressure on development has already resulted in one major development casualty and put everyone on edge for what might be the next one. I know that I will be keeping a close eye on reviews for this title to see if it mirrors the 'blemish-free' reputation of classic Nintendo titles or if the rough edges of western AAA releases will start to seep into the development room. Keep your eyes on this one just in case these missing Pokemon are the smoke leading to a greater fire.
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