Pokemon on Home Consoles

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

RULE No.1 to this thread: No "it doesn't work" negative comments please. (consider this a test on keeping things 'positive').

 

This thread is about ideas, possibility and what has worked in the past.

 

What do you think worked? What were your favourite games?

 

Though Colosseum and Gale of Darkness got average reviews, the Pokemon element still made it a somewhat addictive game and the angle of starting the game with developed Pokemon was done well.

 

I think that approach for a Pokemon console adventure was correct - all they needed to work on was the story, music and atmosphere. Like most turn-based RPGs, its the story thats the driving force - and if they applied that to console iterations, they could be classic games and boost the RPG genre on Nintendo home consoles.

 

Another notable game mode from XD was that battle CD, where you were placed with random pokemon in different situations (like win in 3 moves).

 

And as always, Pokemon Snap 2 is a game thats just long overdue, such a simple game to make for so much return.

[somme]

I haven't really enjoyed a Pokemon game since Gold/Silver - I think there are far too many of them (Pokemon, not the games) but if they did release a 3D home console version with an expansive world to explore and enslave adorable creatures I would lap it up. I never really traded or battled with friends so being able to do that online would be perfect for me.

Edited June 27, 2015 by somme

[Happenstance]

Im completely bored of the handheld Pokemon games but I think a full on 3D home console RPG could be good. People have made this comparison before but something like Ni No Kuni on PS3 would be brilliant.

[FireMeowth]

I want the main Pokémon games to stay handheld-only, as the benefits of portability far outnumber the minor advantages a console release would have, but I really do wish we had more spin-offs on the Wii U.

 

...Okay, mostly I just want a new PokéPark game. PokéPark 2 was one of the very best Pokémon spin-offs (like no one ever was), and one of my favourite Wii games, too.

[Happenstance]

I want the main Pokémon games to stay handheld-only, as the benefits of portability far outnumber the minor advantages a console release would have

 

Why do you think that? Seems with the rise of online the benefits of handheld diminish quite a bit.

[FireMeowth]

Why do you think that? Seems with the rise of online the benefits of handheld diminish quite a bit.

 

I meet up with friends at the local Pokémon League twice a week. We battle, trade, help each other out, show off things in our games, share our Secret Bases etc. I would never want them to sacrifice that in exchange for better graphics and (potentially) grander scope, which are really the only benefits I could imagine a console release would have over the handheld games.

[Happenstance]

I meet up with friends at the local Pokémon League twice a week. We battle, trade, help each other out, show off things in our games, share our Secret Bases etc. I would never want them to sacrifice that in exchange for better graphics and (potentially) grander scope, which are really the only benefits I could imagine a console release would have over the handheld games.

 

Pffft, I'm sure you could all lug your TVs and home consoles there for the same experience :p

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I want the main Pokémon games to stay handheld-only, as the benefits of portability far outnumber the minor advantages a console release would have,.

 

I think the advantages are the same now. I really don't know anyone who goes out with their 3DS looking to trade and battle etc.

 

I think the repetitive dual handheld Pokemon releases are getting stale now. It is pretty the same thing repeated. With X and Y for example, I have been hoping they release Pokemon Z on the Wii U - What a sales boost that would be too.

[Dcubed]

I think that a Pokemon game on a console needs to offer something that can't be done justice on a handheld and that anything that involves a heavy focus on communication (such as the mainline games or the TCG) is simply a better fit for a handheld.

 

So I think that a console Pokemon game should either be communal (like a fighting game or a party game) or something that offers a large scale experience (like a hypothetical Bayonetta style action game starring Hawlucha), or something is specifically designed around offering new forms of gameplay that could only be done with a specific control scheme (here's where a Pokemon Snap 2 controlled with the Gamepad as the camera comes into play )

[Glen-i]

The major problem I see with Pokemon on home consoles isn't really the games themselves, it's Game Freak.

 

You'd have to be barmy to think that the 3DS games were utilising the 3DS well.

Awful frame rate at times, graphics that are about as good as Golden Sun Dark Dawn (A DS game).

 

They have a reputation for struggling to get to grips with hardware.

(That said, they have proven that once they get the hang of it, they can knock it out of the park with the likes of Gold/Silver, Black/White, and Black/White 2)

I just couldn't trust them to make a console RPG.

 

Personally, I'd want a different company to tackle it, maybe not sticking so rigidly to the handheld formula.

 

(Oh, and @Dcubed, I hate you for suggesting Bayonetta: Hawlucha edition! I would totally buy that just based on the concept!)

[Agent Gibbs]

Personally i'd love a home console variation on a main game

I'd love it to be done in the same vein as Ni No Kuni, following Ash or someone from the Anime.

So it isn't a main game (following the format of working to be the pokemon champion, by completing 8 gyms) perhaps it could follow a story line of a different sort, a crisis in the pokemon world similar to one of the movies, or several stories or an arc of the anime series (would be nice to get those orange island gyms as a game though).

To be honest I'd love the battle system to be similar to Ni No Kuni too, seeing the trainer in the arena, but controlling the pokemon and it's moves

[Guy]

Agree fully with @Glen\-i, Game Freak/Pokemon Company will struggle to create something that looks or runs anywhere near as well as it should. We'd basically get a PS1 game, PS2 at best. I don't think the technical performance of modern 3DS Pokemon games can even be defended.

 

I wanted a mainline console Pokemon for years, and I'm sure one would be cool, but something more in-line with the current 3DS games with graphical/performance improvements and a bit more development of online interaction would be perfect for me. I thought we were really getting somewhere with X and Y, then they dropped custom characters from the Ruby/Sapphire remakes and well... I just don't know what's coming up next.

 

I want to believe they'll continue the glorious path of X and Y, but it's probably best I don't. Two steps forward, one step back seems to be the way with Pokemon mainline titles.

 

I've said this before somewhere, but I'd prefer a proper 3D Pokemon world to basically be like Snap. It would be a third person adventure that takes place during Red/Blue/Yellow/Green/other area and Red/whoever sets out on their journey and as time progresses,they'd move around the world and events would occur and your job would be to track 'em down and record the journey as a series of photos. Team Rocket would show up and do stuff, you can take pics to help Red prove they were up to no good, revisit areas to see other trainers tackle Gym Leaders, train, eat, sleep etc.

 

Maybe one side quest is you're recruited by someone to keep tabs on Team Rocket suspicious activity.

 

I assume it would work a bit like Majora's Mask with scripted events taking place at certain times around the towns/caves/routes.

 

Maybe it'd be boring, I dunno. I think it would be a nice expansion of the worlds without taking away from the mainline games, especially if the endgame was to just travel the region and snap good quality photos of all the wild Pokemon. You could even like, follow the trainer to legendary captures and snap photos of the battles taking place there to complete your album.

 

Miiverse would work cool too. It could be like... newspapers you see in game, or TV ads on the televisions showcase top ranked photos by other photographers. Players could even link it up to the new 3DS game and upload their team/trainer and you'd sometimes come across their trainers/teams from your buddies battling/training/wandering around in tall grass around the world.

 

Sadly my dream Pokemon game will never happen.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Guy

[Hero-of-Time]

Level 5 gets my vote for making a Pokemon game. Ni No Kuni was an amazing game with fantastic visuals that would easily fit in the world of Pokemon. Their work on the DQ games is also worth a nod as well.

[Phube]

I would love a real Pokemon game on a home console.

 

I've played Ruby, Diamond and X and never once seen a real person whilst playing (I'm 36 and know no one who'd ever want to) so the whole 'social aspect is lost on me. I would just love a proper RPG game with a few tweaks:

 

One game, with ALL the Pokemon in!

You can choose where to go, no artificial barriers. (Apart from secret paths areas).

You can meet any level at any time (I'm fed up of never losing a battle until I get to that final few 'bosses'), maybe a level 35 pidgey just outside your house?

Choose your path, maybe I don't want to be a battler, maybe I want to be a breeder or a researcher?

Start as an adult!?

Proper day/month/year cycle like Animal Crossing.

More than 6 Pokemon companions.

 

 

And some more maybe but I'm tired.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Phube

[dazzybee]

Pokemon home console makes sense to everyone bar the most mental... As for local play and meet ups and trains and toilets or wherever people play, maybe the nx hybrid rewlly will be the solution to this! Even if the handheld didn't have the main game, but just your pokedex for trading and fights. Solved that problem.

 

Imagine a huge a,azimg pokemon rpg on the nx (even the Wii u). People would go absolutely nuts! A true system seller.

[Oxigen_Waste]

No "it doesn't work"

 

It's not that it doesn't work... it would most definitely work and completely reinvigorate the IP. It's that the powers that be refuse to compromise their vision of what they believe Pokémon should be. They're essentially being stubborn.

 

I suppose it's only a matter of time. Hopefully the day when Game Freak finally chooses to not press B isn't too far off.

[Mr_Master_X2]

Many, many huge openworld linked areas. With lots and lots of environment interactivity looking for Pokemon, such as climbing trees, chucking rocks in ponds, tree shaking, digging etc. Also retain weather features, with full-on weather system dicatating where Pokemon go. You actually SEE the Pokemon in the third person world you explore. I guess, a camera to take photos of Mon/environment you explore like Snap.

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I think that a Pokemon game on a console needs to offer something that can't be done justice on a handheld

 

I think there are many things that a console version can do, which the handheld doesn't:

 

• Seeing wild Pokemon (not just a shadow in the grass)
  
• Surfing, Flying, (teleporting, digging) with the correct Pokemon animations.
  
• Riding a Pokemon that isn't just Rhyhorn or that mammoth Pokemon whos name escapes me.
  
• Conveying emotion in characters, even pokemon (they tried a bit with X and Y)
  

 

Basically, offering an enhanced interactivity with your Pokemon and an upgraded living and breathing and organic feeling world.

 

I think even small features, such as walking besides your favourite Pokemon or riding it are features that are enough to get players on a home console bandwagon. People pretty much bought Pokemon Yellow for that (and of course the colour upgrade).

 

Just like how Smash Bros Wii U offers a sort of superior experience to the 3DS version, that strategy can surely work with Pokemon.

[Marcamillian]

Pokemon home console makes sense to everyone bar the most mental...

 

Bearing in mind the current issues I just wanted to highlight - you could explain your reasoning without declaring people mental. It doesn't add to a discussion.

 

As to the point at hand. I'm going to assume the thread was referring to an main line game rather than spin offs.

 

The feeling I'm getting from the thread is the visual fidelity that can be gained from the home console version. The thing I'm more aware of is the gameplay implication.

 

By its nature pokemon is something you spend a lot of time with. Handhelds give you a wider range of places you can play and more potential time. This is the main advantage of handheld for me. (That said the counterpoint to this is that people sped 100s of hours in something like skyrim).

 

In terms of benefits home console could bring. A reliable internet connection seems to be the most impactful. Bringing the dream of mmo that most people have wanted for years. Bring able to battle people in world without a discrete place you battle.

 

The other thing that would be cool that might be more doable on home console is real time events - storylines introduced after release to encourage end game play beyond battling alone.

 

 

 

 

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[Mandalore]

An open world game with the emphasis on exploration would be nice. The original games had a nice sense of exploration, but newer ones feel so formulaic that the sense of exploration is diminished.

 

All the main series games seem to have a samey story revolving around increasingly lame designed legendary Pokémon which the bad guys want. I'd like to see the main story have nothing to do with that.

[Marcamillian]

I think there are many things that a console version can do, which the handheld doesn't:

 

• Seeing wild Pokemon (not just a shadow in the grass)
  
• Surfing, Flying, (teleporting, digging) with the correct Pokemon animations.
  
• Riding a Pokemon that isn't just Rhyhorn or that mammoth Pokemon whos name escapes me.
  
• Conveying emotion in characters, even pokemon (they tried a bit with X and Y)
  

 

The first point - I'm nor sure if that's more a design decision. Being able to see which Pokémon is in the grass changes your relation to to the situation. There is a risk reward when looking for a particular Pokémon with the current system. Not saying that the other way is bad, just that it changes the design. It could also be said that the proposed system would save frustration having to run when it isn't the one you want.

 

The flying an riding sprites - is a strange one to have another sprite/animation doesn't seem like its beyond a system comparable with the power of an N64+.

 

The emotion thing - I would say that I'm not sure this is a console thing. SNES era rpg's often seem to have some of the most emotional impact with very similar presentation to most pokemon games.

 

 

 

 

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[Falcon_BlizZACK]

The first point - I'm nor sure if that's more a design decision. Being able to see which Pokémon is in the grass changes your relation to to the situation. There is a risk reward when looking for a particular Pokémon with the current system. Not saying that the other way is bad, just that it changes the design. It could also be said that the proposed system would save frustration having to run when it isn't the one you want.

 

The flying an riding sprites - is a strange one to have another sprite/animation doesn't seem like its beyond a system comparable with the power of an N64+.

 

The emotion thing - I would say that I'm not sure this is a console thing. SNES era rpg's often seem to have some of the most emotional impact with very similar presentation to most pokemon games.

 

 

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All fair points, but I base these off of what i see the handhelds trying to do but not completely being able to pull it off for one reason or another.

 

Having just a Lapras and Sharpedo sprite for a surfing Pokemon is a blatant power issue. As well as not being able to use individual flying Pokemon when using Fly.

 

In a lot of scenes in ORAS, it seems llike they wanted a more organic Pokemon-viewable-in-the-wild stance, especially with that radar that basically shows you which Pokemon you will encounter.

 

To some extent, I think also just having Pikachu being able to say its name as it does in the anime is another of those issues possibly due to technical shortcomings.

[weeble182]

I feel the main issue I've had with the last few gens of handheld games is that I haven't been watching the anime to put the Pokemon into context. For example, with the Kanto/Johto era, I'd be playing the games and watching the show so when new Pokemon turned up, I knew a little bit more about them and that information and imagination could transfer over into the games. I'd know that an Oddish would be wandering around the woods, all small and timid or that you might find a Slowpoke chilling out on a beach in the sunshine. When I grew tired of watching the show, I had no real way of placing the next gen's of Pokemon outside of the limited information the Pokedex would give us or based of the basic 2D/3D sprites. It always surprises me how I can go back and play G/S and it feels much more like a full and living world even compared to X/Y.

 

Sorry if that makes no sense, it feels a little rambling. Basically I'm saying that a console version would have the power to make the world feel like Pokemon are real by giving them some depth.

 

Imagine walking outside and seeing a flock of Spearow flying overhead and deciding to run after them. They're heading towards the woods and once you catch up with them you see they're attacking a Caterpie. You now have to decide if you want to defend the Caterpie, maybe fighting away the Spearow would make it feel attached to you and even if not, it would be already weakened making it easier to catch.

 

Imagine using a weather pokedex app that tells you tomorrows forcast. Maybe if it's windy there is more chance of seeing Hoppip floating past in the breeze, or if it rains then there is a better chance of Poliwag's playing in the nearby lake. Maybe there can always be areas with a more fixed climate but come the winter months, I'd expect grass pokemon to become much rarer while water/ice ones would become more frequent.

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

^ I feel your passion, bro...

[Marcamillian]

 

Having just a Lapras and Sharpedo sprite for a surfing Pokemon is a blatant power issue. As well as not being able to use individual flying Pokemon when using Fly.

 

In a lot of scenes in ORAS, it seems llike they wanted a more organic Pokemon-viewable-in-the-wild stance, especially with that radar that basically shows you which Pokemon you will encounter.

 

This said with the 3D presentation in the newer games it isn't sprites any more but drawing one sprite takes the same power as another of the same size. I would assume it to be more a deal of storage space if anything.

 

I wasn't aware of the radar stuff - sounds like they do want to make that change then!

 

 

 

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