Old Vs New
My Take On The Direction That The Pokémon Franchise Is Heading
Going back into my memory as far as I can, the first game to truly engross me in its characters and story was Pokémon. The exact moment I played it for the first time is still as clear in my head as it was when it had only just happened. On the way to school one day, my brother was on his DS and I was sitting next to him. Curious as to what it was he was playing, he passed the console over to me and I got to have a turn as his character in what I soon learnt was Pokémon Ruby. I’ve been hooked ever since.
Though Ruby was the first game in the franchise I played, it wasn’t until Pokémon Diamond that I actually got to play all the way through on my own and experience all the game had to offer. As the years came and went with new releases and installations with it, I couldn’t help but notice how the mechanics of the game slightly changed with each new incarnation. Some were very minor things, but in the end it was the more noticable differences which lead me to not fully enjoy the newer versions anymore. I’m also fully aware of the fact that even though, as an older fan, I don’t enjoy the newer ideas introduced, there are many returning players who do. To this I say more power to you, keep loving what you love. Don’t let my ramblings stop you from enjoying the franchise. My opinions, though shared by a few, are just that. My own opinions. If you disagree with what I have to say I’d honestly love to hear it and have a (civil) discussion about it because there are two sides to everything.
Today I’ll be writing about the three most noticeable aspects of the franchise which I feel have been changed the most, and how they are dealt with in regards to which “Generation” they are in. In Pokémon, the term “Generation” is more specifically used to define which games came out at which time period, but I’ll be using it for my own 2 categories : Old and New. The “Old Generation” will be Gen 1 - Gen 5, as Gen 6 introduced a new engine. Subsequently, the “New Generation '' will be consistent of Gen 6 - Gen 8, and presumably all Generations succeeding this as well. Though others might split it straight down the middle, which is also a matter of personal opinion, the arguments of this article will be focused on my model as shown above. Now, with all that out of the way, Let’s Go.
Graphics:
This is probably one of the biggest differences for me. The Old Generation’s art style was in the form of 2-D art called sprites. These were made up entirely of pixels and as a kid, appealed very heavily to me. Me and so many others loved the feel of the art style as, when done correctly, can be beautiful to look at. To think that all those little squares put together can form into such complex character designs and settings is still baffling to me. Due to the engine at the time, nothing more could be done with the style, that is until Gen 6 specifically. It was this game which moved the franchise over to the 3DS, and as the name suggests, gave the graphics a new twist. With a new engine, the game designers could create 3-D models as opposed to 2-D ones. When it comes to the human characters and the settings, though a first for the franchise, I have no qualms with it. It’s good for what it is and I actually liked this jump to a world which visually would pop out more. What I didn’t like, however, is the models created for the Pokémon. A good way to visualise this to you would be with the image below which focuses on Team Rocket’s Feline Friend, Meowth.
Gen 1 to Gen 5 gives us his sprite. From those pixels we already get so much of the character shining through. Gen 1 and 2 give us a look at his playful side as he laughs with glee at the player character. Gen 3 - Gen 5 gives us a more anthropomorphic approach, yet his spirited attitude can still be clearly inferred in his stance. As a cat owner, these are the same natures I see in my own, his design conveying that of a playful, misbehaving kitten.
Now cast your gaze to the 3-D model of Gen 6.
What is it you infer from him now? The answer is unfortunately nothing. Meowth now merely stands like an upright plank, staring towards you with no feeling in his eye. There is no personality there, and it is a bit of a heartbreaker given that his entire character is to be fun-loving and mischievous. I understand that there are restrictions as to what can be done with models of this nature, and as it was the designers first time using them for this game it’s understandable, but I also can’t overlook the sudden drop in quality. The 3-D models for the game are good for a lot of the time, but good character design should never be shirked in favor of a newer and fancier model. If your character comes across as a blank slate then there is no real positive to be found as players will not be as invested. Meowth is not the only victim, take a look for yourself at the Gen 6 models and you’ll see a pattern of T-Posing Pokémon as far as the eye can see.
As I’ve mentioned, not all of the 3-D models are bad. Take Poké Amie or the Gen 8 Pokémon Camp for example. Within these instances the models can offer us new expressions for the Pokémon when we interact with them. Despite how I feel about the new art style that’s been implemented, making the giant centipede overlord of hell giggle with glee as I pet him will always be a highlight, but outside of that there is a lot to be desired. For young newcomers to the franchise I can definitely see this style appealing for them, just as I’m sure it appeals to many older fans too. There is a childlike wonder in these models that many will find to be very engaging. Personally it’s become a turn off to the games, and I’m certain others share this sentiment.
While pitching the idea of this article to my boyfriend, he actually bought up a very good potential fix to this should Game Freak ever decide to do such a thing, though I highly doubt it at this point. He drew my attention to the JRPG “Octopath Traveller” by Square Enix. This game is a mixture of a “HD-2D” art style, a culmination of sprites and models which culminate in an absolutely beautiful playing and viewing experience. It is, for lack of a better term, the best of both worlds. Not only does the pixel art provide that classical nostalgia to older gamers, but the 3-D element gives us a more modern take of the genre which negates the former's inherent “outdated” vibe. If Game Freak ever wanted to revert back to a more classical style while trying to keep the game feeling fresh to newcomers, this would be it.
Rivals:
I’ve got a real bone to pick here. At the start of each game, the player character is not only given a starter Pokémon, but a rival as well. This rival can be 1 of 3 things : A childhood friend, a new neighbour, or a villain who more often than not joins the good guys towards the end. Though some rivals don’t pick their Pokémon at the start with you, almost all of the below do, and when they do, they pick the type advantage to whichever starter you did. That is except for six, them being : Lucas, Dawn, Bianca, Shauna, Hau and Hop. For the first four characters I believe that the reason they choose the type disadvantage is because for those games, there is more than one rival who chooses a Pokémon at the same time you do. By the logic of there being two rivals, at least one of those rivals will be given the disadvantage as the other would’ve most likely picked beforehand to gain the upperhand with you.
Hau and Hop are a different story.
For their respective regions, Hau and Hop are the only rivals you start with when you choose your first Pokémon, then choosing after you already knowing what you have. These two are very much a primary rival to you, yet they choose the type disadvantage. I can honestly see no reason for this other than the intention of making the game slightly easier, most likely for younger fans of the games. Gen 7 and 8 seem quite heavily marketed to children as opposed to the older fans, so perhaps they wanted to give them a more trouble-free experience in their playthrough. The one problem with this, though fine for kids, is that older fans of the franchise are left without engaging gameplay.
By definition a rival is “a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity” as well as someone to “be or seem to be equal or comparable to”. To meet these requirements for the basic definition, our rival in the games must be comparable to us. If the primary rival of the game neglects to choose the correct advantage then they are starting at a stage which is below us, and will stay that way throughout the story. It’s different from the games before. When the rival chose the advantage type it was in response to our own decision to go first. From this position we must then fight to surpass them as we start at the disadvantage, overall giving the player a more engaging experience with the game as they must actually try to outwit their opponent who knows well enough to choose the counter starter to our own.
My second gripe with the new form that the rivals have been given, though not nearly as frustrating, is about their attitude towards the player character. In an interview with Game Freak Co-Founder and Director of the Board Junichi Masuda, he says that rivals tended to be “more of a jerk in the early days” due to limitations of “what we could express with pixel graphics”. He said that their characterization lay more in their dialogue and personalities as opposed to expressions, leading to not much happening on screen and therefore not giving “as harsh of an impression even if they are jerks”. Masuda says that it’s actually due to the newer graphics that any rivals with this unappealing attitude will have a stronger impression on players, and to some extent he is right. By physically showing us that the rival is a jerk as opposed to the dialogue which I’m sure a lot of players do gloss over, there is a stronger impression. The issue comes with what he says next about how people with those personalities are “not as accepted by players as they were back then”. (The full quote from Masuda can be found below).
Hau and Hop are yet again great examples of this. Both characters are extremely pleasant, and have similar ambitions to ours, but in making them so kind throughout the entire story two things happen. 1: They have no engaging arc, 2: We don’t feel any satisfaction when beating them. In regards to the former, these two characters in particular don’t change too much over the course of the story and therefore don’t impact us in any meaningful way. Take Silver and Barry. Both have an attitude towards the player. Silver wants to become strong to fight Team Rocket and any unworthy trainer he finds, starting out by being cruel, power hungry and physically abusive to us. Barry is our annoying childhood friend who is in a constant hurry, leading him to become impatient and get frustrated easily, especially in losses against us. By starting off with this somewhat negative impression, when we win against them we feel a sense of gratification as our wins knock them off of their high horses and down to a relatable level. Silver’s arc leads us to learning that he is Giovanni’s son, and the reason as to why he wants to be strong and take down his father’s organization is due to a lot of personal issues which, as the game progresses, we help him out a little with. Barry’s brashness stems from his father, the two being noted to be very alike. All Barry wants is to be strong like his dad, that relatability when coupled with his genuine caring nature makes for good character growth as we learn why he is the way he is.
Back to point 2, since Hau and Hop both start and end the story as nice individuals, our battles with them never feel fulfilling. With Silver and Barry we’re happy to slap some sense into them in battle, as their overconfidence is a driving force in both of their unlikeability. When we win, it feels good and earned, but with Hau and Hop, we feel almost bad when we absolutely demolish their squad. Win after devastating win, they keep a smile on their face and keep trying even though we know they’ll never beat us. It’s a little soul crushing as they both seem like nice characters who deserve a more fair fight, but they just won’t get it with us.
By having a “jerk” character, our wins come across to us as both justified and earned, without that small amount of guilt for completely devastating them. Keeping all of the rivals as pleasant characters, though nice, doesn’t really engage most people. If you disagree with that, that’s completely fair, but a dynamic relationship between rival and player makes their character arcs all the more satisfying and deserved when we feel as though they’ve grown enough to earn it. This trend is seen more in the New Generation than the Old, adding to my own personal thoughts on the direction of the franchise as a whole.
The Pokémon League:
The Pokémon League is the culmination of that Region's most powerful trainers, so surely by that standard the League should be one of the most challenging aspects of the game. Right?
Right?
Not always. For the sake of argument, I won’t be including the Galar Region in this segment as it hasn’t got a League in the traditional sense that the games have set up prior.
Starting with what many long term fans seem to believe is the weakest of the seven League’s, Kalos falls short on difficulty. It appears that the Elite 4 took their title too literally as each member only has four Pokémon to fight with, each having at minimum 1 Pokémon with a dual weakness.
Hoenn follows suit. Though the Elite 4 have a range of good Pokémon with powerful moves at their disposal, their levels are what falls short. All that has to be done to overcome this League is to grind a lot and then you’ll be all set to take the Champion’s throne without too much of a real fight.
Alola is up next. To be honest it wasn’t a terrible league. It was fun, but I found it to be a short experience as I breezed through one or two of them. As there was no League established at the start of your journey, it was fun to watch it be created, but that’s its only redeeming quality, if you even see it as one.
Johto throws some curveballs towards the player. Koga, the Poison Type Specialist has a Forretress on his lineup. This Pokémon is a bug/steel type and therefore doesn't really fit with what he is supposed to be known for, making it a welcomed surprise from the League’s listed above.
In a similar fashion, the Kanto Pokémon League throws us more curveballs. Much like Koga, members of this Elite 4 have Pokémon not related to their specialty type, making the player character need to think smarter about their roster going in. The downfall of this squad lies in the fact that two of the members are weak to their own type, them being Agatha with Ghost types and Lance with Dragon Types.
Many fans debate which of the two remaining Regions should take the first and second spot, so I’ll be adding a more personal opinion to this unlike the others. I believe that the second hardest League is Unova. I was never a fan of the story for Black and White (and the sequels) but I remember the Elite 4 fondly as a challenging battle to the top. Although in their original appearance they only have four Pokémon each, they are still a challenge, unlike Kalos. Not to mention that after unlocking the National Dex, their teams go from four to six Pokémon each, overall making for a tough but rewarding fight.
As I’m sure many people can agree on, I think Sinnoh still holds up as the strongest League when compared to the rest. Starting with the Elite 4, them having many tricks up their sleeves. Lucian’s Bronzong has the ability Levitate, making it only weak to one type, Fire, the type Sinnoh is notorious for not having a variety of. I can’t mention the Sinnoh Elite 4 without talking about Pokémon League Champion Cynthia either. In her team there are few repeating types, meaning that the player will have to be smart about their team going in. Cynthia also has a very highly levelled team, her lowest in Diamond and Pearl being Lv 60, and in Platinum Lv 74. Her Garchomp is most likely still haunting the dreams of all veteran players with his Dragon Rush attack seemingly KO-ing every Pokémon you throw at it. Thankfully for his Dragon/Ground type, he has a quad weakness to Ice Type attacks, but unless you knew that going in (which young me didn’t), then you most likely would’ve had a very bad time dealing with her team overall.
What should be taken away from all of the above is that the top four spots are taken by the Old Generation Games, whilst the New Generation seems to be lagging behind. From the opinion of the player-base, the Elite 4 seem to have gotten much easier over time when in an ideal world they should be staying at the same difficulty as each other. As I mentioned before, the Elite 4 and the Champion are supposed to be the best of the best, yet it really doesn’t seem as though they are meeting the difficulty standard for their position in the slightest. The League should be offering a major challenge just as the Sinnoh and Unova League’s do, not a small hurdle to get over like with much of the weaker experiences on the list.
The Conclusion:
Wow, I wrote way more than I thought. If you made it to the end then thanks for sticking with me as I rant about a children’s game. I will always understand (mostly) the decisions Game Freak makes moving forward with their franchise. Clearly they are catering to a younger market and that’s completely fine. I truly hope that people, young and old, who are just now getting into the franchise with the newer installments have that same moment of joy that all of the long term players did with the Old Generation games. Naturally not everyone will be feeling the same as me, but don’t let my opinion ruin the New Generation for you if that’s the type of style you are into.
Pokémon will always be one of my favourite games as it was a gateway for me into other franchises. The years I spent playing the main series as well as a few of the spin-offs was and always will be some of my best-loved memories.
Thank you for reading, it really means a lot to me that you’ve gotten through to the end, and whilst I have you here consider dropping me a like to let me know if you’ve enjoyed my writing. Any tips are welcomed too as it’ll help me to keep producing the content I enjoy making and you hopefully enjoy reading~
About the Creator
Alice Farmer
Hi!
After years of no writing I've decided to give it a go again and see what path it takes me down. I've always had a love for literature, and I'm looking forward to learning all sorts of new things along the way~
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