The year 1996 was the beginning of many of our childhoods – Pokémon. Nintendo released this new series, called Pokémon Red and Blue. With the release of these games, the entire world fell in love – as seen prevalent with the fanbase we see today. In just three years after the debut, a groundbreaking sequel, Pokémon Gold and Silver, was created. It added new features, Pokémon types, and two maps to explore with an overwhelming amount of gyms to play around with – 18 to be exact. Every corner of the world recognized the game as potential for something great.

Over the years, more and more Pokémon have been released. But, with each year the team removed some features and added others – hardly for the better. The rollercoaster seemed to have fallen from its exhilarating peak. With the newest installments, Pokémon Violet and Scarlet, releasing this Nov. 18, amazing new features and fascinating ideas for the franchise have been revealed. Now, it will allow you to pick what gyms you take on in any order and will contain three separate stories you can play through. As result, giving hope to dissatisfied fans that watched the games fall from the height of the coaster.

Throughout most of Pokémon, the anticipated fanbase has always received added features for each game. Except, that was not always a good thing as they can cause problems in the competitive field of Pokémon, just like how Mega Evolution did. Some good examples are story or non-competitive-based changes, like having two regions to explore. Fans seemed to like the narrative system. Another positive addition was an epilogue after the events of the first game, which allows you to fight the main character. The developers didn’t stop after that, as the release of the third generation of Pokémon provided even more Pokémon types and added a new form of dueling with two Pokémon at once. There, too, was a change in visual aspect; a leap to color, giving more life and saturation to the experience. Previous games were black and white, boasting this large change in the production of the franchise. 

The first show of repetitive features in Pokémon was with the fourth generation, as it added only a couple of new Pokémon. Although generation four is loved by everyone, it didn’t give much food for thought. The fifth generation redefined almost everything about Pokémon, gaining a lot of positive feedback at the change of pace. Despite the prospective direction, seemingly the last of Nintendo’s brilliance was used on this game. The games released afterward only made one new type of Pokémon. This consists of the past three generations, which is astonishing. The only excuse the developers have had is just adding new forms, like Megas, or adding special moves granted by shiny rocks called “Z-moves”. On top of all of this, the newest piece of trash is increasing the size of the Pokémon, putting pink clouds around it, and calling it “Dynamax”. 

I truly do love Pokémon and the games, but even I can’t enjoy the lack of ingenuity these games give. It has just felt like a rinse and repeat with only a single changed element. After all of this time, these terrible installments took steps in the wrong direction. It appears that now Nintendo has finally taken a step in the right direction. Just about the entire Pokémon fanbase is hoping that this new installment can save Pokémon. Even with all of the new features coming with Pokémon Violet and Scarlet, I must admit if they mess this up it could destroy Pokémon.