So as we all know, Pokémon X and Y are on their way, and will be released October 12th, 2013 world-wide no less. So, like everyone else, there are things I want to see, and do not want to see, in the upcoming Generation VI. Now, as this is just my opinion, I need to put up this obligatory disclaimer.
THESE TOP 10 ARE JUST MY OPINIONS, BASED ON WHAT I MYSELF WANT TO SEE IN THE NEW GAMES. PLEASE DO NOT BITE MY HEAD OFF.
Okay, good? Let's begin with the Top 5 List of what they shouldn't do.
Top 5: Don'ts[]
5. Extensive Character Customisation[]
Okay, this one is actually rather petty, and I will acknowledge it. But, I've been playing Pokémon for so long, that there are several things I don't want to see change. Standard character models are one of them. The customisation we've see so far is fine. Hair colour, skin colour, maybe clothes, okay. But I wouldn't feel comfortable with characters being able to change hair shape, face shape, etc. It just...wouldn't feel right to me. I know it's a petty one, which is why this is so short, and so low on the list, but I must be the only person in favour of standard set character models.
4. No More Automatic Breeder Resets[]
Okay, with all the things Gen V did wrong (trust me, there's a list I could make), this is the one that sits in between "good job guys" and "seriously, what the fuck?" In the Gen V games (or White and Black 2 at least), Pokémon Breeders would automatically re-challenge you everytime you entered a route. At first, it's alright. You're just starting, you need to grind, okay, I get it. But, after awhile, when you going back through a route and have a level 100 Charizard, beating the snot out of a level 20 Marill loses it's fun. Please, Game Freak, do not re-implement this, or, better yet, make them optional.
3. Non-Contest Minigames[]
Game Freak. Game Freak, Game Freak, Game Freak. When you gave us Contests back in Gen III, it was a blast. It took everyone by surprise, it blew us out of the water. Something to do besides battling? A new goal? A distraction at the very least? I welcomed it. But then, they started to think this was a necessary thing. We got the Pokéathlon in Johto, the Pokémon Musical in Unova, PokéStars Studios in Unova. Seriously? Movies, Game Freak? Pokémon Contests were fine as they were, we were used to them, they hadn't gotten any more ann-okay, Super Contests are actually a bit of a headache. Game Freak, just scratch the mini-games this Gen.
2. No More Medals[]
This one pretty much says it all. One other thing Generation V did wrong was introduce medals into the sequel games. This was utterly annoying, I don't even know how it benefited the game, and if you make on wrong turn at the Pokémon Center reception desk, you accidentally talk to the guy and have to sit there while he gives you medals one-by-one. If you're like me, and avoid the feature for DAYS, you'll be stuck getting a ton of useless metal.
1. NO MORE FIRE/FIGHTING STARTERS[]
This is the big one. Game Freak, seriously, why? For three generations in a row, for 10 straight years, our Fire starters have had the secondary-typing of Fighting. This. Is. Terrible. With Blaziken, it was cool, it was awesome, we sent Roxanne home crying (and then asked for her number to get a date later) with our Combusken. With Monferno, beating Roark came so much easier, but the lack of variety was there. Then Pignite happened. With no Rock-type Gym Leader, there was no justifiable reason for them to give us a Fire/Fighting starter for the third time in 10 years, in three generations. And worse, they didn't even bother to give it a decent design, they just did something and threw it in the game, like most Gen V Pokémon (and Voltorb). We do NOT need another Fire/Fighting starter. If Fennekin is even just pure Fire, I'll be happy.
Top 5: Dos[]
5. Backwards Compatibility[]
This one is fairly low because, while I want it, this Generation is already so epic, it won't make or break the game for me. X and Y need backwards compatibility with Black/White/Black2/White2. We need to be able to send over our Pokémon from the older games, and, best of all, do it without a mini-game. Have it be a straight-up download from the previous games, I don't care, but it needs to happen.
Another reason this is so low on the list? The last time backwards compatibility wasn't possible (think 10 years ago, Ruby & Sapphire), Game Freak came up with a way to compensate. Remakes. Remember those Pokémon we could never get in Ruby & Sapphire? Yeah, those games lacked a lot of Pokémon, and as such, Game Freak made remakes to compensate. If there is no compatibility between Gen V and VI, Game Freak may compensate through remakes of old games once more. Or, who knows? Maybe something entirely new.
4. Professor Oak[]
- ""Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon!""
- —Professor Oak, Pokemon Red And Blue
For the majority of us, Professor Oak is the man who started us on our journey. Whether you played Red and Blue or Gold and Silver first, who welcomed us to the World of Pokémon? In the game of Red and Blue, who gave you your first Pokémon? Who gave you your Pokédex? Even if you say "Oh, Elm gave me my first Pokémon.", guess what? You borrowing it to run an errand for him. Had Professor Oak not given you a Pokédex, you'd have given Elm the Pokémon right back and had to go back to living with Mommy. All of us who started in Gen I and II owe Oak everything, and personally, I want to see him back, I don't care how. Hell, I even developed a theory on how Oak could be the villain. Let me explain.
Professor Oak will be the leader of the new villainous team
Ok, this started out as a joke theory based on an image I saw, but then a bit of thinking happened. So, naturally, the next villainous team will have a name beginning with an S. This will form GRAMPS. However, think about this so far. The theme in Generation VI seems to be chromosomes and dimensions (depending on which you take X and Y to mean, chromosomes seems more likely, given the Japanese logos having the DNA helix). In Generation I, where Prof. Oak debuted, Mewtwo was introduced, and the theme of that Generation was science and engineering. Gen VI seems to be taking a similar turn. Where I am going with this is Prof. Oak could be heading up a villainous team to further his research, to delve into research material that would be seen as unsavory by the general scientific community. And imagine how heartwrenching it could be. This is the man who introduced many of us to the world of Pokémon. Once again, even those of us who started in Gen II, I don't care that Elm gave us our first Pokémon, who introduced us to the world of Pokémon? Who was there to put us right into it? Professor Oak. Now imagine how heartwrenching it would be for long-time fans to have to fight this man, the man who started everything for them, because he's gone down the path of evil. There. Salvage what's left of your childhood.
3. Evolutions of Old Pokémon[]
And let me make one thing clear, by "Old Pokémon", I do not mean Generation V Pokémon, they're not "old", just "recent", and they don't deserve any more focus. What I want to see now are evolutions of older Pokémon from Generations I, II, III, and perhaps IV. Farfetch'd has existed for too long as a "novelty Pokémon", seemingly introduced purely to show off in-game trades. It's not strong, even with the Stick, and could really do with an evolution. Other Pokémon like Jynx, one of the Humanshape Trio, with Electabuzz and Magmar, needs an evolution to catch up with her fellows. I'm actually going to go a blog on Pokémon I think need more evolutions, so stick around for that soon.
2. Better Version Exclusives[]
Version exclusives, as you all are aware, are one of the things Pokémon is well known for, because, aside from collecting all of the games, it's probably the one reason people buy an extra handheld and the version of Pokémon they don't have. But, Game Freak, step it up. If we want more bang for our buck, give us better version exclusives. Not just a few Pokémon and the legendaries here and there. This was one of the things Gen V did right, what with different designs, as well as exclusive locations, between the games, and I want to see more of this. Why not exclusive Gym Leaders? There are 17 types by this point, Game Freak, make use of them. Or better yet, exclusive Elite Four between the games? How awesome would that be? The point is, not everyone wants to pay money for a good game, and then a great game two years later, so make it worth our time.
1. MULTIPLE REGIONS[]
This is a biggie. One of the best things, the most surprising thing, about the Generation II games? Being able to travel to Kanto after the Elite Four. No one expected it, it wasn't announced, it wasn't advertised, and it gave the game more length, and overall, a nice feeling of nostalgia. Then Game Freak did it again with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, by introducing the Sevii Islands, a smaller, but separate, region of Kanto we could explore after the main storyline. I want to see more of this, Game Freak. And there are dozens of ways to do this. DLC, for example, where you can download old regions to visit, battle, etc. But, one of my faborite suggestions I've heard so far is time travel. When games do time travel, it's usually hit or miss, but when it hits, it hits good. I think that Pokémon, for an easy excuse to visit old regions like Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, as they were without having to overthink anything and add new changes, would be time travel. We have Celebi, we have Dialga, make it so we can time travel to the current point in time after our main character in those games resolved everything, and explore those regions. Give unique dialogue to match that the trouble has been resolved, and the player character native to that region is a hero, but still make it worth our time to travel through these regions. Hell, give us an underwater region, apparently, our characters have gills, so why not?
That's all I really have to say. I had more, but given time constraints, I could only add these 10. Why don't you all tell me what you think, I'm sure you all want something in these new games, and yet, don't want something either. So tell me.