Thursday, March 10, 2022

Has Pokemon really lost its way, or it’s time to grow up and move on?


After receiving my very own copy of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, I was super excited and happy as well. For someone new to the Pokemon world and experience, the chibi characters add a cute little touch to it and gameplay is fuss free and straight forward enough.

I think it’s a pretty solid game for players new to the Pokemon-verse and want to try their hands at something which has been refreshed. Or those who simply want to go down nostalgia lane. For the those who have played it before and are complaining that it is lackluster, which as this review puts it – they are safe remakes (meaning nothing new or that exciting to appeal to those gamers looking for a totally new game).

But it seems that people will never be happy with what they have and are always comparing (and complaining) it with the older / earlier versions which were not made for the Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of the Pokemon series’ fourth generation games and the first mainline games in the franchise since 2018. Some reviewers say that the design and gameplay is underwhelming, but they have been players of the original makes since the beginning. So maybe these games are not meant for them?

Besides the current “older” experienced players who have been exposed to the games since they were kids, there is a vast number of players who have not yet encountered the Pokemon-verse or totally new to it and interested to play. That’s what being and staying relevant means, re-inventing the games on other platforms such as mobile (e.g. Pokemon Go), including micro-transactions for those who want to upgrade, can afford it and want it to reach more people and “stay alive”.

There are some good games which so-called “experienced” fans seem to love to hate or hate to love such as Pokemon Snap, but for the rest who are complaining about something not being worth their time… maybe it’s not meant for them who have already experienced it all? They should just spend their money elsewhere... just saying. 

With the expansion to so many platforms and the new games for Pokemon on the Nintendo Switch, such Legends: Arceus, there’s a game for everyone. The demographics are expanding, to a wider audience (non-pokemon players, kids, parents who played and want their kids to experience the fun, old and young alike etc,,,) who want to get into the Pokemon-verse and start the first adventure.

What’s wrong with your grandpa and random neighbors talking and playing Pokemon Go? It just means that it’s a success to get old people to play, and an accomplishment at that given how many of them are not tech-savvy and prefer non-techy hobbies. Shouldn’t it be an accomplishment to reach across all age groups and divides to unite (both young and old) people playing a common game such as Pokemon Go

If you think it’s too passe and downhill for Pokemon that it might lead to its demise, the fact that it can reach a vast demographic and be relevant to a large audience while generating income, then that's called evolving and trying to keep up with the times.

No comments:

Post a Comment