8 Ways Nintendo Can Save Pokémon

2022 was a wild year for the Pokémon franchise as it was bookended with pretty major releases. In January, we had a real diversion from the norm with Legends Arceus, which took us into Pokémon’s past and made some pretty broad changes to what we’d come to know over the last 25 years.

As with any major departure for a series, it wasn’t perfect but it did do a few things that were celebrated by almost everyone. The open world, most importantly, was fluid and always moving. Every time you entered battle it was a joy to move in and out of combat, and considering the game was asking you to catch as many Pokémon as possible (often of the same species) it was important for this aspect to be speedy.

Unfortunately, Scarlet and Violet felt like a step back through almost no fault of their own. Since Legends and Generation IX were being developed at the same time, aspects from one didn’t cross over into the other. As such, these games felt slower and more outdated by comparison and getting into unexpected battles was no longer a pleasant surprise but could become a repeating frustration.

It’s a simple thing but it makes so much of a difference. Generation X doesn’t necessarily need Legend’s ability to catch Pokémon from a standing position but it needs to be smooth and keep players in control.