Should Nintendo make a real console Pokemon game?

[Frogger]

I think the misconception here is that people want a carbon copy of the core games, but on a console. That's not true. If that's what you're talking about, then I agree. The core franchise should stay on handhelds, yada yada.

But, what I and most people mean when we say that we want a full console Pokémon game is that we want a spin-off. A very particular spin-off with ambitions so grand that the resulting product would merit itself as a main series game in and of itself alongside the handhelds ala 2D Mario and 3D Mario or top-down Zelda and 3D Zelda or 2D Metroid and FPS Metroid.

What we want is a huge, open world Pokemon action adventure game where battles take place in real time with a battle system similar to Link's wolf form in Twilight Princess. The game would capture the same feeling that the handhelds do, but from a mechanics stance, it would be completely different. You'd still run in tall grass and catch wild Pokemon and train and battle, but the way you do it would be different than the handhelds.

That is a game that literally can't be done on a handheld. Frankly, I don't even know if it can be done on the Wii U. I'm no techie, but I assume that the real reason why that game we've all collectively dreamed of hasn't come to fruition yet is because the technology simply isn't there yet to make a game of that scope and quality.

There'd have to be a 3D model for each Pokémon, a complex and unique stream of animations for each individual 3D model that includes each attack that fits into their move sets. Animations for each attack by itself. AI for each individual Pokemon. Models and animations for each NPC. Voice actors for each NPC and Pokemon. etc.

It's a lot of work and a lot of money and though I think that Pokemon is one of the few franchises that could make a return on that investment, (up there with GTA V) I think that if money was the only thing stopping them, they would have found a way.

I want it to happen and I think it would be the single greatest game ever made if done well, but I just don't know if it can be done.

Like literally, I don't know. Not a techie. If the Wii U can do it, I'm sure it's on it's was. It definitely couldn't be done on the Wii though. I'm sure of it.

For that game to seriously reach it's potential though, it would need to be taken very seriously. It would need an excellent writer to tell a story that rises beyond the franchise. It would need live a live orchestrated soundtrack from esteemed composers. It would need a huge, dynamic open world with plenty of content. It would need addictive and compelling gameplay that keeps players playing, even after the game ends. It would need an online system as compelling as what GTA V promised, but safe for the intended audience, lest we forget that Pokemon is a children's game first. It would need a battle system that mirrors the accessibility and the complexity of the handheld games yet is displayed in flashy, third person real time. It would need to capture the child-like magic that games like Kingdom Hearts, Wind Waker, and Skyward Sword so perfectly create. And most importantly, it would need to still keep the core essence of a Pokémon game.

Should Nintendo make a real console Pokémon game?

Yes. Yes Nintendo should.