They did that.  It was Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green.

And I really think that theycan make a good 3D Pokemon game.  But like I've said (and you re-affirmed), a Console MMO or full blown RPG will become a competitor to their own Handheld series.  Which is the best selling handheld series there is.

What Nintendo can do however is improve the 3D Pokemon games with an Action/Adventure game or something that works in tandum with the handheld releases in a 3D setting.  Just beyond a simple Battle Arena game with the gimmick of it being in '3D'.  And they need to make this into a series with upgradable models so the first game can be made over a long period of time with amazing quality...that can be transferred to the next.  And as for its graphics, the thing that would make it absolutely take off (especially in Japan) would be if they gave it a Cel Shaded style like the Anime.

I still think that, more than the technical difficulties, there's still the problem of the heart of the series being that you can carry it around with you and show your friends and have tournaments with a lot of other people who are actually there, requiring nothing more than your Gameboy and your game.

Changing the formula to work with consoles takes away the best part of the games.

The enduring image of Pokemon for me is a group of kids, in 6th grade, huddled in the back of the school bus on the way home, trading and battling Pokemon.

With a home console RPG, the image is always of a player playing alone. Even if its online enabled or an MMO, it sort of misses the point.

Remember that the original Pokemon became arguably the biggest game of all time on the most outdated hardware of all time. Game Boy was behind the times when it launched in 1989. Pokemon probably peaked in popularity around 1998 or 1999. Clearly, being an impressive technical game is not important for Pokemon's success.

Toward the start of this thread, someone stated that a home console Pokemon RPG would sell 10m copies. Someone else said 10-15m. The question is, why would Nintendo want to take such a big step backwards? D/P/P will sell over 20m combined. R/B/G/Y sold something like 45m combined.

I think it would be cool if Nintendo made bigger, more interesting Pokemon games for the Wii, but not an RPG. Another Pokemon Snap, or a 3D fighter, or a side-scrolling brawler, or something equally unorthodox. The two best-selling home console Pokemon games are 1. the original Pokemon Stadium, and 2. Pokemon Snap.

Erik Aston knows what the deal is, his head is on straight.

And I'm not ashamed - I'd buy a new Pokemon Snap or a Pokemon fighter in a heartbeat.

Or a 3-D Pokemon platformer where you play as any of the starters.... a Mario-style game where you switch between Pokemon actually has the potential to be incredible.

Holy Hell there's so much potential.

A game with Hitmonlee as the main character would be great! Seriously though, a full blown Pokemon RPG for the Wii would be AWESOME! I agree with vonboy's ideas. If you could see some part of the pokemon hiding in the grass and try to dodge it but if you couldn't sneak past it you could actually see it jump out on you. Trainers that actually shout out to you if you meet their eyes. Actually doing a throwing gesture to throw a pokeball. I actually think this would be a sensible idea for Nintendo. I think they have taken the handheld main series of handheld pokemon as far as it can go. (No more new pokemon please! You have given us a God pokemon. How can you possibly top that!) In some form on the Wii a proper pokemon would be great. I know there was a couple of half-assed attempts on the GC but they had lots of key elements missing. They were still ok games though. I think the future of Pokemon is on home consoles.

it would be easy to make if they make it with graphics like Animal crossing