What I Would Like to See Announced for Pokemon 25 Event January 26, 2021

Posted by Maniac in Editorials.
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Happy New Year! During the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, a bunch of adorable dancing Pikachu announced next year will kick off the Pokémon 25 event, marking the 25th anniversary of the original release of Pokémon in Japan. If the Pokémon 20 event was anything to go by, we could be looking forward to a long year of events and game releases. Here’s the announcement video:

But just what announcements could we expect? It is highly unlikely a new game in the form of a sequel to Sword or Shield will be announced this year, but there’s still the chance that we could see new spin off games or even ports of classic games throughout the year.

Let’s talk about some of our best ideas shall we? We will not include speculation about future game expansion packs, either in the form of patches or paid DLC. We also won’t talk about the TCG, Pokémon Go updates or events here. This will just be our speculation about entirely new games or movies.

What We Will See That Was Announced

New Pokémon Snap (Nintendo Switch)

This was revealed not too long ago and is likely the most anticpated upcoming Pokémon game. Let’s be honest, the original Pokémon Snap is an iconic title that, despite its short length, is probably the third most well-known Nintendo 64 game of all time (behind Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time of course). We can expect it coming on April 30th, and you can be sure I’ll be picking it up day one.

New Pokémon Animated Movie (Netflix)

Netflix has been doing a fantastic job at obtaining the rights to a bunch of Pokemon animated content, and that includes new series and our next animated film. It is expected this will tease our next Mythical Pokémon, but I would just be happy to be able to enjoy an evening at home where I could sit and watch it.

What (I Think) We Will See Announced

Pokémon Detective Pikachu 2 (Nintendo Switch)

I loved PC mystery adventure games back in my early PC gaming days, and playing the original Detective Pikachu on the 3DS made me feel more like when I was a kid more than playing other new Pokémon games did. Obviously, the game’s ongoing mystery (Detective Pikachu’s origins) was never solved and there’s plenty of opportunity to resolve that in its Nintendo Switch sequel. The Switch is perfect for a new game. Personally, I’m hoping for a tap to move interface on the Switch’s tablet screen similar to what was done with Sam & Max: Remastered. Here’s to hoping we get that sequel announced later this year.

Pokémon Sleep (SmartPhones/Tablets)

Probably the most surprising announcement from 2019’s Pokémon Press Event, Pokemon Sleep is expected to be a smartphone application that helps us get a restful good night when used in conjunction with your smart device and a new accessory. Boy, after this past year we could all use sleep and a lot of it.

It is possible the game’s been delayed due to manufacturing issues with the new Bluetooth accessory, the Pokemon Go Plus+. I know a lot of people have upgraded to the Pokéball Plus (which had Pokémon Go Plus features integrated into a Switch controller), and may not like downgrading to a Go Plus+ that lacks the ability to connect to their Switch games. Still, I could believe the PokéBall Plus, with its gyroscopes and vibration features, could do what Sleep needs to function.

What I Wish We Will See That Wasn’t Announced

Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Crystal and Pokémon Emerald Port for Nintendo Switch

This is really a no-brainer. We know the Switch has the capability to play classic games on the NES and SNES, there’s no reason to believe it couldn’t play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance games. They made an absolute fortune for Nintendo on the 3DS’s eShop, now that the 3DS has been discontinued there’s no reason to hold back re-releasing the games for the Nintendo Switch.

The first two Pokémon generations include some of the most beloved games of all time and deserve to be playable in the current generation. The third generation games have never seen an official digital rerelease (just a remake for the 3DS) and because of that I have never been able to play them. Heck, they could offer support for wireless 2-player communication or even Pokémon Home functionality I’m sure even original game owners will be more than happy to rebuy all the games again.

Porting the third generation games would also be essential for some of the other things I would like to see further down the list.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness and Pokémon Colleseum Port for Nintendo Switch

These two GameCube games are currently on the top of my personal list for most requested ports, a list that was previously topped by games like Shenmue and Wind Waker. Gamers at the time incorrectly assumed that these titles were merely updated versions of the classic Pokémon Stadium games, and focused on battling and minigames. That is not true, these were the first two 3D single-player Pokémon games ever made!

While both games have since been outdone graphically by games like Let’s Go Pikachu/Let’s Go Eevee, I would love the opportunity to finally play these classics myself. Since they use the same engine and reuse a lot of the same graphical assets, it should be possible to see them bundled together in the same game cart.

Pokémon Platinum Remake For Nintendo Switch

Since the days of the third generation, the Pokémon release cycle has alternated between new title and remake. We just saw the release of a new title with Sword and Shield, and if the cycle isn’t being broken that could mean a remake is coming up next. If the internet is to be believed, GEN4, a generation that has never seen a rerelease, currently holds the shelf as the most demanded remakes for the Nintendo Switch.

Anything Else?

Personally, I’d be happy to see features like the downloadable title My Pokemon Ranch or Wii’s Coliseum-type game Battle Revolution return in some form. Obviously that would mean remaking or porting some of the games listed above, so I won’t be totally convinced this is possible just yet.