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Bring it Back...

Weiss

Cold As Ice
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Hi All,

I’d like to ask you if you could have your perfect Pokémon game what are the old features you miss most and would like brought back? Let’s just assume we would all like the National PokéDex reintroduced and let’s please not turn this into #BringBackNatDex thread.

I’ll start:

Apricorn Balls from Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver. I would have an older Kurt’s Granddaughter traveling spreading the techniques.

Seasons from Pokémon Black & White and their sequels. Maybe it was unpopular but I liked it I understand why it doesn’t work in Alola but it should be introduced for Gen 4 Remakes.

Mega Evolutions enough said...

I do have more things I could add but don’t want to list everything so this thread is more interesting.
 
I'd like to see the Apricorn Balls back as well. While I maybe sort of forgot to pick them up a lot of the time they were still as fun concept and good to hang onto for specific captures.

I want travelling together sidequests with NPCs back. Like the ones from Platinum where they travel with you so you help them clear a cave/forest/path and then they can later on be teamed with or faced as an opponent in full. That was one of my favorite small features I miss.
 
Thank you for making this thread, @Weiss! This is something I have been thinking for a long time. Here is what my perfect Pokémon game would be like:

  • it would be in Let's Go graphics.
  • it would be set in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn. With the 3 entire regions to explore.
  • It would have Pokémon in the overworld, like Let's Go. And Pokémon following you.
  • Trainer Customisation
  • It would have Secret Bases all over the 3 regions, not just in Hoenn.
  • Gen III Contests would be the side activity of the game.
  • The Emerald Battle Frontier and PWT would be the postgame battle facilities.
There, the perfect Pokémon game :love:
 
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  1. Following and riding Pokemon, with plenty of options for the latter.
  2. A post-game region with open world gameplay (like GSC Kanto) but some narrative.
  3. A Pokemon Academy for competitive strategies (Earl's Pokemon Academy).
  4. A gym leader castle focusing on tag battles (or triple battles as in Masters). This includes an option to rent Pokemon.
  5. Secret Bases for customizable gyms that support online communication. Bases may be shared between players.
  6. Apricorn Balls (with new ones), Berry Pot, VS Seeker and Pokemon Box.
  7. Stadium-like mini-games.
  8. Taking photos of your own Pokemon and wild ones, especially when they eat and play (Photo Finder done right).
  9. Seasons wouldn't hurt.
 
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1. Seasons. They make the world feel more alive and real. Combining certain Pokemon only being available during certain seasons with Pokemon only being available during certain times of day and during certain weather conditions (what Galar is introducing) and you have a potentially frustrating yet rewarding experience in catching them all. As an example, Snorunt is only available during the winter however Froslass is only available on a cold winter's night during a snowstorm!

2. An immersive Battle Frontier with multiple gimmicky facilities. Emerald's Battle Frontier was legitimately difficult. The thing I had been looking forward to most in ORAS was avenging myself in Hoenn's Battle Frontier now that breeding 5/6IV Pokemon was so much easier but my hopes were dashed when we only had the Battle Mason copy-pasted from XY. I want my Pokemon to think for themselves in battle, I want to explore a pyramid or ruins, I want to spin a roulette wheel to determine the conditions of battle. GF claims that younger fans don't appreciate the nuance of difficult facilities, but dammit we older fans sure do!

3. Triple, Rotation, Sky, and Inverse Battles. Those were fun! I get why GF removed Triple and Rotation seeing as how Gen VII lagged during Double and Multi Battles, but the Switch is a more powerful system. If it can handle Dynamaxing, it can handle six Pokemon on the field at once. I'll even add Battle Royals to the list since I don't think we'll be seeing them again outside of Alola.

4. Mega Evolution. With more Pokemon actually getting Megas. All of the Starters are guaranteed, and hopefully more Gen V and up Pokemon as well since they're all but ignored.

5. Regional Variants. This feature hasn't been confirmed for SwSh yet and I would hate to see it being Alola exclusive. It's such an interesting concept that mirrors real world evolution and I'd love to see more Pokemon adapt to a new region. Who knows? We could even get Johto forms of Pokemon introduced in Gen V or later.

6. Apricorn Balls. Have a way to make or buy them so we aren't limited to only one or two of each ball.

7. A more immersive post-game. DPP had its flaws but getting to explore the nearby island and other new areas wasn't one of them. Gen V had the best post-game with getting to explore the other half of Unova, especially B2W2 where we had the World Tournament and Black Tower/White Treehollow.

8. More mini-games. Contests, Pokeathlon, and Poke Star Studios are the big ones that come to mind. Musicals were just kind of there but if they were to upgrade it as a rhythm game (even though I suck at rhythm games) then it might be more fun to play and would fit the "Musical" theme.

And that's everything that comes to mind at the moment. I'll add more if I think of anything else.
 
1. Seasons. They make the world feel more alive and real. Combining certain Pokemon only being available during certain seasons with Pokemon only being available during certain times of day and during certain weather conditions (what Galar is introducing) and you have a potentially frustrating yet rewarding experience in catching them all. As an example, Snorunt is only available during the winter however Froslass is only available on a cold winter's night during a snowstorm!

2. An immersive Battle Frontier with multiple gimmicky facilities. Emerald's Battle Frontier was legitimately difficult. The thing I had been looking forward to most in ORAS was avenging myself in Hoenn's Battle Frontier now that breeding 5/6IV Pokemon was so much easier but my hopes were dashed when we only had the Battle Mason copy-pasted from XY. I want my Pokemon to think for themselves in battle, I want to explore a pyramid or ruins, I want to spin a roulette wheel to determine the conditions of battle. GF claims that younger fans don't appreciate the nuance of difficult facilities, but dammit we older fans sure do!

3. Triple, Rotation, Sky, and Inverse Battles. Those were fun! I get why GF removed Triple and Rotation seeing as how Gen VII lagged during Double and Multi Battles, but the Switch is a more powerful system. If it can handle Dynamaxing, it can handle six Pokemon on the field at once. I'll even add Battle Royals to the list since I don't think we'll be seeing them again outside of Alola.

4. Mega Evolution. With more Pokemon actually getting Megas. All of the Starters are guaranteed, and hopefully more Gen V and up Pokemon as well since they're all but ignored.

5. Regional Variants. This feature hasn't been confirmed for SwSh yet and I would hate to see it being Alola exclusive. It's such an interesting concept that mirrors real world evolution and I'd love to see more Pokemon adapt to a new region. Who knows? We could even get Johto forms of Pokemon introduced in Gen V or later.

6. Apricorn Balls. Have a way to make or buy them so we aren't limited to only one or two of each ball.

7. A more immersive post-game. DPP had its flaws but getting to explore the nearby island and other new areas wasn't one of them. Gen V had the best post-game with getting to explore the other half of Unova, especially B2W2 where we had the World Tournament and Black Tower/White Treehollow.

8. More mini-games. Contests, Pokeathlon, and Poke Star Studios are the big ones that come to mind. Musicals were just kind of there but if they were to upgrade it as a rhythm game (even though I suck at rhythm games) then it might be more fun to play and would fit the "Musical" theme.

And that's everything that comes to mind at the moment. I'll add more if I think of anything else.

Yes! ٩(๑ᵒ̴̶̷͈᷄ᗨᵒ̴̶̷͈᷅)و

120926
 
  1. Pokéball Seals: I loved this feature so much from Pokémon DPP. I thought it was such a cheap yet fun cosmetic item to play around with. Totally would be cooler if it was in 3D, don't you think?

  2. Pokéathlon: Alright now let me tell you why I spent so much time on HGSS. This competition was so fun and interactive and I swear that was the entirety of the post game for me on HGSS. Goodness, I loved it so much and how every Pokémon played a part. Good stuff.

  3. More Islands/Post-Game Areas: Like the whole Poni Island comes to mind when I think of this. Just feels like an extension of the journey and does not make becoming Champion feel like the end of the game and a sudden transition into the Battle Frontier. Same to what Monkey said: the islands after DPP were an excellent add on.
These were already mentioned, so I'll just list what they said that I also wanted to say: Seasons, Past Mechanics (Mega Evo), and a BF with gimmicks.
 
Following and riding Pokemon, also prefer riding Pokemon to not be so exclusive, if I want to ride a legendary Dragon-type then let me ride one!

Great story with lots of lore of the region, including lore for Mythical, Main Legendary, and lesser Legendary Pokemon, all with their own unique place for you to explore. Maybe there's a forest of life full of thriving vegetation where Xerneas live or a forest where all the vegetation died or are dying and Yveltal lives in it. Catching them both would make Zygarde Cores and Cells appear in the region. Maybe you can visit an alternate world that suffered darkness because Necrozma lives in it.

A huge and grand post-game with an actually good battle facility like the PWT.

New forms for older legendary, like Kyurem achieving his original form or Regigigas having a form that changes its ability, even Arceus having some sort of stronger form that we don't know it existed until the Creation trio accidentally put the universe in danger.
 
5. Regional Variants. This feature hasn't been confirmed for SwSh yet and I would hate to see it being Alola exclusive. It's such an interesting concept that mirrors real world evolution and I'd love to see more Pokemon adapt to a new region. Who knows? We could even get Johto forms of Pokemon introduced in Gen V or later.
Yes please! It's the perfect way to give us more variety in Pokémon without Game Freak having to worry about the increase in the number of Pokémon.
 
Thought of a new one!

9. Actual in-game events for Mythical Pokemon. I liked back in the day where you had the Ilex Forest Shrine to the Guardian of the Forest and with a special item, the GS Ball, you could summon Celebi to battle and catch. Gen III had tickets to visit other islands where you could catch rare Legendaries and Mythicals meaning not only did you have to acquire the Event Item, you had to put in further effort to catch the Pokemon in question. In line with my previous point about a post-game, this is another strength Gen IV had. DPP had special items to catch Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus which added to Sinnoh's lore and even though HGSS let you download a Celebi off of WiFi, taking it to the Shrine activated a special event with Giovanni. The Liberty Ticket in Gen V not only gave access to Victini, but added to Team Plasma's story. Again, just because you could download Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect didn't mean they didn't trigger something in the game to add to the story or lore. Diancie barely counts as an in-game event since you don't have to put in any effort to trigger it and every Mythical since they've just handed us a Pokemon with no real role to play other than filling in a spot in the Pokedex.
 
Thought of a new one!

9. Actual in-game events for Mythical Pokemon. I liked back in the day where you had the Ilex Forest Shrine to the Guardian of the Forest and with a special item, the GS Ball, you could summon Celebi to battle and catch. Gen III had tickets to visit other islands where you could catch rare Legendaries and Mythicals meaning not only did you have to acquire the Event Item, you had to put in further effort to catch the Pokemon in question. In line with my previous point about a post-game, this is another strength Gen IV had. DPP had special items to catch Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus which added to Sinnoh's lore and even though HGSS let you download a Celebi off of WiFi, taking it to the Shrine activated a special event with Giovanni. The Liberty Ticket in Gen V not only gave access to Victini, but added to Team Plasma's story. Again, just because you could download Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect didn't mean they didn't trigger something in the game to add to the story or lore. Diancie barely counts as an in-game event since you don't have to put in any effort to trigger it and every Mythical since they've just handed us a Pokemon with no real role to play other than filling in a spot in the Pokedex.

While I agree 100% I’d much prefer this. I didn’t have wifi in those days so have almost no mythicals. I will say as much as I agree mystery gift feels cheap. I’ve been able to farm them as we must have at least 10 copies of each game between the kids, my Husband and I.

Edit

Missed the latest event due to being in hospital would love to trade and trade back so I had the entry.
 
While I agree 100% I’d much prefer this. I didn’t have wifi in those days so have almost no mythicals. I will say as much as I agree mystery gift feels cheap. I’ve been able to farm them as we must have at least 10 copies of each game between the kids, my Husband and I.

Make Post-Game Locations that act as side quests after you receive the Mystery Gift. Like Prof. Oak's Letter bringing life to Flower Paradise, except make it more involved than just walking, lol. I was always astounded by that sudden conjuring of the Flower Paradise, so cool!
 
Oh, for my perfect game, I forgot to add: it would also have Emerald's awesome Match Call feature.
 
Bring back:
  • A postgame worth giving a damn about (battle frontier, PWT, more new areas to explore, etc)
  • Seasons
  • Pokeball Seals
  • Trainer rematches
  • Secret Bases
  • regional forms of existing pokemon

Don't bring back:
- Mega Evolution
 
Megas definitely need to return. Yes, some were overbearing, but yes, also a lot of irrelevant mons were made relevant with it.

It also added a nice aspect to the Evolution lore.
 
Thought of a new one!

9. Actual in-game events for Mythical Pokemon. I liked back in the day where you had the Ilex Forest Shrine to the Guardian of the Forest and with a special item, the GS Ball, you could summon Celebi to battle and catch. Gen III had tickets to visit other islands where you could catch rare Legendaries and Mythicals meaning not only did you have to acquire the Event Item, you had to put in further effort to catch the Pokemon in question. In line with my previous point about a post-game, this is another strength Gen IV had. DPP had special items to catch Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus which added to Sinnoh's lore and even though HGSS let you download a Celebi off of WiFi, taking it to the Shrine activated a special event with Giovanni. The Liberty Ticket in Gen V not only gave access to Victini, but added to Team Plasma's story. Again, just because you could download Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect didn't mean they didn't trigger something in the game to add to the story or lore. Diancie barely counts as an in-game event since you don't have to put in any effort to trigger it and every Mythical since they've just handed us a Pokemon with no real role to play other than filling in a spot in the Pokedex.

I definitely don't like the main series's current way of handling Mythical Pokémon; of just going to GameStop, downloading them, and throwing them in a box. But I'm not much a fan of the Gen 4 style, either, because that added lore is locked to a limited-time-only event, and the actual catching process was as tedious as it was for any standard Legendary Pokémon. Personally, I've never been happier with the execution of a Mythical Pokémon than I was with Meltan. Stealth-revealing it through GO's Community Day was a stroke of genius, and I think the way that you have to build it up to its full potential by catching lots of Meltan feels more rewarding than just chucking balls at one Pokémon over and over until it relents, because you're making incremental progress toward something bigger with every ball thrown rather than just outsitting the RNG for the thing you've already downloaded. Plus, the Meltan event is repeatable (but is not so simple that it can be easily farmed and abused), so no one will ever be locked out of being able to experience it.

But hell, with GO, it's not even just Meltan. The Special Research tasks that I had to do for Mew and Celebi, despite them not being transferable to a core game, were something that I found far more engaging and rewarding than the games saying, "Here, have a GS Ball, go catch Celebi" or "Come in and take a nap to catch Darkrai."

I honestly wouldn't mind it if Mythicals as a whole made a full transition over to being GO tie-ins, which feels a lot more commercially relevant than the movies as far as Pokémon media outside the core series goes these days anyway.
 
The original GS Ball event (not the VC version) required completing a mini-game, collecting 16 badges and then answering a quiz. To me that sounds more interesting than doing a lot of random tasks, and the coolest part is that the distribution had lore to it before the actual event. The one who gave the GS Ball to the player was Chieko, Kurt's granddaughter from the future. The player could rematch her in her (admittedly simple) mini-game for Apricorns.

I guess that interacting with a character who gives some purpose to meeting a mythical is what I'd like to see in the future. The problem is that I am long past the point of looking forward to new mythicals.
 
  • Bring back Kurt's balls in full, or at least the option to buy them instead of the weird way you get them in SM/USUM.
  • On the topic of Pokeballs, the Pokeball Shop in XY was one of the best shops in all of Pokemon and wish they brought that back so badly. Since it's such a hassle to fly around the region to find Pokeballs when there's no Department store anymore.
  • Actually, how bout new Pokeballs in general? Since the Beast Ball was our last new ball in years, but the major difference is just their chances are reversed for non-Ultra Beasts Pokemon.
  • More Ultra-Beasts Pokemon now that I think about it, I would love for them to expand on this.
  • Honestly I don't care for Battle Frontier but I would love for the PWT to come back, with the inclusion of all the Frontier Brains and Elite Four, and the player characters from past games would be nice.
  • Something that gives you more BP like Mantine Surfing, actually whatever BP activity I hope it gives more BP in general.
  • More of the after game stories like the Looker Missions(the only good written part of XY), Delta Episode, the Ultra Missions, and Episode RR.
  • More returning characters like what SM did, I would like Emma from XY to pop up to be honest since I love her so much.

That's honestly what I can think of that I would want most, besides what some of the other posters have said.
 
The original GS Ball event (not the VC version) required completing a mini-game, collecting 16 badges and then answering a quiz. To me that sounds more interesting than doing a lot of random tasks, and the coolest part is that the distribution had lore to it before the actual event. The one who gave the GS Ball to the player was Chieko, Kurt's granddaughter from the future. The player could rematch her in her (admittedly simple) mini-game for Apricorns.

The Chieko stuff is interesting, or, it would have been if we'd ever gotten it. They had a nice idea, I will give them that - but I think their implementation of it was probably too ambitious for the time.

Personally I don't think a minigame, a quiz, and literally just playing the game as one would be anyway by collecting badges sound any significantly more or less interesting than going through a series of tasks that for the most part are framed as references to the Mythical in question's lore or native generation. I'd say that they're both clearly better methods than straight downloading, but otherwise one isn't really head-and-shoulders superior to the other. Personally, what makes me prefer to GO way is the fact that I can actually do it not only the physical activity involved, but the way that the tasks, while fairly generic, are looped into core game mechanics that result in general progression aside from just tracking down the Mythical. As I was doing them, I felt like I was making progress on lots of other things while also getting closer to Celebi. I don't think I'd feel that from what's essentially a Game Corner game and the Passerby Analytics questionnaire.
 
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