A Spinoff Game Focused On Contests?

[El Squibbonator]

A little bit of backstory here. I was a latecomer to Pokémon. When I finally did get into the games, during Generation 3, I was surprised by the fact that the games allowed you to compete not only in battles but in Contests, which I felt added a lot of depth to the world, and made it feel more lived-in. Unfortunately, it's an aspect of the games that has gone sadly underutilized in subsequent generations. Contests were kept in Generation 4, but scrapped from Generation 5 onwards. While there were still vaguely similar minigames, such as Musicals and Showcases, none of them were quite as fun as Contests. And in the Generation 4 remakes, the Contests were simplified further, to the point that they scarcely resemble their original selves.

And that brings me to my real question. Would anyone be interested in a spinoff game-- perhaps set in an entirely new region-- focused entirely on Contests or other non-battle-related competitions as a way of advancing the storyline? It might have a more "casual" feel to it, but I think it would have a lot of appeal to people who miss the old Contests the way I do. Judging by the reactions to the way Contests were implemented in BD/SP, there are quite a lot of those people.

 

[silurica]

I'd love a contest-focused game! It always feels like the classic contest (i.e. where you perform moves in front of judges) has a lot of potential in it, but because it's not much more than a side hustle, it could never live to its full potential.

Now, I don't necessarily hate the new dancing contest in BDSP – I probably like it more than the old dance section – but I think I would've liked it more if it was in addition to the classic contest part like in DPPt instead of completely replacing it.

 

[El Squibbonator]

One thing I've noticed is that there just haven't been as many spinoff Pokémon console games lately-- at least, not ones that deviate from the narrative style of the main-series games. There seemed to be a ton of them in Generations 3 and 4, and I sort of feel like back then the company was throwing stuff at a wall and seeing what stuck, because the initial fad on Generations 1 and 2 was over and they were desperate to stay relevant.

 

[Daren]

I think there's potential in the idea. They might want to flesh contests out more before making a full game around them, but I see no reason it couldn't work.

One thing I've noticed is that there just haven't been as many spinoff Pokémon console games lately-- at least, not ones that deviate from the narrative style of the main-series games. There seemed to be a ton of them in Generations 3 and 4, and I sort of feel like back then the company was throwing stuff at a wall and seeing what stuck, because the initial fad on Generations 1 and 2 was over and they were desperate to stay relevant.

Yeah, the number of spinoffs seemed to decline fast after gen 4. I believe Mystery Dungeon has managed to put out something every generation other than 7, but outside that...no more Orre games, no more Ranger, no more Stadium-style games. We did have Pokken and a new Snap more recently, though.

 

[Puddle]

Ooh, this is a cool idea! In the anime, many people dedicate their lives to being coordinators rather than trainers, so it's only right that there should be a game where players can do the same. I've always liked the term "coordinator" and thought that they should start using it in the game universe as well, whenever Contests are featured.

I think there are less spin-offs now because of the increased popularity of mobile games. The Pokemon Company seems to have shifted its attention away from traditional console spin-offs, and towards mobile games like GO, Masters and Unite. They could certainly make a mobile game focused on Contests but I'd rather it was a console game. With Let's Go and Legends redefining what makes a Pokemon game part of the core series, they could even do a mainline game focused on Contests.

 

[El Squibbonator]

That's sort of what I was asking about. Something's telling me, though, that the time for such a thing has kind of passed. If Game Freak were to do something like that, they probably would have done it in the early 2000s, when the franchise was in an "experimental" phase.

 

[Lucifer Morningstar]

Considering that May, one of the lead anime characters chose to be a contest coordinator rather than a battler, and an entire sub-series of the anime focused on her development in that area, this idea has potential.

One of my favorite aspects of Gen 3 which carried over to ORAS is the contests. It explored the strategy involved in creating movesets in a completely unique aspect.

I was not as much a fan of the 4th gen contests, I thought the dress-up and dancing rounds were idiotic, more glamor than strategy. Though it's literally been years since I have played 4th gen and I kind of want to give them a second chance. I certainly will in BDSP as well when I get my hands on either.

Replace the gyms with contest halls and I'm there for a contest spin-off however I think GF would be far more likely to make it a mobile game than a console game in which case I can't promise I'd have as much interest. I'm not heavily into mobile games. Even GO only manages to hold my attention for limited sporadic periods.

 

[El Squibbonator]

This is pretty much what I was thinking. I was also thinking that instead of an "evil team" or any conventional villain, there would be more emphasis on making it to the top and defeating the rival coordinators.

Replace the gyms with contest halls and I'm there for a contest spin-off

 

[colours]

you know, i've always felt that contests kept being a thing in the main series games because it had to have some sort of mini-game element that appeals to non-battlers. i think as a result of this, it couldn't be as fleshed out as it could potentially be had contests had their own dedicated game. so imo, a contest-focused game has some merit at the very least, and it's something i'm rather surprised tpc themselves didn't explore at some point.

 

[El Squibbonator]

Part of me wonders if the reason they didn't do it was because they were afraid it wouldn't be marketable to the franchise's (supposedly) primary audience. Keep in mind that, early on in its history, the Pokémon franchise was marketed pretty specifically towards young boys-- this was one of the reasons Pikachu was picked as the series mascot over Clefairy, because Clefairy was seen as too "girly". In Generations 3 and 4, on the other hand, Contests are pretty consistently presented as something feminine. It's always the female characters (May, Dawn, Jessie) who participate in them in the anime.

So I wonder if the reason Game Freak and TPC never made a Contest-centered game, despite the seemingly obvious appeal of one, is that they were afraid it would alienate their male target audience.

 

[Artuditwo]

It would be nice

 

[CuboneKing]

It actually might not be the worst idea to make as a mobile game. You’ll get a lot of gen 3-4 kids who’ve fallen off Pokémon but have fond memories of contests between the games and especially the anime. And then if that does well make a full spin-off.

I can see why they got rid of them in the main series, they probably took up a good chunk of resources and let’s face it, never quite matched the grandeur of contests in the anime. But if you ask me there’s definitely still appeal for it, especially among female audiences

 

[Daenerys]

I'm sorry but no gaming company would make something like this because there's almost no demand for it - I mean the fact that this is the first time I've ever seen anyone show enthusiasm about the idea of a Contest themed spin-off game kinda says it all. And no, them building off of the rhythm stuff from the Sinnoh Contests wouldn't make the spin-off any more plausible; anyone who likes rhythm based games would just play the dozens of released rhythm games that already exist instead.

 

[UltraDoyle64924]

I'd absolutely love that but it would certainly have to be a mobile spin off and the catching mechanic would need to be replaced with a gacha service. Maybe more people should talk about this..