NintendObs Thinks: Pokémon did it again, they just cannot and do not need to care.
Schedule still long prevails over polish, even for their ninth generation of core Pokémon role-playing games.
This second trailer for Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet was ripe with excitement. Seeing the new Starter Pokémon in the flesh — Quaxly is my favorite — meeting the new Pokémon Professors — one per game for the first time — witnessing the new Legendary Pokémon — in CGI for now — and the overarching promise of an open-world experience to be enjoyed no holes barred with up to three more players at your own pace in the order of your choosing. Then came the release date of November 18 this year and, combining the growing hype Pokémon Legends Arceus has infused into Pokémon videogames with the current sales status of Nintendo Switch, it is safe to project that Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet will replace Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield as the best-selling Pokémon pair since Nintendo DS.
Nonetheless, this context is a bit sad to me with regards to what it now establishes for the future of Pokémon titles. To just tell it like it is, ever since Pokémon launched on Nintendo Switch, or rather ever since Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield, Game Freak has been slacking off with the franchise in the graphics department. Do not get me wrong, the art style is still on point. The Pokémon still look like Pokémon, the locales feel nice and inviting, Nemona and the new Professors are hot like fire and the protagonists are ever so kawaii. But the finishing touches are no longer there, and after Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield, Pokémon Legends Arceus, and now Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet, there’s no reason to expect polish to be there anymore in the future.
The success of Pokémon Legends Arceus and that of the previous Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch came as a double-edged sword. Yes, it means more Pokémon RPG titles on a more regular schedule than ever before on Nintendo platforms. In fact, as I’ve discussed before, Pokémon projects from Game Freak are now produced for yearly releases. However, not only did these successes compelled The Pokémon Company to keep following the track they’re on when it comes to not bothering with the details, printing so much money from titles with unfinished looks means Pokémon has no other choice but to keep making them in this same way.