A recent Pokémon Presents event highlighted upcoming changes to the titles Nintendo and Game Freak still support, alongside announcing a couple of major projects that are in the works. Shows like Pokémon Concierge were confirmed to be receiving further seasons, while the tabletop Pokémon Trading Card Game also received some additional features. However, it is the gaming slate that players will be most intrigued by, with The Pokémon Company confirming how prior titles will be updated, and how upcoming games are currently shaping up.
There is another factor to consider here though, and that’s the sheer range of games in development and accessible in the market today. The system has been flooded with Pokémon, and it’s difficult to deny there aren’t a great many titles dedicated to the franchise; a lot more than many of its competitors. However, has the brand gotten to a point where audiences will be fatigued, or is there room for this consistent expansion?
Pokémon Has Historically Had a High Turnover of Titles
Every Release Comes With at Least 2 Options
Historically, Pokémon have a reputation for believing that more is more. In every generation, the mainline games don’t just opt for a single release, but instead go for the double, and sometimes the triple. What is Pokémon Sword without Shield, or Diamond without Pearl? Time and again, the series has cloned itself, with slight variations.
Occasionally, a third is added to the mix, improving upon the previous two entries, with additional characters or stories. Needless to say, fans are inundated with choices whenever a mainline title is released, and the days of one major game per console are long since gone. Pokémon tries to dominate in every genre.
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Whether it’s Pokémon Snap, or Detective Pikachu, the Pokémon brand is rich enough that it can be morphed and molded to fit a couple of other genres. Each platform provides further opportunities to experiment, so whether it’s the battle arenas seen on the Nintendo Wii or the cafés built on the Nintendo Switch, The Pokémon Company has been very careful to make the most of the technology available at the time, to the benefit of the brand. Fans may not have quite connected to some of these spinoffs as they did with the core titles, but the experiences were nonetheless integral to Pokémon’s reputation.
So, with multiple mainline games and numerous spinoffs on each platform, it’s fair to say that there is a chance that players are overwhelmed by the variety of options available. What’s more, there are those ongoing games on mobile and PC, which will be covered further later, that also contribute to the tapestry of franchise-led titles.
But, there’s also the nostalgia factor to account for, which has become a major part of the Nintendo Switch’s slate as of late and seems to be integral to the make-up of the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo is chasing that feel-good response after all. Pokémon continues to return to its prior releases, with remakes and ports to modern consoles. It’s an opportunity for players to interact with the games that they loved growing up, and a sign that there is still continuity between all of these releases, regardless of when they were made.
But again, this also means that the range of Pokémon games available increases, with the past and the present meeting to guarantee an endless supply of gameplay material. Look at the Nintendo Switch alone and there are countless spinoffs, ports, remakes and mainline titles to sort through, each of which has its own merits.
The Upcoming Slate Is Packed
There Are Plenty of Supported Titles Still Available
The recent Pokémon Presents event showcased many of the games that will add to the Nintendo Switch’s line-up, alongside some of those that may contribute to the Nintendo Switch 2, down the line. For starters, Pokémon Legends: A-Z, a sequel to the original Legends Arceus, was given a full-on breakdown, with news of the starting Pokémon, some of the unique mechanics at play, and a few more details as to what the game is actually about. This is a break from the trend for the series and differs drastically from the traditional turn-based system that was built up in the main run.
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Then there’s Pokémon Champions, which received a teaser trailer and a couple of minor notes. Players will be entering a different kind of battlefield, with a new range of mechanics refreshing the tried-and-true concept seen in the most common games. This is less about catching ’em all and more about fighting to survive, in a title that doesn’t look too dissimilar to what has appeared on prior consoles. Again, Nintendo is allowing its property to go in another unexpected direction, that at least provides some variety, despite still sitting in the same world.
There are other titles too, which Nintendo, Game Freak and other partner developers will continue to support. On mobile, for instance, there’s Pokémon GO, which continues to expand its Pokédex, adds to its roster of events, and updates and evaluates its features every month. Or the more recently released Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, which is a digital reinvention of the beloved tabletop title.
This game is really only just getting started, and while the likes of Pokémon Sleep might now be finding their footing, it still has a long way to go before really establishing itself. Elsewhere, there’s the cozy Pokémon Café ReMix, the online phenomena Pokémon UNITE, the underrated Pokémon Masters EX, and the much-talked-about Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, all of which were featured within the Nintendo presentation and were highlighted as titles that would continue to gain updates.
All in all, there are around 10 games spoken about in that event alone, all of which are relevant to today’s playership, and that’s not to mention all the unannounced titles that will be launched down the line.
The Pokémon Series Will Thrive With Balance
It’s Only Too Much If There’s Repetition
There is an argument to be made that there are simply too many Pokémon games to play, and the market simply isn’t big enough for all of them. With more on the way, it would seem as if Nintendo and other developers need to stop their support for some of these hits because they must make room for the next entry into the franchise. But that isn’t happening. Instead, the list of games featured at the Pokémon events grows ever longer, as fans decide where they will place their attention. In an overstuffed market, Pokémon is fighting for attention with itself.
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With the focus of the audience divided, it may well be that each game suffers because of it. It’s easy to assume that smaller player bases will result in fewer updates, and thus support for these titles will wither and die. If Nintendo wants each of these titles to have success, then perhaps they should slow down their range of releases.
And yet, there’s also something to be said about variety. Despite the range of titles available, many of them are completely different from other spinoffs and mainline games. Nothing can compare to the calmness of Pokémon Café ReMix, for example, or the excitement of adding to the Pokédex in Pokémon GO.
For Pokémon to continue sitting at the top of its game, without being impacted by the sheer number of projects in development and currently available, the company needs to ensure that variety is maintained. That combination of retro remakes, coupled with mobile hits, RPG gems, cozy releases and combat-focused experiences, shows just how far-reaching the Pokémon community actually is.
All of these fans share a love for the lore, characters and material itself, but under this current regime, there’s a little something for everyone. Is the franchise oversaturated? Absolutely. But as long as there is reason enough to expand the brand with innovative designs, Nintendo can continue down this path.
Pokemon
- Created by
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Satoshi Tajiri
- First Film
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Pokemon: The First Movie
- Latest Film
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Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
- First TV Show
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Pokémon
