As it stands, Pokemon is estimated to be the highest grossing media franchise of all time, besting the likes of Star Wars, Mario, Spider-Man, and Hello Kitty. Its success in the west began in September 1998 with the release of Pokemon Red and Blue, and it has since gone on to spawn a popular trading card game as well as the wildly successful anime series and a whole host of physical merchandise. Scarlet and Violet are the latest mainline entries in the mammoth property, and will look to recapture the magic of what came before. It’s in the best place to do so, finding a home on one of Nintendo’s more successful pieces of hardware.
The Nintendo Switch is a hit in comparison to its Wii U predecessor. Topping 100 million units and surpassing the Nintendo Wii in sales this past February, the hybrid system is proving to be one of the company’s best ideas to date, and the eShop it provides has been steadily growing, adding plenty of memorable experiences available for purchase. However, there are some games that it curiously doesn’t offer, and older generations of Pokemon remain absent. This is strange, as it would provide Nintendo with plentiful further income that it could use to make the Switch’s successor and exclusives even better.
2022 is Huge for Pokemon
With the imminent release of Violet and Scarlet, Pokemon is on the minds of many in a year that has been slow for AAA releases. Early 2022 saw the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and the new mainline games are scheduled to arrive this fall. This is on top of the fact that the Pokemon trading card game is seeing a renewed interest, so it’s clear that the franchise is as relevant as it’s ever been. The Game Freak-developed series started its life over quarter of a century ago but it’s facing some of its biggest challenges today, and aside from a few hiccups, it’s handling them with grace.
Some find comfort in the familiar, which makes Pokemon the perfect franchise for them. Its core game design never seems to evolve past being a light-hearted, easy to pick up JRPG property, accessible for younger audiences and memorable to existing fans. 2022 has been littered with exciting Pokemon news and anticipation has been building for what’s to come. The previous generations could ride the wave of the franchise’s popularity on the Nintendo Switch eShop, provoking more sales and further expanding its reach. If Scarlet and Violet are a success, this move could entice some to carry on their Pokemon journey elsewhere, and if they’re a failure, it could grant players access to the games that they wished the new release would be.
eShop Availability Appeals to Nostalgia
With Nintendo Switch Online offering classic experiences for a monthly cost, it now feels like a glaring omission that the older generations of Pokemon games aren’t available on the Switch, a system that feels perfect for the property. With only a few exceptions, older Pokemon games never seem to make the leap to newer consoles in their original state, as offerings like Omega Ruby and Let’s Go significantly update the visuals and refine the gameplay. This is welcomed by many, but releasing previous generations as they were when they first released would be even better.
Experiences in the Game Freak franchise have a tendency to lean heavily on nostalgia. Most entries bear far more similarities than differences, with criticisms of Sword and Shield arising that it didn’t advance the formula enough. Yet, fans tend to have an attachment to their favorite title regardless of how similar it is to other adventures in the franchise. The starter Pokemon, the regions each game presents, and the gameplay loop are all beloved, and allowing players to experience — or reexperience — the magic on a modern system that doesn’t require AA batteries or squinting at the screen would perfectly blend nostalgia with modern technology.
eShop is Littered with Forgettable Pokemon Games
As it stands, there are only a few Pokemon games on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Some are decent entries in the franchise, but there seems to be a smattering of less-beloved games on the eShop shelves. Pokemon Quest has been a Switch mainstay since May 2018, and Pokemon Unite arrived over three years later to mixed reviews.
More options is never usually an issue, but Switch and Switch Lite users on the eShop spend much time wading through the lesser Pokemon spin-offs while looking for the games that are more universally beloved. Bringing the classic games to the Switch would do well to tip the favor back to games that are critical successes.
Nintendo 3DS eShop is (Soon to Be) No More
With the upcoming closure of the Wii U and 3DS eShop, there are a handful of games that will be lost in time. The former system never sold well, but the 3DS offered plenty of fun between the years of 2011-2020, and its native Pokemon games are in need of a new home. It’s getting less and less feasible to play these earlier games. It takes the effort of finding a system that’s in good working order and paying the often skyrocketing cost of a physical copy, which makes playing the likes of Pokemon X/Y, Sun/Moon, and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire less enticing.
The Nintendo Switch is a potential lifeboat for older Pokemon games. It’s small, portable, popular, and decently powerful. The simple inclusion of a backlight on the Nintendo Switch could make the original Game Boy titles Pokemon Red and Blue playable, making sure the core gameplay and art style remains intact while highlighting the game’s best features. Before the release of the Switch, there were surely those who wanted all the pre-existing mainline Pokemon games on the system, but now that previous consoles have officially been discontinued, it should the responsibility of the Switch to bring them back into the mainstream, and it makes all the financial sense in the world for Nintendo to make it happen.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launches November 18 on Nintendo Switch.