5 Pokemon Spin-Offs That Still Need To Happen
Pokémon is as big as it’s ever been. Not only is the main series still holding strong, but the Pokémon spin-offs scene is shaping up quite well, too. The Mystery Dungeon series has made a comeback, the competitive scene of Pokken is steadily growing, and now Pokémon Unite has arrived.
It’s only a matter of time before Pokémon spin-offs became just as big as Pokémon’s main titles. Although it’s not quite there yet, the potential for growth is basically infinite. But with everything that’s been done already, what else is there to dig into?
Well, here are 5 more Pokémon spin-offs that still need to happen:
5 – Welcome to the Poke-lympics!
One of my favorite Pokémon minigames has to come from Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver in the form of the Pokeathelon. This feature allowed players to enter their Pokémon into various sporting events similar to the Olympics. These events were meant to test different Pokémon’s stats in events such as racing, jumping, and block-smashing. But it always felt… limited.
While the events were fun, I’ve always felt the concept of a true Pokémon sports title was left rather wasted. As an idea, there is a lot of potential to play with. They could reignite the Pokeathlon in a way that full embraces its Olympic roots. There would be a much greater variety of sporting events, too. The Olympics itself features events like basketball, archery, boxing, skiing, swimming, volleyball, and so much more.
The wide variety of potential events means that each event will likely be easier for some mons and harder for others. Something like a Machamp would thrive in weightlifting while a Fire-Type would falter swimming. I’m immediately reminded of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games as well. Each character had an advantage in certain events and were even exclusive to some, like Zavoc being exclusive to boxing.
There could be some story potential as well. The Pokeathlon already exists, so perhaps a global expansion of sorts called the Pokelympics could come into being. Pokémon seems to have been experimenting more and more with their spin-off titles as of late. Adding a project that embraces the different abilities of Pokémon is long-overdue.
4 – Pokémon Warriors
I had never played a Warriors-style game before picking up Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. The hack-and-slash and one versus one-hundred gameplay had always looked really fun, but I had never gotten the opportunity to play for myself. But when I finally got a hold of Age of Calamity, I quickly began to see the appeal. The game offers fun and challenging gameplay style that was both layered and easy to get into. Upon finishing it up, though, my mind couldn’t help but turn the possibility of other Nintendo franchises sharing in this Musou-style. Pokémon seems like an obvious choice.
A Musou-style Pokémon spin-off would quickly stand out from the rest, as there is so much gameplay potential that could be tapped into. With how differently each Pokémon’s fighting style is, there is an opportunity to further embrace that diversity by implementing it into the Warriors format.
While not every single Pokémon may be suited for this, the developers can still offer a variety of options as the game progresses. Perhaps smaller, weaker ones could be used in the early game, while stronger ones are reserved for later. The story potential could be on a much more epic scale akin to Hyrule Warriors. Pokémon already seems to be looking toward being more ambitious with its storytelling anyways.
3 – Gotta Beat ‘Em All!
It’s a crime that there isn’t a Pokémon beat ’em up style spin-off yet. Now, while I am aware of the Pokémon Rumble titles, what I mean is a 2D side-scroller. Something more akin to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but with characters like Pikachu, Charizard, and Mewtwo.
Something felt lost in my my mind when they choose to approach this genre with 3D instead of 2D. While there’s nothing wrong with 3D, there is an element of style and expressiveness within 2D Pokémon games that could only be enhanced in the beat ’em up style. A 2D side-scroller where you play as characters like Pikachu or Charmander and take down hordes of enemies in a grand city or dungeon would be awesome, especially with your friends or family in online or couch co-op.
2 – Pokémon… RPG?
The main appeal of Pokémon from the start has always been its play on the traditional RPG formula. The ability to actually capture the monsters you faced was revolutionary for its time. Although it has inspired many games to embrace similar concepts, Pokémon still stands as the quintessential example. But what if Pokémon stepped off that pedestal, and embraced a new – yet classic – image? A true Pokémon RPG!
The traditional RPG formula popularized by such franchises as Final Fantasy are still very much alive today. The success of games like Octopath Traveler show that the classic fantasy world full of monsters, engaging characters, and a 2D, top-down style are still alive and kicking even in 2021. Being an RPG already, the idea of Pokémon approaching this style is easy to envision. How it might look can give The Pokémon Company an opportunity to get really creative. A Fantasy Fantasty-esque RPG adventure featuring Pokémon as different classes like wizards, swordsmen, or rogues traveling through a dangerous land? That just might work.
1 – Pokémon Crossing
Animal Crossing and Pokémon are two very different franchises. With one being an RPG and the other being a life simulator, it’s hard to imagine anything they share. Yet, after all these years, I remain genuinely surprised they have never come into contact (Well, outside of a couple in-game events). The tone of both series are very different, Animal Crossing being much more laid back and Pokémon focusing on the story and battle elements. But it’s hard to ignore that the appeal of both lie in the creatures that inhabit them. Villagers are the characters that bring Animal Crossing to life, just as the magic of Pokémon stems from the titular Pocket Monsters.
Nintendo has rarely delved into full-blown crossover territory, even with some of its own franchises. A technical exception would be something like the Super Smash Bros. series, but actually bringing two worlds together is totally unfamiliar territory. This makes the concept of a “Pokémon Crossing” game even more appealing. It would be both a simple and welcome opportunity for Nintendo to attempt a true crossover.
One way would be re-imagining the villagers of Animal Crossing as Pokémon instead, an entire village-worth going about their daily lives. Not only would this be a fun way to combine the elements of both series, but a perfect way for Nintendo to appeal to multiple audiences.
There you have it! What do you think of this Pokémon spin-offs list? Would you be interested in any of these Pokémon spin-offs ideas? Let us know what you think in the comments below! And thank you for visiting Nintendo Link.
