With the discharge of Tears of the Kingdom, I lastly determined that it was time to offer the Zelda franchise a go. Fortunately, I used to be pleasantly shocked with the extent of care put into this title and impressed with how appropriate it was to each longtime franchise followers and newcomers alike.
After spending many hours having fun with every little thing Tears of the Kingdom presents, I’ve discovered loads of little particulars and mechanics to admire. This has led me to think about how related options may go in different Nintendo titles.
The primary franchise that involves thoughts as an appropriate candidate for Zelda comparisons is the Pokemon recreation franchise, a fan-favorite Nintendo assortment that I’ve been totally invested in since I used to be just a bit child on my restricted version Pikachu Sport Boy Shade.
There’s no denying that Pokemon has had a number of ups and downs on the subject of its online game lineup, from disappointments such because the devastating reduce of the Nationwide Dex and the buggy, unlucky launch normal of the latest titles and remakes, to the extra constructive notes such because the cute new Pokemon designs and intriguing first steps Scarlet and Violet took in direction of a brand new route and strategy to the collection.
It appears that evidently with the discharge of each Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, the Pokemon franchise is taking steps into a way more open-world expertise with heavier themes of exploration and freedom than earlier generations.
![Male protagonist in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/how-to-catch-and-evolve-scatterbug-in-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Now that I’m considerably accustomed to at the least one title in each franchises, I started to note much more similarities and potential inspirations from Zelda’s BotW and TotK that the Pokemon franchise had begun to include via Scarlet & Violet specifically.
Just a few of those similarities embrace Gimmighoul enjoying a really related position to the Koroks hidden round Hyrule, the altering climate and time of day techniques, a really related digital camera and pose perform, and wild Pokemon dropping supplies that can be utilized to fuse TMs, much like Zelda’s Monster Components, that are used for cooking dishes and making Elixirs.
Nevertheless, the extra I performed via Tears of the Kingdom, the extra I discovered myself wishing that Pokemon video games had the identical degree of care and polish concerned of their creation and launch. Tears of the Kingdom efficiently overpowered the extremely popular prequel title, Breath of the Wild, enhancing entertaining gameplay mechanics and taking issues to a brand new degree. Alternatively, Pokemon video games are inclined to nonetheless have very divided and combined reactions as a consequence of their repetitive system and game-breaking visible glitches which have made extra frequent occurrences in latest titles.
Personally, I actually cherished the Scarlet and Violet video games. Nevertheless, at the same time as an enormous Pokefan, I’ve to confess that it may by no means examine to Tears of the Kingdom and that there’s a lot potential to do extra with these video games.
![Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Nintendo Switch](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/pokemon-starters.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Scarlet & Violet was a superb first stepping stone, however with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom being Nintendo’s most profitable open-world recreation adventures, there are a number of issues the Pokemon franchise may study from these titles and incorporate into their very own video games, or use as inspiration for enhancements and new mechanics to offer Pokemon video games the identical excessive normal that the Zelda franchise presently holds.
Initially, could be the enhancement of open-world areas and exploration all through the Pokemon Areas. Throughout my time in Tears of the Kingdom, I’ve revisited the identical in-game places again and again and at all times found one other little cave to discover or one thing new to do, conserving every go to simply as entertaining as earlier than. It could be nice to have one thing related occurring within the Pokemon world, with extra hidden places to find, every holding invaluable gadgets to gather or uncommon Pokemon that may’t be discovered anyplace else.
![A stake inside a cave in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Cave_Stake_Pokemon_Scarlet_and_Violet.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
In present Pokemon video games, when you acquire all gadgets on a map or clear a sure city, there isn’t a lot motive to revisit that space until you’re catching commerce fodder or making a fast cease on the Pokemon Middle. One other characteristic that might complement the thought of enhanced exploration and map measurement could be so as to add facet quests or quest strains. Zelda has a superb quest system that’s entertaining sufficient by itself to permit a participant to fully take a break from the principle story.
Pokemon has began to include an identical format to their video games, with the principle story being break up into three totally different paths – Starfall Avenue, Path of Legends, and Victory Street. This permits the participant to strategy the world in no matter approach they need and full issues in no set required order. Nevertheless, it might even be nice to have additional facet quests on prime of those as a substitute of every NPC getting used to principally battle and grind out ranges.
![Team Star's Mela in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Pokemon-Scarlet-Violet-Team-Starfall-Image.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
I actually loved attending to study the tales of the Crew Star members specifically, so it was a little bit of a disappointment to have their characters grow to be restricted to the Starfall Avenue plotline. Other than revisiting the Bosses to problem them once more in battle, you don’t actually get to work together with them additional. I’d have cherished to coach Fireplace Pokemon with Mela, or play some music-based minigames with Giacamo to realize a little bit additional perception relating to these characters, particularly as they’re fellow college students of the Academy. Regardless of having fairly a well-written and touching story as a gaggle, the Crew Star members don’t get an opportunity to face out as people.
We play towards them as ‘unhealthy guys’, however I’d have additionally cherished to get an opportunity to see the opposite facet of those characters that they share with each other, at the least via non-compulsory facet quests that happen after finishing Starfall Avenue, to assist flesh out their personalities and objectives even additional. The identical goes for Health club Leaders — I completely loved the Health club Chief minigame challenges, however I’d have cherished to take a deeper dive into Iono’s life as a streamer, or Grusha’s snowboarding abilities via further mini story-based quests.
![Iono and her Belibolt on stream.](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Iono_and_Bellibolt_Scarlet_and_Violet-1.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
There’s potential for a enjoyable number of quests on the subject of Pokemon too, together with buying and selling, fetch quests, finding gadgets, taking photographs of untamed Pokemon, and finishing different challenges and minigames for numerous rewards or EXP. Zelda presents a number of distinctive Travelling Retailers and pleasant NPCs you possibly can come throughout within the wild, so it might be very fascinating to see Pokemon take an identical strategy. I undoubtedly know that I’d take advantage of having the ability to replenish on numerous Pokeballs and Potions whereas out and about within the wilderness, or journeying between cities.
Aspect quests and NPC questlines would provide you with lots to do even after finishing the principle story and would actually assist to create an adventurous feeling to your Pokemon journey. In any case, simply consider all of the little facet missions and adventures Ash and his buddies have launched into throughout their Pokemon travels. I’d like to have simply as a lot enjoyable as these beloved characters with my very own Coach, between gathering Health club Badges and stopping the varied evil Crew Organizations from attaining their objectives.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet additionally began to introduce some free foraging parts, with numerous supplies being dropped by enemy Pokemon throughout seize or defeat. Zelda has a superb, thorough foraging system that enables Hyperlink to gather weapon components, vegetation, meals, and monster components from the wild throughout his journey, so it might be nice to see Pokemon video games proceed to develop this foraging mechanic into one thing related.
![Pokemon Materials in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/scarvi-materials.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
Think about how enjoyable it could possibly be to craft custom-made Pokeballs from supplies you’ve collected alongside the way in which, or utilizing your monster components and foraged herbs to craft Potions, or assist cook dinner a fair larger number of effect-inducing meals in your Pokemon, very like the Sandwich recipes Scarlet & Violet supplied. This brings a potential various to the traditional repetition of scraping collectively cash to purchase these things from a PokeMart, particularly throughout the early levels of recreation.
I really like that there’s alternative to accumulate gadgets via a couple of technique (foraging or buying) in Tears of the Kingdom, so following this system in a Pokemon title would actually permit a participant to customise their playstyle and even problem themselves with a no Pokemart rule for his or her playthrough. This could be excellent for Nuzlocke challenges, too, upping the problem much more than the same old normal.
With an addition of extra heavy exploration and foraging, it might be nice to see a tenting mechanic constructed from Pokemon’s present tenting / picnic modes in latest Generations. This perform may gain advantage drastically from a extra interactive strategy, letting you really bodily forage wooden to construct a campsite and lightweight a hearth, pitch a tent with a enjoyable little minigame, and relaxation and restore HP to your Pokemon.
![Pokemon camp in Pokemon Sword & Shield](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SWSH-pokemon-camp.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
This tenting mechanic may be used to quick ahead via and alter the time of day, much like Zelda’s relaxation mechanic with the usage of campfires or inns. Permitting an on the spot change of time would make attempting to find sure Pokemon, comparable to nocturnal breeds, a lot much less time-consuming, and assist you to keep away from climate that will get in the way in which of different Pokemon showing, which could possibly be extraordinarily helpful should you’re planing to hunt for a particular Nature, IV or Shiny variant of a Pokemon species.
![Picnic in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/scarvi-picnic.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
One other essential mechanic that has the potential to evolve and grow to be one thing actually particular is the ‘observe me’ characteristic for Pokemon inside your get together. Fairly than having this perform be restricted to a sure mode, comparable to Scarlet & Violet’s ‘Let’s go’ mode, I’d love to have the ability to toggle an choice to have your Pokemon observe you round throughout your journey always, having fun with the view and interacting with different trainers and Pokemon like Ash’s Pikachu typically does within the animated present.
![Let's Go mechanic in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/scarvi-lets-go.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
Again when the video games had been nonetheless in 2D Pixel format, this perform was included in Pokemon Coronary heart Gold and Soul Silver, which earned these titles a spot as two of the most popular and beloved Pokemon games of all time. Due to this, it might be actually constructive and rewarding to see this mechanic come full circle and be reworked for these extra fashionable 3D-styled video games, particularly as a result of it has yet to be done without any major disadvantages or pain points.
![Follow mechanic in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/hgss.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
There’s additionally actually no restrict with the chances of this perform, because the devs may even select to include numerous behaviours for every Pokemon to make them much more energetic, comparable to having my Sprigatito run up a tree or sharpen its claws in traditional cat-like behaviour, or watching my Quaxly dive into a close-by pond, or leap round fortunately and splash in puddles if it begins to rain.
To additional enhance the involvement between you as a participant and the Pokemon on this planet round you, future Pokemon video games may additionally contemplate including extra interactions between Pokemon, comparable to utilizing wild Pokemon within the areas round you to assist with short-term transport (comparable to taming and driving a wild Rapidash, Gogoat, Stantler, Arcanine, or Dragonite), much like Hyperlink’s capacity to tame wild Horses, Deer, and Bears to make use of for transportation.
![Ash riding Ponyta in the Pokemon anime](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ash-riding-Ponyta-1.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
We see people utilizing Pokemon for transport fairly usually within the animated present, and I’ve been without end dreaming of having the ability to take action in a Pokemon recreation ever since I first noticed my brother leaping via forests on the again of a deer as Hyperlink throughout his Breath of the Wild playthrough. Typically I discover myself avoiding wild Pokemon in any respect prices as a consequence of not wanting to interact in annoying, low-levelled battles, so this might lastly deliver an alternate technique of interplay between wild species and the participant.
Pokemon-based transport has been included to various levels in video games comparable to Pokemon Let’s Go: Pikachu & Let’s Go: Eevee, and Pokemon Solar & Moon. Nevertheless, Scarlet & Violet’s Miraidon and Koraidon was the start line of actually utilizing Pokemon for transport throughout a considerably open world space, permitting you to have complete freedom of the place you go, from throughout water, up massive mountains, and thru scorching deserts.
Due to this, it might be nice to see a experience mechanic pushed additional and made accessible for numerous wild Pokemon you encounter, with every Pokemon having benefits in sure climates or terrain.
![Riding Miraidon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/miraidon.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
It could even be extremely entertaining to make use of wild Pokemon to assist clear up numerous puzzles within the overworld, with inspiration taken from the Pokemon Ranger video games, the place you possibly can have massive Pokemon clear blocked paths or Water-type Pokemon put out fires within the wild. This might work hand in hand with the beforehand talked about concept of extra secret places and hidden areas to discover, which might permit the participant to make use of Pokemon allies for extra than simply battles, egg hatching, and dealing their approach via the Pokemon League.
Lastly, I completely loved the varied climates present in Tears of the Kingdom and the totally different armors that might supply resistances to those climates. One thing that has at all times bothered me in sure Pokemon titles, Scarlet & Violet specifically, is the shortage of character customization via outfit choice, in addition to the truth that garments solely supply a beauty enchantment, relatively than another advantages or functions.
![Snowy location in in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pokemon-scarlet-violet-snow.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
It simply doesn’t make sense {that a} younger teenage coach may traverse a snowstorm on a mountain in nothing greater than a summer season faculty uniform, so the addition of comparable Chilly Resistance, Warmth Resistance, or clothes necessities for sure climates may also help so as to add one other layer of realism to the exploration of every Area. On the very least, it may have been a requirement for the participant character to modify to the Winter or Autumn uniform variant, which seems way more appropriate for a chilly local weather as a result of lengthy sleeves and pants, or puffer vest jacket.
![Summer uniform during the snow in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Pokemon-violet-snow.jpg?resize=640%2C347)
This will appear to be a number of minor capabilities or potential additions to a Pokemon recreation, however once they’re all put collectively, it might tie every little thing collectively very properly. The addition of those mechanics would go a really great distance when it comes to total participant expertise, and supply way more content material to play via post-game, which is able to actually make all of the distinction. As a longtime Pokemon participant, I typically handle to clear every little thing every recreation has to supply in simply a few weeks, after which by no means contact that title once more, till DLC drops or the subsequent title is introduced.
![Key Art for The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/image-87.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Compared, I’ve already performed Zelda for over a month and have accomplished the principle story. Nevertheless, I’m but to develop the slightest bit bored with this recreation with all it has to supply. Now that I’m accomplished with the principle story, I’m having enjoyable revisiting areas, exploring the map and discovering new caves and hidden places, preventing towards enemies and Boss Battles once more, gathering and dying numerous armor to vary up Hyperlink’s look, and visiting any leftover Shrines to resolve the puzzles inside.
If Pokemon may replicate this type of prolonged content material, entertaining recreation mechanics, and post-game choices different than simply finishing the Pokedex, it may actually assist to breathe a brand new normal of life into these video games, lengthen the period of time the typical participant spends with a title, and level the franchise in a route that many gamers from throughout the globe have been dreaming of.
Belief me, Pokemon Firm and Sport Freak; we wouldn’t thoughts ready for the six-year hole that Zelda gamers endured if that’s what you want. We simply need the Pokemon recreation franchise to achieve its full potential and be held in excessive regard as one of many biggest of its time as soon as once more. There are big alternatives to study from Scarlet & Violet’s profitable factors and weaknesses to actually kick issues as much as the subsequent degree with a future title, so please, Pokemon, be the most effective like nobody ever was.