Pokémon Gen 10 Needs to Ditch the Nintendo Switch

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It’s become increasingly obvious that the Pokémon series needs a significant update. While it’s been around since the late 90s, the games haven’t really changed much, mostly offering small tweaks to existing ideas instead of true innovation. The core Pokémon gameplay has kept players engaged for a while, but there’s a real danger that even longtime fans will get bored with how repetitive, easy, and unchanging the games have become. I’m saying this not to criticize Pokémon or its creators, Game Freak, but because I care about a series that has given me so much enjoyment over the years.

The current state of Pokémon is unfortunately quite poor. There’s a noticeable lack of fresh ideas, the games don’t run well even compared to other Switch titles, and the core turn-based combat feels outdated despite numerous attempts to mask it. The series should be thriving with modern technology, but it feels stuck in the past. To truly succeed, Pokémon needs a complete overhaul, and that starts with moving beyond the Nintendo Switch.

Pokémon Needs To Find Its Style Again

When Pokémon moved to home consoles, fans hoped for big changes that would take advantage of the new hardware. While we anticipated improved graphics on the Nintendo Switch compared to the 3DS, we also wanted a truly new experience, not just a prettier version of the same game. We were hoping for something like Pokémon Colosseum, which was built specifically for home consoles and offered more engaging battles and a more sophisticated story.

There’s been a lot of criticism about how poorly made and visually unappealing recent Pokémon games have been on the Nintendo Switch, with Scarlet and Violet being prime examples of Game Freak struggling to create a high-quality Pokémon experience. It’s not just that the graphics look old-fashioned – they do – but the inconsistent art style makes them even more noticeable. While Breath of the Wild has held up well over time thanks to its unique look, Pokémon has largely moved away from its original artistic style, except for its character designs. This results in a game that often feels bland, uninspired, and empty.

Even Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which aimed to refresh the series’ look, felt surprisingly bare. Its large environments, with simple trees and textures reminiscent of older games, didn’t capture the creativity and variety of past Pokémon titles. The newest game, Legends: Z-A, seems to have abandoned stylistic uniqueness altogether, featuring repetitive and bland buildings. The Nintendo Switch, despite being a great console, is a major factor in this. It can’t quite deliver the polished look Game Freak is striving for, and it doesn’t impose the same creative limitations that older consoles like the Game Boy and DS did, which previously pushed the team to prioritize artistic style over raw graphical power.

The Next Pokémon Game Must Be Next-Gen

Honestly, it’s not just that the Pokémon games look a little dated these days. What Pokémon really needs is a fresh start – a total overhaul! They need to rethink everything, from how the games look to the battles, how important catching Pokémon is, the worlds themselves, and even the stories. I think a perfect example of what a next-level Pokémon game could be is Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the Switch. It captures everything I love about Pokémon, but adds so much more – a really engaging story, huge and beautiful open areas to explore, and a combat system that’s a really cool, faster-paced take on the classic Pokémon battles. It’s a huge step up, and I wish the Pokémon series would take notice!

I’ll admit the key difference lies in experience. Monolith Soft, the creators of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, have a long history of making story-driven RPGs for home consoles, so they’re well-equipped to deliver that kind of game. Game Freak, despite their skill, doesn’t have the same background. The Nintendo Switch should be seen as a learning experience for Game Freak – a chance to figure out what works and doesn’t work for Pokémon, what the game can visually achieve, and how to evolve the series for more powerful consoles and a broader audience. If they’ve learned from that experience (though Legends: Z-A suggests otherwise, it’s best to remain optimistic), now is the perfect time to bring Pokémon to next-generation consoles.

Continuing to make Pokémon games for both the Nintendo Switch and its successor, the Switch 2, is holding the series back creatively and graphically. The more powerful Switch 2 could give Game Freak a chance to innovate with new tools and features. It also raises expectations – expectations The Pokémon Company will need to meet if they want the games to remain successful. Theoretically, this could be exactly what Game Freak needs to deliver the Pokémon game fans have been hoping for. But in reality, a lot more changes are necessary to truly revitalize the series.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Isn’t The Final Fix Pokemon Needs

It’s tempting to think that simply upgrading to newer hardware would solve all of Pokémon’s graphical and performance issues. However, Pokémon’s current graphics and how smoothly it runs aren’t even close to maximizing what the Nintendo Switch can do. Games like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Breath of the Wild, even from 2017, showcase much more detailed and visually consistent worlds while still maintaining stable performance. A hardware upgrade alone won’t fix the problem because the issue isn’t just the hardware itself (though that’s important too) – it’s how Game Freak uses it and the resources they have available.

Perhaps the biggest issue is that Game Freak, despite working on a hugely popular franchise, reportedly receives very limited budgets. A recent data leak revealed the alleged budgets for their upcoming game, Legends: Z-A, and the next generation of Pokémon games. Legends: Z-A was reportedly made for only $13 million, yet it has already sold 12.3 million copies. This means, excluding marketing expenses, they could have sold each copy for just $2 and still turned a profit. While Nintendo doesn’t usually share game budget details, it’s worth noting that Breath of the Wild reportedly cost around $100 million to develop.

The obvious answer seems to be giving Game Freak more money and time to develop their games. However, that probably wouldn’t even fix the problem. The Pokémon Company is unlikely to increase budgets because they make a lot of profit with relatively low investment. Plus, the game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was made for only $10 million and is technically, story-wise, gameplay-wise, and visually better than any Pokémon game so far. While limited budgets and technology do hold Game Freak back, the real issue is how they use those resources. The need to create unique designs and animations for every single Pokémon is a major burden on the main series. Reducing the number of Pokémon available to those specific to each region, and including only a limited selection of returning favorites, could solve this problem and cut down on the repetitive gameplay of catching the same creatures every time.

The issues with recent Pokémon games aren’t likely due to Game Freak lacking experience with open-world or graphically demanding titles, especially considering their upcoming game, Beast of Reincarnation. Instead, the limitations of older hardware, tight budgets, and strict development schedules seem to be the main problems, along with the core Pokémon gameplay feeling outdated. While the Switch 2 and increased budgets could help, the biggest change needed is to the gameplay itself. The repetitive formula that worked well on the Game Boy three decades ago no longer meets modern expectations. It’s not just about a new console; Pokémon needs to fundamentally evolve.

Should Pokémon games move beyond the Nintendo Switch? Share your thoughts and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-27 11:11