Pokemon Can Be So Much More
Pokemon GO is a sort of miracle in many ways. While Nintendo has done different things with the Pokemon franchise, the games have mostly adhered to the tried and true and relatively safe formats. When there were amazing outliers, such as Pokemon Snap, they didn’t get a second look. One of the new experiences that fans have been requesting for years is an MMO that lets players be trainers against everyone else. While Pokemon GO isn’t exactly what those fans had in mind, it’s much closer to that than what The Pokemon Company has been putting out in recent years.
A big deal for Nintendo has always been protecting franchises and ensuring that the identity of certain characters and mechanics stay true to their roots. That often meant giving players more of the same every couple of years instead of busting the gates wide open. But with the success of this latest project, hopefully the company can see that it’s okay to let things be more. Pokemon was certainly a game that didn’t need to be confined, and if that lesson can be applied to other properties, then Nintendo can see a whole new level of success in the future.
