The Pokémon franchise started in 1996 in Japan, but would not hit Western shores until 1998. No matter what time period one wants to count as the origins, this series is now over twenty years old. For a series that old with many fans and games still coming out today, that is impressive.
Like the Pokémon themselves, the game series has evolved. Some things for the better in the games, while some things for the worse. What five things are better today than they used to be and what five things are fans pining for the "good old days" about? Let’s do a quick rundown.
10 Do Miss: The Mystery
Remember when the Internet wasn’t around? It’s great now of course. How else would one be reading this article? And yes, it did exist in 1998 but only in a limited capacity. Part of the intrigue regarding the first two games was the mystery surrounding them.
There were physical guides, but even they didn’t help out with everything. Part of the fun was uncovering things through playground discussions with friends. It’s too easy to look stuff up now like with MissingNo.
9 Don’t Miss: The Speed
As great as the first two games were at establishing the franchise, they are very slow to play. Even with animations turned off, everything takes forever. From walking to battling, those games were a grind and a half.
With each new iteration, Game Freak and Nintendo improve the quality of life mechanics newcomers may not notice. Longtime fans can see the differences and still appreciate them.
8 Do Miss: The Small Number
Whether one wants to count Mew or not, 150 or 151 Pokémon was a manageable number to obtain the Master level status. Who can do that nowadays what with the nearly 900 rare creatures? It is way too much.
Not only that, but a lot of the designs for these newer Pokémon leave something to be desired. One can only get excited about a new set of birds a few times.
7 Don’t Miss: Leveling Up Every Pokémon
There was an item, Experience Share, that allowed Pokémon to share experience. This started out as one Pokémon, but throughout the series, it expanded. Now there isn’t even an item to attach anymore.
Players simply get experience for all Pokémon in the party. Not having to rely on items, or constantly switching out Pokémon in battle is one of those aforementioned things that help speed the game up.
6 Do Miss: The Connection
There are multiple ways to explain this entry. One, the connection from the first set of games to Pokémon Gold/Silver was mind-blowing to fans at the time. Another campaign after the first? Amazing! The series has yet to really do that again on that scale.
Two, while it is convenient for players to connect online to trade with friends, or to battle, something is missing there. Having to physically link Game Boys together in order to participate in multiplayer solidified that bond between Pokémon fans.
5 Don’t Miss: Random Battles
While not perfect yet, Nintendo and Game Freak are getting better about random battles. They still exist in the latest entries, but only to get rarer Pokémon in a region.
For the most part, every Pokémon that players need to catch are running around visible on the map. This too helps pick up the speed. It is at least way better than past games.
4 Do Miss: Simple Gym Matches
Ever hear the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Well, Nintendo has and hasn’t. Again, they have improved a vast amount of quality of life things for the series as if they hear the cries of fans. Then other times, they change things that don’t need it.
Why do gyms have to be more than battles like rustling sheep in the first gym for Pokémon Sword/Shield? Just present some high-quality trainer matches and be done with it—no need for puzzles.
3 Don’t Miss: Unintelligible Graphics
The original set of games were very limited with the graphics. There were only a handful of sprites to represent Pokémon, and many of them didn’t make sense. Pokémon Gold/Silver expanded the number, but Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire was the first time Pokémon were represented naturally with one to one models.
From then on, the details only got better. Overall these games aren’t pushing boundaries graphically, but again, it has seen a huge jump.
2 Do Miss: Living In The Vibe
Pokémon is still a giant franchise loved globally. However, there is no way to capture that first few years starting in 1998 in North America. It was everywhere from the anime to the games to books to food and so on.
It was beyond a phenomenon. Perhaps that is still true today, but the original generation of players really have a special place in history for being there on day one.
1 Don’t Miss: The News Outcries
On top of the positive vibes, it was not as great to see the opposite of that growing up. Seeing the news media talk about Pokémon like it was a crazy fad was entertaining, to say the least.
The bad part comes in with the parents and special interest groups calling it the devil. Those people still exist today, but thankfully, they aren’t as prominent in the general news cycle anymore.