A video game franchise as big as Pokemon can never succeed without establishing a few rules. On the other hand, however, a video game franchise as old as Pokemon can’t evolve without eventually breaking those rules. This strange yet efficient design philosophy has allowed Game Freak and The Pokemon Company to keep this IP alive for over thirty years, as it has repeatedly reinvented itself to adapt to the ever-changing sensibilities of the gaming industry.
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Contrary to popular belief, almost every single mainline Pokemon title has broken these rules in one way or another, much to the surprise and delight of longtime fans. Whether they boast unique gameplay, omit some of the franchise’s most iconic traditions, or do something completely unexpected that helps them stand out, multiple Pokemon games follow this necessary practice, and the following eight are the most noteworthy examples so far.
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Two Full Regions In One Game (Gold/Silver/Crystal/HeartGold/SoulSilver)
Johto Trainers Can Explore Kanto After Defeating The Elite Four
Pokemon Gold and Silver
- Released
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October 15, 2000
- ESRB
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Everyone // Mild Cartoon Violence, Simulated Gambling
Most Pokemon fans still have a soft spot in their hearts for Gold, Silver, and Crystal and their Generation Four remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver, for a multitude of reasons, with the biggest one undoubtedly being the ability to travel to the Kanto region and face its eight Gym Leaders after defeating the Pokemon League for the first time. As a result of this mind-blowing addition, not only are these games brimming with content, but they also serve as sequels to their Generation One predecessors.
While some people may argue that this technically doesn’t count as a broken rule because it happened in the second game duology in the series, Game Freak has never again allowed players to visit a previous region in any subsequent mainline entry, meaning that they basically established a rule in Generation One, broke it in Generation Two, and never did it again. Needless to say, including two full regions in one game nowadays would require a ridiculous amount of time and resources, but fans are nonetheless hoping that Game Freak will reuse this concept sometime in the future.
A Pokedex Made Up Of Only New Pokemon (Black/White)
Not Even Pikachu Was Catchable In Unova
There’s no denying that Pokemon Black and White were two fascinating games, since they basically served as soft reboots to the franchise, which explains why so many of the new Pokemon they introduced were counterparts to classic creatures from Generation One. That’s right, Black and White players can’t find, catch, or train any Pokemon from previous generations, meaning they have to rely solely on the Unova region’s original Pokedex.
This design choice was highly controversial at the time, since it meant many beloved Pokemon were not catchable until the post-game, but some seasoned fans claim that it was actually a brilliant choice, because it forced players to engage with all the brand-new, expertly designed creatures Game Freak had created. Nevertheless, Black 2 and White 2 more than made up for that omission by allowing players to catch non-Unovan Pokemon at any point in their adventure, and now it’s highly unlikely that Game Freak will repeat this (admittedly) bold move ever again.
Making A Direct Sequel Instead Of A Third Version (Black 2/White 2)
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Pokemon Black 2 and White 2
8/10
Of course, Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 broke their own set of rules, as their mere existence captivated longtime players when they were first revealed. As everybody surely knows, every pair of mainline entries in this series used to be followed up by a third version with more content and improved mechanics (Ruby and Sapphire had Emerald, Diamond and Pearl had Platinum, etc.). However, Game Freak broke that role in Generation Five by unexpectedly releasing two direct sequels instead.
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Black 2 and White 2 are full-blown sequels in every sense of the word and not rethreads of their predecessors. They tell a new storyline that takes place two years later and showcases what several iconic characters (like N, Cheren, and Bianca) have been up to, not to mention that they even boast new areas, new side activities, new Gym Leaders, and the aforementioned new Pokedex with Pokemon from previous generations. While these are technically the only mainline entries in the series with the number “2” in their titles, games like Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee or Legends: Z-A are technically the sequels of their respective regions as well, but they came decades after their predecessors.
No Gym Leaders (Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon)
Celebrating The 20th Anniversary By Removing One Of The Most Iconic Gameplay Elements
The first two Generation Seven titles, Pokemon Sun and Moon, were released in 2016 during the year of the franchise’s 20th anniversary, so they needed to simultaneously stand out and celebrate the IP in some shape or form. As a result, Sun and Moon broke the mold in many ways, as they not only take place in Alola (a region broken up into four different islands) but they also feature no Gym Leaders at all.
The single-player campaign of these games focuses on Island Trials, where players have to challenge Totem Pokemon and their respective Trial Captains, who are reminiscent of Gym Leaders but are still technically an entirely different thing. Back in 2016, this change felt like a breath of fresh air because Game Freak had finally changed the iconic formula they had been using for the past twenty years. And yes, Sun and Moon’s follow-ups, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, reused this concept but spiced things up by introducing a few new Totem Pokemon and even allowing players to train them.
No Elite Four (Sword/Shield)
Generation Eight Took Its Sports Theme Very Seriously
While Pokemon Sun and Moon’s lack of Gym Leaders was surely groundbreaking, the Generation Seven games still featured an Elite Four and Champion, since players were experiencing the foundation of Alola’s Pokemon League. However, Game Freak did the exact opposite in the very next generation by bringing back Gym Leaders but removing the Elite Four at the same time, and it worked surprisingly well.
Pokemon Sword and Shield have a blatant sports theme, with the Pokemon League becoming something akin to a soccer championship and each battle against a Gym Leader serving as a climactic sports match. This explains why there is no Elite Four in the Galar region, meaning that trainers who want to defeat the Champion will have to complete a series of battles against Gym Leaders in a tournament before even getting a shot at facing Leon himself. All in all, this was yet another welcomed change that helped the main campaign of Sword and Shield feel refreshing while also elevating the games’ unique theming.
Going Back To The Past (Legends: Arceus)
Fans Spent Decades Asking For A Pokemon Game Set In The Distant Past
A long time ago, mainline Pokemon games came exclusively in three flavors: original titles that introduced a generation, their respective third versions, and remakes of classic titles. But Game Freak began experimenting with different types of projects during the late 2010s and early 2020s, with products like Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee and, even more importantly, Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Instead of just remaking the Generation Four games and calling it a day, Game Freak decided to make a brand-new adventure set in an ancient version of Sinnoh known as Hisui, an idea that fans had been clamoring for since basically the franchise’s inception.
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Back in Hisui, humans were still keeping their distance from Pokemon and the few who were brave enough to interact with and catch them had to use primitive versions of Poke Balls. Needless to say, this is a fascinating premise that not only helps Legends: Arceus feel unique and revolutionary but also allows Game Freak to expand on the lore of the franchise by showing how people reacted to the arrival of legendary Pokemon like Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus. It should be no surprise to learn that Pokemon fans are now dying to see Game Freak reuse this formula in another region and make a Legends game that takes place in ancient versions of Galar or Unova.
Going Open-World And Letting Players Complete Gyms In Any Order (Scarlet/Violet)
The Generation Nine Games Changed The Franchise Forever
While Game Freak obviously experimented with the concept of an open-world game with Sword and Shield and Legends: Arceus, they wouldn’t turn it into reality until the start of Generation Nine, with the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. These games are obviously quite flawed, especially on the technical side, but their core gameplay was absolutely groundbreaking, and it seems to have changed the franchise forever.
Players have a lot of freedom of choice in Paldea, as they can basically go anywhere they want, whenever they want, and complete the eight Pokemon Gyms in any order. But that’s not all, because other activities are equally important as the Gym matches: Path of Legends (where trainers have to find and defeat the five Titan Pokemon) and Starfall Street (where they have to confront all the members of Team Star). Additionally, these three different storylines seamlessly connect with each other at the end, in what is one of the most exciting and brilliant final sequences in any Pokemon game. It’s still unknown if Generation Ten’s Pokemon Winds and Waves will reuse this innovative open-world formula, but most fans are hoping that they do.
Real-Time Combat System (Legends: Z-A)
Ditching The Franchise’s Iconic Turn-Based Combat
Last year’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A was received positively by most Pokemon fans for various reasons, but the biggest was definitely its revolutionary gameplay. Unlike all other mainline entries in the series, Legends: Z-A boasts dynamic, real-time combat in which trainers have to order their Pokemon to move them around the battlefield so they can avoid oncoming attacks and land their own moves with precision.
Since Pokemon has always been a turn-based RPG franchise, the idea of suddenly being able to move Pokemon around in real-time felt nothing short of mind-blowing, and it made the gameplay of Legends: Z-A feel a lot more engaging and entertaining than in previous titles. With this much-needed change, Game Freak successfully proved that the Pokemon franchise could still reinvent itself, even after almost thirty years on the market, and it filled fans with excitement about which direction these games could take in the future.
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