Pokémon
There's good news for friends of the Pokémon Sinnoh region. In addition to the open-world role-playing game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which is due to appear in 2022, the remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl will also bring players back to Sinnoh. Pokémon Radiant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl have a cute chibi look and are intended to be true-to-original remakes of the two games from 2006. In a trailer that was shown along with the announcement, we see some well-known locations and get a glimpse of the Pokémon battles. On the official page of the remakes, Nintendo writes about the two games:"The history of the originals remains unchanged, and the size ratio of the cities and routes has also been retained. Pokémon Diamond (buy now) and Pokémon Perl players can return to familiar locations and relive well-known moments. Meanwhile, newcomers to the Sinnoh region have plenty of new encounters and surprises waiting for them. "
Pokémon Radiant Diamond and Shining Pearl promise pure nostalgia for all old hands and offer a completely new adventure for those who have never had contact with Pokémon before. As expected, players will have the choice between Chelast, Panflam, and Plinfa as starter Pokémon.
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The Nintendo Switch Is Holding Back Games Like ‘Pokémon Legends: Arceus’
Pokemon Legends
NintendoThis week in a new Pokémon event, Nintendo rolled out the game that everyone has been waiting two decades for, an open world Pokémon title. It’s called Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and while we don’t know the full scope of it, we know that it features some basic things that players have been hoping for, an open world where you can sneak up on a wild Pokémon, throw a ball, and get to battling in real-time.
A lot of comparisons were made between Pokémon Legends and Breath of the Wild, as the games share similar landscapes and even trailer shots, at times, but I’ve watched this reveal a few times now and I can’t shake the feeling that it just looks….bad.
I don’t mean the concept of an open world Pokémon game is bad, I mean it literally looks bad, and at this point, the Nintendo Switch is really starting to show its age. The Switch is effectively two generations behind Sony and Microsoft now in terms of power, and while no, it doesn’t need to match Series X and PS5 and has done just fine not focusing on power, there’s a limit to that. And we are very clearly at that limit. Hell, Nintendo is even getting lapped by mobile games like Genshin Impact in terms of visuals.
Pokemon Legends
NintendoGames like Breath of the Wild or Mario Odyssey or Animal Crossing are able to hide the Switch’s graphical shortcomings to some extent through cartoony graphics or art design. Breath of the Wild is a beautiful game despite the Switch’s lack of power, but despite the comparison to Legends here, I absolutely don’t see that same kind of carryover. Legends just looks painfully dated and low quality in terms of graphics, with blurry textures and sparse landscapes dotted by fuzzy trees. It’s missing that key ingredient that made BOTW gorgeous despite the Switch’s power, and the style just doesn’t work here.
Nintendo enthusiasts often give Nintendo a pass for graphics, which I understand, but I certainly don’t think its games would be hurt by investing more into getting the Switch up to speed with its competitors, or at least being able to see them on the horizon. Why can’t we have a Pokémon game with gorgeous landscapes like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or The Witcher 3, even if the animation style is different? But this? This is…bad.
Pokemon Legends
NintendoI don’t think I’m alone here. After the debut of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, “Switch Pro” started immediately trending on Twitter, as players seem to think it’s time for the Switch to get a power upgrade, as the base system is now clearly starting to show its age after four years. There’s talk that we could see the Switch Pro or Super Nintendo Switch or whatever you want to call it this fall, but that’s not a guarantee, nor do we know what its specs might be when it does get here. Again, no one is expecting PS5 and Series X parity, or even close, especially with Nintendo’s continued focus on portability. But we’re at a point where enthusiasm for even anticipated new games is dampened by the Switch’s age and capabilities, and it’s time for a change. We’ll see what happens in the next few months here.
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