Been playing the new game over Thanksgiving break and I have some thoughts about it and my relationship to the Pokemon franchise going forward. I know I don’t really post much written stuff here any more but I thought this was a good place for it. Be warned it is rambly and pretty much stream of conciousness thoughts as they come to me.
So, USUM are deluxe versions, I knew that going into this, I set my expectations accordingly. I was not expecting to be blown away by anything, but another run through Alola with some tweaks to things I would have liked to see addressed in vanilla S/M didn’t sound so bad. The pre-release period was pretty quiet as expected but the bits they were showing off were not really grabbing me. Dusk Lycanroc struck me as really lazily designed. The photo club and Mantine surf seemed neat but not really something I was dying to try. The new UB’s they showed off did not really do much for me and I think the Necrozma fusions look really unfortunate. It was novel that this was the first time mid gen they have added entirely new Pokemon, but I’m not one to really be invested in legendaries that much anyway, I’m mostly here for stuff you can use during the main game. The whole Rainbow Rocket thing was a decent post game addition, I’ll give credit for that, but again, not a game changer. Other than that it was almost exactly just another run through of Sun and Moon. Which would have been alright if it weren’t that Sun and Moon just came out last year.
Last gen there was no deluxe version but ORAS was cool because it was an old region in a new game engine, people have there issues with ORAS and so do I but it was fun to go through a modern take on Hoenn. Gen 5 only had sequels but a fair amount of the formula was shaken up, you started in a new area and several gym leaders were different, the beginning and the end of the game were entirely rerouted so Unova felt fresh despite being in the same region. Gen 4 is probably the closest case to how gen 7 played out deluxe version wise with Platinum being really similar to D/P, but Platinum really fixed a lot of the issues that bogged D/P down as an experience, movement, especially surfing felt better, trainer rosters were adjusted to be more thematically satisfying and various areas got significant visual upgrades. Additionally, there was some breathing room. Platinum came out two years after D/P as opposed to the year after. I could go back further into Pokemon history, but I feel like I’ve gotten my point across. Despite very limited additions there was nothing that really felt substantively different from S/M. Areas that were added were really bland, and areas that were teased to become something new in a later iteration of Alola in S/M largely were left untouched or just converted into Photo clubs. The game felt less like the quality of effort that we have come to see from deluxe versions recently and more like they just needed to rush something out the door this year to fill the gap until the Switch Pokemon game comes out. That is super easy to say as a person on the sidelines, but its how I felt about it having played it. The biggest addition to US/UM that I could tell were all of the little side quest/stories that you came across throughout your travels. They were cute and funny, don’t get me wrong, but they didn’t really enhance my enjoyment of the game in a substantive way.
I just wish that A) they would have elected to take a year off and give us a chance to miss Alola before revisiting it, B) did a sequel like B2/W2 where they just added a few towns and rerouted your journey so it wouldn’t have felt so samey, or even C) do a remake of some other game which I’m sure takes a lot more work, but would have been a better overall experience. Honestly, I could have even done without another game until Pokemon for Switch comes out. I’ve found these days I don’t really have the desire to play Pokemon even annually anymore. I’d be very content with one every two or three years that they were able to take more time on. I used to be the kind of person who would buy both version and play through the games multiple times with different teams and even go back and play older Pokemon games in between releases. These days I’m just kind of worn out release to release. This was the first time since gen 1 that I didn’t buy both versions and back then it was because my parents were in charge of what I was able to buy. I think I’ll be doing the same thing going forward.
All that said I still like to stay up on the competitive scene, but I feel like I have been cooling off on even that over the time in between S/M and USUM. This was long and rambly but I guess
tl;dr US/UM were a little weak for me even factoring in that they were deluxe versions. They either needed to take a year off, or visit a region that we didn’t just get a game for last year. I still love Pokemon, it has always had a special place in my heart and always will. But I think I’m at a place in my life where I am not as obsessive over it as I once was and I feel pretty content going forward only buying one version instead of both.
God I miss drawing, I have been in such a weird headspace lately on top of graduating college next week. I really want to try and get back into it this summer. Maybe it will help get me out of this funk I have been in.
Just found out I am going to be making 16.23/hr. this summer at camp with a steady amount of over time which pays time and a half. Life is good. After a string of unexpected expenses recently I welcome a new infusion of cash.
If anyone follows any blogs that post at least in part in Japanese, would you mind sending them my way. I’ve gotten pretty good at reading Hiragana and now I’m trying to get myself accustomed to basic words and phrases.The more I see stuff even in passing the more I can attempt to read with low stakes. Thanks.
Not sure if this is worth anything, but if you feel the need to talk to someone, my ask box is always open, I’m here for anyone who needs me. Love, kindness, and education is always the answer. That is what my life is dedicated to, and nothing will change that. We keep moving forward, that’s what we always do. Take care, I mean it.
