- Primary Subject: Pokémon Series (Generation 9-10 Transition)
- Key Update: Tomorrow, April 8, 2026, marks the launch of Pokémon Champions on Switch and mobile, a dedicated battle platform that brings back Mega Evolution and Terastallization to appease fans tired of "lifeless" RPG loops.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: April 7, 2026
- Quick Answer: The Pokémon series is currently transitioning into Gen 10 (Winds and Waves, 2027) while launching Pokémon Champions tomorrow to focus on high-fidelity competitive battling.
As someone who has been playing Pokemon games since the first generation, I can't help but be impressed with the evolution of the mainline series. From the original Red, Blue, and Yellow all the way to the upcoming Winds and Waves, it's clear it has come a long way in terms of balancing and accessibility
However, the most obvious change is going from 2D gameplay to 3D. In the series' sixth generation, the additional dimensions gave everything from the world to the Pokemon more depth and realism, and fans could not have been happier. The shift in perspective truly did make the games look better, and it's certainly impressive, but I think it shouldn't have happened.
When the games started going 3D, we began to lose things that made each entry something to look forward to, ruining them in the process. One example is having all Pokemon from previous generations return to the current mainline game. It was still possible all the way until Ultra Sun and Moon, but once it was Sword and Shield's turn, that's when it became a guessing game on who may or may not appear.
I understand that this could be due to the amount of memory each rendered Pokemon model would take up, along with the time and effort it would take to create every single one. While those are two valid points, the problem also wouldn't have existed in the first place if the games had just stuck to 2D.
If they did, it would have been much easier for Nintendo and Game Freak to ensure that every Pokemon came back with little to no drawbacks to the overall quality and development time, given that they'd only have two dimensions to work with. However, since that's not the case, I again have to bring up the point that each entry has now become a guessing game of who would be brought back or not, and that uncertainty can kill the anticipation of fans.
Aside from having every Pokemon come back, another thing that we lost when the series started going 3D is the life in the world. Back during the days of games like Pokemon Emerald, Platinum, FireRed, LeafGreen, etc., no matter which part of their many different areas you visited, there was always something to make them feel worth exploring.
Examples are the numerous enterable structures, the multitude of NPCs with original dialogue, unique facilities such as a museum or shopping center, and much more. And it wasn't just the locations, but even the Pokemon themselves felt like they had more life when they were still in 2D, as they all had distinct animations that gave each one its own personality.
But when the games transitioned to 3D, all of what was previously mentioned lost something. The towns and cities barely had any buildings you could walk into, NPCs became more stale due to repeated designs and reused lines, and Pokemon had more blank expressions and rigid animations that made them seem like lifeless dolls.
Much like the issue of putting in every Pokemon from previous generations, it's likely that too much time and effort would be needed to give everything that would have made those aspects more alive. However, I must then bring up the same solution of just sticking to 2D, which would have prevented the worlds of each game from becoming more stale with each passing entry.
Now, for the final thing that we lost during the 3D transition that ruined the mainline entries, it has to be the challenge. I'm not talking about battles, but rather about how certain obstacles were only possible in 2D and were fun to overcome.
For example, in the previously mentioned Pokemon Emerald, there was a place called the Trick House, where the goal was to find the Trick Master. He would disguise himself by hiding within the environment, using the 2D surroundings to his advantage. It wasn't easy finding him because of that, but it was oh so satisfying when you did.
It wouldn't have worked if the challenge were in 3D, as he would likely have been much easier to find, given you'd have many more ways to look around. Other fun challenges that are no longer possible due to the shift away from 2D are certain gym gimmicks, such as Candice's ice floor puzzle or Winona's rotating doors. They were what made the journey to becoming the best more engaging and intellectually stimulating, and now that they're gone, what replaced them feels much too easy and even quite boring.
Nintendo and Game Freak should have never gone the 3D direction with the series, as with each passing entry, it feels like Pokemon is losing more and more of the charm that made it so good in the first place. If the time comes when it returns to 2D, then that will be the day I believe the games will be more fun and full of life again, but that's not something likely to happen.
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