Pokémon Legends: Z-A is officially a cross-gen title for Switch and Switch 2, which could be a sign that this is the franchise’s last entry on the original hybrid console. Game Freak and The Pokémon Company could always shock us, like with Black and White 2 coming out on DS, but that’s just speculation.
Now that this might be the franchise’s last entry on old Switch hardware, it makes sense to talk about its legacy on the system. The creature-catching RPG series has been a mixed bag on Nintendo’s Switch. While every game in the series sold well, hardcore fans have been critical, and they have every right to be.
Starting with Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, these games were received just fine. As harmless remakes that use features from the mobile title Pokémon GO, it did a good job focusing the gameplay on catching these critters. Visually, these might also be the best-looking Pokémon games on Switch, which is one of the reasons why this franchise’s Switch outings are so controversial.
In hindsight, the backlash when Pokémon Sword and Shield came out was ridiculous. At the time, fans were angry that the National Pokédex wasn’t included in this entry, and they didn’t like how it wasn’t a graphical leap from the 3DS entries. However, Sword and Shield ended up being the least-controversial games on release.
While the visuals were criticized then, they still hold up well and are sleek. The gameplay doesn’t do anything too risky, but it’s that classic Pokémon formula fans appreciate. DLC also expanded on the potential of Wild Areas in these games, making everything feel like a complete package.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were the next mainline entries, which is when this series started to anger fans. Using a simplified art style, these games looked like a downgrade when compared to Sword and Shield, not to mention the 3DS remakes of Ruby and Sapphire. These games were also criticized for not having some of the content in Platinum.
The lack of new features and great graphics was annoying, but Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were decent RPGs. Nothing about the games was broken, the performance was fine, and it had some post-game content to go through. Battles were also faster than they were on Nintendo DS, making them a bit better than the originals.
Legends: Arceus is when fans thought the series was going to turn things around for the better. Changing everything about the series, Arceus decided to focus on catching Pokémon, battling them numerous times, and filling out the very first Pokédex. Fans were tasked to learn more about these creatures, and it made for a unique experience that was received well.
With great sales and a unique gameplay concept, gamers were willing to forgive the simple visuals. The performance wasn’t the best either, but it did its job and fans enjoyed this RPG a lot.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were the follow-ups to Arceus and were also the most controversial entries in this franchise. Attempting to be an open-world Pokémon game, it did so by having bad graphics, poor performance, and a ton of bugs at launch. While some of them were fixed, the game still looks and runs badly.
Despite all that, there was a lot to like about Scarlet and Violet. The series isn’t known for having good stories, so fans were shocked to see that they cared about these characters and the events happening throughout the main plot. Many fans also dug the three-storyline structure, as it emphasized the new freedom fans have with this entry. Finally, exploring areas with your ride Pokémon was fun and fitted the series formula well.
Recommending Scarlet and Violet can be tough, but they’re good games overall. The Switch 2 will have a free upgrade for these games, so fans are hoping performance and resolution will be vastly improved.
In the end, these mainline Pokémon games on Switch were really controversial. They all had upsides when it came to gameplay and unique mechanics, but it also felt like Game Freak just didn’t know how to make proper 3D games on stronger hardware. While there are plenty of jokes about the Switch’s hardware, it is home to some really pretty games.
Switch 2 should help alleviate some of the issues that plagued these Pokémon titles. Let’s hope the devs have more time to make these games good as well.