A few months ago I had a though to myself. “I’m 40-years old, it’s midnight, and I’m waiting in a GameStop for Pokémon Legends Z-A to release.” I was 13 when Pokémon Red and Blue came out in North America and have played through every generation of titles since then. I’ve never big on too many of the spin-off titles like the Mystery Dungeon, Ranger, or the Detective Pikachu games, but I was big into others. I can play a mean game of Pokémon Pinball, got masterful scores all through Pokémon Snap, and dealt with both Game Boy Pokémon Trading Card games. Yes, that means the Japanese exclusive sequel. All this is to say, that I’ve seen Pokémon grow up through every generation, and there is a lot of undue hatred for Generation IX.
Pokémon Nostalgia vs Reality — Every Generation Has Flaws
It’s easy to romanticize previous generations of games. Sometimes it’s nostalgia, sometimes it’s a unique experience someone had with a distinct game. For me it was Gen II and all the times I had going through Pokémon Gold. I adored that game and we had a lot of good times together. A lot of it is a frustrating mess looking back on it though. There are some huge gripes that can be had with all the previous generations though, it seems like each one took a couple steps forward or diagonally while taking steps backwards too. But a lot of backlash really started happening during Generation VII going into Generation VIII.
When the Backlash Started — Gen VII and Gen VIII Challenges
Pokémon Sun and Moon were criticized for having intensely lengthy tutorial sequences, removing Mega Evolutions, and trying to change up the gym system in a fairly ridiculous manner. Then Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon came out that were the most derivative reiterations ever. It left a bad taste in player’s mouths for when Generation VIII introduced us to Sword and Shield. They would become the first titles to not include the complete Pokedex up to that point and feature a very limited amount of graphical and gameplay updates despite being on the Nintendo Switch.
If there was a bright spot, it was the Wild Area that allowed full 3D exploration and Pokémon encounters. That was the guiding force that led to Generation IX giving us Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Finally, a Pokémon game with a robust open world and the freedom to explore in new ways. Too bad it was also an absolute technical mess. The frame rate was absurdly low with horrible amounts of pop-in, odd loading times, glitches, freezes, and at times feeling like it was all going to explode. I also sank more hours into it than the past three generations combined and loved it.
Scarlet and Violet: Technical Mess, Surprisingly Fun Experience
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were the first generational games I loved so much that I ended up purchasing both of them after I beat one of them. I got Violet, loved it to tears, then after all the DLC was released, got Scarlet. Then I to rebuy all the DLC again but hey, I chose to do it and I don’t regret it. For all the hatred that those games received for their performance issues, no one seems to be talking about what they do so much better than other titles.
Why Generation IX Is Actually Player-Friendly
People seem to gloss over how many quality-of-life features are here. I don’t have to panic over what level I should evolve my Growlithe at because I’m concerned about moves that he might miss out on. Instead, I can just go into his move menu and swap out any move that he’s learned, even once he evolves to Arcanine. Let’s say I’m not happy with his nature; the feature that controls which (if any stats) get a boost in exchange for another taking a cut. The mints that alter these are easier to find and acquire than any generation prior. Alternative items for EV stat training? Got those too. An experience share system that lets me grind levels more easily? Got that too.
Some of these features aren’t unique to Generation IX, I know. But they all come together here in a way that makes things so much more player friendly. Not to mention, this is the first generation of games since the second that gave me a sense of excitement in exploring again. To be fair, Legends: Arceus did this too, but that wasn’t a traditional experience. I was actually excited to see what I would find in a new area if I explored there. What Pokémon would I come across? What TM would I find? This actively kept me wanting to play and that feeling grew even more with the DLC.
Exploration, Soundtrack, and Why Gen IX Still Excites Players
Oh, and the music in Scarlet and Violet is phenomenal. Letting Toby Fox take a crack at some songs was a fantastic idea as some of his melodies and leitmotifs find their way into other tracks across the game. The score has some astounding bass work and instrumental flourishes that rank among the best in the franchise. Though I don’t want to reveal too much for those who haven’t really seen the game to completion, the songs that play in the end game are also just incredible. In fact, the entire last portion of the game is perhaps the strongest finale across the series too.
Pokémon Legends Z-A — Flawed but Full of Potential
Pokémon Legends Z-A has seen a lot of hate thrown its way too for its shortcomings, some of them warranted. Is it a bit lackluster for it all to take place in Lumiose City? Yes, I can acknowledge that it would be better if there was more variation. But the criticisms of the graphics and detail in the environments? Sorry, but I’m not really playing Pokémon for the graphics and never have. Obviously, right? I just told you how many hours I pumped into Scarlet and Violet despite them being graphical messes.
Pokémon Legends Z-A shifted the series focus from exploration to battling and it wasn’t a perfect change, but it was a welcome one that has a tremendous amount of potential. It made certain Pokémon more viable in competition and various moves more useful in a real time battle context. It also brought back Mega Evolutions which needed to happen several generations ago. Putting them into this new battle system was also fantastic to see, especially with how many more additions they made to the roster of these Pokémon. These are the kind of things that get glossed over when the dialogue focuses on the limited environment and lack of graphical prowess.
Pokémon Gen IX Deserves Balanced Criticism, Not Hate
This is a very long way of saying that Generation IX warrants criticism. That’s no different than every other generation of Pokémon. It feels like no one is really talking about the amount of fun there is to be had with these titles and that’s a shame. I hope that some lessons can be taken for Gen X, ones that actually are utilized without taking several steps back. Maybe the upcoming re-releases of FireRed and LeafGreen for the Nintendo Switch will make people remember how frustrating these previous generations can be and how much Gen IX does to make the Pokémon life a lot easier.
