detective pikachu returns Launched on Nintendo Switch earlier this month, continuing one of Pokémon’s many spinoff series. follows in the footsteps of pokemon snapWhich received a long-awaited sequel on Nintendo Switch in 2021.
Seeing both of these side series getting brand new games on the Nintendo Switch definitely makes me hopeful that other Pokemon spinoffs will eventually return. Some deserve bigger and bolder games to explore new concepts, while others could use a fresh coat of paint on modern Nintendo hardware. Here are five Pokémon spinoff series that I hope will line up with new installments.
pokemon ranger
The first spinoff series that needs to make a comeback is Pokémon Ranger, which has not seen any new entries since Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs in 2010. In this side series for the Nintendo DS, players were the titular Rangers instead of Pokémon trainers and served as ecological peacekeepers for areas exclusive to these games. They feature some of the strangest plots of any Pokémon game and feel different from most other Pokémon games due to their unique capturing system, in which players build lots of rings around a Pokémon in order to tame it.
While stylus-driven gameplay largely ties this series to the DS, a new entry could replicate that experience with motion controls or find a new design approach to taming Pokémon entirely. I grew up playing the Pokémon Ranger games in addition to the main series and loved the unique gameplay experiences they offered and the world of Pokémon. I’d love to see a developer make another attempt at exploring this concept on modern Nintendo hardware.
pokemon rumble
The Pokémon Rumble series began with a WiiWare game that featured Pokémon toys coming to life and fighting each other in isometric action combat. It got new entries on 3DS, Wii U, and even mobile, but the eShops for the two Nintendo systems are now gone and the mobile game pokemon rumble rush Was discontinued in 2020. While this spinoff series had a solid run for a decade, it has gone dormant. I really hope to see it return.
While all of the Pokémon Rumble games were fairly simple, they provided an entertaining action-focused Pokémon experience, which is not available on the Nintendo Switch. I would love for this spinoff series’ game concept to return and even get the AAA treatment – think a Pokemon version. Diablo IV,
pokemon mystery dungeon
Technically, this is the most recently supported Pokémon spinoff series on this list, as Remake Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Came out on Nintendo Switch in 2020. Still, we haven’t seen an original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game since 2016, so a new sequel seems long overdue. The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series always stood out because of its dungeon-crawling, roguelite format and because it told stories where Pokémon were the main characters.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX It ran smoothly and looked fantastic, so there’s definitely potential for developer Spike Chunsoft to expand on that when telling a new story. Hopefully, it can reach that level after February 2024, when it will be released Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil IslandThe latest entry in the series that inspired Mystery Dungeon.
pokemon pinball
The Pokémon Pinball series had a short but memorable run on the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. They did a great job at combining the fundamental ideas of pinball with core Pokémon concepts like catching monsters. It’s surprising that The Pokemon Company hasn’t revisited this concept in the age of digital storefronts, where such a light and breezy pinball game could fit really well on a handheld game platform.
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a new Pokémon Pinball game in over 20 years, and the Wii U Virtual Console re-release went with that system’s eShop. It appears that Zen Studios has mastered the art of modern pinball video games, so why not let it inspire them to create some new Pokémon themed pinball boards or full-fledged successors to these Pokémon pinball games? At the very least, the original game needs to return via Nintendo Switch Online.
pokemon trading card game
I recently got a chance to try it pokemon trading card game For the first time ever, thanks to Nintendo Switch Online. I was surprised by how well this older version of the card game transitioned to video game form, even though it’s very slow and the UI feels quite dated. As card-based games are more popular than ever on PC, consoles, and mobile, the concept of a card-based Pokémon RPG is ready for a modern refresh.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting a follow-up any time soon. This is because when it comes to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the Pokémon Company’s main focus is on competitive play. As such, its main video game version is competition-focused. pokemon tcg live For PC, Mac, iOS and Android. Still, we hope to see this card game revisited in a single-player experience someday.
