[Let’s Talk] March 2016 Nintendo Direct thoughts
Let’s Talk #41: March 2016 Nintendo Direct thoughts
This week’s Nintendo Direct was the first time in awhile that we saw a new presentation that wasn’t about a specific game. A Pokemon broadcast was held just last week, and there was the Smash Bros. video back in December. However, the last actual Direct covering multiple games was held back in November.
Nintendo shared news about both of its current platforms, Wii U and 3DS. In terms of announcements, Paper Mario: Color Splash and Kirby: Planet Robobot were the big ones here. SNES support was also revealed for the New 3DS Virtual Console. That’s in addition to localization of Monster Hunter Generations and Rhythm Heaven Megamix, release dates for games such as Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and Mario & Sonic Wii U, updates for Super Mario Maker and Splatoon, and more.
Nintendo Directs are always big events, so today’s Let’s Talk is dedicated to this week’s presentation. Were you happy with what was shown? Or maybe you were looking for something more/else? Regardless of how you felt, tell us in the comments below!
Highlights from last week’s topic: What do you want to see from Pokemon Sun/Moon?
Captain Norris
I still wish they would have went the DQXI route and allowed you to switch between 2d sprites and 3d models. I prefer character sprites at many times. Would have been a perfect thing to do to for Pokemon’s 20th as well.
Unfortunately I doubt that will ever happen due to everyone “loving” the 3d models when in many ways it hinders gameplay, such as the framerate at times. Of course in other times it is awesome, which is why I wish the feature was made. I love and hate both in different parts of the day, so to speak.
Reggie
KEEP THE TRAINER CUSTOMIZATION. Game Freak always introduces new ideas and mechanics and then doesn’t include them in future games.
Locky Mavo
First, a difficulty setting, just have at the start, “are you an experienced Pokémon player?”, and select your preferred difficulty. It’s so lame coming up to the first couple Gym Leaders with only 2, usually un-evolved Pokémon, Gym Leaders are supposed to be challenging. Make the Gym battles and even your normal Trainer/ Rival battles, feel more rewarding/ challenging, or even a tad frustrating at times. (When was the last time you “blacked out” in a battle?)
Next, I’d personally like to see HMs gone in outside of battle use, they accomplished that with FLY in OR/AS with the Eon Flute, maybe they could still have them locked behind Gym Badges, or an item acquired after said Gym battles, and/or maybe even some sort of logic sense? As in any tiny Pokémon e.g. Pidgey, Azurill, can not carry a full grown human flying or surfing, so you require a sizeable Pokémon who can e.g. Pidgeot, Lapras. Or something like, “of course Machamp can use Strength and Rock Smash”, or “of course Scyther can use cut”. I hate having to carry HM slaves, when it could be a Pokémon you like/want in your party.
Also I would like to see the Pokémon following the Trainer comeback like brought back in HG/SS, that was so cool. But maybe even go that extra step, beyond X/Y and let us ride our Pokémon, Latios/ Latias/ Monster Hunter Stories style! As big a task that may be, it would be awesome.
And visiting other regions again like in Gold/ Silver, and challenging the Gym Leaders and Champions their respective regions would be awesome.
Personally I’m not too worried about story, as from Black/White onwards the story telling has been getting better and better, though it is still the same format of: beat Team ____, collect eight badges, beat the Elite Four and become Champ. They could mix that up a bit.
Last but not least: More new Pokémon and Mega Evolutions! And customization to both Trainer and Pokémon alike. They had it in X/Y and added Pikachu costumes in OR/AS. And maybe add something new or more to do in Pokémon Amie. And keep the Pokémon Contest in there too!
As an after thought: have Amiibo support too! Having Pokémon Amiibo cards to collect would be sweet as.
And this one is a little silly, tad unrealistic, but maybe, just maybe, they could endorse the Pokémon fusion? ha ha, maybe not…
Wendigo
Focus on more non-Mega evolutions
And kinda counter to the first thing, Mega Flygon 😛
Alien Lullaby
I’ve only played Diamond and Yellow to any great degree. Competitive battling at the time was not accessible, not all pokémon were “competitive”, and it was hard to play with friends who were so often higher level than me because they devoted more time to playing. Personally, I’d get rid of levels and replace EVs with transparently assignable and re-assignable stat boosts so that it comes down to strategizing move selection and stat distribution with pokémon selection instead of coming down to whoever was willing to waste the most time grinding EVs and levels. I’d also put all trainer and pokémon customization (like move erasers/tutors) in one place, even as options in the menu, so I don’t have to fly around looking for them. Also, why not decouple HMs from combat moves so we don’t have “HM slaves”? Make them map-use-only options inherent to the pokémon. (They may have worked on some of these problems in X/Y for all I know.) That said, my favorite part of the game was discovering new pokémon by catch, trade, and evolution, and creating tenable theme parties.
Pupom
MORE. POKEMON. The last gen only gave us a puddle of Pokemon to use. It was so disappointing… I want to see a LOT more in gen 7.
karukonu
I’m fairly sure there’s more to it than just the following, but to keep it short:
– A difficulty option from the start
– Flying around the world like in OR/AS
– Trainer customization from X/Y
– An online battle mode that doesn’t require you to have perfect Pokemon to stand a chance, like the Stadium games but online.
I’m assuming none of the above is going to make it in though, a pity. It’s why I’ve given up on buying and playing the RPG series, to me it’s more fun to just find out what the latest games contain and discuss them than to actually play them lol
