We’re almost certainly getting aPokemonspin-off game this year. You’d have to go back to 1997, just one year after the very first Pokemon games launched, to find a year where there were no Pokemon games released. Last year saw two mainline games withLegends: ArceusandScarlet & Violet, so a new mainline game isn’t on the cards yet.
It’ll likely be 2025 before we get Gen 10, although a Legends game could arrive in between. We should get DLC for Scarlet & Violet this year, but I still firmly expect a whole new game - I just have no idea what it could be. Let’s take a look at the candidates, arranged in order of what I think is most likely, based on nothing but a gut feeling.
Pokken 2
This isn’t the most exciting pick, but it does seem like it’s next in line.Pokken Tournamentlaunched in Japanese arcades back in 2015, with the DX version arriving on the Switch in 2017, so six years is a healthy gap. In a year, it had sold a million copies, and though it hasn’t had the staying power of other Switch games, it was far from a flop.
Anything that even mildly works and has Pokemon on the cover always has the potential to hit the stratosphere next time, and it was also reported to have outsold Street Fighter 5. Bandai Namco has since collaborated with Pokemon further through New Pokemon Snap, which again won great acclaim, but the factTekken 8is currently in the final stages casts some doubt here. Still, it feels the horse to bet on by stabbing at the form book blindly with a pencil.
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A New Mystery Dungeon
The lastMystery Dungeonarrived in 2020, but that was a remake of the very first entry from back in 2005. This gave Mystery Dungeon the honour of being the first non-mainline Pokemon game to get a full remake, but may also have been testing the waters for a potential return since it bowed out in 2016.Three years later and nothing to report suggests that experiment may have been deemed a failure, but Mystery Dungeon is one of the most beloved spin-offs and has traditionally had the most support, so it has a great chance of making a comeback.
A New Series Entirely
As you might have guessed from the fact the two favourites have major caveats, I really have no idea what I’m doing. For various reasons, none of the regular spin-offs seem to fit, so maybe it will be something completely different? Pokemon has been accused of staying safe and stale, but spin-offs have always pushed things further, and Unite shows there’s a willingness to explore new genres.
Gen 5 Remakes
Pokemon has been gradually going through its old catalogue and remaking them, but Gen 4’s Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, which ignored the far superior Platinum,are considered amongst the worst of the bunch. However, they did sell well. When you consider that the remakes existed primarily to set up Legends: Arceus and the divisive nature of Black & White (and its successor, X & Y), maybe the remakes have run their course for now.
Legends 2
This is almost definitely coming, but I don’t think it’s coming yet. It’s barely 12 months since the first one launched, I don’t see this one coming this year.
Let’s Go Johto
Once upon a time, I saidLet’s Go Johto was almost definitely coming too, but five years on, I’m less convinced.Pokemon Gois still popular and still generates cash, but it’s no longer a cultural phenomenon, and Johto doesn’t have the casual nostalgia of Kanto. I think this is a no-brainer, but after half a decade of saying that, I’m beginning to suspect I’m the one with no brain.
A New Conquest
I mean, they wouldn’t, would they? While not my personal favourite (that’s next), Conquest is considered the best Pokemon spin-off ever, and it’s a crime that the 2012 title is the only game the series ever got. It’s basically Pokemon Fire Emblem, made by FE collaborators Koei Tecmo, and it’s almost as good as Three Houses. It’s better than Warriors. It’s an excellent example of the genre, but it has been all but forgotten. If you fancy checking it out, you can buy copies online for around $100. I would never advocate for emulation piracy, though I suppose that’s also an option.
A New Snap
Snapis my favourite Pokemon spin-off ever, but it’s only two years old and it has (minor) support with free DLC. Iwould pay for a major expansion pack, but I think it’s too soon for another one just now. If Tekken 8 was a blot in the copybook against Pokken 2, it’s a waterfall of noxious black ink against a new Snap.
A New Detective Pikachu
The ship has sailed on this one. I’m surprised the movie didn’t lead to a Switch remake or port of the original, but I think the moment for this one has passed.
A New PokePark
If you don’t remember PokePark, it was a Wii series that was basically Baby’s First Pokemon where you’d walk around a field (or tundra, or volcano) as one of the starter Pokemon and make friends with the Pokemon. That’s it. There’s as much chance of this as there is a Hey You 2.
Next:Black History Month: Celebrating Jerry Lawson, The Man Who Invented Video Games
