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Could the next Pokemon game be more than just an RPG?

Doctor Oak

Doctor Oak

Staff member
Overlord
junichi_masuda5.jpg
Speaking in Game Informer this month, Junichi Masuda - the director of Diamond and Pearl (and unconfirmed, but expected director of HG/SS) - explains that while Pokemon is an RPG, and that has never really changed, he's quite interested in adding a lot more to that.

"Yes, I have thought of doing something new, and it makes me very excited to think of new elements for the game. ... This is just an idea but ... as you know, Pokémon is a role-playing game. But, personally, I really like the action type of games, so we just talk about that sometimes. We probably want to add some kind action element to the game."
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Masuda has previously been asked in an interview with IGN, a few months before the announcement of HG/SS, about if there were any plans to overhaul or revamp the games after 4 Generations of very similar gameplay and replied:

There is some day soon that we can make an announcement about new stuff, so that's something you can look forward to.
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We already know that HG/SS have some pretty large departures from the source material from just the little information revealed so far. If Masuda has been working on these games for the best part of the past 3 years while he handed over the torch for Platinum's development - could it be that all this time has been spent on making HG/SS a serious clash of old and new?

Could Genius Sonority's long silence be indicative of their working on a new Wii title to Masuda's specifications?

Only time will tell.

[size=6pt]Source for G.I. Interview: http://www.destructoid.com/would-you-play-a-pokemon-action-game--132781.phtml
Source for IGN Interview: http://ds.ign.com/articles/965/965073p1.html[/size]
 
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Abnaki_Knight

That will be nice to have some action in the games.
Well as long it keeps the idea the same. XD

What would be nice is to make it when a battle, you contorl the pokemon's action beside telling it to use one of it's moves.
 
Linkachu

Linkachu

Hero of Pizza
Staff member
Administrator
"I really like the action type of games" ...

Those few words probably just sent a horde of fans into a giddy frenzy. Gods, I'm intrigued now, too. Can't wait to see what comes about from this annoucement XD
 
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Azro

Ooooo interesting. This sounds great, i hope they dont change too much though and dont get too carried away, adding an action element sounds awsome yet scarey at the same time, as long as they keep the basic idea the same, which in my opinion is why the games do so well, then it can only get better, i just hope they dont take it too far and turn it into something completely different.
 
Psycho Monkey

Psycho Monkey

Member of the Literary Elite Four
An action game huh? Maybe instead of turn based combat we could be battling in real time. There are so many possibilities.

Those few words probably just sent a horde of fans into a giddy frenzy.
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I wouldn't go that far Linkachu. I myself am at the "That's a fun thought" phase right now. Giddy frenzy would probably come when Masuda goes into further detail.
 
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Snagglux09

Hmm...It would make a change. I'm not entirely enthusiastic about it but if they do decide to do it I'm hoping you can choose which gameplay style to use so people who prefer the RPG fight system can use that. Either that or use the action style for a portion of the game, otherwise lots of fans that've been waiting for these games will pull this face D=
 
Linkachu

Linkachu

Hero of Pizza
Staff member
Administrator
Psycho Monkey said:
I wouldn't go that far Linkachu. I myself am at the "That's a fun thought" phase right now. Giddy frenzy would probably come when Masuda goes into further detail.
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I still would say exactly that. I've read so many rants about certain fans wanting an action-based battle system put into place it's gotten annoying to hear - much like whines about a Pokemon MMO. For them, bet they're just praying their dreams come true someday soon... but we'll see what happens XD
 
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ozmer

I really hope they don't stray too far from pokemon tradition with their new action idea. A pokemon MMO would kill my love for the franchise...
 
NonAnalogue

NonAnalogue

See, now I hope that the main Pokemon games stay turn-based. I'm not a big fan of the action-RPG genre. There are a lot of innovations they could make with the main Pokemon games, but the core battle system should stay the same.

I wouldn't be opposed to a side game that uses an action-based battle system - depending on how it's implemented, it could be a lot of fun. But the main games need to have innovative ideas focused on story and not so much battling.
 
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Luconray

This sounds interesting, but I would fear them messing up the games if they tried it out. But if it was made into the games correctly, or put into it's own seperate spin-off games, it may be a lot of fun! I'm kind of looking forward to seeing if it actually becomes an official announcment at some point. Heh, I'm actually kind of excited to see if they DO try something like this out!
 
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Dragodden

Sounds like responses are somewhat divided. I, personally, fear change. I would love to get something new for the series, but if it's a drastic change despite it being good in the end (hypothetically) people may not like it BECAUSE it's different. Worse yet, the change turns out bad.

I'm not saying I don't want something new. I feel like the games have been asking for some form of change.

I think my biggest "dream" with pokemon would be for the developers to create a game with a completely different storyline/goal. Follow someone's story, but they don't need to be battling gyms and aiming to be a master. A less uniformed story.. *Dreamy eyes* Heh, what about a story based around a Team Rocket grunt as a main character? ^.^
 
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OranRi

This is pretty exciting, but I really hope they don't change the way it has been too much. I'm not sure if a lot of action would fit in so well with Pokemon.
 
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ulises87g

Or it would be pretty cool to keep the game the same but have a separate area like the battle area that instead of turnbased is action based, where you control your pokemon.
or im even picturing a style much like the battle system for mario and luigi partners in time for the ds, where it's turnbased but you also have to press the buttons at certain times.
 
NonAnalogue

NonAnalogue

ulises87g said:
or im even picturing a style much like the battle system for mario and luigi partners in time for the ds, where it's turnbased but you also have to press the buttons at certain times.
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Despite my misgivings about action-based battle systems, I wholeheartedly endorse this idea and hope that it gets used in some Pokemon game one way or another.
 
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almfao

It would be nice if a Pokemon game had action. If they added action to HG and SS I would be upset though.I loved Gold and Silver the way they were. If there will be an action one I would want a sidegame action one.
 
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EmberGryphon

It doesn't seem particularly likely, to me... ^^() An action game would be awesome- Pokemon was one of my first loves, but I've definitely become more of an action game fan than the turn-based RPG style. And there's definitely plenty of potential for a good real-time action game in the fandom!

But as other peeps have said- it might drive away some part of the fanbase (although I'd hope it would also serve to beckon back peeps who had left 'cause the premise of the game got stale and repetitive) and there doesn't seem, to me, to be much of a reason for Gamefreak to change a style that has raked them in so much money.
Aside from the fact that some of us would love it, of course. =3
 
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Mogster42

Given that they are still looking into an action element, I find it highly unlikely that it will involve HGSS in any way, as they are way too far along in development, (remember, out this Autumn in Japan). I think that the statement will be more based around the next Wii offering, than anything the DS is likely to get. 'Adding an action element' might not be what you think - most of the game balance would disappear if you made the battles real time (two turn attacks become meaningless, flying types get a massive advantage, etc). I believe the route they may be going for is to make the battles look more dynamic and impressive, have pokemon move around, interact more with each other and the environment, rather than sitting there and taking hits like a vegetable (no offence to grass-types meant). The actual battle system doesn't need to change at all, it just looks better. A lot like FF12, but with the computer controlling movement, same battle system, different look.
 
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**BeginwiththeEnd**

I am glad that pokemon would take this kind of twist (As long as the action system doesn't turn out like Spectrobes...ugh) and i would love to see, if it's a Wii title, some voice acting for once! I don't mean change it in all new pokemon games, but at least make a different storyline like Dragodden said. Who knows, maybe pokemon might come up with a decent CG movie based on the games. :)
 
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Dragodden

Ugh! Voice acting in American-based pokemon would be tailored to little kids and thus horribly... BAD. *Thinks about the Mystery Dungeon based anime that was dubbed to the point that when I see Sunflora I want to hurl* If voice acting started.. and it was to the caliber of the dubbed pokemon anime.. it just might kill the game for me.
 
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Mogster42

Have to keep the original sounds - giving them 'voices' is so far thankfully an anime only thing (with the exception of Pikachu in Yellow), for which I am thankful. Blurring the line between anime and games is only good so far. Can you imagine trying to power level with all the anime voices? Insanity looms!
 
Magpie

Magpie

Feathered Overseer
Staff member
Moderator
Heh, and here's me thinking that giving all the Pokemon voices would be awesome. I've always wanted them to do it, since Yellow XD

I guess it would get annoying very quickly, and if they did use the voices from the dub, it would get super annoying very quickly. I don't even like Manectric's dub voice, and he's my favourite Pokemon!

I'm in two minds about the battle system changing. On the one hand the new suggestions sound awesome, but on the other I'm so used to how it looks/works now that it'd be strange to see Pokemon using anything else...
 
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Mogster42

Yeah, voices would add a level of cheesyness that just doesn't need to be there. I'm still confident that it would be possible to give the appearence of action, without changing the system at all, but anything new like that will always make some people feel alienated, most likely the same people who complain that each game is the same as the last. You can't win 100% of the audience either way, so you might as well just do what's best for the series as a whole. A bit of something new would be nice, as long as (as I've already stated) it doesn't alter the fundamentals of the battle mechanics. If this comment does indeed refer to the next Wii title, I'll personally be happy if they just bring back 4 player doubles functionality, same as both GC titles had. Why PBR doesn't I can't begin to fathom.
 
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