We’ve had a blast catching and training Pokemon across various 3DS installments, but the Nintendo Switch has us even more excited for what lies ahead. During the big E3 2017 Nintendo Direct, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO at The Pokemon Company teased that there was a Pokemon Switch game being worked on. We don’t have much information, but we do know the game will be a mainline title like Pokemon Sun and Moon, rather than a spin-off like Pokken Tournament or Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. This means the next Pokemon game could open even more possibilities and unique mechanics than we’ve ever seen before. We’re not expecting to hear any further announcements for a while yet, but here’s a list of some of the things we hope to see present in the upcoming Switch game.
1. Improved visuals
The 3DS gave us the prettiest mainline Pokemon games to date and they’ve marked the biggest shift in graphical quality since Red and Blue hit the shelves in 1998, but it would be great to play a Pokemon game with proper HD visuals designed from the ground up for the Switch. Improved graphics would ensure the game looks glorious whether we decide to take our adventure out on the go or simply laze in front of the TV. We could forgive the rough edges of 3DS titles, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey have demonstrated that the Switch is more than capable of putting on a good visual show.
The world of Pokemon is certainly a beautiful one and we want to see its lush landscapes, colorful critters and triumphant trainers looking sharper than ever before. It not only would make traveling through the game’s various locations more engaging, it would also give us the sense that each place feels unique and lived in. The Pokemon series has always featured forests, mountains, oceans and volcanoes, but the Switch could make exploring each of these environments more exciting than ever before.
2. Better interactions and Pokemon in the overworld
Although Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon made interacting with Pokemon better, they still came across as static creatures void of any character. We want to see an overworld brimming with all kinds of critters, not just a few soulless Pokemon idly standing around waiting for us to play peekaboo with them. Seeing these unique creatures roaming around in the wild and watching them interact with their surroundings would make the world feel more alive. It would also make searching for your favourite Pokemon less of a chore, given that you can clearly see the monster you’re trying to catch. This feature wouldn’t change the core battle mechanics, but it would make exploration even more rewarding, especially when you finally find that rare Pokemon you’ve been tracking down for days!
3. Pokémon with proper voices
No, we don’t want Pokemon to actually talk, as that would be terrifying. After all, we’re still trying to forget the time Ash’s Pikachu spoke during the movie Pokemon: I Choose You. However, it’s about time Game Freak ditched the equally nightmarish mechanical noises each Pokemon currently makes. They sound more like terrifying robots than cute wild creatures, so we’re hoping we can finally hear their real voices in the upcoming Switch game. If Pikachu can say its own name in previous games, then so can the rest of the gang.
4. More Pokemon Snap
Part of what made Breath of the Wild so wonderful was that we could document our journey with the camera rune. If we happened to see something cool, we could simply whip out our trusty Sheikah Slate and get snapping. This feature also made it incredibly easy to share our best moments with other adventurers from all around the world. After all, a beautiful world filled with majestic and cute critters is just begging to be photographed. Pokemon Sun and Moon’s Pokemon Finder touched on this area, but the limitations of the 3DS hardware made taking spectacular photos pretty much impossible.
Fans have wanted another Pokemon Snap game for a while now, so being able to capture our favorite creatures goofing around would certainly be a way to keep us busy. The Switch’s motion controls would only serve to make the point-and-click nature of the game’s camera even better. Additionally, this feature would serve as an excellent break from all the battling and training, especially if we can share photos of our prized Pokémon with real trainers.
5. Greater online functionality and mini-games
While Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon offer the most robust online experience we’ve seen from a Pokemon game, we still feel it could be made a lot better. Casual online battles, ranked play and trading are a must, but we’d like to see more jolly cooperation between trainers. While Sun and Moon’s Festival Plaza opened up more interactions between players from around the globe, it still didn’t make us feel connected to those around us. We’d like to see player avatars randomly appear during our quest to catch 'em all. If you come across another player’s avatar, you could either choose to battle them or simply find out how they’re doing on their journey.
Meanwhile, past Global Missions have given us a glimpse of how the Pokemon community are willing to pull together to achieve various challenges and milestones. These communal events have ranged from catching/trading Pokemon, hatching eggs and even surfing aboard a Mantine in the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon mini-game. It would be great if future challenges allowed us to work with other players in real time, or at the very least let us see their avatars taking on the game’s various trials. The Switch is also the perfect console for cooperative play, so it would be nice to see some mini-games make an appearance.
Pokemon’s online experience is known for its fierce competitive battling scene, but it needn’t always be a stressful experience. Pokemon Switch could provide a more light-hearted approach between trainers, and it would be awesome to play mini-games locally with friends or take on an opponent from across the pond. This would allow players of all skill levels to join in on the fun without the worry of having to be competitively viable.