Pokémon Could Learn a Little From Games It Influenced

When you think about Pokemon, it’s easy to feel the nostalgia. For so many of us, the series holds a unique place in our childhoods. It’s a franchise that knows exactly how to keep itself alive. Whether it’s introducing features like Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, or Dynamaxing, the formula is constantly being supplemented by gimmicks. But underneath it all, the Pokemon experience stays fundamentally the same, and maybe that should change to embrace what games like it also do.

Game Freak is often too cautious to truly take big leaps with Pokemon. That approach has kept fans coming back, but some of the more innovative takes on monster-catching come from smaller, indie games influenced by Pokemon. These games, such as Cassette Beasts and Monster Crown, give us a fresh look at a genre Pokemon pioneered, but has not truly innovated on in a long time

As a franchise, Pokemon is among the most established. It’s a cultural juggernaut not only in gaming but across media. With every new release, Game Freak fine-tunes the well-loved turn-based mechanics and injects a new gimmick. In Generation VI, we had Mega Evolutions, an exciting feature that allowed certain Pokémon to transform mid-battle and become even stronger versions of themselves.

It was wildly popular. Fans loved the additional layers of strategy and the dramatic designs. But by the next generation, Mega Evolutions were gone. Then came Z-Moves and Gigantamaxing, which faded in and out with their respective games. Fans see their favorite features disappear, replaced by something new each time. While this cycle can add flavor to each new game, it sometimes leaves fans wondering if Game Freak cares about their feedback at all.

On one level, it’s understandable why Game Freak takes this approach with Pokemon. No matter what, these games are guaranteed to sell well. Even when Pokemon Scarlet and Violet dropped with performance issues and graphical inconsistencies, they still broke sales records.

It raises the question: why should Game Freak deviate from their tried-and-true formula when they don’t have to? Without the pressure to innovate for survival, they have the luxury to play it safe. It’s only natural, but it also creates a gap that indie games have stepped in to fill.

Games like Cassette Beasts and Monster Crown have innovated in ways Pokemon could, but perhaps never would. Take Cassette Beasts for example. Tts monster fusion system, which lets you merge two creatures to create a more powerful hybrid, offers thrilling tactical depth. Each fusion carries unique abilities and stats, so you’re incentivized to experiment and discover combinations.

Imagine a similar feature in Pokemon—even with a fraction of the possibilities, the concept would have endless strategic applications, but it’s also easy to see why Game Freak wouldn’t attempt it. Pokemon lore emphasizes individuality; fusing Pokémon might seem at odds with its core “gotta catch ‘em all” mantra. Yet, fusions could have been integrated differently, perhaps as temporary team-ups in battle or unique synergies.

Cassette Beasts also succeeds by keeping its world small, with a limited roster compared to Pokemon’s sprawling Pokédex. With nearly 1,000 Pokémon species to consider, every new Pokemon generation runs into the problem of bloat. Scarlet and Violet, even with all it’s expansions, is missing over 20% of the full roster. There are so many creatures that it’s no longer even possible for a player to “catch ‘em all” in a single game. Game Freak claims this is a technical limitation of the switch, but me? I don’t buy that.

Cassette Beasts and other indies can design smaller, tightly-knit rosters without players feeling like they’re missing out on decades of characters and mechanics. For them, this limited scope is an advantage, allowing deeper exploration of each monster’s role within the world and narrative. Meanwhile, Pokemon’s vast array of creatures, while mostly beloved, might be the very thing holding it back from incorporating fresh ideas.

Another fascinating feature is how indie monster-collecting games handle lore and story. Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a significant step forward in this department, weaving an engaging tale about the origins of Pokémon in a way that was refreshing and new.

Fans embraced it, thrilled by the idea of exploring lore in a more hands-on way. But even then, it was limited in its risks; rather than push the boundaries further. Indie games don’t have this hesitation. Without a massive back catalog, Cassette Beasts can tie its creatures into every layer of the game’s world and narrative, weaving a story that feels deeply interconnected and freeing the player to explore without rigid constraints.

If Pokemon could merge this depth with the mainline games, we might see a shift to more player agency and immersion—exactly what Pokemon Legends: Arceus hinted at but didn’t fully realize.

So, does Game Freak have a responsibility to keep up with these smaller games, or is it enough to just polish up each new entry in the franchise and let the brand’s legacy carry it forward? For many fans, the answer lies somewhere in between. If Pokémon incorporated a mix of its past mechanics and some of these indie innovations, it could retain its wide appeal while adding meaningful depth.

Imagine a world where we could combine the best of every generation. Where Mega Evolutions, regionals, Dynamaxing, and maybe even fusion mechanics could coexist to create a player experience that evolves over time, rather than starting fresh every few years.

What stands in the way of such a vision? Perhaps it’s the franchise’s sheer scale. With so many facets, card games, movies, toys, and shows, the Pokémon games are but one piece of the bigger picture. Its massive appeal means Game Freak doesn’t have to experiment as much. When something like Mega Evolutions fades away, it’s still just as profitable to make a new game without it. Younger fans and longtime players will buy every release regardless.

Game Freak may be unwilling to commit to complex Pokemon mechanics because it doesn’t need to. That leaves us with a franchise whose games are timeless but, at the same time, overall unchanging. It’s disappointing that the company who pushed the Gameboy to its limits to include Kanto in Generation II is now not even including every Pokémon in a main game.

To expect massive changes would be a lot, but the franchise still has the potential to introduce smaller, meaningful innovations. Games like Pokemon Legends: Arceus suggest that the franchise might dip into a deeper experience again. Perhaps drawing from the RPGs that keep people hooked not for one generation but for years.

If that happens, Pokemon might yet blend its comforting nostalgia with the inventive spirit of the games it inspired. Games that go beyond “catching them all” as a slogan. Until then, we’ll continue to explore these indie gems and wait patiently, catching what we can.