Weekend Response: Pokémon Doesn’t Need a 3D World

Published on January 13, 2013, by 20Posted in 3DS, Community, Features, Nintendo, Opinion, Software, Weekend Wondering

pokemon-early-stage

This is a staff response piece to this week’s “Weekend Wondering” community poll question: “What do you think of the 3D Graphics in Pokémon X and Y” Feel free to share your own thoughts on the subject in the comments!

I wasn’t really expecting visual greatness from Pokémon when it made its big jump to Nintendo 3DS – all I really expected was a clean, nice-looking first step into the world of 3D. Game Freak had already kind of taken baby steps in this direction with the DS entries, with their pseudo-3D buildings and landscapes, and I figured they’d continue with that obviously successful direction.

Suffice to say that the results so far haven’t been encouraging. The 3D style used in Pokémon X & Y seems caught between two worlds – it’s muddy and at the same time feels like it’s trying to carry over the 2D look into fully 3D graphics. Given what we’ve seen so far, the world of Pokémon X & Y looks like it might as well have remained 2D.

Frankly, I don’t think that would have been a bad thing – there have been some positively beautiful environments in the DS games, and specifically in Pokémon Black & White. I remember being positively wowed by the forested areas in autumn, something I didn’t expect from a Pokémon game. The screenshots for Pokémon X & Y – at least what we’ve seen so far – haven’t quite been so impressive.

pinwheel-forest route-6-river

And the overall world design doesn’t seem to have changed much. Aside from the camera showing more things in the distance, I’m not sure I would have really been able to tell that the game was a serious first step into the world of 3D. It looks to be more or less laid out in the same grid-like fashion we’ve always known. If that’s the case, why bother making it 3D at all? At least in 2.5D games the 3D graphics have the benefit of fleshing out the level backgrounds with intense levels of detail – here we don’t even get that. Visually, it’s a Pokémon game through and through, just with low-res 3D models instead of the usual 2D sprites. There’s nothing design-wise that couldn’t have been done with 2D graphics.

What’s more, I bet the level of enhancement they could have brought to the 2D sprites is much higher than what they’ve achieved with the 3D, which so far actually looks like a last-generation handheld game. Someone in the comments made a Spirit Tracks comparison, and I think it’s a pretty apt one. That would have been appropriate on the DS, where this level of quality was fairly average; on the 3DS, the bar is set considerably higher.

It’s not that I’m opposed to 3D graphics – it’s just that, given the results we’ve seen with the game’s world so far, the leap doesn’t seem justified. There is, however, a part of the game where the 3D graphics represent a clear improvement over the previous visuals: the actual Pokémon battles. It’s clear from the appeal of games like Pokémon Stadium that there’s something viscerally exciting about seeing those battles take place in 3D. They’re more animated, the attacks are more dynamic, and they help the player feel more embedded in the experience.

pokemon-battles-3d

I’m sure there’ll be moments in Pokémon X & Y where the world still manages to be interesting. We saw a glimpse of a scene with stained-glass windows and big, blazing torches that honestly seemed pretty cool. I’m just not sure that the glimpses we’ve seen so far justify the series’ leap to the world of 3D. There’s still so much more that could be done with the 2D graphics, and I’m sure the game would still look beautiful and modern in the process.

I know it’s too late for anything to change, but as someone who has invested into at least one game from every Pokémon generation, I’m willing to admit that I’m not quite sold on the current direction. 3D should be used to help make a game come alive, not just out of obligation.

Other Pokémon-related articles at GenGAME:

  • Castle

    Yes we need 3D! It’s something different for once!

  • Rend

    Pokemon needs to end if you ask me. It had a good run but now all Nintendo is coming out with is crap. But in regard to he 3D game I didn’t think anything could be worse than the super pixel-ie moving sprites in Black and White… Never have I been so wrong. The new graphics look awful.

    • http://www.gengame.net/ Alex Plant

      Yeah, the battle sprites in BW were pretty awful.

    • JeredenDonnar

      I agree whole-heartedly. With pokemon, their just digging their own graves, appealing to less and less people. to me, it’s becoming just another anime to fall into the world of “just-other animes”. Which world does indeed exist. And I again totally agree about the pixels! It buggwed me in BW and it pains me in this new version! I’m afraid to see what other pokemon monsters they’ve thought of. (did you catch my slight dig at the series?)

      • AdvancePlays

        “Appealing to less and less people” Good god that made me lawl.

    • BlackRaven6695

      Personally, I can’t wait to play them. If you don’t like what you see, don’t buy it. But there’s no need to wish for the series to end, ruining everyone else’s fun.

  • 64 hit combo

    I can only half agree with the statement from the article. The jump to 3D was long needed and I welcome it, however, from what we’ve seen, it looks like they aren’t doing it correctly. It looks like a 3D world but is built like a 2D one, which is all wrong. They need to change things fast,and do things correctly. Remove the grid, and remove static trainers.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002951133190 Jacob Nesci

      The graphics are fine battle wise. But I agree they do need to get rid of the grid.

  • Snivy747

    Excuse me but i think that wat they are doing isn’t that bad. I LOVE that they are finally coming to the 3DS, its pretty awesome actually. And how can u say that there are no beautiful landscapes and scenery in Pokemon X and Y, the game hasn’t even been released seriously, this article is just about the graphics, i mean if ur gonna just put all the bad things from this game into one article and make it sound horrible can u at least respect the people that are pro-Pokemon X and Y and make a Pokemon DOES need a 3D world article? this just makes us mad. Game Freak probably worked hard to make this game and ur just like ” U DID HORRID!!!” gosh be happy they made the 3DS jump in the first place! i personally LOVE how they made it 3D and preserved the CLASSIC 2D style of it all. I mean seriously! how did they even manage to do that!? 3D Pokemon World FTW!!!!!!!!!!

    • Twister27

      The amount of work put into a project should not make people compliment things they dislike. I am not saying that you have no right to like the 3D transition, but there is no reason for me or for other consumers not to criticize things that we dislike. Without criticism, how can a company that is based on pleasing others make what will sell best?

      • Snivy747

        Then i’m sure u didn’t mind my criticism on ur article, since it is to please us as the readers afterall.

        • Twister27

          What do you mean by my article? I am not a journalist. If you mean this article, I am not Alex Plant.

          • Snivy747

            Then why did u…ok, forget it.

  • Zeth_Aran

    Well you got to remember that this is still a work in progress and things are subject to change.

    • Joe

      Honestly, I wouldn’t bet on there being any major changes at all. The game engine is probably mostly complete by now, with the localisation taking up most of the remaining development time.

  • http://www.facebook.com/lilrizky Joshua Rizk

    We actually do need a 3D world. if they just keep bringing out gen after gen on that 2d sprite shit, it’s going to be compared with COD. sure they’re both got mechanics that don’t need to be fixed. But is that what you want? no you want something fresh. and seeing as though Gamefreak is never going to bring a Pokemon RPG title to the home consoles, this is good enough for me. Yes we need it.

    And they look beautiful, they just look shonky to you because you have certain expectations. Lower them.

  • Xatu2000

    Personally, I think the move into 3D is well overdue and I’m all in favor. It’s the breath of fresh-air that the franchise needs to get some gamers, particularly those with limited spare time, to choose it over other games available.

  • hlslks

    have none of you played 3ds? screenshots don’t translate well.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002951133190 Jacob Nesci

    In my opinion these new graphics look fine. Sure the world map isn’t STUNNING looking but it does its job and the battles look pretty good especially for the 3ds.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rcoreyiii Robert Corey III

    It’s nice that they are making a 3D one graphically, but it’s complete bull that I have to buy a stereoscopic 3DS when I already own a freakin’ DS; just so crap can do a bad headache job of popping out of the screen. I’ve played every single mainstream handheld Pokemon game up to this date but I’m probably not gonna continue unless they release it on every DS later.