Because graphics are the most important part of a game?
If the games are fun to play who cares if the graphics are bad? Scarlet and Violet were the best pokemon games since P:LA and that was the best since Gen 5.
Based on the limited information we’ve gotten about ZA there’s no reason as of yet to doubt that it won’t be comparable to P:LA and S&V in terms of enjoyability.
Complaining about the graphics of pokemon games or the bugginess of pokemon games is like complaining about CoD being an FPS or Assassin’s Creed having traversable terrain or Souls-likes being hard. At this point it’s a staple of the franchise with 40 games between the mainline games and major spinoffs establishing a trend of the games being thoroughly buggy messes and/or having shit graphics. There is absolutely no reason to expect any of that to change and constantly hearing complaints about it with every new game is getting fucking old.
While graphics generally aren’t important, they do become a glaring problem when the engine is poorly written. Pokémon Sword and Shield shed light on this problem because it was designed as an 3D open world game, meaning attention to detail was paramount. It needed to feel lived in, much like Breath of the Wild. Unfortunately, we got a barren and flat landscape that feels like it was ripped straight out of the DS.
I don’t disagree that the graphics could and probably should have been better. I do disagree with the idea that it’s anything more than a minor annoyance with no meaningful impact on the game.
However, regardless of what I think about it, my point was that at this point in the franchise, Gamefreak, the Pokemon Company, and Nintendo have demonstrated repeatedly since the very first game that optimization, stability, graphical fidelity, and any semblance of good development practices are not something they’re willing to commit to. Expecting that to change at this point is unreasonable and continuing to complain about it is demonstrably unproductive and just introduces pointless negativity into the pokemon community.
Until Sword and Shield, the games weren’t known to be ugly, buggy messes. People have, and continue to, praise the 2D pixel art of previous generations. Sun and Moon is an odd middle ground as some people started to not like the 3D direction, but thought it’d improve on a more powerful console, like the Switch. I don’t think it’s correct saying this is a staple of pokemon games. It’s a staple of modern pokemon games, which I absolutely disagree about the last 2 entries being the best. Far from it.
the games and cards are fuelled by nostalgia and gambling addictions.
there is no quality to their game play and pokemon go was a massive invasion of privacy through tracking data.
fuck pokemon.
MTG IS THE GOAT.
edit: the irony of my statement is not lost on me, thats why its a joke :D. but since yall former redditors like to argue so much.
MTG is a better TCG. theres no getting around quality of game play as well as gameplay support. ive never met a pokemon card enthusiast who actually plays the card game instead of just raw collecting, and ive met A LOT of them (i was one, as a younger man, and have spent decades at conventions and in TCG shops, events, etc) as opposed to MTG players where its 95% about deck building and play for them. collecting is a huge component of MTG, however a cards financial cost is secondary to most MTG players, as opposed to card GAMEPLAY value.
ive collected both, and played both since the 90’s.
pokemon relies on merchandizing, video games, and TV shows, whereas MTG is just 99% cards, newer card game simulators that most people dislike (go Xmage, though) and some loose lore.
theres just no contest when it comes to TCG gameplay. sorry, not sorry.
the games and cards are fuelled by nostalgia and gambling addictions.
MTG IS THE GOAT.
You flip-flopped real fast on your principles there I see.
I’ll respect the pokémon card game for demolishing reprint equity and making sure the meta cards are easily and cheaply available to players.
The card game gameplay, and high level competitive battling, while not M:tG good, are still both solid though. Closer to Magic than they are Yu-Gi-Oh.
The Switch 2 will finally allow GameFreak to leave behind their terrible N64 visuals and adopt moderate to okay N64 visuals.
Very exciting time.
I will never understand Nintendo.
They make a console that is underpowered but is still marketable because of its uniqueness, then they make first party games that require better performance than the console can deliver.
Pokémon is not a first party game, it’s developed by Game Freaks. And the Switch isn’t underpowered for this kind of games, there are lots of better looking games on it, such as Breath of the Wild, which is a launch title. Game Freaks is a terrible studio who can’t make a game run smoothly even with GameCube graphics.
since swsh i havnt even played the console games, i solely play the online card game, even that is getting some fuckery.
