Let's be honest, today's Nintendo Direct was a bit of a disappointment. Rather than unveiling a new Pokémon game for the Switch, or even giving players new Pokémon GO content, Nintendo gave revamped versions of last year's games, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.
An Ultra Disappointment
We have little doubt that Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will be good games. Game Freak doesn't make bad games and Sun and Moon were among the best-received Pokémon games of recent years.
They don't even appear to be true sequels. Instead, they feel more akin to expansion packs, but, unlike expansion packs of old, we expect these games will be full priced. A new storyline and new Pokémon isn't enough to justify full price. Perhaps, Nintendo will prove us wrong and these games will be less expensive than other entries in the series or will provide enough content to justify the full price, but right now, they haven't given us reason to hope.
No Pokémon Switch
Perhaps the worst part about this announcement is the news that the next entries in the Pokémon series will once again be confined to handhelds. Game Freak have previously said that it feels that Pokémon is best suited to handheld consoles, but the Switch functions as both a mobile and home console. The system represents a prime opportunity to bring one of the Nintendo's most important franchises to a new audience.
Instead, we're getting Pokkén Tournament, a remake of a fighting game that originally released on the Wii U. By all accounts, it was a good fighting game, but it was not a mainstream Pokémon game, which is what the Switch really needs. Pokémon GO has proven that a Pokémon game can be a success when separated from Nintendo's handhelds so there's no reason that a Switch game wouldn't do well.
A Library Of Remakes
So far, the Switch is off to a strong start and it is well-earned. It's an innovative console that changes the way we play games, but the console's library leaves something to be desired. Many Nintendo Switch games are remakes of other games. Even the incredibly fun Breath of the Wild was originally designed for the Wii U.
Nintendo owes its fans more than remakes and half-baked ideas. Many of the Switch's early adopters likely already bought a Wii U and played many of the games that have been released on the system. Arms is set to release this month, but beyond that, we will be waiting until Super Mario: Odyssey to get our hands on an original Nintendo title.
The Switch has bought Nintendo a lot of good will. It would be a shame to see that squandered by a poor release schedule.
