6th Gen Pokemon, slowly losing creativity?

i love pokemon, and i will most definitely picking this up opening day, but i have a fear that they are loosing the "creativity" with the pokemon they are creating. like some of the ones from gen 4/5? really weren't too appealing, i personally think with the new starters the water type is already a bust.

feel free to explain your feelings here! I'm stoked to hear

I don't think they're losing creativity at all; after all, they wouldn't of made it this far, tbh! I mean, something that's not eye candy doesn't really mean it's not creative imo~

While I wasn't a huge fan of the designs so far either, I think gameplay definitely makes a game more than design. I'm excited for the gameplay in X and Y so creativity aside, I'm sure the game is going to do well.
I do wish that it did have some of the original generation charm, but the style has changed quite a bit over time, and I can see the direction they are trying to head. I just wish they could simplify the design, but add some uniqueness to it (like we already have a few water frogs.. why not make it a fire frog?) And soften some of their hard-design edges in certain places. There are too many shapes trying to compete against each other in each design nowadays I find.. and they just need to do like one or two more passes and smooth it out. Example? I think the fox would look better if the things in the ears were removed (it's competing with the upwards turn of the fur on the cheek and leg,) and the torpedo-like nose was emphasized slightly more as a main feature of the design.

In ways yes, and in ways no. I think in Gen V, the developers pushed their creativity even further than past generations, which proved to produce mixed results. I quite like the designs of the three starters, although admittedly, they look like Fakemon to me, more than official Pokemon. But I suppose that'd change for me over time as I adjust.

If anything, I think they got more creative. Using the staple example, you can't tell me a pile of purple goo is better than a pile of trash. There aren't any ugly gen 6 Pokemon that I see yet, so that gen V example of Muk vs. Garbodor will have to do. But what we've seen of gen 6 so far I think is unique and creative.

Also, losing, not loosing. arghghsfafd

Hiroshi Sotomura said:

But see this: there's many, many different kinds of spiders in the world too. I don't think having two or three different fox or three frog Pokémon is going to hurt anyone and you can still express some creative flair with them.

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i never thought of it like this, thats a really good point, i just thought a handful were very un-creative over the previous 2 generations.

Sydian said:

Also, losing, not loosing. arghghsfafd

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GRAMMAR POLICE! haha, just kidding. My girlfriend spilled beer on her keyboard, its sticky and double types haha.

I'm not sure what the grass and fire starters are supposed to be, and I can't see myself as a big fan of the water starter. I think they ran out of ideas...even the titles don't sound very convincing.

Even though I would be quick to buy most Pokemon games, I'll have to say I'll give these a miss come October. (Besides...I don't have a 3DS, nor do I intend to get one.)

I don't really think so. Think about it, there are more than 600 types of Pokemon! At one point, the designs will start to get desperate but the ones they have are pretty darn good if there are 600 other Pokemon that are unique. And in a way, these designs are pretty creative. People just complain because it's a far cry from gen 1 but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

The creativity on this one is a bit double sided. In a way Game Freak still managed to bring something new, excellent Pokemon (Like Volcarona, Haxorus, and Braviary, which I think neatly designed) and Gym leaders. But in other way, which I mean Gameplay, they haven't exactly put anything creative here. Its the same old formula. And bad one that is. The creativity in gameplay have been quite stale for generation, and I fear this will continue for years to come.

I'm guessing your talking about Garbodor? Why does everybody hate that adorable thing?! No really, I like Garbodor. Poison types are awesome.

I agree that having many kinds of spiders and foxes is okay. I mean, Vulpix, Zorua and Fennekin are very different. I think I saw Fennekin use confusion in the trailer, or am I mistaken? They're very different. Also, I'm really happy the picked the Fennec Fox and used it as a starter. One of the best ones so far.

I don't think they're running out of ideas, I actually think they're coming up with really great ideas. BW was about opposites and they did a great job with the content - story, characters, even some pokémon did a good job expressing that theme.

And now they come up with what seems like a generation and game involving genetics, which is a theme that has lots of potential in both story and pokémon. I'm really pleased with today's news and I'm really looking forward to buying this game. Good job Gamefreak, for giving us awesome games :)

If you look at the designs of pokemon from the first gen like Grimer/Muk, Magneton, Dugtrio, Dodrio, Ditto, Voltorb/Electrode I would say that Game Freak are actually more creative than ever. The first gens answer to evolution designs was to stick extra heads on things. (that's not entirely fair but it is definitely a noticeable trend in the first gen)

It baffles me when I see this argument it really does.

Personally, I don't think that there's been any notable decrease in the level of creativity in Pokemon. If anything, I'd think it's been exactly the opposite, since the new designs are still creative AND they have to be creative within a much narrower range, so that they fit in with the established Pokemon style without looking too derivative.

With no offense meant to anyone, I ascribe virtually all of the claims that Pokemon are "less creative" (and pretty much all of the complaints about later generations, in general) to a combination of nostalgia and confirmation bias. Every generation has had its share of "winners" and "losers" as far as design goes, and anyone so inclined can just focus on the "winners" from one generation and the "losers" from another and convince themselves that that "proves" that one generation is "better" than the other.

Curious. said:

I quite like the designs of the three starters, although admittedly, they look like Fakemon to me, more than official Pokemon. But I suppose that'd change for me over time as I adjust.

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I was thinking this too.


But no, i dont think pokemon is loosing creativity. We got a 6th gen so i'm sure they've got plenty to spare. While I will agree some of the 5th gen pokemon did look sorta shaky in design based on perspective and what people liked/disliked, its all just opinion. I have my own views and opinions on creativity and the creation of new pokemon, but i'll just leave it at opposing opinion and preferences doesn't mean creativity is being lost.

Triple R said:

I'm not sure what the grass and fire starters are supposed to be, and I can't see myself as a big fan of the water starter. I think they ran out of ideas...even the titles don't sound very convincing.

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They're not out of ideas. If there were, the announcement would have been "There will be no future Pokemon games released. We are retiring the franchise". Since they revealed a new Generation, it's safe to say they've got plenty of ideas. People have been accusing them of being out of ideas since Gen 3...

And what's so bad about X and Y? Were "Blue" and "Red" really exciting game titles? No. There just colors. This is a new concept. Why don't we wait and see just what the X and Y stand for or represent before we decide it was a bad idea?

Triple R said:

Even though I would be quick to buy most Pokemon games, I'll have to say I'll give these a miss come October. (Besides...I don't have a 3DS, nor do I intend to get one.)

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You do realize the 3DS is NOT just an updated DS, right? It's just as different as the GameCube is to the Wii, and the Wii to the Wii U. Nintendo is not going to withhold its progress for people who refuse to accept that times change. The Game Boy is gone, the GBC is gone, the GBA is gone, and now the DS is gone. This is nothing new. Why did people think Pokemon would stay on the DS or that Nintendo would give up on the 3DS?

shengar said:

The creativity on this one is a bit double sided. In a way Game Freak still managed to bring something new, excellent Pokemon (Like Volcarona, Haxorus, and Braviary, which I think neatly designed) and Gym leaders. But in other way, which I mean Gameplay, they haven't exactly put anything creative here. Its the same old formula. And bad one that is. The creativity in gameplay have been quite stale for generation, and I fear this will continue for years to come.

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Gameplay was never meant to be the main focus of the Pokemon main series. It is designed to be very simple. The battles are the entire focus. And it isn't a bad formula. The fact that Black 2 and White 2 play basically the exact same way as Blue and Red did and they still broke sales records just proves that if something ain't broke, you shouldn't try to fix it.

I'd say that the general style of Pokémon has changed, but they've become no less creative. They look much less natural and much more like animated cuddly toys than they used to, but I think that's just the way that they've found their market to be shifting. Indeed, if they kept up the style of the first and second generation, I don't think anyone would be complaining. They're just shifting in a direction generally unpopular with people of the sort of age to be posting online about this kinda thing.

has it even been a full year since B2/W2 were made?

too fast, Game Freak, way too soon for a new generation, and I'm rather saddened the sprites were enlarged YET AGAIN, and this time, they're full blown 3D models, which makes making vs bars next to impossible now...which sucks

Cyanide said:

i love pokemon, and i will most definitely picking this up opening day, but i have a fear that they are loosing the "creativity" with the pokemon they are creating. like some of the ones from gen 4/5? really weren't too appealing, i personally think with the new starters the water type is already a bust.

feel free to explain your feelings here! I'm stoked to hear

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This is assuming Pokemon has been creative since the start. If Gen 1 were released later on, the arguments would be the same about how Pokemon has a "Lack of Creativity". Only difference between then and now is we have 5 other generations (said the same thing with Gen 5) to compare these to. The fact that they are 6 generations in, almost 700 individual Pokemon pretty much signifies that there isn't really a lack of ideas.

Some are over used, but design wise they aren't. We've had foxes. Neither were fennecs which have a different body shape. Each frog looks completely different. Its not nearly as bad as Dragon Quest and Digimon who just recolor their monsters and treat them as different species with different names.

voicerocker said:

Gameplay was never meant to be the main focus of the Pokemon main series. It is designed to be very simple. The battles are the entire focus. And it isn't a bad formula. The fact that Black 2 and White 2 play basically the exact same way as Blue and Red did and they still broke sales records just proves that if something ain't broke, you shouldn't try to fix it.

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The gameplay could be better, more balance, and can tinkered to even more diverse playstyle. Fixing somethin that isn't broke is called tinkering and it ain't no wrong at all. Although in this some part of the gameplay are broken, and need to be fixed.
well you can said that but the existence of Smogon university and other battle junkies out there says otherwise. It wouldn't hurt anyone if they redone an old formula to better one right? That revamps they did in Generation III was good. Their change with experience formula in Generation V was good. I want more other old and untouched formula being change into a new one. They can't use the same old formula forever.

Some day, gen 14 will be announced.

And some person will make a thread with the same title as this one.

They will say how Pokemon were great up to gen 12, but then they started being crap.

I'll call baseless subjective nostalgia-blinded unjustified criticizing then,
and I'll call it baseless subjective nostalgia-blinded unjustified criticizing now.


But honestly...how do you even get the idea for this when we only know 5 pokemon designs and basically no info about them? Beats me.

Before, Pokemon were all based on rather physical things: a turtle, a lizard, a pile of sludge, a number of polygons, a Poke Ball, a rodent...yes, creative, right?

Now Game Freak has been moving into more complex origins for their Pokemon such as abstract concepts and the merging of multiple animals and ideas: a Chinese statue-based deity drawing inspiration from creationist theories and science, a dragon representing yang and the fire power source of the past, a representation of love in the form of an ocean sunfish...nope, not creative, right?

Creativity is a process, originality is a quality. To me, even after seeing only the gen 6 starters and mascots, I still don't think Game Freak is lacking in either. It takes a lot more creativity to make physical out of the abstract, and significantly less to just make a duck blue and have it shoot water.