Pokémon as a different genre than RPG

[Sweet Serenity]

While on my way to pick up my roommate from work, I was listening to a YouTube video about facts about Pokémon. One of the facts mentioned how the creator of Pokémon, Satoshi Tajiri, was suggested to make Pokémon a genre other than RPG. However, Satoshi Tajiri stuck to his guns and didn't change the genre. How do you think Pokémon would have been if it were another genre? Can you imagine it as such? Do you think it would still be as successful as it is today?

 

[sabrina_diamond]

If Pokemon were reinterpreted as a visual novel series instead, it could be a really interesting route, with character sprites for both human trainers, Gym leaders, and various Pokemons- although I wonder about the sheer variety of dialogues that could result from said genre...?

 

[Rock_Salazar]

I've always wanted to see a pokemon fighting game similar to Marvel vs Capcom. Make it 3v3 and each pokemon have 3 assists, as well as incorporate type weaknesses/resistances for moves dealing more or less damage. Jack up the roster to like 50+ characters and have an equal number of representatives for each type. There is a fan pokemon fighting game out there with 1v1s and different assist characters, but it has only 9 pokemon to choose as main fighters. Pokken isn't terrible from what I've played, but I think a pokemon fighting game needs to be as crazy and chaotic as a crossover fighter with now 1000+ pokemon.

 

[Devalue]

Imagines something like Harvest Moon. Begins with your own place and a monster barn. Strikes out into the forest to find Pokemon to tame. Bets on gameplay like the Safari Zone, rather than bug catching in Animal Crossing. Doubts the Game Boy's capabilities to handle overworld stuff in a fun way.

Sells Pokemon and/or Pokemon products for money. Purchases Pokeballs, Fishing Rods, food, and so on in town. Raises Pokemon for some events. May even keep the "Catch 'em All" slogan as part of your reason for doing all this.

Could it have been successful? Probably, but not by as much as it was.

 

[Jbsundown]

A pokemon colony simulator game à la Tropico would be pretty cool!

But I don't think the series would be anywhere near as big as today if it would have gone for something else that was popular around the time of original release. I imagine it would have been either a platformer or potentially a more action/rpg like Diablo, but with pokemon summons? I think the game probably would have sold all right but to me pokemon is about taking it at your own pace and building the attachment to the cool creatures. I think it would have struggled to do that with many other genres.

 

[Squirtkipfan01]

Pokemon warriors
Id play that in a heartbeat

 

[Rock_Salazar]

Pokemon warriors
Id play that in a heartbeat

Doesn't Pokemon Rumble and Rumble Blast count? Been a while since I played those.

 

[Daveslab2022]

There's a lot of games that have mods that implement Pokémon elements. Rimworld, Ark, Dark Souls, and my personal favorite of them; Minecraft.

 

[Palamon]

I've always wanted to see a pokemon fighting game similar to Marvel vs Capcom. Make it 3v3 and each pokemon have 3 assists, as well as incorporate type weaknesses/resistances for moves dealing more or less damage. Jack up the roster to like 50+ characters and have an equal number of representatives for each type. There is a fan pokemon fighting game out there with 1v1s and different assist characters, but it has only 9 pokemon to choose as main fighters. Pokken isn't terrible from what I've played, but I think a pokemon fighting game needs to be as crazy and chaotic as a crossover fighter with now 1000+ pokemon.

Pokken Tournament is a Pokemon Fighting Game.

If Pokemon weren't an rpg, it would be quite different and probably wouldn't have succeeded if it didn't start out as a role playing game, just in my opinion.

 

[Drayton]

I'm visualizing players breeding pokemon like normally and pokemon have lifespans, not to mention farming berries and making potions using said berries sorta like a digimon game thing where pokemon evovles needing to get certain stats instead leveling

 

[ReKoil]

The first thing that comes to mind is Pokemon as an RTS, where each type would be a faction and any dual types would get put in the faction of whatever their primary type is and Dual types could also function as a spy unit. 18 factions would be a lot for the average RTS though, so I'd probably group them together into three or four factions I guess. Then again, some RTS', such as for example Age of Empires II, have way more civilizations/factions than that...

RTS games are fairly popular, but I don't think it would've been nearly as popular.