National Pokémon Day is upon us again! Celebrated February 27, Pokémon Day marks when Nintendo’s beloved franchise was released in 1996 and is recognized as its birthday. This year, we are celebrating by putting together a wish list of ports we would love to see come over to the Nintendo Switch from older systems.
In the first Nintendo Direct for the year, the company announced a focus on expanding its library of ports for Nintendo Online Subscribers. So far, Nintendo has added Pokémon Puzzle League, Pokémon Snap and has promised the Pokémon Stadium series will be added later this year. We hope some of this list’s titles may be added shortly.
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Pokémon Ranger Series
The Pokémon Ranger series is a set of spin-off games initially released on the Nintendo DS. I’ve talked about my hope for a new Pokémon Ranger game in the past, but I would be more than happy with a port of one of the older titles. More importantly, the capture mechanism and linear puzzle-adventure style would transfer beautifully to the Nintendo Switch even without the stylus. It was a fan favorite, and I know it would still be a hit.
Pokémon Art Academy
Art and drawing were huge features on the Nintendo 3DS, thanks to the widescreen and stylus. I spent many hours of my youth watching animated music videos on the Nintendo DS and 3DS online services. This love for art certainly hasn’t faded with the new generations, and digital art is more prevalent than ever, which means it is a perfect time for Nintendo to dust off this beauty.
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Pokémon Conquest
This tactical role-playing spin-off game was released for Nintendo DS back in 2012. The game is a crossover between the Pokémon and Nobunaga’s Ambition video game series, making it a unique gaming experience, even today. You navigate the story with your partner Eevee to help reunite the region. I would be interested in seeing a port of this one, if only because I don’t think enough people have had the chance to play it.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky
There are several Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, but Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky still stands out in my memories. Nintendo released a new game in the franchise a few years ago, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, leaving the door open to port over previously released adventures.
Pokémon Shuffle
There are already a few freemium games on the Nintendo Switch, like Pokémon Café ReMix, so it would fit right in. This adorable freemium puzzle video game was released on the Nintendo 3DS. The game was simple but addicting, combining a chain-matching mechanic with the franchise’s theme.
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Pokémon Pinball
My final pick for the list is Pokémon Pinball, released for the Gameboy Color in 1999. An updated version of this game would be a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch library with an expanded Pokédex, but I’d love to see the original version ported over. The rumble feature will be much less vexing when it isn’t eating all the AA batteries in my house anymore; it was a rough few years for my parent’s TV remotes.
Did we include your childhood favorite? Comment to tell us what you’d like to see, and be sure to tune into the special Pokémon Presents live stream to see how Nintendo will be celebrating too. We’ve linked the trailer for the stream and would love to hear your predictions in the comments.
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