Now that the Switch 2 is out, we’re getting a lot of comparison videos of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet gameplay on Switch and the new system. And honestly? It doesn’t look all that different. If you didn’t tell me what was recorded on Switch 2, I’d assume most of the new footage is coming from the original console. Marginal graphics improvements that smooth lines and bump the frame rate up to 60 FPS are great. But I would love to see Pokémon bring back monster designs and detailed landscapes filled with the life and color that once defined the franchise.
Pokémon has changed a lot since its 1996 debut. For the most part, it’s been for the better. New monsters, regions and mechanics have strengthened the series and added depth to the canon. But the most recent mainline releases, Scarlet & Violet, were met with negative reception from players, both new and old. The problem? Poor image quality and non-stop glitching made the games tough to play. The Switch 2 launch finally made Pokémon’s latest titles playable, but Nintendo’s newest console merely offers a band-aid.
Have 3D Graphics Helped or Hurt Pokémon?
That seems to be the question to ask right now, huh? Many fans associate the introduction of 3D sprites in the video game series’ sixth generation with a decline in the overall charm of their favorite monsters and the regions they inhabit, but the topic goes a lot further back than the release of Pokémon X & Y and the Gen III remakes Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. In fact, many of the games that longtime players grew up with also featured 3D visuals.
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Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Colosseum and its sequel XD: Gale of Darkness remain some of the most beloved titles 20 years on — and they all gave us gorgeous 3D worlds and battle animations that outshine even the most recent games. So, is a 3D approach the real issue here? Or has the quality of Pokémon simply taken a dip, despite improved technology?
Not Much of a Switch
The power of Switch systems has been a major point of contention since the original console’s launch back in 2017, and it’s still at the forefront of discussions about the quality of Pokémon games. Many blame the console for frequent lag and frame drops. But others can’t help but compare buggy titles like Scarlet & Violet to other AAA releases that feature stellar graphics and smooth gameplay on the same system. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom are the gold standard when it comes to Switch titles; both are 3D and accomplish more in Hyrule than Pokémon has across four regions on Switch.
The launch of the Switch 2 last week has only added fuel to the fire when it comes to these hot debates. Why did it take three years and the release of a more powerful console for Scarlet & Violet to run as intended? And why is it that these games still can’t compete with past titles and other Nintendo releases? As players, we don’t have all the answers. But we can all agree on what works and what doesn’t.
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Smoothing Over the Details
Looking back on classic Pokémon titles, the transition to 3D graphics was hardly a harbinger of lesser quality. Gen IV and V installments — Diamond & Pearl, HeartGold & Soulsilver, Black & White and Black 2 & White 2 — played around with implementing this new animation style. And they pulled it off while maintaining the integrity of past titles with a familiar pixel art style. The problem is that newer games on Switch (and by extension, Switch 2) have done away with the details that added charm to such a fantastical world created to highlight the magic of our own.
The Paldea region of Scarlet & Violet, while based on the vivid and culturally rich country of Spain, lacks a lot of the life and color we saw in Sword & Shield’s Galar just one generation prior. Hisui, the ancient Sinnoh region introduced in Legends: Arceus, was almost as sparse as Paldea. (Though the game’s unique art style still managed to capture much of the magic and mystery of its setting.)
None of the Switch-era remakes — Let’s Go! Pikachu & Eevee or Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl — were received particularly well, either. Many blame the return to a chibi art style. But if we’re being honest, this change in artistic direction might not have missed the mark if more intricate details weren’t sacrificed in favor of a cleaner image. After all, Gen IV and V gave us some of the best-looking games yet, and they utilized the same look. What’s different?
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One criticism I often hear is that Pokémon’s newer regions feel empty. That hasn’t changed yet on Switch 2. The world of Pokémon has never been bigger, with Scarlet & Violet marking the franchise’s first true open-world games. There’s so much beauty to be found in Paldea. But its newly cleaned-up lines can also feel sterile. Fantasy elements have taken a back seat as a more realistic approach is solidified. And yet, forests are thin. Mud is … clean. Something is missing.
Fewer Opportunities for Community and Choice
For one thing, you can’t even enter most buildings in Scarlet & Violet. So, most don’t stand out. Sprawling landscapes are virtually barren. There’s no need to talk to anyone, since their thoughts conveniently pop up in bubbles above their heads in passing. This way, you find yourself ignoring most of the NPCs hanging around towns and cities because, perhaps more conveniently, the ones offering items, services or battles are also color-coded. They might as well have signs on their foreheads that say: TALK TO ME! I’M USEFUL!
Catching Pokémon feels a lot like that, too. Don’t get me wrong; I actually love that Pokémon show up in the overworld now. You don’t have to search for too long to find the ones you’re looking for, and you do have a say in which Pokémon you battle. That being said, I also run straight past most of them. It kind of makes me miss the unpredictability that marked wild encounters back in the day.
There seem to be so many people and Pokémon I’ll never meet. Call it a personal gripe, but to me, it sometimes feels like this system opposes the prioritization of community that Pokémon was founded on, despite a push toward narrative-driven gameplay in recent years. It’s as though we’re just passing through rather than embarking on a journey to take it all in. (Don’t get me started on drive-thru-style Pokémon Centers.) When so much of these games simply fades into the background, the world becomes less immersive, its stories less profound. But there’s a simple fix.
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More to the Imagination
If you follow Pokémon discussions on social media, you might know where I’m going with this. The people want expressive monster sprites. They want dynamic battle animations, accessible cities and towns. They want to get lost in a world that welcomes them, not by force, but by fostering a sense of curiosity for the regions, people and Pokémon that await them. Fans want something left to the imagination.
The franchise began with the originally black and white games Red & Blue (or Red & Green in Japan). But its colorful monsters and locations are what really drew players in and kept them coming with later installments. Animation improvements came with the release of Gen II’s Crystal on the Game Boy Color. I’ll never get over how cool it was to see Umbreon’s rings glow for the very first time. It was just as exciting to see its attacks in action in Pokémon Colosseum. Sprites and moves only got better with each release — up until X & Y, that is.
Kalos is still one of the most beautiful regions in all of Pokémon. But Gen VI infamously stripped monsters of their bright colors and expressions with the transition to more advanced 3D sprites. Most don’t exactly look battle-ready when you send them out, either. No attack stance. No crossing the field to land a move. Three generations later, Scarlet & Violet didn’t fix this problem. It looks like there’s some hope for heated battles in Legends: Z-A, which will reintroduce dynamic animations and a new battle mechanic alongside familiar sprites on Switch and Switch 2. I’d like to see a return to the use of vivid color palettes, too, but that’s only half the battle.
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A Cultural Shift
Pokémon once rewarded curiosity by placing items in trash cans. NPCs in random houses offered HMs that were required to progress. Routes to new cities were blocked by strange trees and boulders or a puzzle of some kind. This brought the world of Pokémon to life and kept players engaged, encouraging thoughtful interaction with the world around them. The Switch era has offered no such reward.
It’s no secret that the video game series has endured a lot of criticism for being too easy in recent years. That’s largely due to its removal of things like puzzles and tough battles that necessitate strategy. Some argue that the games are for kids, so they have to be easy. But I and countless other ’90s kids grew up playing them, too. And honestly? It seems more likely that Pokémon has simply begun to reflect real-world cultural changes.
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Fans Then and Now
While older fans probably spent time outside playing classic games with friends on handheld systems, the Switch and Switch 2 aren’t exactly built for outdoor play. That’s because no one’s taking their games outside anymore. (We have Pokémon GO for that.) This alone disrupts the connection between mainline Pokémon games and the world they’re based on, as older titles and systems were designed to be played on the go. Why create forests, deserts, rivers or mountainsides alive with color and detail if your target audience isn’t going outside to imagine exploring them?
But that’s the thing. Pokémon has always been about modeling and teaching appreciation for the world we live in. The Hoenn region was based on the Japanese island of Kyushu, where Ruby & Sapphire director Junichi Masuda would spend his summer vacations as a kid. Tapping into that sentiment is key.
The Pokémon franchise has never been better equipped to bring this fantastical world to life on Switch 2. But its next entry, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, has already been met with the same criticism in development. I just hope a setting as bright and alive as Lumiose is done justice.
E-mail professional inquiries to [email protected]. You can also find Olivia on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
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