Pokemonfans are eagerly waiting for news on the ninth generation of the series.Pokemonhas other upcoming releases likePokemon Legends: ArceusandPokemon: Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, but a new generation is still something to be excited about. The ninth generation ofPokemonis particularly exciting for fans because the series could be seeing some big changes afterPokemon Legends: Arceustakes the series open world for the first time.
This is something thatPokemonfans are eager for, especially after many were let down byPokemon SwordandShieldnot taking full advantage of its jump to the Switch. While the newest upcomingPokemongames will likely influence the ninth generation,Pokemonshould also look at the recently releasedMonster Hunter Stories 2for inspiration. The game features a similar monster-focused turn-based combat system asPokemon,and was so successful that many fans foundMonster Hunter Stories 2to be better thanMonster Hunter Rise, the newest mainline release in that series. With this in mind, there are definitely some notes that the new generation ofPokemonshould take fromMonster Hunter Stories 2to not become overshadowed by its competition.
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Pokemon Can Learn From Monster Hunter Stories 2’s Capturing
Anybody who has ever played aPokemongame, and likely many who have not, can explain how Pokemon are caught. The player battles them in the wild, lowers their hit points without knocking them unconscious, and then throws a Poke Ball to try and capture them. The system has remained largely unchanged for around 20 years, andMonster Hunter Stories 2found a way to improve it. Rather than directly capturing monsties, players inMonster Hunter Stories 2find eggs on the mapto incubate at their base.
This approach allowsMonster Hunter Stories 2to make acquiring new monsties a more involved process, while also allowing players to better stack the odds in their favor. Eggs are found in nests that randomly spawn on the game’s maps. Each nest is associated with a different monster, allowing players to track the monsters they want back to their nests where they can then scavenge through the different eggs to find the one with the highest rarity. The process is not too difficult, but it makes it more engaging to collectall ofMonster Hunter Stories 2’s monsties.
Pokemon Can Learn From Monster Hunter Stories 2’s Combat
Combat is arguably the biggest mechanic inPokemon. While playing through a single game, players go through countlessPokemonbattles that are all turn-based and use a system of strengths and weaknesses for each type of Pokemon to add a strategic element to the battles. The series has tried to introduce numerous new features to mix the combat up, whether it beSwordandShield’s Dynamax, Z-Moves, or Mega Evolutions, but the series has struggled to find any changes that meaningfully alter the experienced and stick around for long. However,Monster Hunter Stories 2found some meaningful ways to change the game’s combat without losing its core identity.
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This is done by introducing rock-paper-scissors-style attack categories. During combat, the player uses skills and attacks to choose what type of attack their monstie uses when it engages in a brief one-on-one strike with them. How much damage each monstie takes is determined by the rock-paper-scissors game, which forces players to memorize monster attack patterns and tells, while the player also has a special gauge used to cast skills and abilities. Players also equip a specific weapon that can alter their team’s abilities in combat, and players actually fight alongside their monsties. It all comes together to helpMonster Hunter Stories 2’s combat system feel more involved, varied, and complicated thanPokemon’s has for many years. It can take some getting used to, but it can be very rewarding when playersmasterMonster Hunter Stories 2.
Pokemon Can Learn From Monster Hunter Stories 2’s Presentation
Another aspect ofPokemonthat some fans feel has been lacking in recent releases is the series' presentation. Not only do some fans have concerns about newer Pokemon not feeling as lovingly designed as originals, but battles in the series still don’t have a lot of life to them. Most Pokemon use the same animations for each move, and those animations frequently don’t have a lot of movement. With how many years the series has spanned, it is unfortunate that so many animations still just see the model of a Pokemon wiggling to indicate a tackle as it did back on the Game Boy Advance. Animations are much more detailed and unique inMonster Hunter Stories 2, even if some players did feel thatMonster Hunter Stories 2took it a bit too far.
Regardless of whether or notMonster Hunter Stories 2has too many animations, the animations are more detailed and energetic than any across thePokemonseries. This is especially true for each monstie’s unique move. The unique moves each have their own personalized animation that fleshes out the monsties themselves and gives them a lot of personality. Actions like a monstie protecting the player from acid rain with its massive tongue are great, and can even be combined with others to become a separate, unique animation. There is a lot of variation, and they add a lot to the battles in a way that could really make the ninth generation ofPokemonfeel like a dramatic step forward. The animations also help battles feel more dynamic, even when players start getting intoMonster Hunter Stories 2’s extensive endgame. There is no telling how much the new generation ofPokemonwill change, but hopefully the series is taking a look at what advancement other games in the genre have made.
