Ever since Pokemon Red and Blue became an instant world-wide success back in 1996 – 97, Pokemon fans have pined for one thing: a fully realized 3D Pokemon game. Not many thought the Pokemon developer, Gamefreak, would ever deliver because of the company's preference towards portable platforms; however, with Pokemon X and Y, releasing this coming October, Gamefreak and Nintendo finally answered Pokefans' prayers, albeit on the Nintendo 3DS. It took them 17 years, but 3D Pokemon games are on the way.
Now that Gamefreak is giving Pokemon fans what they want, it's only natural (and a little greedy) to want more. 3D, while a much desired addition, is only scratching the surface of obvious changes Gamefreak could make to improve Pokemon all around. Of course, we've put together a list of necessary changes that make sense for Pokemon games and fans alike.
Feel free to agree or disagree with our choices below, and please do suggest your own. Like a ghost-type Eevee. Wouldn't that be wicked?
5. No More Random Encounters
Let's face it. Random encounters are an archaic mechanic, and it does look like they'll be back in X and Y. Walking through fantastical terrain only to be interrupted every 10 – 20 seconds breeds frustration. Most RPGs have done away with them, but Pokemon has stayed the random encounter course for six generations of games.
This has led Pokefans to abuse repels—a usable item—to stem the tide of random battles. I'll be the first to admit I'm a repelaholic. There's only so many Zubats one man can waste his life running away from, after all. Be that as it may, an overuse of repels steals some mystery and excitement from the Pokemon games because player frustration trumps a slight chance of a surprise rare or shiny Pokemon.
By nixing random battles and adding visible Pokemon to fields, caves, and forests, Gamefreak would alleviate random encounter frustration and the repel issue by adding an extra layer of excitement to exploring new regions. In other words, tracking a wild Skarmory over a mountain would take Pokemon to a whole new level.