- Joined
- Mar 14, 2011
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I hadn't realized it until recently, but the last time we got a standalone third version was Platinum in 2009... It's been a decade, ever since then, we've never had a third version, every release has been paired versions. Is Gamefreak trying a LITTLE too hard to money grab? When you talk to other Pokemon fans, a common consensus is that some of the best games are these third versions, commonly referred to as "director's cuts". Emerald in 2005 and Platinum in 2009 are still to this day widely considered some of the best Pokemon games ever, not just for being remasters of their preceding paired versions, and essentially combining them into one game, but also for introducing a ton of post-game content. I feel like USUM could've easily been one game, and a Z version to make Kalos feel more "complete" was a much needed addition in my opinion.
Gen VI should've gone for one more game, instead of a break year in 2015, they should've made a Z version, with the Megas and Primals from ORAS. Being that XY would be used as the base for the game, and everything new to ORAS can be added, they really only have to rewrite dialogue and make a few new cutscenes/exclusive areas, and add Complete Zygarde. Instead they rushed out some arguably incomplete Gen VII games (SM) but with a little bit of Z (Complete Zygarde and the Zygarde Cube), and then released them AGAIN as USUM. I personally give Gamefreak a pass on BW2 because, unlike USUM and all preceding third versions, BW2 were sequels to the paired versions which made the game experience a unique one, something similar had not been felt since the Johto games being sequels to the events of Kanto games. I feel like, if we had gotten the hypothetical Z Version, Gen VI would be remembered as being one of the best generations ever. Instead they went the money grab approach, rushed out two paired versions and then refined them a year later as separate paired versions. I think if they had released Z, and then released Stars as a third version to Sun and Moon, we would've had much higher quality games with more post-game content, more "completeness", the stuff third versions are known for. In my personal opinion, I think they messed up not making ORAS into a "Delta Emerald" instead. It would've been the first time we saw a remake of a third version (although HGSS were pretty true to Crystal, since Crystal changed VERY LITTLE over GS), instead of LGPE being the remake of a third version by remaking Yellow. We also would've gotten the most bad ass cutscene in Pokemon game history, (3D Rayquaza descending to stop Groudon and Kyogre), and possibly a Battle Frontier.
I just feel like Gamefreak is kicking themselves in the foot on the quality of the games, specifically the post-game. And I don't think the lack of third versions is the ONLY reason why the quality is dropping, by all means they could've put a Groudon/Kyogre battle in ORAS, a Frontier in ORAS, Complete Zygarde in XY as a patch, these features aren't exclusive to third versions, but I think the general consensus is that third versions give us a more complete gaming experience, and we haven't really had that since 2009, USUM can be considered a "dual third game" since that's really what it is, if you were to play SM, and then just play US or UM, it would feel like you played a third version vs. SM, but even so, the paired versions thing with a third version screams "money grab". I would hope Gamefreak rectifies these mistakes and makes a Platinum remake instead of Diamond and Pearl remakes, the community deserves a complete third version remake on the Switch, and Platinum had just about everything, like the Battle Frontier and the Distortion World, if Gamefreak REALLY wants to surprise us, they could add some weight to the ORAS "Battle Frontier Coming Soon!" ordeal, and instead of remaking the SinJoh Frontier, allow us to travel to the Hoenn Frontier. As far as Sinnoh Dex Pokemon not available in Platinum, (Murkrow line, Misdreavus line, Glameow line, Stunky line), they could make these exclusive to Pokemon GO and/or SwSh, assuming we would get this hypothetical Platinum remake in 2020, so you would still need another game to complete the Pokedex (the literal ENTIRE design concept behind making paired versions), but we get the best of all the Sinnoh games, because features in Platinum made that game a MUCH better experience than Diamond and Pearl, I personally will never play either Diamond or Pearl ever again simply because Platinum is better in every way, the Pokemon it lacks vs. Diamond and Pearl don't even excite me or strike me as "must-haves". I hope they ponder the idea of third version remakes starting with Platinum, Hoenn honestly deserved the Emerald remake many fans wanted.
Gen VI should've gone for one more game, instead of a break year in 2015, they should've made a Z version, with the Megas and Primals from ORAS. Being that XY would be used as the base for the game, and everything new to ORAS can be added, they really only have to rewrite dialogue and make a few new cutscenes/exclusive areas, and add Complete Zygarde. Instead they rushed out some arguably incomplete Gen VII games (SM) but with a little bit of Z (Complete Zygarde and the Zygarde Cube), and then released them AGAIN as USUM. I personally give Gamefreak a pass on BW2 because, unlike USUM and all preceding third versions, BW2 were sequels to the paired versions which made the game experience a unique one, something similar had not been felt since the Johto games being sequels to the events of Kanto games. I feel like, if we had gotten the hypothetical Z Version, Gen VI would be remembered as being one of the best generations ever. Instead they went the money grab approach, rushed out two paired versions and then refined them a year later as separate paired versions. I think if they had released Z, and then released Stars as a third version to Sun and Moon, we would've had much higher quality games with more post-game content, more "completeness", the stuff third versions are known for. In my personal opinion, I think they messed up not making ORAS into a "Delta Emerald" instead. It would've been the first time we saw a remake of a third version (although HGSS were pretty true to Crystal, since Crystal changed VERY LITTLE over GS), instead of LGPE being the remake of a third version by remaking Yellow. We also would've gotten the most bad ass cutscene in Pokemon game history, (3D Rayquaza descending to stop Groudon and Kyogre), and possibly a Battle Frontier.
I just feel like Gamefreak is kicking themselves in the foot on the quality of the games, specifically the post-game. And I don't think the lack of third versions is the ONLY reason why the quality is dropping, by all means they could've put a Groudon/Kyogre battle in ORAS, a Frontier in ORAS, Complete Zygarde in XY as a patch, these features aren't exclusive to third versions, but I think the general consensus is that third versions give us a more complete gaming experience, and we haven't really had that since 2009, USUM can be considered a "dual third game" since that's really what it is, if you were to play SM, and then just play US or UM, it would feel like you played a third version vs. SM, but even so, the paired versions thing with a third version screams "money grab". I would hope Gamefreak rectifies these mistakes and makes a Platinum remake instead of Diamond and Pearl remakes, the community deserves a complete third version remake on the Switch, and Platinum had just about everything, like the Battle Frontier and the Distortion World, if Gamefreak REALLY wants to surprise us, they could add some weight to the ORAS "Battle Frontier Coming Soon!" ordeal, and instead of remaking the SinJoh Frontier, allow us to travel to the Hoenn Frontier. As far as Sinnoh Dex Pokemon not available in Platinum, (Murkrow line, Misdreavus line, Glameow line, Stunky line), they could make these exclusive to Pokemon GO and/or SwSh, assuming we would get this hypothetical Platinum remake in 2020, so you would still need another game to complete the Pokedex (the literal ENTIRE design concept behind making paired versions), but we get the best of all the Sinnoh games, because features in Platinum made that game a MUCH better experience than Diamond and Pearl, I personally will never play either Diamond or Pearl ever again simply because Platinum is better in every way, the Pokemon it lacks vs. Diamond and Pearl don't even excite me or strike me as "must-haves". I hope they ponder the idea of third version remakes starting with Platinum, Hoenn honestly deserved the Emerald remake many fans wanted.