Spin-Off Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness - Main Series or Not?

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Sephazon

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Hey guys, after researching for a while, I've come to a standstill on a Pokemon gaming question.
Is Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness to be considered part of the main series or not?
On one hand, they do maintain certain main series trademarks:
- Controlling a silent, human protagonist.
- Ability to catch, raise, and trade Pokemon.
- Ability to fight other trainers/wild Pokemon.

However, many people don't consider these games main series, for the reasoning of:
- Not being on a portable console.
- Not being designed by Game Freak.
- No route exploration.

What take do you guys have on this issue and how would you best describe the situation?
 
I'm not sure.


No:
- Neither is on a portable console,
- Neither can trade to a portable console game without a gameboy player (if I recall correctly)
- No explorable routes, or in Colosseum's case, no wild pokemon whatsoever

Yes:
- Makes it possible to obtain all the version exclusives if you play Colosseum and XD as a companion to either Ruby or Sapphire and FireRed or LeafGreen. Smart business decision on their part in my opinion to get fans to cross platforms.


I wouldn't consider it to be cheating if you use them to complete the Third Generation 100%, playing through them is the only way I completed my third gen 'dex.
 
I've always thought of them as side games, along with any other game in the series that wasn't about collecting badges/like RGBY.

That said, I don't see how it's considered cheating to use them to complete one's 'Dex, since the game gives you the option to trade to a handheld main game and the main game recognizes and accepts the trade.
 
Cheating and whether or not they are spin-offs is two totally different things. In fact, using them is the only way to fill your pokedex (getting the johto starters) in Gen III, but that doesn't automatically make them main series games.
 
sonic10158 said:
Cheating and whether or not they are spin-offs is two totally different things. In fact, using them is the only way to fill your pokedex (getting the johto starters) in Gen III, but that doesn't automatically make them main series games.
Click to expand...
That sir is incorrect. In Pokémon Emerald, after the player has caught all Pokémon in the Hoenn Pokédex with the exception of Jirachi and Deoxys, Professor Birch will offer one of these Pokémon as a reward. proving that you can obtain Johto starters without Colosseum or XD, but anyway I think they are spin-offs however I don't consider using them to complete your pokedex
cheating.
 
They are sidegames designed to work with the main series because of the ability to trade Pokemon from the mainseries games to Colosseum/XD and was the only way to get certain Pokemon in the 3rd gen for a while until Emerald/FRLG were released. They also had Lugia and Ho-oh which were event exclusive in the 3rd gen, so if you didnt get that event, it was the only way to get those legendaries. Using them to complete the Pokedex is perfectly fine for this reason.
 
Honest answer: no. They aren't made in Game Freak, they aren't handheld games. So not.
My answer: YES! They are wonderful games with the same mechanics of the main games, you can connect with other gen III games and so on. I'd like they were official main series games.
You may say: They exist and you can play them, what's the difference if they are "considered" official or not? Easy. If they were official there would be a dedicated Pokéspe Arc. ;) I can't believe they included the Snap guy and not the Colosseum plot.
 
Gabe67 said:
sonic10158 said:
Cheating and whether or not they are spin-offs is two totally different things. In fact, using them is the only way to fill your pokedex (getting the johto starters) in Gen III, but that doesn't automatically make them main series games.
Click to expand...
That sir is incorrect. In Pokémon Emerald, after the player has caught all Pokémon in the Hoenn Pokédex with the exception of Jirachi and Deoxys, Professor Birch will offer one of these Pokémon as a reward. proving that you can obtain Johto starters without Colosseum or XD, but anyway I think they are spin-offs however I don't consider using them to complete your pokedex
cheating.
Click to expand...


When Colosseum came out, Pokemon Colosseum was the only way to get the Johto starters. Emerald came later
 
There's no way that could be cheating, but they aren't main series games. It would be no more cheating than using Ranger to get Manaphy (which I wish I could do; *sigh).
 
Spin offs.

1. No gyms, all confirmed main series games have gyms. Well, there is one gym, but that doesn't count.
2. No wild Pokemon (except for XD's inconvenient system)
3. No option to play as a female character.
4. Not on a handheld system

And more.

But don't get me wrong, they have obvious similarities, and are more like the main series games than pretty much any other spin off.
 
Neosquid said:
Spin offs.

1. No gyms, all confirmed main series games have gyms. Well, there is one gym, but that doesn't count.
2. No wild Pokemon (except for XD's inconvenient system)
3. No option to play as a female character.
4. Not on a handheld system

And more.

But don't get me wrong, they have obvious similarities, and are more like the main series games than pretty much any other spin off.
Click to expand...



it isnt considered a main series game because it dosent have any gym leaders or follow that type of format shown above. but it is still a role playing game with a great plot and things to do after you win among lots of other similarities, which makes it very unique among spinoffs. so id put it as a mainseries game thats just trying something new
 
Technically, Bulbapedia classifies them as "side series" games, which are apparently the middle ground between true "main series" and flat-out "spin-offs". Personally, I consider them main series titles by virtue of their ability to trade with the other Generation III games, as well as the presence of a kind of "Pokédex" which can be completed.

Before anyone says anything, I do not hold the same opinion of the Ranger titles because they don't trade; Pokémon are sent to the Generation IV titles by Mystery Gift, a capability normally possessed only by in-store promotional cartridges and Nintendo Wi-Fi servers. True trading is a universal main series characteristic, so Colosseum and XD are unique among side games for using it.
 
Since Pokémon Sun and Moon were released, the argument for having Gym Leaders has become obsolete.
I believe a main series Pokémon game doesn't need to have both girl and boy protagonists. Since both play the same role, it's a bonus for Pokémon games. I think Colosseum and XD didn't have time to add a playable female character due to time constraints. It seems easy to implement on paper, but it changes many aspects of the game.
It should be noted that these games are very close to the main series; they have just never been represented in the TV cartoon, which is a shame. Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen can connect with Colosseum and XD to trade and battle!
These were the first games where we could fight in 3D with our own Pokémon team from the main series. This was not the case for Stadium and Battle Revolution.
Today, there is no need for games like Colosseum and XD to provide a 3D adventure since it has become the norm and more accessible since X and Y.
However, they have since stopped making 2D games.
It would be interesting to see new Pokémon games in the form of "demakes" for 2D fans one day.
These games could connect to other Pokémon games released only in 3D and serve as a stopgap to display our Pokémon from new 2D games. I think this could happen one day, but it's very unlikely with technology that can convert 2D fights to 3D like Colosseum and XD did.
 
I consider them full on main series due to the traditional mainline gameplay being present in its entirety unlike most other spinoffs, and the final barrier of "not being made by Game Freak" being broken with BDSP being developed by ILCA instead.
 
Please note: The thread is from 10 months ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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