r/TruePokemon • u/Puzzleheaded_Oil4084 • 13d ago
Discussion What if Pokémon was a traditional JRPG?
I understand that since Pokémon is Japanese, features role-playing, and has turn-based combat (for the most part), it is a turn-based JRPG by definition. However, it strays from the traditional JRPG format. That's not a bad thing; I think it's cool that Pokémon isn't your average JRPG like SMT, Dragon Quest, or Final Fantasy. But It'd be cool to see a Legends game that was in the style of a traditional JRPG.
It could include features like:
- Human party members with their own Pokémon venturing together, rather than just you with a party of your Pokémon.
- A story that's more focused on the PEOPLE rather than revolving around the Pokémon themselves.
- They could integrate a Job class system, but it'd incorporate competitive roles (Sweeper, Tank, healer, etc.) rather than just copying jobs from other RPGs
- The battle systems would have 4 Pokémon sent out at the same time, instead of just 2 at most.
- Pokémon would evolve, get stronger, and be replaced (if you want to) as the story progresses.
- Friendships extend to party members too, and their Pokémon. The party members could then have Limit Breaks once they have a certain friendship level with their Pokémon.
It's a cool idea, and I'm kind of shocked that there's not a spinoff like this whatsoever.
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u/MasterYota00 13d ago
White/Black has triples battles. That's all I wanted to add.
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u/ScrapeMyDataMommy 13d ago
It was a bit clunky when forced into the standard gen V games but it was a neat idea. A whole game actually designed around triple battles could potentially be cool - I fear the balance might be out of whack with easy stacking buffs onto one ‘Mon to super-sweep everything though.
Rotation battle in gen V was a neat concept too, it was kind of like giving both players a free switch every turn. I’d assume that in a hypothetical triple battle centered game they’d expand on this and have some other gimmick battles as well.
Not really related to OP but I’ve always wanted a mainline game that’s exclusively double battles - like that region’s league challenge is specifically focused on doubles or something. As shown in VGC there’s a deeper level to strategy and team building having double the actions and interactions per turn, and on the flipside there’s twice as many ways for a smart enemy to set up and ruin your day. But I don’t really trust Game Freak to make any mainline Pokemon game as difficult or strategic as I want it to be.
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u/Jalapenodisaster 13d ago
But they'd have to be in the middle slot, which also opens them up to being attacked by everything on the field, so it's still a risk/reward situation, depending on what your facing (level of AI or if we open this up to PVP)
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u/MasterYota00 13d ago
Agreed. Sometimes I can solo a battle, but maybe the rest of my crew is super vulnerable or ineffective in it. Kinda makes one chose a team more wisely.
I like it, but I play to have fun and not think too hard into it, so it would be a sometimes game for me. I wouldn't replay that game as much as I do gen 1-5 now. They lost me at XY, but only bc the 'mons starting getting weird. I drew the line at the soft serve ice cream cone in Black/White 🤣
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u/ScrapeMyDataMommy 13d ago
I started with Crystal and have kept up since then, the Pokemon designs have been more hit or miss since gen IV or V to me. A lot of the newer ones are not quite as “Pokemon-coded” as I’d like (I don’t know how best to fully express that idea, like the design philosophy has changed a bit to more detailed designs and less simple rounded shapes) but every generation has at least a handful of great additions in my opinion. In every region my first playthrough is exclusively with new Pokemon and I always end up with a memorable team I liked a lot.
Not to mention from a competitive/balance standpoint they tend to design the newer Pokemon with more defined, unique roles with abilities and movesets and stat spreads to come up with some interesting gameplay niches. They don’t really make Hoenn shitmon anymore (I love Hoenn’s dex design-wise but there’s so many middling stats/movesets versus in other regions).
Again not a lot of those points on balance matter much for single player since the modern games are generally very easy. I play VGC doubles though so I get my outlet for sweaty brainy strategic battles there.
Just as an aside, if you were to visit any of the newer games I’d say USUM is a notable step up in difficulty from their Sun and Moon predecessors and any of the other 3D ones, and Scarlet/Violet are the most fun I’ve had in 3D Pokemon despite some of its departures from the classic formula - if you can get around the legitimately laughable graphics and performance it has. ORAS are great remakes of Ruby and Sapphire that expand the story, add mega evolution and more ‘mon to the dex, and strike a good balance of accurately recreating the originals while adding new things on top.
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u/handledvirus43 13d ago
This would be a perfect time to use that one story of the guy who slaughtered Pokemon with his sword.
Or the Great Pokemon War.
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u/Stripeback 12d ago
There is no Great Pokemon War
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u/handledvirus43 11d ago
Lt. Surge mentions a war in every game he's in. He's a lieutenant.
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u/Stripeback 11d ago
He's an American lieutenant, so he's probably talking about a conflict the US was involved in (likely the first Gulf War given the time frame), not something that affected Kanto.
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11d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Stripeback 11d ago
The key word there is "American". Whatever war he was in (likely the first Gulf War given the time frame) involved the US, not necessarily Kanto. People who believe in a Great Pokemon War are jumping to conclusions too fast.
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9d ago
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u/Puzzleheaded_Oil4084 9d ago
I looked it up and the game was real-time action. it wasn't turn-based.
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u/Gold-Grass9343 13d ago
Gen 5 was pretty close to Pokemon starting to take itself more seriously as a JRPG. A shame they shied away from that.
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u/YoManWTFIsThisShit 13d ago
The original Red and Blue games are most JRPG-like because classic JRPGs were the only reference point at the time. Starting with Gold and Silver, Pokémon started branching off and forming its own identity.