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Speaking of the games specifically, there have been quite a few mainline games. And in each of them, Gamefreak tried something new, whether it was with the battling, the Pokemon themselves, or new mechanics entirely. Unfortunately, many of them were only around for 1 or 2 games, but some stood the test of time. So let’s take a look back at some of the biggest Pokemon gimmicks and give our thoughts.
Updated on January 28, 2023, by Ben Painter: With the release of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, comes new features for gamers to use and explore. Past new additions include Pokemon contests, held items, and new forms of Pokemon. Like many iterations of the franchise’s past, each entry includes the latest Pokemon gimmick that is used as a part of the game’s lore. The previous example of this was Dynamaxing, introduced in Pokemon Sword & Shield. This phenomenon made Pokemon grow gigantic and some Pokemon can even Gigantamax which not only changed their size but also their appearance and even gave them a special G-Max move. However, this was only in Sword & Shield and instead, with the release of generation 9, gamers can enjoy the new gimmicks throughout the new land of Paldea. Certain gimmicks hold a place in fans’ hearts, but others leave poor taste and make gamers question why they were ever included.
16 Rotating Fights And Battle Royales Were Just A Phase
Now, these are some of the battle-oriented mechanics, and it’s where things get tricky. Gamefreak nails it a lot of the time, but they don’t have the best track record when it comes to new aspects of battle. Rotation Battles and Battle Royales, in particular, are some of the quickest Pokemon gimmicks to go.
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Rotation Battles showed up in Pokemon Black and White and not much else, mostly because they were just Triple Battles with an unnecessary extra layer of complexity. Battle Royales, on the other hand, were introduced inSun and Moon, but they were obviously poorly thought out and barely ran at all on the 3DS.
15 Our Pokemon Can Only Eat So Many Poffins To Be Beautiful
Frankly, there was nothing wrong with Pokemon’s Beauty Contests, they were a pretty deep and fun extra system when they were first released in Gen 3. But, they were immediately dropped within the next-gen, only reappearing when their games were remade in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
And, with the Contests, came Poffins and Pokeblocks. These two extra systems were ways to increase contest-related stats in Pokemon like Cool, Beauty, Cute, Tough, and Smart. But, they were a bit too complex for kids and were dropped along with the Contests just as quickly, only making a comeback in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shiny Pearl, making this Pokemon gimmick a reoccurring one.
14 No, The Game Didn’t Need Even More HMs To Ruin Movesets
One of the most hated aspects since even the original Red and Blue, are the Hidden Machines. These are mandatory moves that a Pokemon needs to learn to help the player traverse the map. Now, some are optional, like Fly, but trying to get through the game without using Fly is torture.
In Sun and Moon, they fixed this issue with the Poke Ride feature, which basically allowed trainers to hit up certain Pokemon on their cell phones to do things for them. But, that’s seven whole generations of HM slaves until it was fixed! Koraidon and Miraidon act as Poke Ride in the latest entry with both of the legendary Pokemon being used to ride, surf, climb and even glide.
13 Z-Moves Weren’t The Worst, But Boy Howdy, They Were Not The Best
Z-Moves were another gimmick that was added in Pokemon Sun and Moon, and as far as Battle Mechanics go, they weren’t awful. There was a shockingly large number of them, and gathering all the Z-Crystals through the game made discovering the different moves fun. Now, most casual players just used the attack Z-moves, but experienced players dug a bit deeper to find all the changes Z-moves made to status-affecting moves.
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Honestly, Z-moves didn’t need to go, but in the two generations since, they have not been included, replaced by Dynamaxing and Terrestrial Pokemon as the main Pokemon gimmick of the game.
12 Pokemon Go Was Popular
The catching mechanic in Pokemon games has never been… great. Sure, weakening a Pokemon to catch them is smart and takes a bit of work. But, throwing the ball itself, and waiting for the ball to settle got incredibly tedious after the 1000+ times gamers did it.
Therefore, even if it’s a bit silly, the catching mechanic from Pokemon Go and Let’s Go was actually a welcome addition. Sure, we’d love it if it was a bit of a deeper system, but Gamefreak has not included this catching mechanic since those 2018 Nintendo Switch games. This Pokemon gimmick will never return unless a sequel to these spinoffs is announced, maybe for the Johto region?
11 A Very Needed Inclusion Of Auto Heal But It Could Use Some Tweaking
Auto Heal was introduced in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet and it was a much-needed inclusion, gamers can now automatically heal Pokemon in their party with one click of a button. Instead of traversing through the bag and then going back to the Pokemon, the whole process has really been streamlined with this new Pokemon gimmick.
However, the Auto Heal feature only works with potions and HP, not for status-related effects, so gamers will still need to search their bags to heal their Pokemon from the effects of burn, poison or paralyze. Gamefreak should implement this method fully in a future DLC or perhaps a future installation of the franchise.
10 Berries, Apricorns, And Special Balls All Mixed Into An Overcomplicated Mess
All right, to be fair, Berries are still a part of most Pokemon games, in fact, they were very essential in creating all the different types of Curry in Pokemon Sword and Shield. But, the Apricorns were not quite as welcome. This is actually one of the few mediocre/negative things Gen 2 added to the franchise.
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It was a good idea on paper, but the implementation of it was just not well-thought-out. And in future games, their flaws were fixed, but ultimately ended in them becoming blender material for Pokeathlons. In Pokemon Legends: Arceus the Apricorns made a big comeback as they were essential in crafting all types of Pokeballs, and they were very easy to collect also.
9 Tera Pokemon Are A Good Feature But With Boring Designs
Introduced in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, Tera Pokemon are the latest main Pokemon gimmick in the franchise. Replacing the likes of Z-Moves, Dynamaxing, and Mega Evolutions. All Pokemon are able to terrestrialize, which coats the Pokemon in a crystal-like armor and includes a headpiece reflecting the Pokemon’s Tera-Type which is one type. Some are different from the Pokemon’s usual type.
An interesting feature that has its perks and gamers can play with type effectiveness when territorializing, although the designs are somewhat lackluster, not changing too much at all, and just aren’t as good as previous Pokemon gimmicks included by Gamefreak.
8 Shiny Pokemon Are Still Sought After
Shiny Pokemon seem to have been in the games since the start, but they were actually introduced in Gen 2, making use of the GameBoy Color’s, well… color screen. Shiny Pokemon are a different color scheme to regular Pokemon and have been featured in pretty much every Pokemon game since.
Although not without its problems, many designs are disappointing with some not even noticeable in the game, with Scarlet & Violet’s open form of Pokemon catching, gamers may miss them completely. Nonetheless, when they get it right they get them right, see Ponyta and Umbreon for example. One of the best Pokemon gimmicks.
7 Secret Bases And The Underground Need To Resurface
Man do we miss Secret Bases, what a radical idea! To be fair, out of all the Pokemon mechanics (outside the ones used in battle) Secret Bases have been brought back the most often. Basically, it’s a fantastic way to make players feel individual.
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Trainers can pick specific spots that speak to them personally, and then talk with their friends to see where they put theirs and what decorations they bought. Basically, it added a whole other social layer to Pokemon. Sure there were flaws, for example, the Underground system added in the Diamond and Pearl generations wasn’t perfect. But improved in the sequels of the games, Shiny Diamond & Brilliant Pearl.
6 Make Every Game Co-Op
They finally did it. After so many years and so much begging, Gamefreak finally added co-op to Pokemon. To be fair, for kids, the drop-in drop-out co-op in Pokemon Let’s Go was awesome. And it was further improved in Scarlet & Violet, gamers can roam around Paldea with their friends online, trading and battling in the main region like never before. Long gone are the days of the Union Room.
Sure, Pokemon has always had multiplayer aspects with battles and trading, harking back to the link cable from way back in the 90s on the GameBoy. Gamers now have a fully enhanced multiplayer experience, used to evolve certain Pokemon in Gen 9 including the new dolphin Pokemon, Finizen.
5 Held Items Have Stood The Test Of Time
Pokemon Gold & Silver introduced so many of the features that we all know and love to do, one of these includes a franchise staple, the held item. Held items are so important in Pokemon as it helps in battle, and they are essential for certain Pokemon to evolve.
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Held items are a welcome addition, and it is really great that they keep being included in each entry to the games. Competitive battling is nothing without held items like leftovers, life orbs, and rocky helmets—and these are just some of the ones that are used the most.
4 Gigantamax & Dynamax Had Their Advantages
Used in the gym and elite four battles throughout Sword & Shield, and although Dynamaxing seemed a bit pointless, the battling system was pretty much the same, with one difference. The Pokemon are giant.
Gigantamaxing is different as they change the appearance of the Pokemon and as they are huge they have some interesting designs. Snorlax has a whole terrain on its belly and Garbodor is a huge pile of garbage complete with a cruise ship. Showcasing how big these Pokemon are. A useful addition to the game, similar to the fan-favorite Mega Evolution that fans are crying out to return.
3 Regional Variants Were A Welcomed Addition
Another great thing that Sun & Moon implemented was Regional Variants. These were old Pokemon that have different variants, better reflecting the weather and location of the new region. Regional Variants had some fantastic designs, and they have been used in each of the new main Pokemon games ever since. A Pokemon gimmick that has not just been a one-game thing.
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An arctic version of Vulpix, a surfing Raichu, and a unicorn Rapidash are some of the interesting designs that Regional Variants allow and long may it continue. Although in Scarlet & Violet, only two were included, Wooper and Tauros.
2 Mega Evolutions Need To Make A Comeback
Mega Evolutions designs were fantastic, and it was a needed addition to the games, adding that extra edge and love to favorite Pokemon and adding new depth to certain others. First seen in Pokemon X&Y, they only were included in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire since then, which is a real shame.
The Nintendo Switch has yet to see a Mega Pokemon, but Gamefreak sorts it out and gives fans back Mega Evolutions. Mega Ampharos with its long flowing locks was a sight to behold, and it would be amazing to see that and the many others in battle across Paldea. A Pokemon gimmick that simply must return.
1 The League Champion Title Defense Is The Best Idea In Years
Swear to Arceus, this mechanic needs to come back immediately. It was by far the coolest thing Pokemon Sun and Moon added to the franchise. And that isn’t an insult to those games, they’re pretty dang good! But being able to defend the Pokemon League title is such a cool concept that should’ve been done long before now. It really is one of the best of all Pokemon gimmicks.
Basically, once the player beats the Elite Four and Champion in Pokemon S&M, they obviously become the new Champ. But, when challenging the League again, the player will instead sit on the throne and face a Champ challenger themselves! It’s an easy mechanic to bring back, and it really added a lot to a dated concept like the Elite Four.
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