One of the biggest surprises to come out of the Pokemon Day presentation was the announcement of the brand-new title Pokemon Champions. While details about the game are still scarce, Pokemon Champions has been confirmed as a new way for players to compete against one another using mons both from the game and ones transferred in from Pokemon Home. While this title sounds like it could reshape the future of competitive Pokemon battles, it also seems to mark the revival of one type of game that’s been missing since Gen 4.
Side games and spin-offs have become just as much a part of the Pokemon franchise as the mainline games, but the forms these games take have changed over the years. While recent years have seen Pokemon spin-offs take off in the mobile space, there was a time when the hand-held-only main series was complemented by side games on home consoles. Pokemon Champions seems to be combining the best of these two eras, taking a battle simulation game like Pokemon Stadium and bringing a twist to the formula in a way that hasn’t been seen since Pokemon Battle Revolution.
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Pokemon Champions is the First Battle Simulator Since Gen 4
Pokemon Battle Simulators Were Popularized With the Stadium Series
Some of the earliest spin-off games the Pokemon franchise saw were the Pokemon Stadium games. Originally released for the N64, Pokemon Stadium and its sequel helped players to view battles in a whole new way, taking the sprites of the Game Boy games, translating them to 3D models, and allowing players to battle against one another in local PvP. While Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Stadium 2 lacked the same level of story and exploration as the main series, their emphasis on cinematic battles created a popular new subseries of battle simulators.
The Pokemon Stadium series has a third, original game that was only ever released in Japan. What the West got as Pokemon Stadium was actually titled Pokemon Stadium 2 in Japan.
Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness Put a Twist on the Franchise’s Battle Simulators
After Gens 1 and 2 popularized the battle-simulator style games with Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Stadium 2, Gen 3 took this type of game in a new direction. Pokemon Colosseum and its follow-up, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, featured the same battle simulation mechanics of the previous games, including the ability to transfer mons from the mainline games. However, these games featured a more robust narrative, as well as a unique mechanic that allowed players to snag and purify Shadow Pokemon from other trainers.
Pokemon Battle Revolution Was the Last True Battle Simulator
Gen 4 saw the release of Pokemon Battle Revolution for the Wii, which walked things back a bit from the previous games. Pokemon Battle Revolution didn’t have the same type of story as Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness, instead opting for a more strict battle simulation style of gameplay. A major feature of Battle Revolution was the ability to battle against other players over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, taking the best parts of the Stadium games to the next level.
Despite the love these spin-off games received from fans, a new battle simulator hasn’t been released since Gen 4’s Battle Revolution. Now, it seems like Pokemon Champions is returning to what made these battle simulation games so beloved, with an emphasis on battle mechanics as well as the ability to transfer critters from Pokemon Home for use in online PvP. While it’s unclear if Pokemon Champions will feature a Colosseum-esque story mode, the fact that it will allow players a new avenue for online battles is something worth getting excited about.
