An extensive postgame feature that has disappeared fromPokémongames could be given new life by the future Generation 10 titles. With the next era of Pokémon expected to be released for the Switch 2 console, the future of the franchise seems brighter than ever. Of course, speculation is currently rife regarding the contents ofPokémon Legends: Z-A, but the games that will arrive after this eagerly-anticipated title could easily prove to be even more impactful for the franchise.
The shape ofPokémon’s Gen 10 postgamewill naturally rely strongly on both its setting and how much content the developers will be willing to include after the main story. Of course, postgame features can significantly extend the lifespan of any title, something thatPokémongames take full advantage of to keep people engaged. For example, thefeatures unlocked inPokémon Scarlet and Violet’s postgameare arguably also some of the paired titles’ best. However, while many games have very distinctive postgames, there is clear merit in Gen 10 reviving a familiarPokémonfeature in a fully modernized form.
The Gen 10 Games Should Revive The Battle Frontier
The Classic Feature Deserves a Modern Incarnation
First introduced inPokémon Emeraldas one of the title’s many improvements overPokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the core concept of the Battle Frontier is simple.It consists of a collection of Battle Facilities, each posing a unique challenge to be overcomeby putting various twists on the standard battle formula. There have been three incarnations of the Battle Frontier to date, although some of its individual Facilities have enjoyed their own incarnations outside of the Frontier; most notably the Battle Tower, which itself has been part of the franchise since Gen 2.
Although matches in Battle Facilities do not reward experience or prize money, they do typically offer BP (Battle Points) instead, which can then be exchanged for a variety of rare prize items.
However, althoughPokémongames continue to offer one or two Battle Facilities with each new core title, with the notable exception ofPokémon Scarlet and Violet, a full Battle Frontier has not been seen since Generation 4. Here, bothPokémon PlatinumandPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilveruse the same Battle Frontier. This meansthat the Battle Frontier has not been seen in any newPokémongame for almost 15 yearsnow. Although there may befeatures that Gen 10 should leave behind, the Battle Frontier is a perfect example of something that deserves to be revived instead.
The continuing usage of Battle Facilities proves that they remain a viable part of anyPokémongame, but the absence of a Battle Frontier still makes their inclusion feel like a diminishment from their full potential. However, there is no reason forGen 10 to continue aPokémontrendwhen breaking it instead would bring so much more to its postgame. While the return of the Battle Frontier is far from being confirmed, the entertainment that it can provide in previous Generations already proves that it would still be an excellent addition to Gen 10.
The Battle Frontier Provides A Perfect Postgame Challenge
The Battle Frontier’s Challenge Is Unparalleled In The Franchise
One of the Battle Frontier’s greatest strengths is that it challenges people to strategize in ways outside of the ordinary, forcing them to constantly contend with unpredictable scenarios; something very unlike the main story of aPokémongame, where every NPC encounter is consistent. For example, the Battle Factory has people choose rental Pokémon from a randomized selection to battle with, while the Battle Arcade imposes random conditions on each battle through the use of a roulette wheel. The flexibility that battling under such conditions requires makes the Battle Frontier a perfect postgame inclusion for Gen 10.
The main portion of aPokémongame makes it easy to strategize in advance for any given battle. For example, when facing the Elite Four and Champion of any title, one can fine-tune their team over the course of many attempts until they succeed.Within the randomized situations of the Battle Frontier, however, people must develop more genuine skillin order to handle the threats they face. Depending on the precise implementation, this form of gameplay could even provide an interesting warm-up for actual competitive play, making it an even more valuable experience for many.
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Although any individual Battle Facility can provide part of this experience, the variety presented by the Battle Frontier is both more interesting and makes it more difficult to fully complete the game it appears in. The challenge grows exponentially with each new individual Battle Facility, which in turn dramatically boosts the lifetime of the game. Although the level of difficulty presented by the Battle Frontier will not appeal to everybody, those who do enjoy it would undoubtedly be ecstatic if it were to make a comeback.
The Battle Frontier Could Be Bigger Than Ever On Switch 2
The New Console Should Support A Much More Complex Version Of The Feature
It is also important to note thatfuturePokémongames will benefit from the Switch 2and its own impending release. The new console’s hardware should be able to support a much larger and more complex world than the original Switch, meaning that there has never been a better opportunity to reintroduce the Battle Frontier. Furthermore, not only should the Gen 10 games be capable of hosting a full Battle Frontier, but it could be the most expansive version of the postgame feature yet.
It is easy to see the Switch 2 being able to improve every aspect of the Battle Frontier. There could be larger pools of randomized opponents, Pokémon, and battle effects, for example, making the feature even more varied than before. Furthermore, with both major incarnations of the Battle Frontier featuring a different lineup of Battle Facilities, a new incarnation in Gen 10 could include all of these different Facilities for the first time, and even add further Facilities to the mix. For example,one such new Facility could be based around interactions withGen 10’s own battle gimmick.
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The Battle Frontier is an excellent example of how challengingPokémon’s postgame can become, but it has fallen by the wayside in recent years. However, Generation 10 offers a perfect opportunity to not only revive the feature, but also improve on it, especially given the advancements in hardware that will be provided by the Nintendo Switch 2. The sheer variety of the gimmicks offered by the Battle Frontier is otherwise impossible for any singlePokémongame, and the challenge that this creates makes it well-deserving of a new incarnation.
