In recent years, the Pokémon series has faced growing criticism from fans and critics alike. From the controversial “Dexit” decision in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield to the widely reported performance issues in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, many long-time players feel the franchise has lost some of its former magic. While some of the backlash may be exaggerated, there’s no denying that a portion of the Pokémon fanbase, including me, has started to feel left behind.
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield started the negative trend as the games that removed the ability to transfer every Pokémon from prior games, in a move commonly referred to a Dexit.
Exp. Share, an item that allows every Pokémon in your party to gain experience points in every battle, has been permanently on since Sword and Shield’s debut, leaving games feeling much easier than their predecessors. This also made the 1:1 remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl) offensively easy since they weren’t balanced to compensate for the additional experience points.
Abysmal performance in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, often running at less than 30 frames per second, left many feeling cheated out of what might have felt like an otherwise better game. This is the biggest franchise in the world, putting out their flagship games, and they couldn’t even run a stable frame rate. The game also featured bland textures and landscapes that left a lot to be desired. COVID could be to blame, but it felt unforgivable to be released in this state for many.
Despite Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet arguably being the largest offender in pushing me away from the series, they are also the games that started to bring me back around.
Last summer, when the Nintendo Switch 2 launched, a handheld of games received free upgrades. Scarlet and Violet received patches that, on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, would allow them to run at a solid 60 frames per second and with higher resolutions. All for free.
Pokémon Legends Z-A released in October 2025 and, although it still has some bland textures and felt a bit rough around the edges, it released in a solid state. The game introduced a new real-time battle system and once again, the series began to feel revitalised.
As I write this, Pokopia has just released and, earlier this week, received glowing reviews, becoming the highest rated Pokémon game of all time. As I excitedly get ready to tuck into this spin-off, I’m reminded of the good times with Pokémon.
Recently Pokémon Winds and Waves were revealed, for release in 2027. The games look sublime. Game Freak seemingly have dropped the old bland and flat textures they have been known to use. The world looks alive and, most importantly, like somewhere I can’t wait to explore.
My good faith is on its way to restoration. I’m still cautiously optimistic, but I’m feeling better about the series I love. I’m still slightly concerned that Winds and Waves might inherit some of poorer qualities from its parent generations, such as exp share and potential performance issues – but I’m willing to give it the chance to prove itself.
Everyone's Arcade 
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