10 Things CUT From Pokémon Games

10 Things Cut From Pokemon Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we aren’t looking at the things that we got, we’re complaining about the things we lost. Whether it was cut from particular releases or cut entirely, these are 10 Things Cut From Pokemon Games. Gotta cut ‘em all.

The Dexit Controversy

“Pokémon Sword and Shield” (2019)

The “Dexit” controversy hit when Pokémon Sword and Shield announced not all Pokémon would make the jump to the new games, essentially cutting the Pokédex in half. Fans were outraged, dubbing it “Dexit” (like Brexit, but with more crying Pikachus). Game Freak claimed it was to focus on “quality,” though many trainers saw it as “less Gotta Catch ’Em All” and more “Gotta Settle for Some.” Twitter melted down, memes flew faster than Quick Attack, and fans demanded justice for their missing Bidoofs. In the end, everyone learned two things: never mess with nostalgia, and Game Freak really needs a PR Pokémon.

The Deleted HM

“Pokémon Red and Blue Versions“ (1998)

HMs used to be the backbone of Pokémon games, before Sun and Moon tossed them into a PC box and never looked back. These special moves let you cut trees, surf oceans, and force your poor Lapras into eternal manual labor. Red and Blue had five HMs total, from Flash (aka “light up the cave you got lost in for the tenth time”) to Surf (aka ‘..surf’). But rumor has it there was a secret sixth HM that never made the cut! All that remains is some leftover text reading “ground rose up somewhere!” Sounds mysterious… or like someone really messed up using Dig.

Mobile System GB

“Pokémon Crystal Version” (2001)

Here’s a classic case of “Japan gets the cool stuff first.” Back in Pokémon Gen II, Western players missed out on a bunch of bonus features thanks to something called the Mobile System GB, an online service exclusive to Japan. It let players trade, battle, and even check online leaderboards… basically Pokémon Home before Wi-Fi existed. Unfortunately, the West never got it because it required having a mobile phone, something most ’90s kids didn’t have unless they were secretly business executives. Sure, it didn’t drastically change the gameplay, but come on .. GIMME!

Beta Pokémon

“Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions” (2002)

Hey, not everyone can make the team, let’s check out the ones that barely made it through design boot camp. Some early Gen III beta designs are downright wild. Take Torchic, for example, one concept had it poking out of a giant egg like it couldn’t commit to hatching, while another gave it ears big enough to turn a car like a sail boat. Groudon’s early draft looks like he skipped too many Pokéblocks, and there’s even a bizarre fusion of Latias and Blaziken that screams “kill me”.

Faraway Island

“Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions” (2002)

We’re not moving off Ruby and Sapphire just yet, I’m not sure what it is about these games but we know WAY too much about the dev process. There are four secret islands tucked away in the Gen III Pokémon games, but only one became the stuff of Western legend: Faraway Island. Why? Because it literally lived up to its name, it was too far away for anyone outside Japan to reach! The special event ticket needed to visit it never made it overseas, leaving Western players staring at their Game Boys in despair. On this elusive island lurked a level 30 Mew, just waiting to be caught… or not, unless you were handy with cheats and glitches. So yeah, technically we could catch Mew, just not legally.

Multiplayer Madness

“Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Versions” (2002)

One of Gen IV’s coolest new features was its 8-player online multiplayer, a huge deal at the time! But believe it or not, it was originally supposed to support double that. That’s right, Pokémon was briefly flirting with a 16-player chaos mode before the Nintendo DS politely said, “are you on acid?” The poor handheld just didn’t have the memory for that kind of madness. Junichi Masuda even teased the 16-player connectivity back in a 2005 interview, though he conveniently left out the part where the DS would start smoking if they actually tried it.

Different Starters

“Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions” (1999)

Alright, we’re jumping to gen II. The starters from this era are beloved icons right up there with the OG trio, but fun fact, two of them almost got Thanos-snapped out of existence before release. Chikorita was always the chosen leafy one, but Cyndaquil and Totodile weren’t the original picks. Early designs show a Fire-type bear named Honooguma (basically Winnie the Pooh on fire) and a Water-type called Kurusu, which looked suspiciously like Lapras’ smaller, bluer cousin. Maybe that’s why it got the boot. Thankfully, we ended up with an adorable trio that were genuinely hard to choose between.

E-Reader Cut Content

“Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions” (2002)

Ah, the Nintendo e-Reader, that weird little gadget from the early 2000s that made you feel like you were swiping groceries instead of playing Pokémon. By scanning special cards, you could unlock NES classics, mini-games, or even Pokémon battles and berries. It was like DLC, but made out of cardboard. Sadly, while Japan got the full buffet, Western fans were left nibbling on scraps, ONCE AGAIN! Only the first 54 cards made it over. Some regions didn’t even get the e-Reader at all, leaving fans staring at their Game Boys imagining the minigames.

Battling Professor Oak

“Pokémon Red and Blue Versions“ (1998)

So, remember back to your childhood when you first jumped into Pokemon with a happy heart, and optimism, you’ve beaten the Elite Four in Pokémon Red and Blue and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself, right? Then your smug rival Blue shows up even though he was hired like .. yesterday? This final battle was as epic as a Gameboy battle could be. Originally though, your last showdown was meant to be with none other than Professor Oak himself! That’s right, Grandpa Oak was ready to throw down after years of pretending he didn’t know how battles worked. Thanks to glitches and hacks, you can still face him, but be warned, doing so might break your game faster than throwing it in the microwave.

From 200 to 150

“Pokémon Red and Blue Versions“ (1998)

By now, Gen I is practically Pokémon pop culture 101, most fans could probably rattle off the original 150 in their sleep. But back in the chaotic days of Red & Blue development, over 200 Pokémon were actually planned! Unfortunately, the Game Boy’s tiny cartridge space had other ideas, so many creatures got cut it was borderline brutal. Some of these abandoned designs eventually found new life in later generations, while others disappeared into the void forever, probably sulking in a Poké Ball somewhere, muttering, “I could’ve been your starter…”.