Top 10 Worst Gimmicks Pokemon Games Ever Used
#10: Poké Ball Plus
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“Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!” & “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!” (2018) While there were many things we loved about "Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee", the game was far from perfect. One of the oddest parts of the experience wasn't technically a mechanic, but an overpriced peripheral. Shortly before the game's launch in November 2018, Nintendo introduced the Poké Ball Plus, a motion controller designed to make players feel like they were throwing a real Poké Ball… until its three-hour battery life went out. You could also store Pokémon inside it to level them up as you walk about the real world. Oh, and every unit contained a Mew. All of this could be yours for a low, low price of fifty bucks! You can afford that after buying a sixty-dollar game, right?
#9: Pokémon GO Plus
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“Pokémon GO” (2016) Anyone remember Pokémon Go Plus? This little wristwatch would notify users of nearby Pokémon and attempt to catch them without having to boot up the app. It could also collect items from PokésStops with the click of a button. Or catch Pokémon with a single Pokeball throw. A feature that was very unreliable since Pokemon fled after one throw. As if that wasn't bad enough, the peripheral was overpriced. The only good feature it had was that it allowed people to track their steps without keeping the game open, but now the Adventure Sync update has rendered that obsolete.
#8: A Racing Game with ONE Pokémon
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“Pokémon Dash” (2005) Every good racing game knows that one way to appeal to an audience is to include options - a multitude of tracks, a plethora of vehicles, and of course, multiple playable characters. The ill-fated "Pokémon Dash" completely forgot about this and restricted players to ONLY play as Pikachu. As much as we love the little critter, this just doesn't make sense, especially since Pikachu isn't the only character featured in the game. Why couldn't we want to play as Meowth or Jigglypuff? Or any of the Pokémon prominently featured on the front cover, for that matter? This coupled with the lazy stylus gimmicks and generic environments made "Pokémon Dash" one of the more disappointing games you could own on Nintendo DS.
#7: Battle Royales
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“Pokémon Rumble” series (2009-) Aside from adventuring and beating up wild Pokémon, Battle Royales were the most tedious part of the “Rumble” series. For starters, you have to make sure your Pokémon is at a certain level. So, if you don’t meet requirements, be prepared for a grind. To make matters worse, some Battle Royales require you to use specific Pokémon. So, if you’ve been using the same couple of Pokémon to bypass Level requirements, you have even MORE grinding to do! This grind would be more bearable if the game had a deeper combat system, but this series kept it pretty basic, being a ‘beat em up. Alas, the Battle Royales makes the entire experience rather mind-numbing.
#6: Water HMs
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Gen 2 & Gen 3 Pokémon Titles For a long time, water-based HMs were a major pain in the butt! For the uninitiated, HMs are moves that must be used to affect parts of the overworld. In earlier titles, players would have to juggle between four different HMs to navigate water - Surf, Dive, Whirlpool and Waterfall. … Yeah it got really out of hand. However, if you teach an HM to a Pokémon, that move can never be replaced. So, when you have multiple HMs required to fully traverse lakes, rivers, and seas, you basically have to sacrifice a Pokémon's useful moveset just to access areas. Thankfully, the mechanics have been adjusted in more recent titles to make HMs a non-issue. But in the early days; I’d give these things a 7.8/10
#5: Z-Moves
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“Pokémon Sun & Moon” (2016) We'll give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt - Z-Moves sound like an awesome idea. Why not include a feature that can make our Pokémon look more badass and deliver a super-powered attack? Well, be careful what you wish for; Z-Moves ended up being more of an annoyance in "Sun & Moon" than anything else. They quickly lost their luster after a few uses, and there was no way to disable them when playing online. So, if your opponent was some kind of troll or cinephile, you'd have to sit and watch the entire thing! Overall, this was a much better idea on paper than in application. And don’t get us started on that ridiculous Z-Ring playset!
#4: Motion Controls
“Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!” (2018) & “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!” (2018) “Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee” had us feeling excited for two reasons. First, it was a new Pokémon game for the Switch. And second, it was a remake of the ever-popular “Pokémon Yellow”. Unfortunately, as soon as it was revealed that the game required Pokéballs to be thrown, our hearts sank. Getting excellent throws and curved throws got a whole lot harder! Nintendo would later clarify that it was possible to catch Pokémon by aiming with the left Joy-Con, but there was little satisfaction in doing so by comparison. This schtick simply soiled what was otherwise a solid “Pokémon” experience.
#3: Rumble U NFC Toys
“Pokémon Rumble U” (2013) In the early 2010s, a new aspect of the gaming industry was booming. “Skylanders” and “Disney Infinity” were thriving off the new toys-to-life market, and Nintendo wanted a slice of the pie. Before amiibos, Nintendo used “Pokémon Rumble U” to launch a small line of NFC figures, but they weren’t as impressive as their competitors. The resemblance to the game’s polygonal models made the figures look somewhat unimpressive, and they didn’t do much outside of granting player access to Pokémon. Seeing how no more than eighteen standard figures were launched, one can safely assume Nintendo didn’t see a significant return on investment.
#2: Talking to Pikachu
“Hey You, Pikachu!” (2000) Come on… Who wouldn't jump onboard with a game that lets you talk to Pikachu? Don't lie! Any kid would jump at the opportunity. And that's what makes "Hey You, Pikachu" so painful to think back on. For the few of us who dared play this, we quickly discovered a gameplay experience that simply did not work. The game would often fail to recognize our commands. And even when it did, there was a chance that Pikachu wouldn't listen. It’s little wonder as to why so many players resort to cursing Pikachu out and eventually rage quit.
#1: Watch TV with Pikachu
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“Pokémon Channel” (2003) "Pokémon Channel" has gone down as the most infamous game in the franchise's history. You can't even call this a game! For those unfamiliar with this particular GameCube title, the whole gimmick is that you get to sit down and watch TV with Pikachu. THAT'S. IT. You Watch TV. Watch old episodes from the anime, endure some painful skits and gags, rinse and repeat. It's one thing to sell us an overpriced peripheral or incorporate an annoying mechanic, but charging players FIFTY DOLLARS to watch TV?? We'd sooner report you to Officer Jenny!
