. Last update: July 11, 2022
Pokemon gamers think it’s time for Game Freak to retire both editions for major title launches like the upcoming Scarlet and Violet releases.
Ever since Pokemon Red and Blue (Green in Japan), Game Freak has been known to release its mainline titles in several separate versions that give players different species of Pokemon and with slight changes in game events.
To catch them all, Pokemon players had to connect with friends who had the other version of the game that had the missing Pokedex entries that would otherwise be left unfilled.
It was a standout series in the 90s and 2000s, but fans think it might be time for the separate editions the franchise is known for.
Although the entries remain unchanged in Pokémon titles of a given generation, there are slight differences in other parts of the game.
In the build-up to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, fans were ringing the Reddit forums with folks pondering the developer’s traditional approach to game releases.
“After seeing the Sword and Shield DLCs and Endgame Choices in Legends Arceus, I don’t really think it’s necessary or practical to have two separate versions anymore,” said one. user said.
“Having a big game with the various legendaries in the box and some Pokemon locked on different paths determined by player choice feels more natural and rewarding.”
Other people have said that both releases weren’t really “practical” in the first place and that it’s high time to collect all the “mons” of a generation under one title per launch – as difficult as that may turn out.
The differences between Pokemon Scarlet and Violet tend to include certain legendaries, species across the game, and more.
“I agree with the abandonment of double versions now that we have online global commerce, but it goes against 25 years of tradition, which in my opinion is not easy”, another one said.
With hit titles like Arceus and the like, it will be interesting to see if Game Freak ever picks up the singular releases but fans aren’t holding their breath.