One of the unexpected highlights from this year’s Pokemon Day presentation was the unveiling of Pokemon Champions, the franchise’s newest title. Although they haven’t revealed much about the game yet, what we do know is that Pokemon Champions will offer a fresh competitive platform for players. You can use Pokemon from both the game itself and ones you’ve transferred from Pokemon Home. This announcement hints at a potential new era for competitive play and marks the return of a game style that hasn’t been seen since Pokemon’s fourth generation.
Over the years, the Pokemon universe has expanded beyond its mainline games to include a myriad of spin-offs and side games, which have become integral to the franchise’s charm. These offshoots have evolved; recently, many have found homes in the mobile game space. However, there was a time when the series’ primary adventures, designed for handheld systems, were enriched by companion games released on home consoles. Pokemon Champions appears to be blending the best elements from these past eras, reminiscent of battle-centric titles like Pokemon Stadium, while introducing novel twists that harken back to Pokemon Battle Revolution.
The Pokemon Stadium games were among the franchise’s first spin-offs and hit the scene on the N64. They offered a revolutionary way for players to experience battles, transforming 2D sprites from the Game Boy into dynamic 3D duels. Although these stadium instalments didn’t delve into intricate storytelling like the mainline games, they placed a spotlight on cinematic battles, giving rise to a beloved subseries within the Pokemon ecosystem.
It’s interesting to note that Japan received a third, exclusive entry in the Pokemon Stadium series that never saw a Western release. What the international audience experienced as Pokemon Stadium was actually known as Pokemon Stadium 2 in Japan.
Building on the Stadium games’ success, Gen 3 introduced Pokemon Colosseum and its sequel, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. These games retained the battle simulation roots of their predecessors but took the formula in a different direction. They wove in engaging narratives and featured a unique mechanic where players could capture and purify Shadow Pokemon, adding layers of depth to gameplay.
Pokemon Battle Revolution, launched during Gen 4, represented the last pure battle simulator fans saw. This game, available on the Wii, scaled back on the narrative elements seen in Colosseum and Gale of Darkness, offering a more straightforward simulation experience. One of Battle Revolution’s standout features was its online play capability via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing global battles and expanding on the competitive spirit of the Stadium games.
Even though these spin-offs earned a lot of love from the community, we’ve gone without a new one since Battle Revolution. Pokemon Champions seems poised to revisit the features that made these simulators so adored, with a focus on battle mechanics and online PvP involving transferred Pokemon from Pokemon Home. While it’s uncertain if there will be a rich storyline like in Colosseum, the allure of new online battle opportunities is enough to generate some serious excitement.
