2026 marks 30 years since Pokémon launched its first game on the Nintendo Game Boy and began the steps towards creating one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. It first began with easy-to-understand parallels of “Red” versus “Green,” the titles representative of the series’ initial starters and protagonists. After the games’ wild successes, Pokémon themes began to expand towards gems and metals, philosophical opposites of ideals versus truths, the sun and the moon, swords clashing against shields, and ancient eras versus technological possibilities. And, as of February 2026 — Pokémon’s official 30th anniversary date — Nintendo has announced its newest installment in the series: “Wind” versus “Waves.” But even though the starters shown in the trailer have gained international, memorable acclaim, I can’t help but feel only the faintest notion of interest towards the series. Why?
Well, mainline Pokémon games used to take around 3-4 development cycles to make. Excluding Generation 1 (Red/Green/Blue) — which took approximately five to six years to make as the first in its series — every subsequent game until Generation 7 (Sun/Moon) has taken around three years to make. As a whole, Game Freak has increased its pace and has begun to crunch and slam out titles like hot cakes. Of course, game-crunching is not unheard of (especially for triple-A companies) or for a company to divide its staff to work on other remakes or titles simultaneously. There is something to be said about the games’ direction, especially with the Pokémon titles on the Nintendo Switch, which are known to boast a variety of issues technically, graphically, and in overall finish. In particular, Generation 9 (Scarlet/Violet) is very popular for crashing and dropping frames, but, as a whole, the gameplay seems to be less focused on challenging the player and has instead adopted a linear, hand-holding approach to guide the player through the story. It’s a type of style that lends itself to a repetitive, numbing experience that just isn’t worth the $70 price tag attached to it.
However, are these criticisms objectively true? Is Game Freak and Nintendo milking the series for its popularity, or have I, who has grown up and now out of the intended audience, been expecting too much from my blinding nostalgia? The answer: No. It’s going downhill. Back in 2007, the original price for “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl” retailed at $34.99. According to a quick calculation using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ calculator, that roughly translates to around $56.49 in 2026. That being said, the latest Pokémon game, “Pokémon Pokopia,” costs $69.99. I genuinely have nothing to say against that installment; however, it’s evident that the prices are only getting higher and the quality worse.
So, what should you do? If you have access to it, I recommend dusting off your old handhelds and giving your favorite titles a replay. Or, better yet, there are a variety of Pokémon-inspired indie games for a fraction of the price that are fully polished and support the creators directly. “Cassette Beasts and Nexomon: Extinction” on Steam are fantastic options priced at $19.99 that offer a similar experience to Pokémon’s DS era. Or, if you’re feeling up for a multiplayer version, “PokeMMO” is a free MMO option where you can play four games (Red, Emerald, Platinum, and Black) with thousands of other players. It has an active community and is often treated as a fun option to do on your computer!
There are plenty of options there; give them a chance!
