(Published on the 24th September 2005)
A year ago to the day I published my first feature article
here on Pokécharms and it's been one of the greatest draws
to the site - beaten only by the infamous Nem Review. What made this
article so important was the fact that it laid down some estimates
and what I expected to see from the future of Pokemon - something
most webmasters shy away from for fear of being proven incorrect.
I didn't have that fear, one because Pokecharms is a
site where caring what the other webmasters think means squat all
and two because I fully believed that what I was saying would come
true. None moreso than the highly debated future home for the 4th
Generation of Pokemon. Alongside this I listed a timeline for what
we'd see from Pokemon from then till about this time next year. A
year on, it's time to review what's happened and just what I got right
and got wrong.
First off, most importantly is where would Generation
4 be? On the Gameboy Advance, the Next Gameboy or the Nintendo DS
- a then unreleased system. I placed all my cash on the games being
on the DS, for various reasons. Many disagreed with me, in fact it
was probably the most contentious part of the article - even Katie
was less than happy to put money on the DS being it's home.
Yet a month later in Seattle, Reggie Fils Aime confirmed
that Pokemon Diamond and Pearl would be released eventually on the
Nintendo DS, giving them names and a home - the home I had correctly
assumed.
What I had gotten incorrect, or so it could seem, is
when we'd see the games. I'd taken November/December this year or
early next year to be the estimated release date - going on anime
placement and an interview with a Gamefreak spokesperson earlier that
year.
As we all know, this was 'delayed' in July when CoroCoro
confirmed D/P would be hitting the shops sometime next year. Whether
my guess at early 2006 turns out to be correct afterall remains to
be seen but it doesn't seem too likely at the moment.
That was certainly a blow - first because I'd really
believed we were going to be playing D/P this Christmas and secondly
because I really wanted to be playing D/P this Christmas.
It also kicked a hole in my estimations over when we'd be seeing what
but a lot of the rest of the list holds up. The rest of this article
will dissect my time-line estimations with what I got right, what
I got wrong and, at the end, what I expect to see in the future -
including the recently announced games.
What follows in Italics is from last year's article,
all other text are my latest comments.
This year
I had originally penned this game as an expansion of the Pikachu E3
Demo - going by a report saying such a thing was in planning. Clearly
the same system cameoed in what fulfills this estimation: Pokemon Dash.
- Possibly one 4th Generation Pokemon before the end of the year.
Most likely starring in a post-card alongside Gonbe or something.
Didn't happen - we'd wait a few more months before more new 4th Gen
Pokemon would pop up.
- News of possible Emerald Release date for USA.
We again waited a little later for this.
Start of 2005
- One or more 4th Generation Pokemon released on Pokemon of Japan
website.
The official Pokemon 2005 Movie website and CoroCoro both brought about
Lucario, so this was mostly correct. Ish.
- Confirmation of Emerald Release date in USA.
Yeah, we got this.
- DS released in Europe/Australia, possibly with Pikachu DS.
When I wrote this, the idea of the DS launching in Australia before
Europe seemed pretty... impossible. Pokemon Dash did however come as
a launch title in both Australia and Europe and was then released in
the US - the only region not to have it as a launch title.
Late Spring/Early Summer 2005
- At least one new Pokemon seen in preview for Movie 8.
3 no less. Manene, Manyula and Usohachi.
- The method to get Celebi is announced.
Well, this was a joke... When writing I was hopeful that thanks to
the scraps of code Meowth346 had uncovered detailing Celebi being in
Colosseum through use of an expansion disc that we'd somehow get it.
The timing was down to knowing that Mew would be coming later for Emerald
and assuming that D/P would dominate the end of the year.
- First screenshots of Generation 4 released through Coro Coro
Again, this was going on the idea of D/P being out this year. No games,
no screens.
- Gonbe receives an English name through the release of Movie
Seven.
Due to Gonbe/Munchlax taking over the world and also because it featured
in Pokemon Dash, Munchlax got it's name worldwide long before you'd
expect.
- Emerald either released at the end of this period or...
Americans and Importers got it at the start of May, E3 got it two weeks
later. For some reason... Something tells me they'd rather have had
Diamond and Pearl themselves.
Summer - Halloween 2005
- Emerald Released in USA and the UK/Europe soon after.
The UK and Europe can get Emerald in October, at Halloween.
- More new Pokemon as the chase begins towards the final goal.
Coro Coro begins to reveal more screenshots and more Pokemon monthly.
Nope, again thanks to Summer actually being the announcement of D/P
NOT being out this year.
- Pokemon Festa unveils new Pokemon and demos of the game. Possibly
revealing Legendary Pokemon and definitely the titles for the new
games.
Noooope. Festa DID have Pokemon XD though, speaking of which;
- By this period any news on a new spin-off game will have been
around for a month or two and could be ready for release for Halloween.
This one is pretty eerie. XD snuck onto the radar just before E3 -
with Reggie point-blank lying to us that it had nothing to do with Colosseum.
It's out in Japan now and hits America and Europe around Halloween.
- Pokemon Advanced Series' draws to a close in japan and prepares
for a filler. (Possibly)
This was unlikely to be proven incorrect - what did surprise me was
the expansion of the filler to tide the anime over until D/P finds it's
way to the shelves. The Battle Frontier season features some deviation
from the game's Battle Frontier (Such as it being in Kanto) but has
also been extended from what would have originally been just a few months
to a full American length season.
Halloween-Christmas 2005
- Pokemon Overkill. A new Monster revealed almost every week with
new screenshots coming in from Coro Coro, other japanese mags and
official Nintendo/Pokemon websites.
Sadly, nope. Not likely to happen. But here's hoping we'll get something before the end of the year.
- News of the new games will have reached UK and US Mags (who
are realllly slow to pick up on these things) and both will begin
previews of their own.
Actually some UK Ninty mags ran news on Munchlax straight after he
got an english name and had Manene, Manyula and Usohachi reported weeks
after CoroCoro.
- The games are set with a confirmed release date.
This may actually happen. By Christmas we could have a definite date
for D/P but it will depend how far away from Christmas we'll see the
games. As such, the next two statements are unlikely to be relevant.
- The games are either released in this period or..
Early 2006
- The games are released in Japan.
Spring - Early Summer 2006
- English names will begin to be announced, starting with the
names of new Pokemon featured in Movie 8.
Bonsly and Munchlax have theirs thanks to Pokemon XD, but when Manene
and Manyula will get theirs is questionable. It could fit into this
or could be sooner. We'd have to wait and see.
- The anime series Pokemon Advanced/Challenge/??, will begin to
draw to a close and prepare for a possible filler. (Depends on what
happens in Japan)
Yes. Should fit, and now we have the '??' named, making it Pokemon
Advanced/Challenge/Battle.
Summer 2006
- Following the release of English names through official Nintendo
sites, screenshots and general promotion, the final few will be left
named once the games are released in America in this period. UK/Europe/Australia
will either get them now too or September/Octoberish.
We're more likely to see this sort of template for the Japanese release
now. However, we might see swift translations and could
have the Japanese AND English releases out in 2006. Otherwise we'll
be waiting until 2007.
To tide us over until then of course we have the puzzle game Pokemon
Torouse, the action-RPG Mysterious Dungeon games for both the DS and
GBA and of course Pokemon Ranger - a tie-in to the next anime series
and movie centred around the run-up to Diamond and Pearl. It's possible
that this set will take over what we normally see as the 'Cryptimon
Hunt' as it's an unprecedented union of the 3 and in unusual circumstances.
Pokemon Ranger, as a whole is certainly the most intriguing part of
the Future of Pokemon from here on in and is certainly going to grab
our attention the most next year.
What really will be the question is 'Will Diamond and Pearl be out
when I come to review this article next year?'. The answer
is, who the hades knows? We'll just have to wait and see, afterall we
can't predict the future, eh?
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