Summary
Back in 2019, Niantic and The Pokemon Company did something that fans did not expect; after 14 years of going unused and forgotten, Shadow Pokemon returned to the franchise throughPokemon GO. This concept was originally used inPokemon Colosseum, a GameCube title that many fans either loved or hated. Despite that,Colosseumand its sequel,Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, live on inPokemon GOas rewards fordefeating Team Rocket.
Since Shadow Pokemon were given a second chance, it almost begs the question of what otherPokemonspin-offscould be given a new lease on life through the extremely popular mobile game. While there are quite a few titles that have gone neglected over the years, there’s one in particular that may have a special place in Niantic’s AR game. ThePokemon Rangerseries for the Nintendo DS that hasn’t had proper time in the spotlight since 2010.
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How Pokemon GO Can Bring Pokemon Ranger Back from the Brink
Pokemon Ranger’s premise is arguably hard to bring to such an explorative and collect-em-all game such asPokemon GOas it deals with temporarily capturing the titular creatures to use them to aid in times of a crisis upon wildlife. Making the Capture Styler a permanent feature would be counterproductive. However, a limited time event could allow players to temporarily capture strong Pokemon to defeat tougher enemies and makeshift bosses.
There’s one important feature to both titles that could be used to tie the games together seamlessly, though, and that’s the use of a touch screen.Pokemon Rangerrelied on a touch screenspecifically so players could draw circles at a fast enough rate to make the creature in question to understand the Ranger’s pleas for help.Pokemon GOalready uses similar prompts in its current battle mechanics, making it a perfect fit.
Niantic’s hit AR mobile game also has features that could serve a limited-time event well, too. With Timed and Special Research Tasks, players could be taken on an adventure with a Pokemon Ranger, likely a new character made just forGO, and given items to collect and places to rendezvous at to encounter all sorts of things. They might seelegendary or mythical Pokemonto capture with the Capture Styler, tough trainers that try to stop them, and of course, rewards to make the adventure all the more satisfying and worthwhile.
If this event were to ever happen inPokemon GO, it could be perfect for shining the spotlight back onPokemon Rangerafter so long, which could show what demand there is for further games and content from HAL Laboratory and Creatures Inc. Players supporting old spin-offs are usually what helps them get revived into something new when it comes toPokemon’s previous releases, depending on what circumstances are preventing the specific title from coming back. InPokemon Ranger’s case, Creatures Inc. could easily develop it alongside mainline games already.
Even if this event were to happen sooner rather than later, theinterest inPokemon Rangermay green light a game, but it would likely be years away. As a result, it may end up being on the Switch’s successor rather than the Switch itself. Though, that may be for the best because the Nintendo Switch lacks a stylus, and therefore its touchscreen might not handle the same circles needed to use the Capture Styler. With this in mind, it may also be a while until the original games see a release on the Nintendo Switch Online service.
