Has ‘Pokémon Go’ Revived The Pokémon Series?

With the release of Pokémon Go a few weeks ago, many old fans have been drawn back to the series. Pokémon wasn’t in trouble by any means, but the sheer popularity of its mobile release could have only helped Nintendo. With a new main series release approaching this year, fans may now be curious about looking back to the series roots. Furthermore, with the 3DS selling so well in recent years and Nintendo creating clever bundles for people to buy, many have wondered what future could be in store for these cute collectable creatures.

When we look at the main series titles, they’ve been seeing fairly large sales falls since the release of Pokémon Saphire/Ruby/Emerald. As of May 2016, we know that around 9.94 million copies of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Saphire had been recorded, which is a drop in the ocean compared to 34.38 million boasted by the original versions. Now with the release of Pokémon Go drawing over 28 million downloads in just one week (now, 78 million and counting), the audience that Pokémon games might appeal to has likely increased quite significantly. Of course, this has to be taken with a pinch of salt because of the free-to-play nature of Pokémon Go reducing the barrier of entry, but you can’t discount the power of nostalgia.

It’s also not crazy to think that future main series titles could have a connection to Pokémon Go in the future as well. A recent rumour has speculated that the Nintendo NX will link up with mobile games, presenting very exciting concepts for fans of the series. While it might come too early for Pokémon Sun and Moon, with its release happening as early as November, future entries could really benefit from a system like this. It would also be a great way to promote the portable nature of the NX, should it be a handheld console. All the pieces just seem to be fitting together really well. While this is all wild speculation, the opportunities this rumour presents really could be a catalyst to take the series in a new and broader direction.

How do these starters compare to previous generations?

For now, at least, Pokémon is booming on mobile devices and all parts of the franchise seem to be benefiting. We’ve really seen the power of nostalgia over the past few weeks and how it can draw people from all generations. It might not be possible to reach the dizzying heights set by the original games, but Pokémon Sun and Moon could definitely benefit from the success of the series on mobile devices. The future appears to be an exciting one for this ever expanding and beloved series.

Are you going to be picking up Pokémon Sun or Moon? Leave a comment below or tweet me @pattydon101!