Pokémon Features from the past Pokémon games you miss?

[Croconaw]

I mainly only created this thread to talk about one feature from a previous game that I miss. The feature I’m referring to is secret bases. This is a feature in both the Hoenn and Sinnoh games. This was a very small feature but I loved it. I liked that they added a decorating aspect to the game and you could personalize it. I had so many fun memories with secret bases in Pokémon Emerald. I personalized mine to the brim.

Here is a link describing secret bases for a refresher:

Secret Base

m.bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net

The name slipped my mind. Admittedly, I had to look it up. What are some features from past games that you miss?

 

[Snek]

The secret base feature was one of the best features of the Pokémon franchise. Scratch that, one of the best missed opportunities of the Pokémon franchise. The concept started in GSC with the player's room with your Mom buying various dolls. In RSE, secret bases made their real debut. DP introduced them in the Underground, but I have to admit...they werent as good as the RSE version. ORAS brought back the RSE version of secret bases. I honestly thought they would implement them in the games from there on out. They didn't. My favourite saying in regards to GameFreak: Every step forward they take, they take two steps backward (DexNav was the best btw) Now that Dexit is a thing, hopefully they can bring back secret bases in some form like they're doing with trainer customisation.

 

[Khaelis]

Honestly, I know it was last generation, but Z-Moves. I love how busted they were and actually made some weaker Pokemon competitively viable because they could further abuse their niche.

 

[daringred_]

oras was my first pokemon game, so i remember the secret bases, but i didn't really... care for them? in hindsight, at least. partly because of the graphics, and partly because i don't think i really completely understood them either lol, but i do like the idea of being able to customize and decorate your room/house in future games. it would definitely give you a reason to actually go back to your mom's place lmao. i know i never went back once in swsh unless the story required me to. (my poor mother.)

uh, since i've only played oras, sumo, usum and swsh, there aren't really any features i miss because i feel like most of them were carried over outside of the gimmicks. although, actually, i do kind of miss the wormhole in usum that let you travel between day and night. that was super helpful for shiny hunting if the pokemon i wanted was only available at a certain time of day while i was playing during the opposite. that was cool.

 

[Mr.Fox]

Moves. I knew we'd end up losing the full Pokemon roster eventually, but I never expected them to remove moves.

Losing Return/Frustration was a huge blow to me, because I ran a few different Normal teams...and it actually caused me to play less Pokemon than I did in the past.

There are currently no moves for Normals that are as good as Return was, because you have to either go high power/low accuracy, high accuracy/low power, or use self inflicting damage moves.

...and I never used it personally, but I think the majority of competitive players were pissed at the removal of Hidden Power.

 

[LittleMissPanda]

Seasons introduced in Gen 5 Black/White and Black/White 2, and how dynamic certain tracks are depending on what NPCs you interacted with or you simply just walking or standing still. For example, if you walk/run in certain routes drums/tamborines and other sorts of instruments would be added into the flow of the music, making the world feel so alive. Booting up White version back in 2010 when the games came out, the game was set to "Autumn" and listening to that lively music was just the best feeling ever. Gen 5 is just so amazing in general (unbreakable TMs, buying healing items in bulk, the ability to use another Repel automatically without fishing into your Bag and the list goes on)

After Gen 5, seasons just reverted back to feeling like "Spring" by default, the way I see it. I know that certain places/routes have wintery or autumn-y aesthetics but idk, it just felt specific to that area only, while the whole world still felt like it was stuck in time.

Also proper following Pokemon. HGSS did it the best but ngl LGPE was incredible, too. I love how certain Pokemon like Mew or Pikachu actually run ahead of the player since they are naturally speedy, and how you can ride on your Arcanine or your Dragonite and not some generic random mon (no offense to Sun and Moon Ride Pokemon, those were specifically trained to aid you) not at all like in BDSP where it's a RANDOM Bibarel, like they actually acknowledged it was and still is the ultimate Sinnoh HM slave lol

 

[DarkDesertFox]

I miss the PSS from Pokemon X/Y. I thought that was a really neat way to interact with people and feel like you were playing together. I also miss the Trainer PR Video from the same games. It was fun to make cool or funny intros of your character and Pokemon.

 

[Alienfish]

- Gen 3 secret bases where you could actually have some fun. really disappointed in BDSP now, like yeah nice statues that's it?
- And yes the move removals were stupid. Again, lazy rushed remake is what it is.
- And yeah removing PSS was dumb too like, do I really need an app for half of it or not having it at all?
- Also adding proper touch mechanics when a Switch is perfectly fine with it. Lowkey didn't care about making Poffins now cause spinning that wheel is gonna do drift good time.

Tbh I never cared about Hidden Power that much so it doesn't bother me, but yeah I can understand if people would have wanted it.

 

[Snek]

...and I never used it personally, but I think the majority of competitive players were pissed at the removal of Hidden Power.

The loss of Hidden Power(Hp) was just a loss of coverage. Special-oriented Pokémon like Magnezone found themselves with less coverage because they relied on Hp. Personally, it was annoying trying to breed right for the right Hp since the type of Hp was based around a mon's IVs. My take is that Hp doesn't really need to be in the game as long as GF gives more type coverage to the mons that need it.

 

[Flicky]

Massive YES to Secret Bases from the RSE era. I enjoyed making one of those 'troll' bases, and inviting friends over (although I always warned them in advance that surprises were everywhere). I received the Gold Flag really early on because I visited as many of them as I could every day. The recent DP remake ones suck, they're so incredibly boring.

I'd also like to see a return of the Bug Catching contests from the Johto era. I used to love catching those bugs, and competing with the AI. It felt just like Bug Off in Animal Crossing!

 

[nightglow]

I enjoyed the secret bases alot. Actually I could see them coming back in the future. Nintendo and Microsoft have teamed up for online junk before. If they every get to a place where pokemon games could be online multiplayer with guilds or teams or whatever, and actually be stable and work, the secret bases would be perfect in it a huge hit. Especially if you could basically make your own gym in them for any online players to challenge for fun. It would also be incentive for Gamefreak to take the time to make more variety of furniture maybe even rare pieces that you have to earn in some way. Until something like that is chosen to be implemented, I don't really foresee them coming back any better than what they were in SRE.

 

[Damniel]

RIP the battle frontier

 

[Croconaw]

I also miss Pokémon following you around. I miss that from Heart Gold/Soul Silver. I’m not sure if it ever returned, though. I loved that feature.

 

[Neb]

To be honest, my biggest frustration with GameFreak is the fact they rarely bring features back. I miss pretty much every heavily advertised feature they removed. My favorite has to go to the Pokémon World Tournament. It was an effective way to bring back old characters while still providing a decent postgame challenge. The Gen 5 style remixes for all of them was great too.

 

[~Kilza~]

By far and away I miss Pokemon following you. It was one of my favorite things about HGSS, and it makes me sad that it never became a permanent feature in the series, with the odds of it appearing in future main series games continuing to look bleak.

 

[Croconaw]

By far and away I miss Pokemon following you. It was one of my favorite things about HGSS, and it makes me sad that it never became a permanent feature in the series, with the odds of it appearing in future main series games continuing to look bleak.

Pokémon following you is a feature in BDSP. It took me a bit to realize it was a thing, though.

 

[Zephon]

Mega evolution

 

[nightglow]

Secret bases are awesome and it's sad they haven't made a come back, and thier most recent appearance was lackluster.
It was nice to have a cool little hangout spot to hoard some cool plushies and other items. It would have been nice if they had expanded on it. With the berry growing mechanic, they could have done a little something something more. It was also a great place for friend battles. With the Nintendo online being a thing, they could have it to where you can set stuff up and people could visit various setups for battles while your an npc or live or just see what you collect or how you decorated.

Also, I like pokemon following you or seeing them more often in the over world whether it is polygons or pixels. I also liked mega evolutions. It was like a fun boost and they are more interesting and reasonable than the gigantamax.

 

[StarlitGlitch]

Emerald was my first Pokémon game and I loved decorating my secret base! I didn't do anything that exciting but I liked trying new locations and seeing what kind of furniture there was.

 

[Zephon]

Pokemon Blue was my first game and I miss not being able to capture any Pokemon. I have come across pokemon that are just one level higher than the max level I can catch.