Pokémon Which Pokemon generation brought the biggest change to Pokemon?

[-Apples-]

Every time they introduce new Pokemon, they also introduce new features or change old features (like when the third generation introduced abilities and nature, or when the sixth generation jumped to 3D and introduced the Fairy Type). At the same time, they kept the story the same (trainer starts out with a grass, fire, or water Pokemon early in the regional Pokedex, battles other major trainers, fights the villainous team, obtain the legendary Pokemon, and becomes the champion).

But in your opinion, which Pokemon generation revolutionized Pokemon the most? Not just referring to the species, but also to the mechanics and story. I wouldn't count the first gen since it started it rather than change it.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

I think the games that stepped into the realms of higher definition were really game changing (no pun intended), but I think the generation that brought about the biggest change was Gen 7. I've personally never played SM/USUM, but I've heard about how different it is, like how they removed gyms and replaced it with trials, and also the different variants of Pokemon (in this case, alolan variants. I don't think mega evos count). Though I'm kinda hoping that gen 8 reverts back to the old style of playing.

 

[Midoriya]

There was already a video done on this by several YouTubers, one of them being SilverLeagueNetworks. I don’t know if he compared them or just pointed out what they brought, but by far generation four has to be the one that revolutionized Pokemon.

Before Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, it had been four years since Ruby and Sapphire came out (not including Platinum or Emerald). At the time, the future of the Pokemon franchise was at least a little uncertain, but generation four changed that. It brought with it new evolutions to old Pokemon, a giant continent divided by a mountain to explore, and even the famed WiFi made the scene in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. For the first time ever, people could actually communicate with each other in their Pokemon games via WiFi Connection, and thus, true competitive battling was born and has continued to evolve every gen since then.

All the other generations have stuff that set them apart, but if we are talking about what brought the biggest change to Pokemon, then it has to be generation four by a long shot. There are also various other mechanics the gen brought that SilverLeagueNetworks discusses in his video that I didn’t mention. You should check it out if you have the time.

Now that I’m looking back, he did a video on the pros and cons of every gen already. Those are the ones you should watch.

 

[-Apples-]

I agree that the seventh gen was the most revolutionary. Not only they did away with gyms and HMs (in exchange for ride Pokemon and challenges), but they made the villainous team are rather punks than professional supervillains, added a different set of special Pokemon, made the box cover Pokemon evolutions of another Pokemon (Cosmog in this case), and items that add a fifth move to use in battle. Granted, it did not change Pokemon the same way Breath of the Wild did to Zelda or Super Mario Odyssey did to Mario, but whatever was changed is a big deal.

 

[Midoriya]

IMO, generations six and seven have taken a really... strange path for the Pokemon franchise. Mega evolutions were introduced in generation six, but then Z-moves were introduced and prioritized in generation seven. I even remember asking a friend once and he said, “I’m not really sure where they are going with Pokemon now”. The main thing that bugs me and some others about the last two generations (including this one), is that nothing has really been consistent with Pokemon since generation five (though generation five had its own problems, believe me).


EDIT: Also, I don’t think I need to mention that there is literally almost NO DIFFERENCE between Sun and Moon and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and even though some people like me still bought and play them, a lot of people did not cave in and I’m sure it caused sales to falter.

 

[chet_manley]

For the first time ever, people could actually communicate with each other in their Pokemon games via WiFi Connection, and thus, true competitive battling was born and has continued to evolve every gen since then.

This has to be the biggest change, easily, and a watershed moment for the franchise.

 

[Jake]

Gen II. It was the first game to introduce new Pokemon and an entire new region (plus two regions in one game), breeding, Shiny Pokemon, a day/night cycle, two new types, the very first internet DLC (which was only in Japanese versions of Crystal) and the ability to transfer Pokemon from previous generations, all of which set a standard for the future. The games were a direct sequel to Gen I and were meant to be the final Pokemon games; the team really went all out with the storyline and it's what changed Pokemon for good. If Gen II didn't sell as well as it did, Pokemon wouldn't exist today.

Next to that I'd have to say Gen IV with it's wifi capabilities, and the physical/special split. It really changed how Pokemon played.

 

[Jake]

EDIT: Also, I don?t think I need to mention that there is literally almost NO DIFFERENCE between Sun and Moon and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and even though some people like me still bought and play them, a lot of people did not cave in and I?m sure it caused sales to falter.

I'll be the first to admit that USUM were pretty lacklustre third versions when compared to other gens, and are probably my least favorite by far, but to say there's no difference between the two is pretty unfair. There's a big list of changes, such as introducing 4 entirely new Pokemon mid-generation (a feat that has never happened before), new Z-moves, Pokemon appearing in the background of the overworld, a new storyline, and so much more, none of which contributed to sales loss.

Third versions never sell as well as their original titles. Red, Blue and Green sold ~31.5 million, where Yellow sold ~14 million. Gold and Silver sold ~23 million, where Crystal sold ~6.4 million. Ruby and Sapphire sold ~16 million, where Emerald sold ~6.3 million. Diamond and Pearl sold ~18 million, where Platinum sold ~7 million. Black and White sold ~16.4 million, where Black 2 and White 2 sold ~8.5 million. Sun and Moon sold ~16 million, where Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon sold ~7.5 million. When you compare third version sales to original title sales, Black 2 and White 2 comes out on top selling ~54% compared to their originals, with USUM only falling behind at ~47%. Yellow comes in at ~47% as well, Emerald and Platinum are both tied for ~39%, and Crystal falls flat at a mere ~24%. Saying they didn't sell well isn't true at all, because they have the second highest percentage of third version Pokemon titles, tied with Pokemon Yellow. Keep in mind Gen VII is still new, so this number is going to continue to rise, and will have outsold Yellow percentage wise by the end of the financial year. Yes, maybe if they put more time into the game so it didn't feel like such an afterthought they would have sold better, but what they're sitting at currently isn't anything to dismiss.

 

[SensaiGallade]

Possibly Generation 2 and 7. Generation 2 introduced the mechanics we all see in every Pokemon game since its debut such as breeding and shiny Pokemon. Generation 7 taken Pokemon through a whole new and refreshing route with the removal of Gyms and the inclusion of Trials, which were fun to some extent and brough challenging Totem battles stupid ribombee quiver dancing constantly... Not only that, we finally see the removal of HM's and the inclusion of Ride Pokemon as a replacement, which is set to reappear in Lets Go Pikachu and Eevee.

 

[-Apples-]

Bulbapedia hinted that the fifth gen was the most revolutionary because it said that the 5th gen "broke the mold" when they stopped having third versions and had two sequels of the same generation.

But yeah, second, fourth, and seventh generations were very revolutionary. But when it comes to the battling statistics, I felt that the third generation was more revolutionary. That was when they introduced abilities, natures, and double battles, which changed battling forever. The third gen was also the first generation when Pokemon moved away from the classics (like when Misty was no longer Ash's follower in the anime, or when new villainous teams were introduced, or when the box cover Pokemon are enemies or opposites of each other).

 

[Midoriya]

- snip -

While the sales may have not faltered, honestly, if the Pokemon franchise and GAMEFREAK pull something like this again where the new games do not bring much different to the table, the sales WILL falter. Also, if the new installments are not really different, then I will probably not be buying them, and I hope others would not as well. It’s up to us as fans to not just eat up anything they throw out, especially if it’s not that good.


Pokemon has an actual competitor now by the way in Yokai Watch.

 

[DJStarstryker]

I agree with Jake. It has to be Gen 2. Breeding, shinies, and day/night cycle are HUGE. When Gen 1 was the only gen, do you guys know how frustrating it was to only get 1 Eevee per save file? Which therefore meant getting only 1 Eeveelution (better pick the right one!) unless you found someone to trade with you? Hitmonchan/Hitmonlee and Omanyte/Kabuto had that same problem. All of the starters were easier to get just because someone could reset a game and trade them all to you through multiple resets.

Gen 4 adding WiFi capability is great and did change Pokemon forever, but that was kinda destined to happen with the modern times. Game Freak didn't have to put breeding, shinies, or day/night in.

 

[Jake]

While the sales may have not faltered, honestly, if the Pokemon franchise and GAMEFREAK pull something like this again where the new games do not bring much different to the table, the sales WILL falter. Also, if the new installments are not really different, then I will probably not be buying them, and I hope others would not as well. It’s up to us as fans to not just eat up anything they throw out, especially if it’s not that good.


Pokemon has an actual competitor now by the way in Yokai Watch.

You're underestimating how insanely popular Pokemon is. They could literally add only a handful of new features, but if they marketed it appropriately as a main series third version, it'd sell millions. People are going to swarm over main series Pokemon titles, regardless of how little the changes are made. Enough people as is already buy both titles, which arguably have even less changes between the two than third versions do.

Yokai Watch is completely irrelevant and is hardly a rival for Pokemon. It had a great first year, but then nothing else really came of it. Yokai Watch 2 sold over 3 million copies in 2014, and was the best selling game in Japan for 2014, even beating out Pokemon ORAS which only sold 2.4 million. Whilst that's great on paper, it didn't stand the test of time, and to date, Yokai Watch 2 has only sold ~4 million copies since 2014, where ORAS has sold ~14 million. It's silly to compare a five year fad to a 20+ year franchise that has had consistently good results.