The new Pokémon games on the Nintendo 3DS are the most welcoming yet
Like a low-level Magikarp, the Pokémon series evolves very, very slowly. Over two decades, the core concept has remained almost entirely unchanged: you run around collecting cute monsters and pitting them against each other in battle. Huge changes are rare, and common features like 3D graphics and online play weren’t even introduced until 2011. Sometimes you have to really look closely to see what’s different about a new Pokémon game.
This incremental progress isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s helped keep the series accessible for new players. While most ongoing game franchises pile on new features with each new release in ways that can be intimidating for newcomers, Pokémon has moved in the opposite direction. With the upcoming P…
