So, Pokémon has been around for awhile now, right? Most people have probably gotten around to giving at least one of the games a try, and it’s funny, because everyone always seems to ask the same question when they’re finished: Wouldn’t it be awesome if Nintendo made an open-world 3D Pokémon game? The short answer is: Of course it would! But since Nintendo doesn’t like doing anything the easy way- I mean, they made a Gamepad that has a camera and the ability to communicate with a TV screen and Pokémon Snap wasn’t a launch title?- we now have to rely on the passionate fan community to make the games we’ve been feverishly asking for.
That’s where Pokémon Generations comes into play. A 3D action-adventure RPG set in the universe of the first generation of those little Pocket Monsters we all love so much, Generations provides the ability to call out your Poké-pals and then control the battles directly. While the game’s launcher was first made available for download back in May, developed by Xatoku Productions, a Youtuber just released the first footage of combat this week. Take a look at Charmander and Bulbasaur battling it out:
Wow, is that not pretty much a rough estimate of exactly how we all envisioned a 3D Pokémon game would look? Of course, the game is still a work in progress, but the basic combat mechanics are obviously functioning and being ironed out. Anyone interested in downloading the launcher and trying out the game while it’s in the testing phase can visit the team’s Indie DB page here.
Pokémon Generations is currently running on Windows and there is no word on a potential release date for the full version, or if it’s being worked on for other computer platforms as well. I don’t often get excited about a whole lot of fan projects, but the idea of a fully-realized 3D Pokémon game is enough wish fulfillment on my end to warrant careful attention. I’m more than curious to see the end result.
How do you folks feel about fan-made games like this? Is it enough for you that it exists as an unlicensed title, or are you hoping this finally convinces Nintendo to just make the game everyone has been asking for? In a world full of fan-fics and such, are fan-games the next step in web-based fan projects? Tell us what’s on your mind in the usual place, and don’t forget to like IGXPro on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or give us the ‘ol +1 on Google+. If you can’t get enough of my shenanigans, (who could blame you?) you can check me out @GamingsNirvana, or add +VinnyParisi to your circles.