The Pokémon series is no stranger to introducing new mechanics with each generation, as each new game in the series usually has some kind of new mechanic to draw returning players in for a different experience. Unfortunately, sometimes these new mechanics, no matter how much players enjoy them, are removed in subsequent titles and have yet to return as of Sword & Shield.
The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra brought some of these mechanics back, such as alternate battle styles and roaming legendaries, but there are still plenty of beloved mechanics from older generations that have seemingly been forgotten and are unlikely to return any time soon.
10 Pokémon-Amie
Pokémon-amie was a fun little mini-game introduced in X & Y that allowed players to play with their favorite Pokémon and was the only way to evolve Eevee into its newest form, Sylveon. Aspects of Pokémon-amie have been recreated in the Pokémon Camps in Sword & Shield as well as players being able to play with their starter in the Let’s Go games, but it hasn’t returned in quite the same way it was in the original generation six games.
9 Pokéathlon
Only appearing in HeartGold & SoulSilver, the Pokéathlon was along the same lines as Pokémon Contests from generation three and four, though had much more player involvement than those other mini-games. The Pokéathlon was not only a great way to obtain some unique ribbons for the player’s Pokémon, but also allowed much easier and consistent access to hard to obtain items, such as evolution stones and held items for battling. It’s unlikely that Pokéathlon will return in its current form since it relied so heavily on the touch screen, but considering how the Galar region sees Pokémon battles as a national sport, it may see a return in future titles.
8 Rotation Battle
Although not as popular as single or double battles, rotation battles introduced in Black & White went a long way in adding a new layer of strategy to standard battles. Functioning very similarly to single battles, though without a switchout taking up one turn and both players being able to see all Pokémon available, it was a fun new addition that added some life to the battle system.
Like its less popular counterpart, triple battles, rotation battles didn’t stick around for very long and are entirely absent from Sword & Shield. Considering the distinct lack of battle challenges outside of the Battle Tower and Restricted Sparring, it would have gone a long way in making post-game content more engaging to add past battle modes to the game.
7 Inverse Battle
Inverse Battles only appeared in the generation six games, but they were a fun new way to battle that didn’t simply involve adding more Pokémon to the field. Taking the standard strengths and weaknesses of Pokémon and flipping them on their heads not only made for some truly bizarre battles but also added a layer of difficulty for veteran players who were used to certain type matchups. Considering how Ballonlea was a city built into a magical forest, it would have made sense for Inverse Battles to return here, but unfortunately for fans of the mechanic, they will have to resort to older games in the series.
6 Multi Battle
One aspect of the Battle Tower that is sorely missed is the option to tackle the tower in multiplayer. This function appeared last in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, where the Battle Tree allowed players to tackle the double battle side of the challenge as a team of two, rather than one player controlling both Pokémon on their side of the field. This added a layer of teamwork that isn’t often seen in Pokémon, as well as allowing for both players to use a Mega Form or Z-Move each and made some of the more difficult trainers less tough in battle.
5 PSS
When X & Y were released, the PSS, or Player Search System, was a great way for players to find someone to trade or battle with as well as allow them to easily find people on their friends list so they can interact with friends easily. The PSS was removed in favor of the Festival Plaza, a harder to navigate system that allowed players to engage in several mini-games instead, before the Y-Comm was introduced in Sword & Shield. The newest version of the PSS is easily the worst way to communicate with players online and made even the simple task of trading or battling with friends a difficult task, since everything revolves around passcodes or stamps rather than the player’s profiles. If there was any one mechanic that needs to come back in generation nine, is the PSS.
4 Super Training
Before the introduction of Super Training, if a player wanted to increase their Pokémon’s EV’s towards a certain stat, they either had to use Vitamins, defeat countless numbers of wild Pokémon, or a combination of both. Super Training sought to fix this by making EV training an easily accessible mini-game that allowed for greater control of a Pokémon’s EV’s for more advanced stat distribution than wild Pokémon or Vitamins would allow.
Super Training was scrapped altogether in favor of SOS Battles in Sun & Moon, though made something of a return in Sword & Shield in the form of Pokéjobs, though they are somewhat tedious and require messing with the console’s internal clock to make the best use of them.
3 Pokemon Size Scaling
Pokémon are all different shapes and sizes, this should come as no surprise. Unfortunately, with the latest games in particular, the scale of certain Pokémon compared to the player as well as to other Pokémon doesn’t line up with their Pokédex entries in the slightest. While some Pokémon such as Pikachu and Charizard are pretty close to accurate, Pokémon on the larger side such as Wailord and Eternatus as scaled-down so they take up less of the screen. This is particularly evident in the battle screen, where they are around the same size as some of the larger starter Pokémon despite the fact they should be several times larger.
2 Z-Moves
Z-Moves may have been seen as nothing more than a weaker version of Mega Evolution, but they were able to single-handedly allow otherwise weak Pokémon to shine alongside powerful legendaries and pseudo legendaries. Moves like Z-Conversion went a long way in making Porygon Z outshine its normally far more popular pre-evolution, Porygon2, as well as allowing status moves to be used in new and more interesting ways.
1 Mega Evolution
As it stands now, it seems like regional forms have replaced Mega Evolution as a way of breathing new life into older Pokémon. However, these regional forms don’t always address the problems that kept the original Pokémon from standing out among the nearly 1000 available Pokémon, as they often have the same shortcomings when it comes to stats and abilities. Mega Evolution also went a long way in making Pokémon like Beedrill and Pidgeot viable options in battle, since their base forms were so weak that they were often ignored even in normal playthroughs of the game.
