Pokémon has made it a tradition to make two versions of each of its games, and here's why that needs to stop.

Making two games might have been a great idea at some point, but as things are, this is pretty pointless. In any case, focusing on creating a single game would ensure that they make a much better version of each generation of their games.

Recently, two Pokémon games were released: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl. The two games are not that different from each other, which is why having two versions of this game makes little sense.

Having a single game would also make it easier for players because they would not need to trade with other players to get creatures from other games.

The maker of these games would also benefit since fewer resources would be required to build a new single version of the game.

Pokémon Needs To Shake Things Up

At this point, Pokémon is starting to feel more and more like a stagnating franchise.

Many players are frustrated that they have to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online to trade in various species.

This also means that online features focus on trading rather than the social aspects of the game, which should not be ignored now that Online battles are increasingly popular today.

The original reason for creating two versions of each Pokémon game was to ensure that players could use Game Boy's Link Cable as a way to get a desired Pokémon. That has since changed, thanks to online trading.

That is why a single game version is more suitable in today's gaming world.

Spin-Offs Would Flourish

Having a single Pokémon game would also give spin-offs like Mystery Dungeon and New Pokémon Snap greater prominence. This would, in turn, boost the popularity of the franchise as a whole.

Releasing a single version of the game would also come with a lot of publicity as this would be a significant departure from Pokémon tradition. The good thing is that fans would be happier with the move as it would take away the frustrations have with the current two-version release culture.

A single game would incorporate features typically missing from either of the two versions of each generation of Pokémon games. So, releasing one Pokémon game would mean releasing more innovative games.

Fortunately, this is something the game maker is considering. Pokémon Legends: Arceus had a single version, although that seems to have been an experiment rather than a change in the company's tradition.