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what even is a Mainline Pokemon game
I know this sounds really stupid but just hear me out for a second. I watched a video on what constitutes as a mainline Mario game and it asked me thinking. what even is a Mainline Pokemon game? so, we all know there is at least 10 Mainline Pokémon games. R/G/B, G/S, R/S, D/P, B/W, B2/W2, X/Y, S/M, SW/SH, And S/V, and that's final. There's no arguing against those games being Mainline. However, things get a bit more tricky once you add in the upper versions (those being Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, Platinum, and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon). for the most part, they're the same game as they're lower versions; just with some touch-ups. if we were to add those to the mainline games list, it would bump it up to 15 games. personally, I think including the upper versions as something separate and not a part of their lower versions is kind of wrong. I mean, you wouldn't rank Persona 5 in Persona 5 Royal has different games when ranking the Persona games, Right? Anyways, things get even more tricky when you include the remakes. I mean, would you have them different than their original versions? there's definitely more of a case for them being different than their original versions then the upper versions like Emerald and Ultra. for starters, heart gold soul silver is pretty different from gold and silver, and you can argue that Omega Ruby alpha Sapphire is just straight up a reimagining of the whole thing and not a remake, however, there is a remake that doesn't change much, that being brilliant diamond and shining pearl. I know, I know, they aren't really good games (nor mediocre ones) but listen for a second. the whole point was that they were supposed to be just Diamond and Pearl again, unlike HeartGold and Omega Ruby, these are very similar to the original game. there is absolutely no new added Pokemon whatsoever, I'm really the only meaningful changes are the fairy type and the grand underground, which even then aren't too big of a deal. personally, I would include all of the remakes as separate titles, including bdsp. which puts up the total to 15 if you are putting the enhanced re-releases as the same game, and 20 if you're having them as different games. and now there is one title that bugs me the most with it's authenticity in the mainline series: Legends Arceus. it is definitely very very very different from every other Pokemon game, as well as being just very questionable in its legitimacy as a Mainline game. I mean first off there's no gyms, and no traditional formula that the other games use. not that those are bad things, but to be honest I'm having trouble calling this main line. and yes while I understand not this game is considered Mainline by Game freak, it feels main line in the same sense that the non-numbered Kingdom hearts games feel. while yes, it is Mainline, it's not capital M Mainline. it's really only semi main line ig. if you're including it as well as the enhanced re-releases and remakes as separate, then there's 21 Mainline games. if you're having the remakes as separate but the enhanced re-releases as the same game, as well as legends, then there's again, 16. if you're just including Legends Arceus and no remakes or a upper versions, then there's 11. personally, I count the remakes as separate, but the upper versions the same; and Legends as mainline, bringing the total to 16. but what do you all think?
Comments
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I consider the Legends games as Mainline one offs.
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I would consider B2W2 as mainline because its a sequel to BW unlike lets say USUM because its a remade version of SM.
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I think PLA should count as a mainline game. It has compatibility with HOME, is canon to the Pokémon world, is closer to a normal Pokémon game than a spinoff, was made by Game Freak, and some of its characters are even in Pokémon Masters. Same thing for LGPE.
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No, problem. Lots of games to keep track of.
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People seem to get very heated when it comes to this topic, as if being a spin-off makes a game somehow lesser or automatically bad.
For me I just think it is a useful way of categorising games, and describing whether or not they conform to the traditional elements of a Pokémon game, or deviate in some way.
I would say games like Pokémon Legends Arceus, Let's Go Pikachu and Eeevee, Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon Stadium are all examples of spin-off games. They all feature some of the mechanics and/or narrative conventions of a Pokémon game, but deviate from the traditional formula in some way.
I would count the remakes as main series games, because they are literally alternative versions of main series games. They do not change the mechanics or tell a different story like Let's Go PEE.
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I know you later retracted on this, but why did you think it in the first place? what were you against the game being Mainline? if you thought it was because it is a sequel, then you also shouldn't include gold and silver because those are also sequels. it's not like Legends Arceus where it's something totally different, it aa main line as Mainline can be and uses the same formula that every other Pokemon game uses. (also on a completely unrelated note I just finished the game yesterday and I've got to say it was absolutely perfect. my first Pokemon game was ORAS and I've played every game in the series excluding The Johto games and this is definitely the Pinnacle.)
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