IshambardJul 21, 2025

I think part of the reason why #Pokemon Gen 2 has such a lasting legacy is because it created this sense of world that I can't think of being matched.

Pokemon has had a habit of name dropping other regions in games, NPCs in Kalos saying they are visiting from Hoenn, etc

It's one thing to get these cute little nods, but Gen 2 went a step further, which sure we could chalk up to nostalgia maxing fan service, being able to explore a mostly like for like recreation of the Kanto region.

But it also helps create this congruous world. You are not just exploring a region, you are exploring the world of Pokemon. Even if Johto is just one short surf route away from Kanto.

Besides the surf route, there is also the ship between Olivine and Vermillion and the Magnet Train between Goldenrod and Saffron. It's all world building that makes the two regions feel like a complete unit.

Was this a thinly veiled ramble to justify a Magnet Rail screenshot? I mean... Partially...

#PokemonSilver

Show threadIshambardJul 23, 2025

I have been mulling this over for the last couple of days.

Articulation has been somewhat challenging, but I think I can do this.

Johto is an underdeveloped region, not in the sense that it is poorly crafted or lacks character. In fact, it oozes character. It has this distinctly rural feel to it.

A number of routes between towns are poorly established, forcing potential encounters on travellers. The notable exceptions are around Goldenrod and the route to Olivine city, both of which are your major transportation hubs for the region.

No place puts more focus on this than the 3-way crossroad between Violet city, Ecruteak, and the national park. It is a thin, narrow, wooded path. Sure, it is used to gate players with Sudowoodo in the way, requiring you to take the long route, but there are other ways this could have been accomplished. After Sudowoodo is gone, you are still left with this surprisingly narrow connector between major locations.

(1/?)

Show threadIshambard

Something else that I think adds to this vibe and helps create a more believable, wider Pokemon world.

To my knowledge, Johto is the only region to date that shares a league venue with another region. This adds this sense of gravitas to the Indigo Plateau and the Elite 4 that are housed there.
These aren't regional Pokemon Masters. This is a national level venue.

It wouldn't be hard to imagine other local regions coming to the Plateau to compete.

This makes Johto more rural aesthetic more realistic in my mind. It exists in tandem with Kanto and a larger scale league than in isolation.

It does raise questions on the whole league/champion thing, but I try not to think about that.

Later generations, despite being labelled regions, give off larger "country scale" vibes. All-inclusive pockets that are only connected through dialogue and cameos, nothing physical or tangible.

I may have come away from my original point...
As I said, articulation is difficult.

(2/?)

Jul 23, 2025 at 9:46amWeb
Show threadKnightky (he/him)Jul 23, 2025
@ishambard it would be really great if ever there was a game that you could explore all the different regions to some extent, with trainer teams changing depending on how many badges you had, or you had to make new teams and start fresh in each region when you started
Show threadIshambardJul 23, 2025

@Knightky

I often think about this.

But I feel the gameplay loop might lose its appeal if you are essentially resetting for each region. Obviously, the end game would be a final big league where you can bring all of your teams together. Mii-Topia did this approach, and whilst I enjoyed the game, it did get a bit long in the tooth. By the third time your level and party reset.

Perhaps having each region have its own gimmick league. Such as a league that is all double battles, or one that focuses on pre-evolved Pokemon... But it is whether or not a wider audience would enjoy such an approach or limitations.

Show threadKnightky (he/him)Jul 23, 2025
@ishambard having ones more focused on gimmicks would be cool.
I mean don’t get me wrong, in Gen 2 when you could go through all of Kanto in the post game eventually leading to Mt. Silver it was a huge thing.