Last year, Eurogamer reported rumors about Pokémon Stars, the Pokémon title that was supposed to launch on Nintendo Switch. Fast forward to the end of 2017 and the title still hasn’t emerged on the console.
What happened to the game that would bring the Pokémon franchise from 3DS to Switch?
According to Eurogamer, while there was uncertainty as to how well the Switch would perform after its launch, it quickly became apparent that a Pokémon title wouldn’t be necessary in the first year of the console’s life. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey were bombshell releases that helped skyrocket the Switch into stardom, in addition to other stellar additions to the Switch’s library like ARMS, Splatoon 2, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
In addition, Nintendo wanted to keep the 3DS supported with strong releases throughout 2017, which led to the release of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Releasing the games on 3DS also ensured that an established audience would be exposed to them. The 3DS had a number of other strong releases in 2017, including Metroid: Samus Returns, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions, and others, but it was a slower release schedule than previous years and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon were some of, if not the biggest titles on the handheld this year.
Eurogamer says Pokémon Stars was developed in tandem with Sun and Moon’s production, but it wouldn’t have been a fully fledged, brand-new Pokémon experience designed specifically with the Switch in mind. It instead would’ve been a way to quickly get the franchise on the new console.
Pokémon is a wonderful series and, in my humble opinion, deserves better for its Switch debut (Pokkén Tournament aside, which is a great game) than to be treated as a cash grab, to get the franchise on Switch quickly for the sales it would inevitably pull in. Whatever Nintendo is planning for Pokémon Stars or whatever it may be called when it launches, I hope will be a fun, well-developed Pokémon experience the Switch should have.
Source: Eurogamer