The Pokemon Evolution-Revolution

The Pokemon series was first release unto the world back in 1996 and since then has become one of the biggest names in gaming because of it's willingness to evolve (ZING!). But, really unlike other series that Nintendo controls they all advance at a really slow pace, but not the Pokemon series. In many ways if you think about it it was designed to change in order to made demand for itself. With all that said I find it odd that the newest entries in the series, Black/White 2, is nothing more that an expansion to the last games. You will be in the same area and catch the same Pokemon as before. Only this time most of the map is covered in ice and there (I think) refugees from those newly icy areas have made new settlements in previously undeveloped areas. That and the "additional" Pokemon of this new game is two alternate form of Kyurem, and all those are are fusion forms with the last two mascots (Reshiram and Zekrom).

This is interesting because does that mean that fusion monsters will be a thing like we have seen in the Yu-Gi-Oh! and Digimon series? To a point it makes sense as we already know of a few Pokemon that can evolve only if there is another one in your party. If that is the path they are taking then I welcome it. I also like the recent changes, the main characters are older, you have a sidling, and your starting zone in no longer a town, but a city. The biggest of all the changes would have to be the story. Say unlike the past games that went more like, "I'm 10 year-old sent on a journey by myself to face dangerous creatures all for little pieces of metal to prove my worth.". The new ones are about the conflict of rather Pokemon are friends, pets, or just beast of burden. Which is a surprisingly deep topic to get into, and even more so for a series know to target itself at an audience that might not fully understand it.

We have a more mature development in characters, stories, and gameplay. So what's next? What I would like to see is the series focusing on detail and structure. A start would be releasing only one title on the handheld and the other on a console. With the upcoming Wii U and it's focus on connectivity with other devices this many be their big chance to show just how meaningful connecting titles together could be. With the Wii U controlling the the same manner as the DS, as well as the ability to move the game from the TV to the Wii U gamepad it would make for easy porting. This adds more possibilities when you think about the social features that are integrated into the system. Allowing people to preform trades, contest, battles, and while chatting the whole time. Imagine you put up a bulletin wanting a Polygon on your Wii U. You are about town when you get a text from the Pokemon Global Trading Networking say that a Polygon has gone up for trade. You talk to the person through chat and tell him you wanted it for you 3DS version. You can then turn on you 3DS and trade for him. Later you might be home and decide that you want to move him to your Wii U. Which you can with just a quick syncing and transfer. That is just one way to do it. Another would be having one version take place in a different area and all your stats and Pokedex is synced across your 3DS and Wii U. This would mean that there would have a "master" Wii U version and just release all the old regions with each generations Pokemon set. I would not mind going back and seeing as to how those areas have changed and how it affects a larger scope of the Pokemon world. In this way the handheld games would become stand-alone expansions for the Wii U game. 

With all that said I'm sure that the Pokemon series is in good hands. Now if only Nintendo would take the steps to up-date their other series.