Pokemon fans are optimistic about winds and wave environments

Today's Pokémon Presents brought us the announcement trailer for Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, the first game in the series' tenth generation.

It's fair to say that Game Freak hasn't been at its best during the Nintendo Switch era. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, in particular, were heavily criticized for their abysmal performance. It's clear that the studio struggled to adapt to the console and failed to find an appropriate balance between performance and visuals.

However, the Nintendo Switch 2 is much more powerful than its predecessor. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet don't look any better on the Switch 2, but they perform significantly better, which could be a promising sign.

The first good-looking Pokemon Switch game?

It's hard to tell from a single trailer, but Pokémon Winds and Waves doesn't look that different from Scarlet and Violet, especially in relation to the character and Pokémon models. One area that looks noticeably better, however, is the environments. This was expressed in a recent Reddit thread by _AntiSocialMedia, who expressed “cautious optimism” about the visuals.

In particular, the waves hitting the side of the islands look sharp. The volcanic cave also has lighting that bounces off Pokemon. It's not something we're used to seeing in Pokémon, which has been hampered by inferior hardware since its inception.

That said, there are great games on the original Switch, so Game Freak can't entirely blame the console for the disaster that was Scarlet and Violet.

It's a huge blessing for Game Freak that Nintendo doesn't want Winds and Waves to be developed for the original Switch, as the compromises required to make it happen would be a huge step backwards for the series.

“They've done it. After 10 years, they've managed to make a full 3D game that's not painful to watch,” writes SpaceShipRat.

Pokémon Legends: ZA also received a lot of criticism for flat, boring backgrounds. Once again, Legends: ZA was available on the Nintendo Switch, which is a platform that Game Freak never seemed to be able to master.

There are still criticisms; Many commentators are unhappy that Game Freak still refuses to pursue an interesting art style. There's no asymmetry or interesting textures, but Pokemon has never had particularly diverse environments and expecting the series to change after three decades of success is wishful thinking.

Pokémon Winds and Waves will be released exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027.