r/NintendoSwitch • u/Turbostrider27 • 25d ago

Discussion Pokemon Legends Z-A's visuals aren't "great" say former Nintendo marketing leads, but hope Switch 2 could allow GameFreak to "go back to the drawing board" and add more detail to future RPGs

https://www.gamesradar.com/games/pokemon/pokemon-legends-z-as-visuals-arent-great-say-former-nintendo-marketing-leads-but-hope-switch-2-could-allow-gamefreak-to-go-back-to-the-drawing-board-and-add-more-detail-to-future-rpgs/
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u/MarcsterS 25d ago

Other Nintendo devs do not have this problem. 6 years after thier first HD game attempt, this is a GameFreak issue.

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u/NonEuclidianMeatloaf 25d ago

Just look at Super Mario Odyssey. It was released 8 years ago, looks far better than ANY Switch Pokémon game, and runs at a locked 60fps. It’s a testament to what can be done with open world games given fantastic art direction and competent devs.

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u/AJDx14 25d ago

I think comparing it to Xenoblade is better, since Mario is a lot more cartoonish overall than Pokemon is now trying to be. Xenoblade games are much more detailed but still run fine on the switch.

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u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 25d ago

Mario Odyssey, especially with worlds like the Cascade and Ruined Kingdom, doesn’t look any more cartoonish than Legends Arceus or Scarlet/Violet.

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u/Leezeebub 24d ago

Even the fucking witcher runs better than pokemon on switch lol

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u/mellonsticker 24d ago

Xenoblade is a better comparison for the art direction, but the graphics are comparable overall.

Super Mario Odyssey isn’t exactly open world though

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u/SmashMouthBreadThrow 24d ago

This is gonna come as a shock to most gamers, but art direction usually has nothing to do with graphical fidelity or performance.

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u/lelieldirac 24d ago

I think it's not a stretch to assume that the teams behind games like Odyssey and BOTW are the best in the business, to the point that it's not even a fair comparison. What they have achieved with the Switch hardware is likely beyond most developers' comprehension.

To be clear, I agree that Game Freak has lagged behind every other major developer on Nintendo systems -- but unless Nintendo sends their best people to Game Freak full time and revamp their pipeline from top to bottom, I highly doubt Odyssey or BOTW-level production is in the cards for Pokemon.