ThePokemonfranchise isn’t afraid to push its own boundaries. Its chief developer Game Freak shows time and time again that it knows how to keep Nintendo’s RPG franchise feeling fresh with every generation. In manyPokemongames, Game Freak shakes up the formula by introducing a totally new mechanic of some kind. Mega Evolution was one of the most famous mechanics brought to thePokemonseries, however. First introduced at the beginning of Generation 6 inPokemon XandY,Mega Evolution allowed Pokemon to achieve new heights of power once per battle, opening up a new range of tactics while greatly expanding on the franchise’s lore.
Mega Evolution inspired a lot of successors, includingSunandMoon’s Z-Moves andSwordandShield’s Dynamax. However, while Mega Evolution persisted through Generations 6 and 7, it’s since fallen out of favor. It doesn’t appear at all inPokemon SwordandShield.It’s always possible that Game Freak will bring back Mega Evolution inPokemon’s Generation 9, but fan opinions are split on whether or not the mechanic deserves to return. There’s some very valid arguments on both sides. On the one hand, Mega Evolution offers a list of Pokemon forms that deserve to have a permanent presence in the franchise, but on the other hands, game balance issues might mean Game Freak should let Mega Evolution rest.
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The Case for Pokemon Mega Evolutions
Mega Evolutions should come back in large part because of its mechanical advantages overthe similar Gigantimax mechanic fromSword and Shield.Gigantimaxing gives certain Pokemon new Mega-esque appearances that don’t need Mega Stones to use. Compared to Mega Evolutions, though, Gigantimaxing has significant drawbacks. Aside from a chunk of bonus HP, Gigantimax lacks the stat and type changes that make Mega Evolution mechanically compelling, and between Gigantimax’s three-turn duration and restriction to certain game areas, players don’t get much use out of it. Mega Evolution just gives players more options than Dynamax and Gigantimax do.
There’s also a lot of valuable untapped design space in Mega Evolution that Game Freak could make use of.Pokemon SwordandShieldlets players Dynamax nearly any Pokemon in the right circumstances, with a few specific Pokemon getting bonus Gigantimax forms. In contrast, Mega Evolution is only available to a select few Pokemon so far. There’s around 900 Pokemon in the franchise to date, but there’sonly 46 Pokemon who can Mega Evolve. There’s too much remaining potential for interesting Mega Evolutions with unique appearances and stat changes for Game Freak to stop making Mega Evolutions forever.
Arguably the most important reason that thePokemonseries needs Mega Evolutions to return is the completionist angle. The wholePokemonfranchise is built around the theme of seeing and collecting every Pokemon in the world, even though there’s many hundreds of them.If Mega Evolution is gone fromPokemonforever, then there’s dozens of Pokemon forms that hardcore collectors can never get, which would surely frustrate many. In other worlds, thePokemonworld isn’t complete without Mega Evolution. Now that the mechanic has been established, it’s an important part of the world that deserve to keep making an impact.
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The Case Against Pokemon Mega Evolutions
In spite of the arguments in Mega Evolution’s favor, there’s a couple good reasons that Mega Evolution doesn’t need to come back. For one thing, it introduced some significant balance issues to thePokemonfranchise, includingPokemonPvP. Mega Evolutions gave huge stat buffs to a player’s Pokemon of choice, which stands to reason, but had an uneven impact across the board. Certainfamously powerful Pokemon like Charizardand Salamence became even more unstoppable once they Mega Evolved, giving them a boost in competitive power that they really didn’t need. To bring back Mega Evolution now, Game Freak would either have to rework its stat buffs entirely or simply accept the mechanic’s collateral damage.
There’s an additional case to be made thatPokemonsimply doesn’t need Mega Evolution anymore. Gigantimax may not be as impactful long-term, but it serves the same purpose without needing Mega Stones, making it much more approachable. Frankly, Mega Stones are perhaps one of the biggest reasonsPokemoncould considerdropping Mega Evolution permanently. Since Pokemon need to hold them to Mega Evolve, Pokemon with Mega Evolution have vastly reduced options in held items.
More importantly, though, simplyobtaining Mega Stones can be a huge hassle. Players either have to hunt for stones during specific hours or by completing endgame objectives. In other words, players often won’t be able to Mega Evolve many of their Pokemon until they’re at a point in the game where they don’t really need to. Between balance issues and the occasional slog of actually getting access to Mega Evolution, Game Freak couldn’t be blamed for moving on to greener pastures.
Mega Evolution Could Still Have a Future
It’s worth noting that Mega Evolution is already making a bit of a comeback.Pokemon GOhas Mega Evolution now, introducing an Energy mechanic to replace Mega Stones. Mega Evolved Pokemon have a frequent presence in the game’s raids, and players can Mega Evolve their Pokemon to bolster teammates whose Pokemon share a type with it. It’s great to see Mega Evolution appear inPokemon GO,getting some much-needed visibility after its omission fromSwordandShield.Game Freak doesn’t developPokemon GO,but it could use Niantic’s mobile game as a reference in rebuilding the mechanic forPokemon’s Generation 9. Now that the mechanic is seeing some use again, fans might be expecting it in the next game.
There’s definitely ways to revive Mega Evolution. Even if it creates a significant amount of extra work for Game Freak, it’s far from impossible to rework the mechanic’s stat changes and the accessibility of Mega Stones. After playing an important role intwo generations ofPokemongames, it may be unfeasible to totally eliminate Mega Evolution without leavingPokemonfeeling like it’s missing something. With these things in mind, hopefully Game Freak leans into Mega Evolution rather than being fearful of it. Mega Evolution was a good change for the franchise, spurring each generation ofPokemonto come up with its own twist on combat. Maybe someday soon Game Freak will revive this part ofPokemon’s heritage while making its mechanics better than ever.
