Despite the franchise’s worldwide success, there has not been a single newPokemongeneration beyond Gen 2 that has not split the fanbase in some way when it originally released. Aside fromSwordandShield, the fifth generation is probably the one that has attracted the most controversy. The main reason why Gen 5 was so controversial amongPokemonfans is its roster. PreviousPokemongenerations, with the exception of the first, combined older Pokemon with new ones in their regional Pokedexes.
WithPokemon BlackandWhite, Game Freak decided to only include new Pokemon in the base game. Indeed, older Pokemon could only be caught in the postgame; not even Pikachu was exempt from this rule.Pokemon Black2andWhite 2might have changed this, but it took a long time for certain Pokemon fans to get over that particular creative decision. Fitting for a roster that took over an entire base game, Gen 5 Pokemon make up the largest collection in the series, beating Gen 1 by five Pokemon. Just like with every generation, there is thematic consistency with the Pokemon’s designs and what they represent, adding more character to Unova.
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Pokemon: Gen 1 Allusions In Gen 5
Gen 5 is, in practice, a soft reboot of thePokemonseries. It served as the transitionary point between the sprite-based earlier titles and the 3D games. While the Gen 5 games also use sprites, they are fully animated, givingPokemonfans a sense of what was to come. The developers at Game Freak also created dozens of Pokemon that reflected what the series previously offered, particularly inthe firstPokemongeneration.
While some of these comparisons may be seen as a stretch, there are some similarities between these Pokemon and their presumed Kanto counterpart that are hard to dismiss as purely coincidences. This goes beyond the staples found in each region, such aspseudo-legendaries, the Route 1 birds, and Pikachu clones.
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Pokemon Introduced in Gen 5
TheGen 5 Pokemonthat do not share commonalties with Kanto Pokemon are some of the most unique in the series. A fair amount of them do not resemble recognizable creatures at first glance, and feel like individualized species as a result. Even when they do resemble something in real life, there is a rougher edge in their design that seems to characterize Gen 5 as a whole.
This generation was an experimental era whose uniqueness is largely more appreciated nowadays. Even when a concept is recycled, it is not uncommon for the Gen 5 take on the idea to be so fresh that its new Pokemon barely has anything in common with a perceived older counterpart. Despite the initial controversy surrounding it, thisPokemongeneration’s roster has been vindicated over time.
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