‘Pokemon Champions’ Looks Like a Modern-Age ‘Pokemon Stadium’, and I Hope It Has Mini-Games

While the majority of the fun of Pokemon games lies in the collection aspect for me, more competitive players love showing off their skills in battle. Pokemon Champions may be the game they’ve been waiting for. Pairing up with Pokemon GO for the collection aspect? This is going to let battlers fight to their heart’s content. It feels a lot like a more modern version of Pokemon Stadium. I’m super excited to see how it plays. I just hope that they remember to bring the whimsy and joy of the mini-games to the new game, too.

I’m Just Glad I Don’t Need To Bust Out the Game Boy Transfer Pack To Play ‘Pokemon Champions’

Pokemon Champions looks to bring the excitement of typical Pokemon battles to the forefront. Leaving the rest of the fluff behind. Honestly? I know at least a handful of people in my personal life that were likely screaming because of this news this morning. It’s like if the Pokemon company finally saw that Pokemon Showdown is as popular as it is, and wanted to do something about it. It’s great news for battlers around the world.

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But, I can’t help but hope that there is a bit more to it than just the battles. Pokemon Stadium is one of those games that I played religiously as a child. And more often than not, that time was spent playing the mini-games that were included. While I doubt that Pokemon Champions is going to bring those along for the ride, I would be over the moon to jump back into an HD version of Magikarp’s Splash or Sushi Go-Round again.

Even if they don’t include these, the fact that players on iOS and Android can jump into the fun is a major step in the right direction. Plus, it’s a great way for players to fine-tune their strategy and become the best battler that they can. Sure, I’d love the additional distraction of mini-games. But, I already know that I’m likely going to be jumping into this one to see how badly I’ll get my butt kicked.