Pokemon Winds & Waves Needs to Learn From the Series Best Spin-off

Aside from the fact that it will be the 10th generation of the series, one of the most exciting aspects of Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves is that it is being exclusively developed for the Nintendo Switch 2, making the next generation of Pokemon. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s open world fell short; Winds and Waves promises an open world filled with windswept islands, a vast ocean, and Pokemon living in unique ecosystems that will take full advantage of the Switch 2’s hardware.

Exploration and battling remain important, but one reason the spin-off game showed the value in slowing down and merely enjoying the company of Pokemon. Pokemon Pokopia completely embodies the cozy aspect of the series, and this is something Pokemon Winds and Waves need to consider. Rather than simply collecting creatures or completing battles, players gather resources, craft, garden, and build. That offers an important lesson for Pokemon Winds & Waves: customizable environments could make the new open world feel like a place to live, not just somewhere to pass through.

Pokemon Winds & Waves Has the Hardware to Make a Bigger, More Immersive World

Pokemon Winds & Waves is looking like the first true next-gen Pokémon game thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2. The small look we received from the announcement trailer already shows a world that looks vastly superior to previous Pokemon games. Diverse ecosystems showed off the different Pokemon that lived there, and I am hopeful that we see more interactivity both in these environments and in how the Pokemon thrive there. It is a promising idea and would showcase a modern generation of Pokemon.

I am particularly excited about the ocean and the various islands there. Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon are among my favorites because of the Alola Region, but we were never able to fully explore the sea. Pokemon Winds & Waves can fix this, especially if it introduces multiple ways to travel, either surfing or flying on the backs of Pokemon. Players could discover new Pokemon habitats, travel between environments, and encounter creatures whose behavior reflects where they live like never before.

Better visuals and larger environments are welcome, but they should support systems that make the world feel more alive. One of Scarlet and Violet’s main faults was a lifeless world that just didn’t really flow together. Winds and Waves can not only connect the world better, but it more character and give players a reason to invest time in it. And no game shows how immersive Pokemon can be like Pokemon Pokopia.

Pokemon Pokopia Shows Why Customizable Environments Matter

Pokemon Pokopia initially turned players off with its humanoid Ditto, but it has turned out to be one of the best cozy games of all time. It plays like a combination of Pokemon and Animal Crossing, a game I have always dreamed about. Players take control of a Ditto transformed into a human and work with Pokemon friends to restore a desolate land. It uses gathering, crafting, and exploration to befriend Pokemon and rebuild towns and homes.

This could work perfectly in Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves. There could be empty islands that players can take over and work to restore. There could be a singular large island, or multiple small ones; either could provide different environments. But what makes this special is that this system could serve as an expanded form of Pokemon boxes, giving your companions someplace to live rather than shoving them into a computer. Not only that, but players can interact with their Pokemon here in ways the series has never attempted.

The best part is that this would add cozy elements without removing the exploration, training, and battling that define mainline Pokemon games. Players could spend an afternoon exploring a new island, then return home to decorate, grow berries, or check on their Pokemon. Pokemon Pokopia already showed how appealing this idea is, and there is no reason Pokemon Winds and Waves cannot support this idea without taking away from the core experience.

A Pokemon Home Could Make Every Adventure Feel More Personal

Another option is to simply give players a permanent home in Pokemon Winds and Waves that they can return to. Previous games seldom gave players a reason to go home, which fits the theme of exploration, but having a home base could amplify that. While exploring the open world, players could collect plants and other decorations that they bring back to their house. Building a small retreat, decorating a beach, or creating a garden for Pokemon would give exploration a purpose beyond reaching the next destination.

This would give players more ways to connect with not just the Pokemon, but the world as well. NPCs the player meets could swing by their house, offering rematches, giving gifts, or even trading new Pokemon. The series has never been known for its story, but this is an excellent way to expand on this and get players more invested. I know I always roleplay my team when I play through games, especially in Nuzlockes. This is a way to naturally incorporate that into the game.

Pokemon Pokopia highlighted just how cozy the Pokemon world is. If Pokemon Winds and Waves can tap into that, or even Pokemon Concierge, it would truly show how next-gen the games are. Pokemon Winds and Waves identity would remain rooted in exploring, training, and battling with Pokemon. However, customizable environments could add something the mainline games have rarely offered: a place that feels like the player’s own. With Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, a new island setting, and a chance to rethink how Pokemon and trainers interact, this could be an excellent direction for the series.

Pokémon Winds and Waves Could Abandon a Gameplay Feature That Has Been in the Series Since Red and Blue