Pokémon Winds & Waves Starters Have Potential to Be Great If They Break Old Habits

Gen 10 has finally been revealed through Pokémon Winds and Waves, the next mainline series games in the celebrated pocket monster capturing franchise. With the news of these games came an additional reveal of the starter Pokémon for each title, which has left fans somewhat divided. While some starters are either loved or hated, many fans agree that their potential could change opinions for better or worse depending on what patterns they follow.

For the longest time, Pokémon starters have followed specific tropes. Every starter must be in a set of three, with a Fire, Grass, and Water-type all available to teach new players about how type match-ups work throughout each game. However, starters have created even more trends through their evolutions, which have gotten somewhat stale over the years by becoming somewhat similar between different Pokémon Generations.

Pokémon Wind & Waves’ Starters Are A Bit Of A Mixed Bag

The starters of Winds and Waves aren’t super remarkable, resembling various animals much like previous Pokémon have done as the first creatures in a new region players travel to. The Fire-type Pombon resembles a Pomeranian dog, a breed from Poland and Germany known for being a little fluffball among other canines. The Water-type Gecqua is based off a traditional gecko, with a slightly mischievous look and quadrupedal stance. Finally, the Grass-type Browt seems to be a baby chicken, with a fierce expression.

Some reactions to these starters have been positive, with many picking their favorites online through calling some cute over others. However, it seems like for everyone’s favorite, there are harsh criticisms of the other two beyond what one person picked. This is fairly standard for the series, but this time around has an even greater level of animosity toward specific starters in this Generation. In many ways, the Winds and Waves starters don’t really stand out, for better or worse.

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It’s still impossible to tell what these starters will look like when their second and third evolutionary forms are revealed, but for right now, they leave a lot to be desired. The official Gen 10 reveal already has garnered some negative reactions to the “simplistic” look of the starters, especially in the smoother 3D graphics of Winds and Waves. With the Switch 2 promising better graphics than the Pokémon series has ever had, these starters are a point of worry some fans have for the rest of the Pokémon in the Gen 10 games.

Gen 10’s Latest Signature Pokémon Are Being Criticized For Being Too Similar To Other Creatures In The Series

While not aggressively “bad” by any means, the simple designs of these starters has fans feeling a bit underwhelmed. Browt seems to resemble other bird Pokémon, specifically ones like Starly from the Sinnoh region or Rookidee from Gen 8. Gecqua is the second gecko-inspired starter in two Generations, almost seeming to re-hash Sobble from Pokémon Sword and Shield. With other Fire-type dogs like Growlithe and Houndour, Pombon is hardly original either.

Evolutions could help Gen 10’s starters from being different from other creatures in the Pokémon series, but this starting point is enough to create fan claims of the series “running out of ideas.” Unfortunately, the long-running status of Pokémon as a franchise means that dog, gecko, and chicken Pokémon are hardly anything new, with multiple examples of other creatures with those ideas. It remains to be seen if the progressive direction of any Gen 10 starter creates something unique.

Re-Hashing Some Tired Tropes Would Make This Generation’s Starters The Worst Yet

As of right now, these starters are simply disappointing, not failed ideas yet. However, if Pokémon decides to re-do starter concepts from past games, it is sure to make Winds and Waves‘ selection of Pokémon perhaps the most criticized in series history. For example, the abundance of Fire/Fighting-type starter evolutions from Pokémon like Blaziken, Infernape, and Emboar should leave no room for Pombon to take the same elements. However, if Pombon’s final evolution is another Fire/Fighting-type, there could easily be an outcry from fans.

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Browt might fall under similar traps too, becoming similar in scope to Decidueye through its evolutions to resemble another starter’s progression too much. With Gecqua already drawing Sobble comparisons, any imitation of that Pokémon would make fans wonder why Gen 10’s starters are just repeating old and tired ideas. In order to stand out, Winds and Waves‘ first Pokémon have to use unique type pairings or incredibly creative evolution designs to escape ridicule.

Although it’s easier to fall back on what’s worked in the past, taking steps in the right direction requires some level of risk. Turning Browt’s final forms into a rarely ever seen Grass/Fire-type, as an example, could help that Pokemon separate itself from unfair comparisons to older Pokémon from the series. Likewise, keeping Pombon as a four-legged dog instead of a bipedal creature like Blaziken or Charizard would help it be memorable.

Regardless of how the starters turn out, not having Pokémon be too similar to past Generations is a rule that should be applied to all new Pokémon coming into Gen 10. Exploring a new world and meeting original creatures are part of the charm of Pokémon Winds and Waves, which are set to offer a new adventure rather than a nostalgic array of Pokémon players have caught and trained a thousand times.

What do you think of the new starters for Pokémon Winds and Waves? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!