"Generation 4 - overworld analysis"

I have recently been playing through pokemon platinum again. This has so far been one of the best experiences I have ever had playing a pokémon game. I started to wonder why I liked these games so much so I decided to make a discussion page to write an analysis and host discussion about these games. So please leave your opinions on this generation in the comments.​I have always said that I love these games for the exploration. I would like to elaborate on this. Playing these games I started to compare it to a Metroidvania. They carry a lot of the design principles. I will use the area around jubilife city as an example.https://i.redd.it/6wzcz79nylt21.png​The player may go north to find the road is blocked in ravaged path (red marker). The player will then go to the left to get the HM rock smash (blue marker) that he/she can use to get past the obstacle. They are not directly told this either. The player has to find this out themselves, but the world is designed in such a way that it feels natural.​In this sense, you can divide Sinnoh into parts that can only be accessed with different HMs (not accounting for static roadblocks, NPCs blocking the path etc.)​Rough map from memoryThe way these HMs are learned is a whole different case. The way they take up one move slot being impossible to unlearn often requiring an HM slave is not very favorable and is something I'm glad they are moving away from.The point I'm trying to make is that the HMs are crucial for the overall design of Sinnoh and gives the exploration a whole new layer. In Pokémon sun and moon, for example the pokémon rides that replace the HMs are given to the player right when you first encounter the roadblock. These are more of just new mechanics to spice up the overworld than Metroidvania style abilities that put previously discovered areas into a new light. You also have to find the abilities yourselves instead of being given the abilities as you encounter the roadblocks.​​The more open exploration based areas of the games are also very different from any route in newer games. Take Route 210 for example.​sorry for low resolutionRoute 210 has two major roadblocks for the players that want to explore everything. First, we have the light blue area that requires rock climb, an ability you only can find later in the game. Also, to the left in Celestic town, you get the HM surf, therefore the player may want to try it out here. But the player will be met by two other roadblocks. Behind each of these are items. Therefore the player might return here when he/she has unlocked the ability. This encourages exploration by presenting them with roadblocks and later giving them the means to bypass them.http://bit.ly/2GDqJxV 206 also presents the player exploration potential, but in a very different way. The player only needs to follow the purple path, but since you have access to the HM cut you can explore the red area imideately. This is not necessary or even encouraged,, but for the players that choose to do so, they are rewarded with new pokémon like Glaigar (pkmn platinum only) and access to the wayward cave. Where you meet npcs like Mira. If you talk to the hiker marked in yellow you will be told about another entrance that leads you directly to the lower floor of wayward cave, the only place where you can find Gibble. Therefore rewarding the player greatly for exploration.​I feel like some of these principles of Metroidvania design and exploration focus is important to how we experience these games. This may also be present in other pokemon games, but they are at least not very prevalent in the newer games. I hope that they would bring this back in future games, but judging from the map design of pokémon sword and shield it seems this isn't the case.​Thank you for reading this far. Hope you got through my tangent about game design. If you have any opinions or anything like that, please leave a comment. Also, sorry for my English (maybe?) it isn't my primary language. via /r/pokemon http://bit.ly/2UM10x9