I have millions of ideas for new Pokemon games. In fact, note to self: start column on new ideas for Pokemon games. After Cinderace’s dribbling and the basketball dunking antics of Pokemon Unite, I mused over the idea of a Pokemon sports game in the vein of Mario Strikers. Speaking of ‘let’s do a Mario thing’, Pokemon Party seems like a no-brainer. Prior to Legends, we all knew open-world Pokemon was a good idea, and I’ve written far too many words about why Genshin Impact and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story should be its biggest inspirations. The point is, I know there are lots of directions Pokemon could go in. But after all these years why don’t we have a Gengar game yet?
Again, I could probably take any of my top 50 Pokemon and pitch a video game based around them - second note to self: another column idea - but Gengar feels especially suited. I could come up with games starring Sylveon, Roserade, or Hawlucha, but they would very specifically just be concepts for games I made up as part of my soon-to-be world renowned Pokemon column. Gengar could be a breakout star, if Pokemon let them off the leash a bit more.
Pokemon is one of the most profitable franchises on the planet, so I always feel slightly silly for suggesting the company do things differently. There must be something I’m missing. Maybe it’s a good idea to make your main games the exact same thing for 25 years, with slightly different characters and a new setting the only changes of note. Pokemon Sword & Shield has the Wild Area, better graphics, and more Pokemon, but the whole starter, rival, adventure, gyms, victory, Legendaries arc is note for note what happened in Pokemon Red & Blue.
But hey, it’s made a lot of money. Pokemon Gen 9, which should really be set in Africa, will largely be the same. Though there are some Pokemon spin-offs, it feels as if the series could be doing much more. It’s hardly like oversaturation is an issue - there’s a Pokemon game about brushing your teeth. Whenever a single Pokemon gets to star in a game by themselves, it’s almost exclusively Pikachu. The yellow rat is very popular, so that’s understandable, but with literally 1,000 Pokemon to choose from, you’d think there’d be a little more variety.
I’m not saying I want a Gumshoos game - the column would have to run a long time before I get to that argument - but Pokes besides Pika deserve a chance. This is where Gengar comes in.
Always noted as mischievous and impish, we rarely get to see that side of it in the games. The anime helps bring it to life, even though it’s a Ghost, but for the most part Gengar’s potential is never explored. New Pokemon Snap should be a revelation for Pokemon games, in that it takes care to showcase the personality of every single Pokemon it features. Gengar, one of the most interesting Pokemon in the brilliant Outaway Cave, is no exception, jumping out of portals and scaring other ‘mons.
This is where the Gengar game comes in. It’s such a wonderfully expressive Pokemon with easily enough charisma to carry a game on its own. We need more games about smaller Pokemon stories, and more games about literally any Pokemon besides Pikachu. As a Ghost-Poison type, Gengar is well suited to the darker, gothic settings we don’t see enough of in Pokemon, plus their powers and personality give them much more interesting ways to explore besides curiously sniffing something and saying “Pika.”
Think about a game with the same attitude towards Pokemon as Snap, but instead of taking pictures, you actively interact with them. Not in long, drawn out cutscenes or in an anthropomorphic village like Mystery Dungeon, but in a much more natural setting. Imagine exploring Lavender Town, as Gengar, and seeing it from an entirely new perspective.
As a bipedal Pokemon, Gengar easily adapts to the mini open-world genre, wandering around, portalling through walls, and turning invisible to remain stealthy. Some sort of mystery game, entirely absent of human input, where Gengar puts its intellect and prankster personality to good use is exactly the story Pokemon should be looking to tell, not just ‘what if Candy Crush but it’s an Eevee cafe?’
So many Pokemon could do well if given half the chance, but few of them have the ingredients lined up as perfectly as Gengar does. From its personality to its powers to the new perspective it would bring to Pokemon, Gengar is the perfect fit. Closest thing we'll ever get though is a Gengar hat in the next Pikachu game.