ThoughPokemonhas evolved over the years from its earliest days withPokemon RedandBlueto its upcomingPokemon ScarletandViolet,one change it has yet to make - even forScarletandViolet- is to finally include voice acting. What likely began as limitations of technology seems to have fallen victim to the traditions of design, and despitePokemonhaving every opportunity to change, the series has yet to take the jump. But one series that did make its leap of faith when it introduced voice acting for the first time wasThe Legend of Zelda.
Zeldamade headlines when it announced it would be includingvoice acting inBreath of the Wild, a first for the series' long lineage spanning three decades at the time it was released. In fact, thanks to the success of the game, and with voice acting returning for its sequelTears of the Kingdom, it’s very likely that the series will continue voice acting for future entries. To an outside observer then, voice acting not only helped the series modernize, but helped it thrive. Therefore, it seems clear thatPokemonneeds to break its silence and finally catch up with other flagship Nintendo series likeZelda.
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Pokemon And Its Relationship With Voice Acting
Though the games don’t have voice acting overall, the anime series that runs in tandem with the games has gradually built an impressive repertoire of characters and their associated voices. Arguably, some ofPokemon’sroles such as its lead Ash Ketchum or the likes of Brock, Professor Oak, and any other recurring characters are more recognizable because of their voice actors. For example, Veronica Taylor is such a vital mainstay of the English version of the anime that her voice is being lent to other projects such asnarratingPokemonaudiobooks.
Consequently, an odd disparity exists between the anime and the games, even though fans show no issues with voice acting and even express admiration and respect for the actors, especially in situations such asProfessor Oak’s voice actor Unsho Ishizuka’s death. Yet the games continue to go without voice acting, despite Game Freak changing Pikachu’s and Eevee’s cries to reflect the anime for a time, with the voice actors reprising their roles forLet’s Go, Pikachu!andEevee!Though likely only done in commemoration of these games, it shows Game Freak is capable of significant change, just not in the direction fans want.
It even seems that Game Freak is aware that voice acting inPokemonis such a hot button issue among fans, as preceding its Paldea region trailer, it presented a disclaimer stating that the “voiceovers” from said trailer were not present in-game. This was especially disappointing for fans, as the following voiceover was delivered like an actual monologue by a character, directed toward the player atPokemon Scarlet’sandViolet’sAcademy. It would have been the ideal rallying speech, but ultimately it’s left fans dismayed that despite this effort being put into the games' trailers, voice acting isn’t being translated into the actual games themselves.
Why Pokemon Voice Acting Hasn’t Happened Yet
While fans hopePokemoneventually includes voice acting, especially since the change should be relatively straightforward, there could be several challenges in Game Freak’s way that might be currently discouraging it. For example, introducing voice acting for the first time in a series' history is not without its downsides, asZelda’s voice actress had to deal with significant fan criticism. Some criticism arises from players feeling that the voices do not suit the characters, while others might contend with their favorite games changing in ways they don’t like. It’s a fine balancing act, and one Game Freak might not be prepared to disturb right now.
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Another hurdle would be the precedent it would set for futurePokemongames. UnlikeZeldawhich has taken on a variety of styles and gameplay formats,Pokemonhas remained true to its formula as much as possible. While there have been manyPokemonspin-offs, the main games exist all in the same “universe,” with connections made between them. Introducing voice acting in one game would establish that all future games would need it too, limiting Game Freak’s creative freedom, whereasZeldacould feasibly drop voice acting should it change styles again.
It could also be possible that Game Freak just isn’t yet ready for voice acting due to its complexity. For example, while cutscenes would likely be voiced, Game Freak would need to decide if it would extend this to dialogue outside of cutscenes. Then it would need to decide if secondaryPokemoncharacters like NPCsget voices, and if so how many unique voices will it include. The decisions grow exponentially, but while these are decisions any developer needs to make, Game Freak has been able to avoid them due to it never including voice acting, and it might be reluctant to give that lifeline up.
Adapting Breath of the Wild’s Approach To Voice Acting
Assuming Game Freak does finally include voice acting, despite the challenges it might present, then it should look to other games likeBreath of the Wildfor inspiration. Game Freak is fortunate to have the ideal model to parallelPokemon’stransition, as it means much of the hard work has already been done when adapting a series that had been without voice acting for so long. Important lessons Game Freak might want to note is that even in spite of a possible negative reaction, staying the course can help the transition, as shown withSidon’s voice actor praisingZeldafansfollowing his reception.
But the most significant lesson that Game Freak should focus on is how voice acting is applied in the game. Firstly, only important and distinctive characters like Zelda,Impa, and others are given voice lines, while NPCs are relegated to text. Secondly, these voice lines are used sparingly and to great effect, intended to add emotion and weight to moments in the game such as with Link’s memories, a character who remains voiceless himself.
These things easily translate toPokemon, where important characters such asPokemon Professorsor player rivals would need voices and only in cutscenes, while the player themselves can stay silent. Additionally, to align with the anime, the voice actors could portray the characters in both, providing a stable sense of continuity that would dispel any notion that the voices don’t suit the character. Originally this may have been a daunting task, but withBreath of the Wildlaying the groundwork forPokemonto follow, Game Freak seems to only be delaying the inevitable as other series pass it by.
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