October 15th 2025.
Nintendo is known for being a frugal company, and this has caused frustration among fans. In a recent review, the Wednesday letters page called out Sony for not producing enough first-party games for the PS5. Meanwhile, a reader shares their experience catching up on their Pokémon backlog.
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I appreciate the criticism of Nintendo's cheapness in the review for Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The graphics and lack of voice acting in the game are unacceptable, especially for such a successful franchise. It's strange how Nintendo chooses to allocate their budget, with games like Zelda receiving a lot of funding despite not selling as much as Pokémon. It's possible that Nintendo wanted to elevate the Zelda franchise, but it's also worth noting that they don't have full control over Pokémon.
On one hand, I understand Nintendo's cautious approach to spending money, as it has helped them remain successful for so long. However, there needs to be a balance. Pokémon is their most lucrative franchise, and it shouldn't look like a PlayStation 2 game. We shouldn't settle for subpar quality just because it's a Nintendo game.
Another issue brought up in the letters is the idea that developers can only make one game per console generation. Sucker Punch is a prime example of this, as it took them five years to create Ghost Of Yōtei and it seems they won't be releasing another game for a while. This pattern only seems to be getting worse with each new generation.
In a strange turn of events, two Sony developers have only produced one game this generation. Bluepoint Games has yet to release a game, and this is a clear sign that Sony has dropped the ball with their first-party titles. It's unclear why Jim Ryan left his position as the big boss, but it's possible that his stance on live service games played a role. Now, it's hard to say if Sony has a plan for the future at all.
Switching gears, a reader shares their love for video games and their backlog of Pokémon games. They also mention the difficulty players are having with helicopters in Battlefield 6 and offer a solution of using a joystick and throttle control. Finally, a reader shares their surprise at how much they're enjoying Absolum, a game that combines persistent upgrades with fast-paced gameplay.
It's interesting to see the frustration on the Wednesday letters page about the lack of first-party games being produced for the PS5. It seems like our reader has been catching up on their Pokémon backlog while waiting for new releases. As always, Games Inbox is here to share our readers' thoughts and opinions. If you want to join in on the discussions, just email us at email.
I want to start off by applauding your review of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, where you called out Nintendo for their frugality. It's unacceptable for a successful franchise like Pokémon to have terrible graphics and no voice-acting. Even indie games nowadays have everything voiced, so it's hard to believe that Nintendo can't afford it. And let's not forget the fact that having no one talk in the game doesn't make it any better.
Nintendo's spending habits are a mystery. Their most successful franchise, Pokémon, is done on a small budget while other games like Zelda, which don't sell as much, have a bigger budget. I guess they wanted to elevate Zelda, but technically, Nintendo doesn't control Pokémon. It's Game Freak, but it's evident that Nintendo has the final say in what happens.
I understand that Nintendo's cautiousness with their budget has kept them afloat for so long, but there needs to be a balance. It's not acceptable for their most lucrative franchise to have graphics that look like an upscaled PlayStation 2 game. We shouldn't just accept it.
Moving on to a different topic, it's surprising that Sucker Punch has only made one game this generation, Ghost Of Tsushima. Even more surprising is the fact that it only took them five years to make it. But now, they're spending time on a director's cut for PlayStation 5 and it'll take them another five years to make a new game. By then, the PlayStation 6 will already be three years old. It's crazy to think about.
I'm not sure what the solution is to this problem, but it seems like it's only getting worse with each generation.
On the same day, we find out that one Sony developer has only made one game this generation, while another has made nothing at all. It's clear that Sony has dropped the ball with first-party games this generation. I hope heads have rolled for this, and I can only assume that Jim Ryan's departure as the big boss is related to this issue. But did he leave because he wanted to focus on live service games or was he forced to leave because he was against them? It's hard to tell, and since his departure, we haven't seen a U-turn in Sony's plans. It's unclear if they even have a plan for the future now.
Anyway, I'm excited to play Bluepoint's new game on the PlayStation 6. It's a shame that we have to wait so long for it.
Thanks for the review of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. I'm planning on buying it this Thursday, but I have a backlog of Pokémon games to catch up on. I just started playing Pokémon LeafGreen Version on my Game Boy Advance today. Currently, I'm also playing Super Mario Galaxy 2 on my Switch 2, Wheel World on my PlayStation 5, Everybody's Golf on my PlayStation 5, and Pokémon LeafGreen Version on my Game Boy Advance. I agree that video games are a great hobby, and I have a lot of catching up to do.
I found the article about Call Of Duty players struggling with helicopter controls in Battlefield 6 interesting. It seems like the controls are to blame for most of the issues. As someone who has played both series for over 20 years, I can say that buying a joystick and throttle control has made a huge difference for me. I place it in front of me, and it's much easier to control a helicopter with pre-calibrated controls. I also used to practice flying on almost empty servers, but I'm not sure if that's possible in Battlefield 6. It's a shame that the controls are more realistic in Battlefield 6, but that also means that flying a helicopter is much harder.
Finally, I want to talk about Absolum. It has been the surprise gem of the year for me. The game starts off a bit repetitive, but after a couple of hours, it becomes something special. I'm playing it on my Switch 2, and it's perfect for this console. I've always been a fan of 'belt scrollers,' as they used to be called. The persistent upgrades after each run make the game even more enjoyable. While Hades may have better storytelling, I'm more drawn to the gameplay in Absolum. I love playing as all four characters, and I keep changing my favorite after a powerful run with a different character. I've lost track of time while playing this game, which is always a sign of excellent game design. The graphics are phenomenal, and I keep finding new details with each run. The soundtrack is also amazing, and I particularly love the music that plays over the credits on the main screen. It's a great hobby, and I have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to video games.
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