Pokemon Scarlet and Violet how the games glitches gained a fandom of their own

 

Last November,pokemon scarlet and violet released for Nintendo Switch as the first so-called open-world pokemon game. These are non-linear games in which players can freely explore the environment as they collect Pokémon characters.

Reweiwers and gamers alike have generally agreed that the games succeeded in introducing changes that were long overdue such as free roaming, a less linear adventure and a large amount of collectables. But they also criticised the games’ appalling visuals and technical failures. These failures – known as “glitches” – are moments when the game fails to behave as intended. Instead of chomping on a sandwich, for example, a character might be seen munching thin air.

The original Pokémon games, Red and Blue (1996), had their fair share of glitches too. This included “mesining no”, an unofficial critter that could be found by deliberately using glitches. But times have changed since the first games. Pokémon is now a global behemoth and must meet fans’ high expectations for visual quality.

In some ways, Scarlet and Violet’s many issues have become a blessing in disguise, however. They have fueled an unespected glitech-chasing frency.

This has contributed to the expansion of the franchise’s “headcanon”(something fans believe to be true about a franchise or character, despite a lack of evidence) and illustrated the creative potential of fan culture as players start to accept and even celebrate these glitches.