For fans of the monster-catching RPG genre, there’s a new game in town by indie developer TRAGsoft.Coromon—very similar to earlyPokemongames—is now out on the Nintendo Switch.Afterdropping aCoromontrailer and demoback in January 2020, the game finally released on Steam at the end of March earlier this year. Eschewing the aesthetics of modernPokemongames,Coromonis more of a throwback to the Game BoyPokemongames, with retro pixel graphics and the older style of menus and user interface.RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Leak May Reveal Returning Pokemon, And Some That Aren’t Coming BackWhile the developers intended for the Nintendo Switch release to happen simultaneously, it ended up delaying the release. The reason it gave was that it had run into some issues with online features and cross-platform multiplayer and wanted to verify that it released a great game. It seems that while the issues took some time to iron out, TRAGsoft was finally happy with the results and felt thatCoromonwas ready for the Switch.
There is definitely already a market for a game likeCoromon. ThePokemonfranchise is hugely popular, garnering millions of players and fans from the mainline video games, to spinoffs likePokemon GO, to the TV shows, and even the physical merchandise. The games have progressed from their early art style, and in some cases from the early gameplay as well.Coromoncan draw in players who are fans of the old-schoolPokemongames' aesthetic, and keep them by doingsome of the gameplay aspects differently fromPokemon. For example, players can adjust the difficulty setting to give themselves more of a challenge, which is something thatPokemonplayers have wanted for a long time.
Coromonis perfectly suited to a handheld console like the Nintendo Switch. It plays in a very similar way toPokemon, with virtually the same systems for finding and capturing wild monsters. What could really elevateCoromonto a new level of popularity, however, is the fact that not only is it available on PC, but it also has cross-platform save compatibility and multiplayer.Pokemonis only available on Nintendo consoles, so players that don’t own a Switch are out of luck. The greater accessibility combined with the ability to pick up where the last save left off on either platform is a huge perk. Not to mention thatCoromonhas some features thatnewerPokemongames might not include.
Of course, a lot of players might just stick toPokemonout of a sense of loyalty or a preference for the gameplay and newer graphics. While there have been some controversies surrounding newer entries in the series, likePokemon SwordandShieldomitting the National Pokedex, the games still command a substantial fan base and there are no signs of that changing any time soon. And at the end of the day, people can still play both and enjoy them for what they are: super fun monster-catching RPGs.
Coromonis available now for iOS, Android, PC, and Switch.
MORE:Is Coromon Just Another Pokemon Clone or Something Better?
