'Pokémon Go' 2017 Wishlist: 5 Changes It Needs To Survive

2016 has been a rough year, but there have been a few shining lights in the darkness. There’s been Overwatch, Rick and Morty, and the most polarizing of all, Pokémon Go . What started off as the biggest fad in the world has slowly devolved into a concrete game with a solid fan base. Central Park may not have stampedes anymore when a Snorlax appears nearby, but players from around the world are still hatching eggs, spinning Pokestops and throwing Ultra Balls.

Pokémon Go has evolved since it was first released. Niantic has added a new tracker, the Buddy System and Generation 2 eggs, just to name a few. I still play the game daily, walking around my neighborhood when the weather permits, searching for that one Hitmonlee I need to complete my Pokedex. There’s still so much more that can be done with the game. Here’s my wishlist of things I want added to Pokémon Go in 2017.

More Goddamn Pokémon- Since PoGo’s release in July, we’ve only gotten a select few new Pokémon to capture in the wild. Other than Ditto and the select few Generation 2 eggs, there’s been no new monsters to catch out in the world. There are over 700 unique creatures in the Pokémon mythos and Niantic is taking there sweet time putting them in.

By the end of 2017, I need at least the Pokémon from Generation 3 to be released. If I’m not catching Feebas or Trapinch by the year’s end, Niantic is going to make me very angry.

Better Communication With the Fans- The biggest problem Pokémon Go fans had when the game was first released was Niantic’s lack of communication with the fans. The bugs and crashes would be manageable if the company would at least admit they existed and were working on them. It felt like we were yelling at a brick wall or a sleeping Snorlax, that no matter what we did Niantic didn’t care.

Since the initial release, things have gotten better. When a bug or serious problem persists with Pokémon Go , Niantic is quick to jump on Twitter and assure the user base that it is being worked on. Still, there’s more that can be done. Niantic, tell us about the events you have planned more than a day in advance. If I knew special eggs or incubators were coming, I’d change my playstyle accordingly.

Add Trading/ Battling With Friends- Originally, I was against the idea of trading in Pokémon Go , but the idea has started to grow on me. Interacting with other players is limited to Gym battles, which I’ll get to in a second. I don’t feel like I’m in a world of Pokémon when I play, instead I feel like I’m in a Star Trek Holodeck simulation room where my entire existence is centered around walking and throwing balls.

Give me someway to interact with my fellow trainers, Niantic.

Rework Gym Battles- Right now, Gym battles in Pokémon Go are fundamentally broken. You pick your six Pokémon and then frantically click the screen as much as possible. You either win if you have the better typing, or lose if you don’t. There isn’t a lot of nuance and strategy to the fighting, which makes it kind of boring. I avoid battling in the gyms at all costs, which sucks because Pokémon fighting is one of my favorite pastimes.

Niantic needs to fix the battling in Pokémon Go . Make attacks matter and the things you do have a real impact in the fight. Right now, it’s not really worth training strong Pokémon to be a gym defender because it’s just going to get its ass kicked by a Dragonite with over 3000 CP.

Give Me Mewtwo- Seriously Niantic, just add Mewtwo to the game already.

What do you think Pokémon Go needs to add in 2017? Tell us in the comments.