I’ve made my peace with Pokemon Conquest’s one-and-done nature. Almost a decade later, and there’s been no mention of revisiting the crossover between Pokemon and the Nobunaga’s Ambition series. Koei Tecmo’s contribution to the Pokemon library remains my favorite, most notably because of its enchanting feudal world, charming character design, and air of the surreal. Conquest’s departure from a more modern, familiar world sending us back into a more historical, mysterious setting was an instant hook. The distinct unfamiliarity has long left me hoping for more, but I realize Nintendo and Game Freak’s beloved series has safer staples to fall back on. It’s for those reasons, though, that I’m eager to try Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It’s the closest I’ll get to Conquest.
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When I reflect on Conquest, I realize its departure from modernity – worlds full of industrialization and the reminders of my day-to-day – kept me intrigued from the beginning. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy Conquest’s tactical gameplay, I certainly did, but I was more entranced by a more distant, fictional world – if that makes a bit of sense. Pokemon as a series has always presented itself with ‘mons that date back to our earliest days, back to creation, but I’ve never felt that scope. It wasn’t until Conquest’s whispers of a mythical pokemon, Arceus, that Pokemon began to feel like a series with more thoughtful, planned-out world-building.
Legends isn’t Conquest, and that’s not the argument I’m trying to make, but it shares common threads, hopefully recreating the same sense of wonder I felt a decade ago. Its most obvious connection, Arceus, is responsible for the creation of both the Sinnoh and Ransei regions – Ransei being an area where the island is shaped in Arceus’ own image and the world of Conquest. Arceus has long been referred to as the “god” Pokemon by fans, and referred to as “The Original One” in official sources. Sinnoh, the area we’ll visit in the upcoming Legends, was once known as the Hisui region and that’s the version we’ll explore in the next game. Both Conquest and Legends propel us backward, taking us to eras of Pokemon that seem further removed from the present.
Most of Pokemon’s mainline RPG series aren’t the most story-heavy endeavors. They don’t require a ton of background knowledge to enjoy, and their environments feel more like afterthoughts to their monster-catching loops and tactical battles. I don’t often play Pokemon games because I’m enchanted with the world, but more because I’m enjoying completing a Pokedex. Conquest was the outlier, a departure from that and a refocusing on world first, Pokedex hunting second. Legends Areceus, at least from its previews, feels like a bit more of a promise of that.
Perhaps it’s ultimately just tales from Sinnoh and Ransei that I fancy. Arceus and its origin stories promise the most interesting backdrops to weave Pokemon lore into, and I can’t help but feel that tinge of hope when Legends strikes that chord of something familiar. The games themselves play completely differently, but it’s the tease of The Original One – who serves as more of a driving figure than an actual major plot thread – that creates an air of mystery for Pokemon’s next big adventure. Perhaps I’m building myself up to be let down, but even for just namesake and setting, I’m eager to dive into Legends solely based on my nostalgia for Conquest.
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