>>38632722>Having multiple ways to navigate a route and bosses having more Pokemon are design choices, not make or breaks that merit entirely different games.But once you put more core design choices in the mix it justifies to make it into a different line altogether as 3D Mario games (64, Sunshine, Galaxy, 3D World, Odyssey) aren't the same as the traditional 2D platformer Mario games (New SMB, Super Mario Bros U, Mario Maker). It would also relax the constraint of being "a traditional game with very different mechanics", and many of these mechanics would also require a different lore building. Currently mainline games play too safe to the extent of some SM NPC stating that "even wild Pokemon will help humans in a hurry". Lorewise you can't make an adventure feel more than a guided tour with that kind of design principle; and in my opinion you need that taste of danger to know what "counting on your Pokemon partner" really means.
I don't think fans that stick to traditional games would take so many changes into the usual formula so well. People even tend to complain when you go beyond the original 151 mons, which is mitigated in some way by GO gradually including mons from newer generations.
