Pokemon has evolved just like the creatures in its series. While some later features have been great, other changes haven't been as well-received. In particular, how fans have reacted to the adjustments regarding one of the more well-known items since the series' beginning has varied depending on their methods of playing Pokemon.

The most recent series additions have made it so that the EXP Share feature is permanently turned on, which has caused an uproar with fans since Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. Now Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have confirmed that fans once again can't turn the feature off, which has divided players once more.

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What is EXP Share?

Most Pokemon players are acquainted with at least one version of EXP Share. In many of the first few generations, such as the original Red and Blue versions, the device was an item Pokemon could hold in order to share their experience points with the rest of a player's party. The average split in EXP shared is typically 50 percent equally among all non-fainted party members that held an EXP Share, but later on, this changed to a feature that simply split the 50 percent among all non-fainted party members that didn't fight. Some titles divvied up this half depending on the range of the Pokemon's level compared to the rest of the player's party, which made it very easy to level up new team members who had just hatched.

It's important to note that the EXP Share also made it that the all-important EV values known in competitive Pokemon would be shared amongst all of the player's party Pokemon as part of the feature. The held item made training general teams easy and up to the player, and later titles made the device into a Key Item that could be turned off. The option made it easier for competitive players to not mess up their EV training. As of the Pokemon Let's Go installments on the Nintendo Switch, however, the item is no longer optional. With the importance of what the EXP Share does to fans' teams, some think the change is a good one while others disagree.

Why Training with EXP Share On is A Good Thing

The changes made to the EXP Share over the years were likely done with good intentions in mind during development. The head producer of the franchise, Junichi Masuda, has said in interviews that the feature had been adjusted to match what players wanted out of newer Pokemon games. Game Freak's approach has been that too many gamers tend to buy new games only to put them down for good once their frustration crosses a certain threshold. The accessibility of the feature was made to help and tell prospective trainers that if they kept playing, they'd eventually be strong enough to beat whatever obstacle was in their way.

This, in turn, ends up being rather helpful for any casual players who want to simply pick the game up, have a good time with their Pokemon, and move on. It helps in the sense that the series' original players are grown-ups with far more responsibilities, and some people may not have the time to spend leveling an entire team as they used to. It also makes things easier for the series' core demographic, which has always been children. This makes it that kids won't need to be stuck behind not understanding battle dynamics and EV training just to play their video game, but it also makes it hard for kids to learn the deeper intricacies of Pokemon on their own.

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EXP Share Makes Things Harder for Dedicated Trainers

While Masuda has said that the aim of changing the EXP Share is to make things less difficult for fans, it's also ended up becoming a bit tone-deaf to the desires of competitive and diehard players. In interviews, it's been stated that EXP Share is now always on because almost everyone had it turned on before, which wasn't entirely the case. Many competitive players would need to turn the feature off to safely EV train a team because having values set where players don't want them can make all the difference. Many fans also enjoyed the challenge of leveling a whole team on their own. To some players, leveling and earning their powerful team themselves was how they bonded with their Pokemon.

When it came to how players enjoyed training with one Pokemon at a time with EXP Share off, Masuda has said that Game Freak thought about that outcome. Unfortunately, its decision was to simply tell players that if they wanted to play that way, they could just take one Pokemon out with them. This aggravated fans immensely, and fairly so, considering it seemed that only one side of the argument was listened to. The competitive and more daring trainers were completely forgotten about in regards to game difficulty, and it seems that's where most of the frustration lies.

While the permanent feature helps some players, others are left out entirely as they're the ones forced to adjust to changes they aren't fond of in order to play how they want. In terms of trying to make games more accessible, it seems this solution has only managed to alienate a good part of those who enjoy Pokemon to the finest detail. Many fans can agree on one thing, and it seems to be that making EXP Share an adjustable option again is the answer.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl launch for the Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021.

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