Pokemon's Super Bowl ad cost more than Legends: ZA made

For the past few Pokemon generations, there have been concerns that The Pokemon Company and Game Freak have cut corners. Legends: ZA, the franchise's first Nintendo Switch 2 entry, was criticized for its low-effort graphics, and before that, Scarlet and Violet suffered from similar graphical issues, as well as a myriad of horrible bugs. For the highest-grossing franchise of all time, it could definitely use some investment.

In this year's Super Bowl, between the Patriots and the Seahawks, the Pokemon company really threw money at the franchise, but that money could almost certainly have been better spent, with quick math suggesting that its Super Bowl slot could eclipse the development costs of its most recent game.

Pokemon as a franchise doesn't need marketing. Sure, its 30th anniversary is just a few weeks away, but it's a top grosser for a reason: it's instantly recognizable, and people care about it. Marketing the brand to American football fans, then, might not seem like the smartest move — but The Pokemon Company went ahead and did just that.

During the event, the company launched the 'What's Your Favorite' campaign. The minute-long video featured several stars, including presenter Trevor Noah, musician and actor Lady Gaga, footballer Jamin Yamal, and K-pop star Jisoo, each of whom talked about their favorite Pokémon. The cost of airing this ad alone could eclipse the development cost of Legends: ZA.

A woman with brown hair and purple eyes in Pokemon Legends_ ZA

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Pokemon Legends: ZA's alleged small budget has people once again asking why more money wasn't put into the series.

USA Today reports that a 30-second ad spot in Super Bowl 60 costs between $8-10 million. The Pokemon ad was twice that length, so we'll be conservative and say it was $15 million for that slot. Last year's second-biggest Pokemon leak revealed that Legends: ZA cost the company $13 million to develop, at least $2 million less than the cost of airing the ad.

Factor in the cost to create it and the fees these celebrities command, and it's not inconceivable that this ad and its Super Bowl slot cost twice as much as Legends: ZA did.

A sullen looking Pokemon trainer next to an angry shiny pink Heracross.

In the first two months of its launch, Legends: ZA sold 12 million units. Let's be super conservative again, and say they sold for an average of $30, that's $360 million made in the game. You can see where the disconnect comes from.

I'm one of the biggest Pokemon fans around, and I put about 400 hours into ZA and its DLC, but it's hard to deny that the games have been pushed by the wayside. The incremental improvements over generations ensure that fans, like myself, will keep buying, but this series could become something special with the proper investment.

I've seen a few social media posts in recent days that make Monster Hunter Stories 3 what Pokemon could be if only Game Freak spent a little more.

The visuals and voice acting alone from the video above will be enough to make the next Pokemon game feel like a significant development. I'm willing to bet Winds and Waves, the leaked Generation 10 names, are nothing like that.