The next Pokemon game is set to be announced soon. But while most people will be wondering what colours Nintendo will use next, we've been having a much harder think about the next instalment.

There's no doubt it will be coming to the Nintendo 3DS (at least one version anyway), and we can't really see Nintendo breaking away from the tried, tested, and loved formula.

Then again, change can be an exciting prospect - and the 3DS's capabilities mean that the next Pokemon world could be like no other we've galavanted around before.

With our best Pokemon memories firmly at hand, we've concocted a list of our five most wanted features in the next Pokemon game.

Make our dreams come true, Nintendo.

Pokemon battling on your tabletop

The Augmented Reality cards and mini-games that came with the 3DS console were great to play around with, but acted as more of a tech demo than anything else.

Since then, not a single 3DS game has properly used the 3D camera, with a whole host of concepts and ideas possible. Pokemon could easily be the game that shows other developers how it's done.

Picture this: You're walking through the tall grass and a Pokemon attacks. The action then switches to your 3D camera, and the two Pokemon appear on your desk, kitchen table, or wherever you want.

The battle then plays out as if in your living room, with 3D renderings of the little things laying into each other. There could even be environments that spring up from your furniture.

Of course, it might be a little annoying if you need to aim at your table every single time a battle occurs, so perhaps this could be added as an extra mode, where you can take your best Pokemon and enter them into huge tournaments and the like.

Either way, we need to see this happen. The prospect is just too exciting to not take advantage of.

Project Cafe hookup

Remember the first time you plugged your Pokemon game into the Transfer Pak and fired your best team into Pokemon Stadium on the Nintendo 64?

We need more of that, most definitely. And with the upcoming launch of the next Nintendo console - currently codenamed Project Cafe - we're hoping we'll get our wish.

What if the new home console were to get its own separate Pokemon game, and you were able to move your critters between worlds? That could make for some brilliant customisation.

Plus, why would versions be restricted to battling each other? If Project Cafe also had a Pokemon game, both 3DS and Cafe players could battle each other online.

There's also the chance that the Nintendo 3DS could be used as a controller for Project Cafe, allowing you to play Pokemon on your TV, while using your 3DS screens to display your team, stats, and other useful elements.

Whatever happens, we want to see some exciting link between the two consoles and the Pokemon world.

Whole new (visual) world

Pokemon has always looked the same. Every game is from the same perspective, with similar visuals, environments, and surroundings.

OK, so we're not going to go as far as to say Black/White looks exactly like Red/Blue, but let's be honest - besides being 3D and adding colour to its cheeks, the latest release hasn't changed that much compared to the very first.

What we want is a whole new perspective, and a brand spanking new take on the Pokemon world. Sure, familiarity is comfortable, but as we've said previously, change can be incredibly exciting if done right.

How about we actually see the Pokemon make contact, rather than simply moving around on the spot to deal damage? We also want to see proper animations, along with real creature sounds, instead of silly pixelated noises.

And what if the current world design was completely scrapped and re-envisioned, maybe as a free-roaming world instead of confining players to a grid?

We're not 100 per cent sure what visual changes we'd like to see implemented, but we do know one thing: the current 15-year-old style is becoming very stale indeed.

I choose you, Play Coins!

By now, we've finished StreetPass Quest, and are now racking up Play Coins with no real use for them. We wouldn't mind being able to spend them in a Pokemon world.

The majority of the Pokemon games feature some kind of casino, where you can bet chips and win big, bagging yourself exotic Pokemon and crazy TM moves.

We'd like to see our stash of Play Coins used in some bizarre way in-game, perhaps beyond simply using them in slot machines.

What if a Play Coin could be thrown into a battle whenever you want to give you current Pokemon some temporary power? Or they could even be used to open up secret areas, and make certain NPC characters offer you extra items.

Better still, why not link the idea of walking for Play Coins with the game itself. HeartGold and SoulSilver came with the Pokewalker, which allowed you to train your Pokemon as you travelled.

Something along those lines would work a treat, allowing us to both collect Play Coins and train our Pokemon on the go.

Gotta StreetPass 'em all

The next Pokemon will use StreetPass, there's no doubt about that. However, from what we've seen up to now, developers aren't using the technology all that well, instead opting for silly side-orders that barely mean anything.

We can picture Nintendo simply making your Pokemon team 'battle' other teams, with results displayed and extra experience given to your Pokemon.

This, however, sounds far too boring for us. We're waiting for exciting uses of the capabilities to start emerging, and we're hoping that the Pokemon 3DS game will show everyone else how it's done.

How about if each person you StreetPass is then placed into your world as an NPC? There could be a StreetPass city where they all gather, ready to do battle whenever you're poised.

You could even trade Pokedex information via StreetPassing, along with unique notes that you have made yourself about each Pokemon.

Nintendo needs to think outside the box and deliver something mighty impressive if it wants to have us declaring this upcoming title the best Pokemon release to date.

Want more? Check out our 12 other Pokemon X / Pokemon Y features!