Two of my favourite DS rpgs are “The world ends with you” and Pokemon. Both take standard rpg features and thoroughly reseat them in an original setting. Not just a new face on old stuff but really integrated.
So if items become clothes in TWEWY then it makes sense that they need to be fashionable in whatever area your in for them to benefit you. In pokemon magic and battling are part of what pokemon are. There are no excuses or reasons given for why pokemon have amazing powers, it is simply naturalism. The human characters contribute a small amount of technology in the form of pokeballs and health items.
I heard recently that the original pokemon was developed over 5 years. 5 years for a gameboy game is amazing and all that time spent really honing the gameplay and features has resulted in a series that has run successfully almost unchanged for over ten years.
I’d love to create a game design as good as these one day.