Which pokemon game defines the series?

[zamastyle]

I had been meaning to try a new pokemon game for years. I played red and then yellow and I was disappointed to find out it was the same game. Then I played silver and I was disappointed that it was still pretty much the same game. I lived in Japan at the time so pokemon was swinging in full force and I still wasn't feeling it because of how heavily reused all of the game elements were game over game. So I stepped away from it ...

A couple years ago I played about 15 hours of pokemon X. Nice new coat of paint but still very familiar game. Anyway, a ton of games came out between when I left the series and when I dipped my toe back in, as well as a few new ones. Since I am already predisposed to thinking of this as playing the same game over and over (don't try to save me I'm already lost) I would like to know:

If you had to choose one pokemon game from the main series that was the best and most fun version of this formula, what would that be? Which of all of these games should I play if I am only going to play one?

 

[HalfScoper]

Pokemon Legends Arceus is the best thing they did in a long time in my opinion since it feels like you are more actively engaged in the catching and fighting, although I guess it's not considered part of the main series (?)

If you really want to play a game of the main series that sticks to the classic formula, I'd say go for Black/White (2).

 

[zamastyle]

Pokemon Legends Arceus is the best thing they did in a long time in my opinion since it feels like you are more actively engaged in the catching and fighting, although I guess it's not considered part of the main series (?)

Wikipedia makes it look like it is so I'll count it in
Did that interactive style continue on into scarlet and violet? Or were they a return to form?

 

[HalfScoper]

Did that interactive style continue on into scarlet and violet? Or were they a return to form?

Not really, it has some aspects of it but imo PLA does it better, I think watching short reviews/gameplays of both will give you an idea of what I mean, S/V was a downgrade from PLA if you'd ask me.
PS: I also edited my previous post with a "classic formula main series entry" of my choice.

 

[rantex92]

hg/ss still the best in my opinion
yeah i know its mostlikely nostalgie kickin
but i miss those days were pokemon was more a sport

after those i would say x and y they felt so oldscool to play still thinking mega evolutions was the greatest gimmick

now we come to the baddest of them all sun and moon and black and white

sun and moon is so booring to start those games u nee 3-4 hours just to complete the introduction part of the game

and about black and white its just so slow to play +the designs in that gen were pretty bad +the story is pretty meh

 

[zamastyle]

Soul silver seems like it would be a decent connecting point to a game I have played. Interesting.

 

[Jayro]

hg/ss still the best in my opinion
yeah i know its mostlikely nostalgie kickin
but i miss those days were pokemon was more a sport

after those i would say x and y they felt so oldscool to play still thinking mega evolutions was the greatest gimmick

now we come to the baddest of them all sun and moon and black and white

sun and moon is so booring to start those games u nee 3-4 hours just to complete the introduction part of the game

and about black and white its just so slow to play +the designs in that gen were pretty bad +the story is pretty meh

UltraSun and UltraMoon have fully replaced the original games for me, they are what the first ones should have been to begin with. I really wish they got ported to the Switch. Feels like wasted potential on the 3DS.

 

[nintendo_leaker]

The series peaked on the DS. All of them except Diamond and Pearl are great. As mentioned above, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the best of the more recent games.

 

[x65943]

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver and it's not even close

Two regions, beautiful visuals and music, the best gameplay of any core series game

The plot is interesting and a tad darker than some of the other games

And of course your pokemon follow you around

 

[InsaneNutter]

Pokemon Gold / Silver / Crystal, Gen 2 took everything great about Pokemon and improved upon it. In addition introduced a lot of the core mechanics in Pokemon today, such as shinies and breeding. I was also genuinely surprised me as a kid you could go back to Kanto once you beat the Elite 4, mind blown.

Diamond and Pearl introducing the GTS and online trading was amazing at the time, that was the one featured i'd always wanted on a Pokemon game. The HeartGold and SoulSilver took everything great about the originals and improved up it. I'm still more more nostalgic for Gen 2 games however.

 

[Scarlet]

For all the love people give the DS games, I really don’t think most of them have aged all that well. They are dreadfully slow and feel kinda… Flat? Looking back, the early DS games (DPPt/HGSS) really do little more than serve as a jump board for Black and White, and Black/White 2 to thrive. If you want the best of the series, I really think it lies in those games. Especially if you’re going to be playing on an emulator. Having the 3D rendering quality turned up alongside the crisp pixel sprites looks really great, the battle scenes feel alive and full of character, and the story is actually interesting. Not to mention the sequel games are actually full sequels instead of being the same game again.

So yeah, I’d definitely say give those games a shot.

 

[YuseiFD]

Easily the DS game, they had literal soul, especially HG/SS, keep in mind it was made by literal fans of the franchise, it's like Nintendo never learns.

 

[zamastyle]

Seems like heartgold and soulsilver were aptly named based on all of these inputs

 

[retrospect]

I think Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the best by quite some margin.

I think Sword and Shield are garbage.

Post automatically merged: Nov 20, 2023

Diamond and Pearl introducing the GTS and online trading was amazing at the time, that was the one featured i'd always wanted on a Pokemon game.

iirc you could link up a Panasonic GSM phone to a GameBoy with Pokemon Crystal to trade with other trainers anywhere in the world - or at least that was the plan prior to release.

 

[x65943]

I think Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the best by quite some margin.

I think Sword and Shield are garbage.

Post automatically merged: Nov 20, 2023

iirc you could link up a Panasonic GSM phone to a GameBoy with Pokemon Crystal to trade with other trainers anywhere in the world - or at least that was the plan prior to release.

Honestly gen 7 wasn't bad, but I can't help but feel like the jump to full 3d in gen 6 was the beginning of the end

Game freak has failed to produce a 3d game that rivals their 2d work

 

[The Catboy]

Controversial statement, Gen 5. Gen 5 was the last great game that truly showed peaked GameFreak. Everything after that went downhill and started straying from what made Pokémon great

 

[x65943]

Controversial statement, Gen 5. Gen 5 was the last great game that truly showed peaked GameFreak. Everything after that went downhill and started straying from what made Pokémon great

Completely agree, after that they nerfed the number of Pokemon considerably, dulled the story, introduced sylveon, eventually started to leave out old gen pokemon completely and now the games look worse than cheapo mobile games

 

[The Catboy]

introduced sylveon

Hey now! You that’s peaks Pokébutt right there. Male Sylveon is peak trap

 

[x65943]

Hey now! You that’s peaks Pokébutt right there. Male Sylveon is peak trap

Bro male lopunny are you kidding me

 

[Purple_Heart]

For Me either HG/SS or if it should be non nostalgia stuff its either B/W or B/W 2. I like open world like PLA and S/V........S/V arent bad games, but as a long time Pokemon fan.....they are meh.

Post automatically merged: Nov 20, 2023

Bro male lopunny are you kidding me

Male Gadevoir....lmao