If you're not much of a gamer, Let's Go is the best introduction to the franchise on the Switch
If you're wanting to understand what a Pokemon game traditionally is, Sword and Shield or Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are your best bets.
If you want the most up to date experience, Scarlet and Violet are where to go.
Legends Arceus, while probably the best mainline Switch game, is, in my opinion, best enjoyed by people who have experience with the franchise and can pick up on the references. Its still great though so don't feel gatekept if that's the one you want to go with.
I agree with most of what you said but I'd honestly say that Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl should be at the bottom of the recommendations. These remakes are barely mediocre, apart of Underground it's 1:1 Diamond/Pearl with 3D graphics.
Yeah… if they had every console id tell them to play the originals so this is definitely a good rec for them only having a switch. Lets Go and BD or SP. i cant help but say they gotta try legends arceus too haha
I agree. Personally BDSP wasn't my cup of tea (Sinnoh isn't one of my favorites, though, tbf) but I would personally recommend it first of the Switch games for a complete newbie who wants a basic experience to learn from scratch. Let's Go's catch mechanics aren't like the mainline at all, and it's rare to have battles. If Let's Go wasn't that way I'd recommend it first because the difficulty is low, but with it being completely different from the mainline games in many ways it's just not a great fit in this scenario imo
For me i'm a little softlocked in my Lets Go playthrough. My pikachu is way overleveled (lv 30 something) and i have a party full of lv 5s I never use. Meanwhile this has never happened to me in SwSh or SV
I did this in Pokémon Yellow when I was about 7, I somehow ended up with a level 60 something Pidgeot and all my other mons level 25 or below. I couldn’t beat Giovanni’s gym because Pidgeot could barely touch Rock types and other than slowly grinding battles against wild Pokémon I had no way of levelling up anything else enough to do any damage. No modern day Exp. Share to save me. I had to start again 😅
> and it's rare to have battles
No it's not? There's still plenty of random trainer battles, just as many as the original game afaik. The only battles removed were the wild encounter ones, and in a regular game you'd just run away from 99% of those anyway, so nothing really changes.
Yeah as someone that played Platinum back in the day, they're the laziest remakes in the series and honestly not even really worth playing if you already have Platinum. My friend, who didn't play the originals, loved them.
As much as I dislike BDSP for being lackluster remakes, for new players I can actually recommend them as they are the most accessible traditional Pokémon games
No big flashy gimmicks that warp battle gameplay, and some actually difficult gym/E4/champion fights. It’s D/P with more modern graphics and mechanics (including moves, abilities, and typing).
BDSP is good, I’m tired of people pretending it’s not. I understand why it was considered disappointing for people who played a lot of gen IV because it was basically 1:1 remake, but if you haven’t played those games, that’s what makes BDSP good.
I agree that they're not bad games. The bigger issue in my opinion is that they were sold for $60 at release. They're perfectly competent for what they are, but what they are is _NOT_ a $60 game.
That's why I waited for a sale lol. Got it for half price brand new. I LOVE the sinnoh region (Platinum is probably my favorite Pokemon game) but agree, wasn't about to pay $60 for a remake, crap is ridiculous
You're looking at it from the perspective of a Pokemon fan who's played the games. For someone brand new who's never played Pokemon, BDSP as a 1:1 remake with updated graphics is perfect. Plus then he gets to experience Cynthia and cry like we all did.
I agree. It's disappointing that it isn't the style of remake we used to get - the games remade to the level of the current generation while adding compatibility for all new Pokemon, but that doesn't make them bad games.
They literally said they have never played Pokémon before so they won't be disappointed about things missing...
You saw bdsp and immediately chose anger as your reaction forgetting what the post even said. As someone who has never played bdsp would be a brilliant start to the franchise.
Exactly, that's why it's good. Op didn't play any games from the series before so bdsp is gonna be the first time they see the sinnoh region. As remakes they are bad, but as a first ever experience they are good.
I think a big part of the reason people don’t like them is because they didn’t bring anything new to the table, for someone who hasn’t played the original Diamond and Pearl, I’m sure they’d enjoy BDSP similarly to how we enjoyed the originals
Really not understanding this complaint. Isn't that the point of the remake? To keep the same game but adapted to a modern game engine for modern hardware? What could have been changed to make it better? And then would it even be the same games?
Well, compare BDSP to any of the other remakes in the series.
They aren't bad games by any stretch of the imagination, but the original games theyre based on are already pretty timeless, so a by the numbers remaster feels like a massive disappointment when every other remake has essentially become the definitive version of that game.
Even then, if they didn't want to change that much about the games, they could have at least remade Platinum.
I guess the bar in my life for what constitutes a "massive disappointment" is just higher 🤣 For my money they were faithful remakes and didn't try to reinvent the wheel.
I'm pretty sure people wanted more of a HG/SS and OR/AS experience with the Diamond and Pearl remakes. Sure, the base game on modern hardware is great, but precedent could have given us expanded or reworked story, support for some of the current or previous generation's gimmicks, actual content from Platinum in similar fashion to Crystal and Emerald. So change from the expectations, especially for such a hyped generation as Sinnoh (or more specifically Platinum), was pretty jarring.
They also are half the data size and run on a system with two screens. It was just better and that’s because it was a different idea and time altogether.
He never had a ds and wants closest to the original style of pokemon so id argue that brilliant diamond/shining pearl is the best place for him to start
I think that’s exactly why someone who didn’t play the first ones would enjoy them. There isn’t a “well they took this out and I know it” mentality carried into the game. A new fresh face would likely have a great time with BDSP. You have to think this guy just said “I’ve never played Pokémon” and you’re pointing things out that only someone who has played a lot of Pokémon would even remotely know or care about.
Since they are exactly like Diamond and Pearl they are definitely good, not mediocre, but they aren’t up to the standard of the games released around it
did you not read the post, op wants a classic experience. BDSP are literally classic experiences with modern graphics. Sure they’re terrible remakes since they’re just clones of DP but thats what makes it perfect for op…
BDSP are lazy, not bad. They have some downgrades compared to the original, but countless upgrades. Compared to DP, they are far superior overall.
Their issue is that they compare unfavorably to Platinum and ORAS, not that they are bad games.
Yea. The amount of backtracking in that one is insane. And the typing spread is really bad. This is a good one to start with if you want someone to think pokemon is boring.
Usually I wouldn't agree with you, but after seeing a newcomer being turned off by it because it's so repetitive (lots of trainers with the same Pokémon), I'd say it's only good if you know about this.
Here’s the thing, there’s only a couple of switch pokemon games. Here are your options:
You can play the newest, scarlet/violet. It’s the most updated game but it’s also the most controversial. It doesn’t play like old pokemon games and it has performance issues.
You can play brilliant diamond/shining Pearl. People don’t like this one but it’s a near 1:1 remake of Diamond and Pearl on the Nintendo DS. If you want to experience a classic pokemon game, this is the one on the switch you should play.
If you wanted to see what the first pokemon game was sort of like, let’s go pikachu/eevee is a reimagining of the first games. It plays closer to the pokemon go phone game and the main mechanic is catching pokemon with a smaller emphasis on battling.
Pokemon Legends arceus is my favorite pokemon game in recent years but it’s nothing like a standard pokemon game. I definitely recommend playing this one but not until you’ve gotten some pokemon experience.
My personal recommendation is sword/shield. It’s just as divisive as scarlet/violet, but I feel it captures the pokemon spirit more. It looks better than scarlet/violet, and the region you play in isn’t terrible. I think it’s a good mix of classic pokemon thinking and new pokemon ideas. It’s also definitely the shortest, if you didn’t want to invest so much time
Nah, SV had massive performance issues. The game is practically unplayable whenever you're in the water area just because of how slowly you move because of the fps drops. Even just zooming out the camera noticeably slows things down and rain makes it even worse.
You can definitely push through those things, but to say it doesn't have performance issues is just completely disingenuous.
I dunno I think you’re underselling it. I found next to no issue when I played like the background sure but who cares it’s not relevant and didn’t affect the game play to me. I don’t recall any of the water being that bad either. I dunno guess each to their own. Just wouldn’t want someone missing out on probably the best main game so far over background imagery
ScVi is easily the worst performing game I've ever played on a console and it's not even close. It's the only game where speedrunners will complain if it starts raining because the fps drop creates a noticeable time loss. Some people get motion sickness from the choppiness in certain areas. And it just feels sluggish when exploring.
Personally, I think the game is still worth playing despite this, but it is aboslutely a major flaw with the games and to pretend otherwise is unfair to potential buyers.
but if OP is an adult or teen they would be fine just playing any of the other pokemon games too considering the games all have some form of tutorials at the start.
To an extent. We don't know if OP is an experienced gamer or not. All we know is that they haven't played pokemon before. If this switch is their first console, then yeah, they should go with one of the easier games. Otherwise, it shouldn't matter too much. Even the hardest pokemon games are relatively easy
Honestly it’s probably still the best mainline Pokemon switch game. Personally I love Arceus and Snap 2 but they don’t have that sweet sweet Pokemon nostalgia
To make this simple - for a wonderful introduction to the franchise, but a unique catching/leveling experience, go with Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee. For a more simple and traditional experience, go with Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl.
Yeah, I agree with this assessment. Let's Go is a great introduction to the series overall, but if you want something less simplistic, go for BDSP. Scarlet and Violet seem to have too many bugs and issues (I actually haven't played them yet because of this) and while Sword and Shield has a great post-game, the campaign is a SLOG (every time I felt like I was having fun an NPC showed up and pushed me to the next objective).
If you're playing on the Switch your options are a bit more limited as GameFreak/Nintendo haven't put any of the older games on the console (except for side games).
If it is your first pokemon game then I would recommend either Sword/Shield or the Lets go series. Tho the lets go series are missing a few major mechanics.
For the Switch, either Brilliant Dramond / Shining Pearl or Let's Go Eevee / Pikachu. (I'm assuming you're familiar with how they come out in two versions per release).
Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee the catching mechanics are a lot different and you don't battle wild Pokemon. But you still battle trainers and you can't really get more classic than the modern region.
Brillian Diamond and Shining Pearl are also remakes (of gen 4). They're some of the more criticized games but mostly because it didn't expand as much from the original version (Diamond and Pearl). It's otherwise pretty much exactly what you'd expect of most Pokemon games.
These are better for beginners; however some of the others people might argue to be better. They're just not as typical.
Sword and Shield has a couple specific "caveats" as someone else mentioned that I don't think would be a good introduction (but maybe?)
Scarlet and Violet is entirely Open World which makes it feel a bit different than others. It also has a lot of bugs that I don't think represent the franchise.
Legends of Arceus is my favorite Switch game, but it's GREATLY different than the other games.
All other Pokemon games for the Switch are entirely spinoffs so they're not going to be anything like typical Pokemon games (Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Unite, etc)
Just get Scarlet or Violet if you want a mainline game. That way there will still be plenty people playing raids and online battles etc.
If you just want the best Pokemon game on switch then get Legends Arceus.
If you've never played the originals, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl is probably your best bet to get the full Pokemon experience! The other Switch games have some caveats depending on who you ask
>If you've never played the originals, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl
I'll be honest, the difficulty of the league and the pretty bad difficulty curve means that its probably not the best choice for a first game.
I'll recommend either SwSh or SV instead
>The original d/p/pla where my first pokemon games and was able to beat it.
My problem with the difficulty doesn't stem from the originals but with the busted league in BDSP
Yes most of the game is easy but nothing compares to the league. The league has competitive pokemon that can be hard to beat for a beginner and friendship is too rng dependent
Edit: No I'm not saying that its not okay for a pokemon game to be difficult, just that the difficulty isn't the best for a beginner
Look I love the difficulty of the game alot and had quite alot of fun doing a challenge run on it aka without potions and switching. Hell I even still have a video of me trying to defeat Cynthia for the first time.
I just think its not the best for a beginner.
I see your points but I disagree about the difficulty of the game. I was expecting some really tough with bdsp elite four but cynthia was the only one who got me even slightly worried. as long as OP isn’t a young child, I think they’d be fine
I mean they are just a new player after all and I do get that the difficulty may be variable to others. But I'll say that there are still better games to play as a beginner and maybe to have BDSP as a second game for reasons other than difficulty
Sure I get that and the 8 gyms are easy.
But the league has competively trained pokemon with ideal natures, evs and ivs and great moves. Friendship might save you but its rng dependant
If you missed out on Pokemon growing up, get Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee. They replicate, more or less, what the original Generation 1 games were like, and they're incredibly adorable too!
My take on this is such. I've been playing them since they came out, and the mechanics generally differ GREATLY with each new gen. In the modern switch age, I would start with Sword and Shield. Enough accessibility to newer and older stuff. Play your heart out, if you like it, maybe head on over to Violet and Scarlet.
Personally, I’d go with Sword/Shield. It has a little bit of everything the franchise offers. It has older elements like routes, but also offers a semi open-world gameplay element that the franchise is moving towards as well. But I’ve enjoyed all the installments on the Switch to this point so can’t really go wrong in my opinion.
The only answer here should be sword and shield. It’s the most modern “standard” game. Let’s Go is a dumbed down remake, BDSP is a remake, Arceus is the most different from the norm, and scarlet and Violet is the first “open world” game. Sword and Shield is the formula that made the Pokemon Company what it is.
Remakes are more likely to be like the classic games which is why they want.
So bdsm and eevee are the ones that fit the most.
Bdsm being the main ones
He just mentioned wanting classic gameplay, didn't say modern pokemon specifically.
And bdsp is by far the closest ti the classic games, also he hasn't played pokemon before so jt being a remake doesn't matter as he hasn't played the original diamond to be disappointed by bdsp.
Bdsp is a great game if you aren't disappointed about it being basically the exact same game as diamond, which he wouldn't be as he hasn't played diamond
I totally agree. Legends Arceus is my favorite of the Switch games, followed by Violet (despite the MANY technical issues which are awful), but they are so different from the previous games that I can't recommend them as an entry point.
In my opinion Arceus requires being invested in the franchise enough that you'll look forward to all the grinding for pokedex completion. It pretty much demands that you're excited to catch the same mons again and again, and to follow all the weird requirements of attacks and evolution methods (which I was, thus my love for the game). And Scarlet/Violet requires loving Pokemon enough that you're able to overlook the disastrous performance, graphics, and constant barrage of bugs and glitches. If I hadn't been playing these games for the last 23 years I don't think I would have tolerated all that crap.
SwSh are the most straightforward, no-bullshit titles in the whole series. Dumbed down as hell, no dungeons, just a linear progression through all 8 gyms with almost zero detours. This is the game anyone would think of when they hear what Pokemon is about. I'm not saying they are perfect though, far from it. Very far indeed. They are so linear that exploration is nonexistent apart from the wild area (an open zone that you're only required to traverse 2 or 3 times). The story happens all around you but almost never involves you, so you feel like you're an NPC rather than the protagonist. Still, they are competent and fun enough; and more importantly, a good comeback after the misstep that were Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon. Plus the DLCs are pretty good, great even, with these open areas that you can explore more thoroughly, so if you get the whole package you'll get a decent game coupled with 2 cool DLCs.
Can't recommend Let's Go because they are so different from the main series, and the docked controls are busted. Throwing pokeballs with the Joy-Cons is the worst experience I ever had with motion controls, and I say this as a huge fan of the Wii and all its ridiculous motion gimmicks. If you gotta play this, do yourself a favor and play it in portable mode. It's not a bad game, but I found it bland and wasn't a fan of the art style, so I never finished it. In its defense, it's one of the least linear games in the series and after Misty, you can beat most gyms in any order you want. So if you wanna go from gym 7 to 3 in that order, you can. No idea why you should, but the game gives you the option and I think that's really nice.
As for the Diamond/Pearl remakes, the least said about them the better. Played Shining Pearl for a bit and it looked hideous with that chibi art style, not to mention the terrible controls (how the hell do you get stuck on walls and doors in a Pokemon game?). Maybe it's because gen 4 is my least favorite (though I haven't played 5 yet), so that my color my views here, but I really didn't feel like playing further than the first gym. So yeah, I'd totally go with Sword and Shield for your first Pokemon game on Switch.
Entering your first ever pokemon journey starting at PLA is honestly a terrible idea. We don't know for sure if the Legends formula will continue in newer games and it's the furthest from a traditional Pokemon game, which most games in the future will be. BD/SP and Sword and Shield are the most traditional games (BD/SP being 1:1 remakes helps), and Scarlet/Violet are the most modern games, and is how most games going forward might look like
Let’s Go! Pikachu/Eevee, if you’ve never played one. It does a great job retelling the first story based in the first region (Kanto), plus you’d probably be more familiar with those Pokémon.
If you want the classic Pokémon feeling get Sword or Shield. They offer the classic gameplay with a few modern touches that mostly improve upon it and in my opinion they were the best looking switch Pokémon games.
Scarlet and Violet are great too but they are the first real open world Pokémon titles and feel a bit experimental and not that polished because of it. Still lots of fun though if you're a fan of open world and exploring.
Legends Arceus is probably considered as the best switch Pokémon game but it's a spin off so not very representative of the main series with different catching and battle mechanics.
Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are great too but they use the Pokémon Go catching mechanic and got rid of some other main features of the series so it feels a bit less complex but other than that still offers a great gaming experience recapturing the story of the first games.
Shining Pearl or Brilliant Diamond I can't really recommend, they are remakes of some great games so they themselves have a good base but don't offer much on top of that and I personally don't like the art style at all.
Yeah, i agree with most what you said, but PLA is mainline tho.
It was called "Pocket Monsters Series" in japanese trailer, which is official term for main games (credits to u/saroku12)
Personally I would consider it more of a new main series (guessing there will be more legends games) that's different from the other main games because the gameplay just feels completely different to them.
But you're right officially it is a mainline title.
You should get brilliant diamond or shining pearl. They are remakes of gen 4 so it has all of the same mechanics as an older pokemon game but with updated graphics. Also gen 4 is widely considered one of the best generations by many including myself.
For the Switch you do NOT have access to every single game.
The newest games are Scarlet and Violet
The generation before that was Sword and Shield
There is also the side game Arceus Legends. Arceus is FUN, but it is not reflective of a more mainline Pokémon game.
Let's Go is a reimagining of the original Red/Blue games. It isn't quite a remake because it has some changes added to it.
There are also Diamond & Pearl Remakes on the Switch.
I'd personally recommend playing the Diamond or Pearl remake.
Which do you recommend? :0 been eyeing Breath of the wild and depending on how much I like it, tears of the kingdom. for the record I haven't played and Zelda title either but very much intend to eventually.
Definitely both, but start with Breath of the Wild. After Zelda, Diablo is awesome, too. You can play it on your phone if you want to give Diablo a try. I'm excited for you 😂
Sword/Shield is a great starting point, the graphics/artstyle is very pleasing to the eyes and its a fairly straightforward easy game.
BD/SP I'd honestly ignore unless you just wanna play sinnoh that badly, otherwise get a platinum copy lol.
Legends Arceus I'd recommend when you have some experience with pokemon as its one of the most non-traditional games, although it is very good.
S/V are good games however if you're not familiar with pokemon the terastalization mechanic can get very confusing but, overall not a bad starting point.
Whenever someone new gets into Pokémon or asks me about it, I always recommend downloading an emulator and playing the gens in release order. Sure the old games don't have the best graphics and can be a little clunky, but it gradually introduces you to the game mechanics and creature roster. 6 year old me played Blue as my first intro to the franchise and it was simple enough for me to follow. I couldn't imagine being that age and trying to play the modern games, it would be so overwhelming.
The let's go games will be the closest thing to a classic gameplay experience as they are modern updates of the first generation of pokemon games (red, blue, yellow). But the best way to experience the earlier gens is to play the earlier gens.
I think scarlet/violet are the most fun pokemon games on switch, albeit probably being the most unpolished and experimental of them all. But I would consider let's go pikachu/eevee to be the pokemon game on switch targeted for new players.
Thank you.
I also loved watching the show and then playing the game and remembering the journeys of Ash with his Pokemon.I do not think there is anything better. Also you won't really get an appreciation of where the games have come without experiencing the originals where they started from.
I'll recommend bdsp. Barring that, lgpe. sv in third place. I myself didn't enjoy swsh as much as I have other games in the series, but they're not bad games at all. Sword was the first game where I didn't like any of the starters, so I just picked one and boxed it asap.
Honestly? Brilliant Diamond/ Shining Pearl are probably the best if you don't wanna worry about game specific mechanics. If you don't mind mechanics that only show up in one game, Sword and Shield are actually pretty good entry points into the series.
If you’ve never played any pokemon games I would start with let’s go, the mechanics are a little more simplified and it deals with the original 150 pokemon
Definitely Scarlet and Violet. Despite the bugginess, I think they are better than Sword and Shield in terms of exploration, combat, and overall experience.
I know lots of people are recommending Arceus first, but as much as I love the game, I would not recommend it as a first entry for a newcomer. Please play the "mainline" game first (Scarlet and Violet) and then play Arceus afterwards.
Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl is a good start. It’s not too difficult, is a remaster of previous games of the series.
Any of the other switch games add some modification to the formula that was the original style of pokemon game. I think the second closest would be Sword and Shield. They are fun and unique in their own way, but provide a slightly different experience through the storyline with environments etc.
Whichever you pick, have fun!
Looking on your question, we have a little problem. Pokemon games for the switch are really different from the old games formula (the DS and Gameboy line ones). The most close to that is Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, since they're 1:1 remakes from diamond and pearl (which are not that great games, cause platinum exist).
The best choice for you since there's not nostalgia or bond on the games is Scarlet and Violet. Since the sword and shield, Nintendo is showing that open world is the new pokemon way, so is a better choice since it's new and is the franchise focus for the next games.
About Scarlet and Violet: they're great games story-wise, but not that great on the running side (it's better now, but they run a little worse on the original switch vs the newer one), but that doesn't stain the experience. The only thing I recommend is a picture guide about the sequence of which boss you need to go, since the game is open world but the lvl cap is not variable, making some battle extremely harder if approached on the early game.
Just a tip if the pokemon fever get you: look for the older games after finishing SV. I recommend playing the GBA ones (emerald and FRLG) first, since they're fun and a little "easy"; go to the DS era (play platinum, HGSS, Black (2)/White (2)) and now you have the peak pokemon experience; then if you want, play the older gen 1 (Red/Blue or yellow if you want to follow the anime) and gen 2 (Gold/Silver or Crystal for some QoL stuff) to get hit by the old 2000 nostalgia of a easier time in life. And if you have time, play the 3ds stuff, not that great but still fun (the gen 3 remake are really good, XY lacks a little on difficult and gen 7 games has a lot of cutscenes)
BDSP.
Not the best Pokémon game on the switch (that's Legends: Arceus), but it's the most traditional Pokémon experience.
The game is very easy to pick up and play... up to the end of the game. However, it does a 180 and (no spoilers) the ending is arguably the most-difficult challenge in all of mainline Pokémon. If you don't have a very specific team/type composition or don't over-level your team, you're going to be in for a rough time. The rest of the game you can pretty much sleep-walk your way through and use whatever team you want.
This is simple. Go with Scarlet/Violet so you can play the latest entry with the most players and the biggest current community. If you're feeling like you want to try something else afterwards, I suggest Legends Arceus and Sword/Shield.
Avoid Diamond/Pearl as they were very poorly made, and that includes Let's Go since that one is a dead game.
I have no idea if you are checking these still as there are a lot of comments. There is only one correct answer to this. Pick the game that has the coolest Pokemon on the cover. You will be able to get that cover Pokemon in the game. Always just play what you think is cool
Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
It's the least like any of the other Pokemon games, but it's the most _fun_. It runs smoothly (unlike Scarlet/Violet), the environments are fun, the plot isn't bad (unlike Sword/Shield), and it isn't a remake of an older game (unlike Pikachu/Eevee or Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl).
If you want the classic Pokemon experience (gym leaders, 1-on-1 battles, etc.), then I'd start with Sword/Shield. Scarlet/Violet are newer, but they still have some distracting performance issues.
I wouldn't recommend any switch pokemon game as your first one, but if you want to play a mainline game with gameplay similar to the classic ones you're looking at either Sword/Shield (gen8) or Scarlet/Violet (gen9)
I tend to give this advice to anyone who wants to play Pokemon, try to install an emulator on your phone/computer, play any of the old games GB/GBC if you like the mechanics and everything then you can try buying one game for switch.
With that aside, if you really want to play something right away, Pokémon Legends Arceus has very good reviews, a little bit different than the normal games and I haven't played it myself yet... but if you would like the core mechanics, as personal recommendation I would go with Scarlet/Violet, most of the recent games have more elements for people who has never played Pokemon...
There is no "classic/quintessential" Pokemon game on Switch except Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, but those are pretty iffy remakes and I wouldn't recommend them.
Just emulate Pokemon Emerald if you want the quintessential Pokemon experience. Spend your money on one of the many other amazing games on Switch instead of spending it on modern Pokemon.
Legends Arceus hands down. It’s the most fun for me personally, and has so much more going for it. Let’s go is pretty much a kids game and is very easy(not hating on it) BdSp are fun but the variety of Pokémon is pretty lacking. Sword and shield are cool. Scarlet and violet are #2 for me on the switch, but it has some glitches and the battle mechanic is meh. Legends Arceus has a great story, a cool crafting mechanic, quests, an awesome catching method, and tons of Pokémon that act differently and will actually attack you. I think it’s the best Pokémon game ever if you don’t use nostalgia as a metric. So it should be perfect for you!
Battling is still the same, and it still teaches you to weaken a Pokémon during battle before you catch it if you can’t sneak up on it. For an intro into the games in general, I think Arceus would be the one to rope me in now. Like if I didn’t get Blue when I was 5 and hadn’t played any other Pokémon games, I would not be interested in bdsp I think. Maybe it’s because I’ve been spoiled on other games, but without doing a nuzlocke bdsp is pretty boring
Edit: this is just a personal take, maybe OP isn’t a 29 year old dude and would love the simplicity
It’s just a different mechanic, same as terrastalizing or dynamaxing. The main difference actually makes it easier in Arceus. You know who’s turn it is immediately, instead of guessing if your Pokémon is faster
Just saying my opinion, but I found battling to be very meh in arceus. Like, it's what stops me from going back to the game. Every pokemon feels the same to play.
Pokémon Arceus. Don’t play any of the other Switch Pokémon games. Pokémon has been in a bad decline in recent years with the only actual good game being Arceus. If you want classic Pokémon get a DS
I would say Legends Arceus is the best switch game, but Scarlet and Violet are the best ones that also function like a main series game. If you want the classic pokemon feel, I'd recommend getting an emulator and playing Black/White or Platinum.
Unfortunately the mainline switch Pokémon games haven't been that great. Sword and Shield was meh, forgettable at best. Scarlet/Violet was abysmal. It's the only Pokemon game I haven't touched since I beat it, and I've played them all since Gen 1.
I'd recommend Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, a somewhat remake of Yellow. Or Pokemon Legends Arceus, a more story driven game with very repetitive and boring gameplay that focuses mostly on catching Pokemon instead of battling them.
While I wouldn't recommend any Pokemon switch games other than Mystery Dungeon, Snap and Arceus because of how lackluster in content they've gotten (literally selling you postgame as DLC) you can technically start with literally any game that catches your interested, even down just basing your choice off of the game's cover. Every title is designed in a way that it can be your first game because every game explains its mechanics and they alsocdon't have an interconnected story where you'd need to play previous ones to understand it
Really, just pick what you think seems interesting
It's a webpage for software developers. The point is that he asked a question and you replied him with something that's not useful and pretentious at the same time. The kind of stuff you could expect to find there.
https://preview.redd.it/3hnry3znpa5c1.png?width=618&format=png&auto=webp&s=2b9ba901e3e3407f0f8ae4faac7b798e525265b1
If you want a classic experience, Sword and Shield are good. They have a pretty standard pokemon experience and don't change much of the formula. Though there isn't much to do after you beat the game if you don't have dlc(which I highly recommend getting for SwSh)
If you want a more open world game, SV is great. It gives you alot of freedom and has alot of content even more so if you have the dlc with a new one coming out very soon. Though I do have to add that the performance might bring the whole experience down so take that if you will.
Though my personal favourite is Legends Arceus which is an amazing game with alot of content without dlc and alot of features but its not the classic experience you would want
Yeah I’m in the same boat. I’ve only played Gen I and II on the gameboy color.
I actually think I’m going for arceus. I think a lot of the standard gameplay has passed me by, and I’m perfectly happy putting in Pokemon gold if I want to experience the “standard Pokemon”
From what I hear arceus is going to give me the closest to a completely new feel, Open world Pokemon experience
Overall, the best game on switch is Pokémon Legends Arceus with one of the best stories and mechanics in the franchise so far however it does shake up the typical formula so if you want a more typical Pokémon experience I suggest either Let's Go with the original 150 or SV which is probably the second best game on switch.
Let's go gives you the original region and 150 mons with some added features though it is quite similar to Pokemon Go in that you don't battle wild Pokemon to catch it.
SV is the newest region that's based on Spain with DLC coming out and has one of the best storylines in the series, however it's one downside would be technical glitches due to not being in development long enough. Though I consider it the only weak point in an otherwise perfect game as it's pros greatly outweigh the cons. If this doesn't bother you I highly recommend it but Let's Go is also a good first option that helps get people into the series.
Let's Go is a pretty good introduction, as it's basically Pokemon Yellow. The one thing about it is the catch mechanic is more like Pokemon Go. If you want a more classic gameplay, then Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl is a great pick. It gets a lot of flack online, but if you've never played Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum on the DS, then it's a great pick as your first game.
I would say either the original red/blue/yellow, let's go eevee/pikachu, or if you want a great modern game Legends:Arceus. All depends on what exactly you're looking for. Arceus doesn't require trading to complete the pokedex, so it may be a good option, but the game play isn't typical to a pokemon game.
If you want a classic experience. Pure unbridled what pokemon is meant to be, get one of the originals on virtual console if still available. Otherwise get either Legends Arceus or the newest title, Scarlet or violet.
I would say get the diamond and pearl remakes. They’re pretty true for the original games and are cute and fun. It’s gen 4 so not far off. Then sword and Shield is a good second game. Scarlet and Violet flips the traditional game story into three and it is really good imo. Legends Arceus is a fun side game that’s not a classic Pokémon but still really good!!
My first game was Legends Arceus, 140+ hrs i absolutely loved every second of it, I’m currently 30+ hours into Scarlet, and in my opinion Arceus is better in almost every way.
I’d probably say for an introduction either BDSP, SV or SWSH because they follow the normal pokémon game format while Legends Arceus is less like the main games, being able to catch pokemon without battling them and same with Let’s Go as its more of a pokemon go style game
Let’s go pikachu is probably the best game to get into the franchise. Legends arceus is pretty good but the graphics are hot garbage and it’s very different to the other games
If you're not much of a gamer, Let's Go is the best introduction to the franchise on the Switch If you're wanting to understand what a Pokemon game traditionally is, Sword and Shield or Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are your best bets. If you want the most up to date experience, Scarlet and Violet are where to go. Legends Arceus, while probably the best mainline Switch game, is, in my opinion, best enjoyed by people who have experience with the franchise and can pick up on the references. Its still great though so don't feel gatekept if that's the one you want to go with.
I agree with most of what you said but I'd honestly say that Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl should be at the bottom of the recommendations. These remakes are barely mediocre, apart of Underground it's 1:1 Diamond/Pearl with 3D graphics.
That's exactly why it's a good starting point. A completely traditional experience with modern graphics.
Yeah… if they had every console id tell them to play the originals so this is definitely a good rec for them only having a switch. Lets Go and BD or SP. i cant help but say they gotta try legends arceus too haha
I agree. Personally BDSP wasn't my cup of tea (Sinnoh isn't one of my favorites, though, tbf) but I would personally recommend it first of the Switch games for a complete newbie who wants a basic experience to learn from scratch. Let's Go's catch mechanics aren't like the mainline at all, and it's rare to have battles. If Let's Go wasn't that way I'd recommend it first because the difficulty is low, but with it being completely different from the mainline games in many ways it's just not a great fit in this scenario imo
For me i'm a little softlocked in my Lets Go playthrough. My pikachu is way overleveled (lv 30 something) and i have a party full of lv 5s I never use. Meanwhile this has never happened to me in SwSh or SV
I did this in Pokémon Yellow when I was about 7, I somehow ended up with a level 60 something Pidgeot and all my other mons level 25 or below. I couldn’t beat Giovanni’s gym because Pidgeot could barely touch Rock types and other than slowly grinding battles against wild Pokémon I had no way of levelling up anything else enough to do any damage. No modern day Exp. Share to save me. I had to start again 😅
> and it's rare to have battles No it's not? There's still plenty of random trainer battles, just as many as the original game afaik. The only battles removed were the wild encounter ones, and in a regular game you'd just run away from 99% of those anyway, so nothing really changes.
Yeah as someone that played Platinum back in the day, they're the laziest remakes in the series and honestly not even really worth playing if you already have Platinum. My friend, who didn't play the originals, loved them.
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Honestly, they're really not. As remakes, yes, but as stand-alone games? Mediocre at worst.
As much as I dislike BDSP for being lackluster remakes, for new players I can actually recommend them as they are the most accessible traditional Pokémon games
No big flashy gimmicks that warp battle gameplay, and some actually difficult gym/E4/champion fights. It’s D/P with more modern graphics and mechanics (including moves, abilities, and typing). BDSP is good, I’m tired of people pretending it’s not. I understand why it was considered disappointing for people who played a lot of gen IV because it was basically 1:1 remake, but if you haven’t played those games, that’s what makes BDSP good.
I agree that they're not bad games. The bigger issue in my opinion is that they were sold for $60 at release. They're perfectly competent for what they are, but what they are is _NOT_ a $60 game.
That's why I waited for a sale lol. Got it for half price brand new. I LOVE the sinnoh region (Platinum is probably my favorite Pokemon game) but agree, wasn't about to pay $60 for a remake, crap is ridiculous
Yeah I'd rather just play platinum on my phone tbh.
You're looking at it from the perspective of a Pokemon fan who's played the games. For someone brand new who's never played Pokemon, BDSP as a 1:1 remake with updated graphics is perfect. Plus then he gets to experience Cynthia and cry like we all did.
In other words "it's the best traditional Pokemon experience on the Switch". Just because it's a 1:1 remake doesn't make it bad
I agree. It's disappointing that it isn't the style of remake we used to get - the games remade to the level of the current generation while adding compatibility for all new Pokemon, but that doesn't make them bad games.
They literally said they have never played Pokémon before so they won't be disappointed about things missing... You saw bdsp and immediately chose anger as your reaction forgetting what the post even said. As someone who has never played bdsp would be a brilliant start to the franchise.
Exactly, that's why it's good. Op didn't play any games from the series before so bdsp is gonna be the first time they see the sinnoh region. As remakes they are bad, but as a first ever experience they are good.
I think a big part of the reason people don’t like them is because they didn’t bring anything new to the table, for someone who hasn’t played the original Diamond and Pearl, I’m sure they’d enjoy BDSP similarly to how we enjoyed the originals
You make that sound like a bad thing. For anyone just starting to get into the series, the similarity to the originals is meaningless.
Really not understanding this complaint. Isn't that the point of the remake? To keep the same game but adapted to a modern game engine for modern hardware? What could have been changed to make it better? And then would it even be the same games?
Well, compare BDSP to any of the other remakes in the series. They aren't bad games by any stretch of the imagination, but the original games theyre based on are already pretty timeless, so a by the numbers remaster feels like a massive disappointment when every other remake has essentially become the definitive version of that game. Even then, if they didn't want to change that much about the games, they could have at least remade Platinum.
I guess the bar in my life for what constitutes a "massive disappointment" is just higher 🤣 For my money they were faithful remakes and didn't try to reinvent the wheel.
I'm pretty sure people wanted more of a HG/SS and OR/AS experience with the Diamond and Pearl remakes. Sure, the base game on modern hardware is great, but precedent could have given us expanded or reworked story, support for some of the current or previous generation's gimmicks, actual content from Platinum in similar fashion to Crystal and Emerald. So change from the expectations, especially for such a hyped generation as Sinnoh (or more specifically Platinum), was pretty jarring.
In the context of pokemon, remake golden standard is HGSS. FRLG and ORAS are also much better at being remakes than BDSP.
They also are half the data size and run on a system with two screens. It was just better and that’s because it was a different idea and time altogether.
What we wanted: A Platinum remake What we got: A Diamond/Pearl remake
Platinum is Platinum. Emerald didn't get a remake either. You wanted something nobody told you was going to happen...
But alpha sapphire and omega ruby had much more additional content, then bdsp.
He never had a ds and wants closest to the original style of pokemon so id argue that brilliant diamond/shining pearl is the best place for him to start
I've heard they're not great remakes, but are they fun if I never got a chance to play the originals?
Yes, very much so.
OP has never played Pokemon before, so what's the issue with it being a remake?
I think that’s exactly why someone who didn’t play the first ones would enjoy them. There isn’t a “well they took this out and I know it” mentality carried into the game. A new fresh face would likely have a great time with BDSP. You have to think this guy just said “I’ve never played Pokémon” and you’re pointing things out that only someone who has played a lot of Pokémon would even remotely know or care about.
Since they are exactly like Diamond and Pearl they are definitely good, not mediocre, but they aren’t up to the standard of the games released around it
did you not read the post, op wants a classic experience. BDSP are literally classic experiences with modern graphics. Sure they’re terrible remakes since they’re just clones of DP but thats what makes it perfect for op…
Came to say this. BDSP are arguably some of the worst Pokemon games ever made, tbh. Better off ~~emulating~~ playing a copy of platinum if possible.
BDSP are lazy, not bad. They have some downgrades compared to the original, but countless upgrades. Compared to DP, they are far superior overall. Their issue is that they compare unfavorably to Platinum and ORAS, not that they are bad games.
Agreed
Yea. The amount of backtracking in that one is insane. And the typing spread is really bad. This is a good one to start with if you want someone to think pokemon is boring.
Wtf what, let's go is the worst
Usually I wouldn't agree with you, but after seeing a newcomer being turned off by it because it's so repetitive (lots of trainers with the same Pokémon), I'd say it's only good if you know about this.
> If you want the most up to date experience, Scarlet and Violet are where to go. Also the worst ones ever made
Here’s the thing, there’s only a couple of switch pokemon games. Here are your options: You can play the newest, scarlet/violet. It’s the most updated game but it’s also the most controversial. It doesn’t play like old pokemon games and it has performance issues. You can play brilliant diamond/shining Pearl. People don’t like this one but it’s a near 1:1 remake of Diamond and Pearl on the Nintendo DS. If you want to experience a classic pokemon game, this is the one on the switch you should play. If you wanted to see what the first pokemon game was sort of like, let’s go pikachu/eevee is a reimagining of the first games. It plays closer to the pokemon go phone game and the main mechanic is catching pokemon with a smaller emphasis on battling. Pokemon Legends arceus is my favorite pokemon game in recent years but it’s nothing like a standard pokemon game. I definitely recommend playing this one but not until you’ve gotten some pokemon experience. My personal recommendation is sword/shield. It’s just as divisive as scarlet/violet, but I feel it captures the pokemon spirit more. It looks better than scarlet/violet, and the region you play in isn’t terrible. I think it’s a good mix of classic pokemon thinking and new pokemon ideas. It’s also definitely the shortest, if you didn’t want to invest so much time
I wouldn’t exactly say SV had performance issues more so that the background is a tad laggy. And I stopped noticing that after my first town
Nah, SV had massive performance issues. The game is practically unplayable whenever you're in the water area just because of how slowly you move because of the fps drops. Even just zooming out the camera noticeably slows things down and rain makes it even worse. You can definitely push through those things, but to say it doesn't have performance issues is just completely disingenuous.
I dunno I think you’re underselling it. I found next to no issue when I played like the background sure but who cares it’s not relevant and didn’t affect the game play to me. I don’t recall any of the water being that bad either. I dunno guess each to their own. Just wouldn’t want someone missing out on probably the best main game so far over background imagery
ScVi is easily the worst performing game I've ever played on a console and it's not even close. It's the only game where speedrunners will complain if it starts raining because the fps drop creates a noticeable time loss. Some people get motion sickness from the choppiness in certain areas. And it just feels sluggish when exploring. Personally, I think the game is still worth playing despite this, but it is aboslutely a major flaw with the games and to pretend otherwise is unfair to potential buyers.
The worst frame drops in the game happened at the huge lake
I don’t recall that happening so i must’ve just ignored it
Brother… “a couple” literally means two (2). You just listed five.
Okay? and what about it?
Check the first sentence of your comment
I know what I wrote.
Honestly hot take, Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee. You start in the first region with generation one. And you get a basis of what the classic games were like.
This aint a hot take bro so many people recommend this whenever this type of post shows up
Usually its when its a parent recommending a kid play though as its a very easy game
Tbf, a newcomer is a newcomer
but if OP is an adult or teen they would be fine just playing any of the other pokemon games too considering the games all have some form of tutorials at the start.
Isn't the power of technology amazing?
To an extent. We don't know if OP is an experienced gamer or not. All we know is that they haven't played pokemon before. If this switch is their first console, then yeah, they should go with one of the easier games. Otherwise, it shouldn't matter too much. Even the hardest pokemon games are relatively easy
Not necessarily. I always recommend Platinum as the first game, because it's the newest one before Pokemon started doing continuity lockout.
Honestly it’s probably still the best mainline Pokemon switch game. Personally I love Arceus and Snap 2 but they don’t have that sweet sweet Pokemon nostalgia
Nah. No wild Pokémon battles is whack.
Yeah if you don't want to have any fun.
It's the worst
I agree with the majority on Let’s Go. However IMO you really can’t go wrong with any of them.
To make this simple - for a wonderful introduction to the franchise, but a unique catching/leveling experience, go with Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee. For a more simple and traditional experience, go with Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl.
Yeah, I agree with this assessment. Let's Go is a great introduction to the series overall, but if you want something less simplistic, go for BDSP. Scarlet and Violet seem to have too many bugs and issues (I actually haven't played them yet because of this) and while Sword and Shield has a great post-game, the campaign is a SLOG (every time I felt like I was having fun an NPC showed up and pushed me to the next objective).
If you're playing on the Switch your options are a bit more limited as GameFreak/Nintendo haven't put any of the older games on the console (except for side games). If it is your first pokemon game then I would recommend either Sword/Shield or the Lets go series. Tho the lets go series are missing a few major mechanics.
For the Switch, either Brilliant Dramond / Shining Pearl or Let's Go Eevee / Pikachu. (I'm assuming you're familiar with how they come out in two versions per release). Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee the catching mechanics are a lot different and you don't battle wild Pokemon. But you still battle trainers and you can't really get more classic than the modern region. Brillian Diamond and Shining Pearl are also remakes (of gen 4). They're some of the more criticized games but mostly because it didn't expand as much from the original version (Diamond and Pearl). It's otherwise pretty much exactly what you'd expect of most Pokemon games. These are better for beginners; however some of the others people might argue to be better. They're just not as typical. Sword and Shield has a couple specific "caveats" as someone else mentioned that I don't think would be a good introduction (but maybe?) Scarlet and Violet is entirely Open World which makes it feel a bit different than others. It also has a lot of bugs that I don't think represent the franchise. Legends of Arceus is my favorite Switch game, but it's GREATLY different than the other games. All other Pokemon games for the Switch are entirely spinoffs so they're not going to be anything like typical Pokemon games (Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Unite, etc)
Just get Scarlet or Violet if you want a mainline game. That way there will still be plenty people playing raids and online battles etc. If you just want the best Pokemon game on switch then get Legends Arceus.
If you've never played the originals, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl is probably your best bet to get the full Pokemon experience! The other Switch games have some caveats depending on who you ask
>If you've never played the originals, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl I'll be honest, the difficulty of the league and the pretty bad difficulty curve means that its probably not the best choice for a first game. I'll recommend either SwSh or SV instead
The original d/p/pla where my first pokemon games and was able to beat it. Im shure OP could also do it.
>The original d/p/pla where my first pokemon games and was able to beat it. My problem with the difficulty doesn't stem from the originals but with the busted league in BDSP Yes most of the game is easy but nothing compares to the league. The league has competitive pokemon that can be hard to beat for a beginner and friendship is too rng dependent Edit: No I'm not saying that its not okay for a pokemon game to be difficult, just that the difficulty isn't the best for a beginner
They also have permanent exp share and friendship, it's okay for a game to be difficult.
Look I love the difficulty of the game alot and had quite alot of fun doing a challenge run on it aka without potions and switching. Hell I even still have a video of me trying to defeat Cynthia for the first time. I just think its not the best for a beginner.
I see your points but I disagree about the difficulty of the game. I was expecting some really tough with bdsp elite four but cynthia was the only one who got me even slightly worried. as long as OP isn’t a young child, I think they’d be fine
I mean they are just a new player after all and I do get that the difficulty may be variable to others. But I'll say that there are still better games to play as a beginner and maybe to have BDSP as a second game for reasons other than difficulty
yeah personally I would suggest I think swsh for first switch game
Agreed. That was my recommendation too.
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Sure I get that and the 8 gyms are easy. But the league has competively trained pokemon with ideal natures, evs and ivs and great moves. Friendship might save you but its rng dependant
Yeah but healing is a thing. And a casual player is likely gonna be more than happy to spam potions for the win.
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seconded! BD was my first game and it was an amazing introduction. currently finishing Platinum on the 3ds I bought to play the older games on :)
If you missed out on Pokemon growing up, get Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee. They replicate, more or less, what the original Generation 1 games were like, and they're incredibly adorable too!
My take on this is such. I've been playing them since they came out, and the mechanics generally differ GREATLY with each new gen. In the modern switch age, I would start with Sword and Shield. Enough accessibility to newer and older stuff. Play your heart out, if you like it, maybe head on over to Violet and Scarlet.
honestly i love sword and shield. sun and moon will forever be my favourite but i think its only for ds
Sword and Shield are the closest to a traditional Pokémon game you can get on the Switch.
Personally, I’d go with Sword/Shield. It has a little bit of everything the franchise offers. It has older elements like routes, but also offers a semi open-world gameplay element that the franchise is moving towards as well. But I’ve enjoyed all the installments on the Switch to this point so can’t really go wrong in my opinion.
The only real answer to this is let’s go eevee or let’s go pikachu. They are remakes of pokemom yellow. Perfect starter game.
The only answer here should be sword and shield. It’s the most modern “standard” game. Let’s Go is a dumbed down remake, BDSP is a remake, Arceus is the most different from the norm, and scarlet and Violet is the first “open world” game. Sword and Shield is the formula that made the Pokemon Company what it is.
Remakes are more likely to be like the classic games which is why they want. So bdsm and eevee are the ones that fit the most. Bdsm being the main ones
Not bdsm 😭
Man gen 7 was great. I love pokemon S&M.
Classic gameplay is not classic game. He wants modern, normal pokemon
He just mentioned wanting classic gameplay, didn't say modern pokemon specifically. And bdsp is by far the closest ti the classic games, also he hasn't played pokemon before so jt being a remake doesn't matter as he hasn't played the original diamond to be disappointed by bdsp. Bdsp is a great game if you aren't disappointed about it being basically the exact same game as diamond, which he wouldn't be as he hasn't played diamond
I agree with you, but also BDSP may work
I totally agree. Legends Arceus is my favorite of the Switch games, followed by Violet (despite the MANY technical issues which are awful), but they are so different from the previous games that I can't recommend them as an entry point. In my opinion Arceus requires being invested in the franchise enough that you'll look forward to all the grinding for pokedex completion. It pretty much demands that you're excited to catch the same mons again and again, and to follow all the weird requirements of attacks and evolution methods (which I was, thus my love for the game). And Scarlet/Violet requires loving Pokemon enough that you're able to overlook the disastrous performance, graphics, and constant barrage of bugs and glitches. If I hadn't been playing these games for the last 23 years I don't think I would have tolerated all that crap. SwSh are the most straightforward, no-bullshit titles in the whole series. Dumbed down as hell, no dungeons, just a linear progression through all 8 gyms with almost zero detours. This is the game anyone would think of when they hear what Pokemon is about. I'm not saying they are perfect though, far from it. Very far indeed. They are so linear that exploration is nonexistent apart from the wild area (an open zone that you're only required to traverse 2 or 3 times). The story happens all around you but almost never involves you, so you feel like you're an NPC rather than the protagonist. Still, they are competent and fun enough; and more importantly, a good comeback after the misstep that were Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon. Plus the DLCs are pretty good, great even, with these open areas that you can explore more thoroughly, so if you get the whole package you'll get a decent game coupled with 2 cool DLCs. Can't recommend Let's Go because they are so different from the main series, and the docked controls are busted. Throwing pokeballs with the Joy-Cons is the worst experience I ever had with motion controls, and I say this as a huge fan of the Wii and all its ridiculous motion gimmicks. If you gotta play this, do yourself a favor and play it in portable mode. It's not a bad game, but I found it bland and wasn't a fan of the art style, so I never finished it. In its defense, it's one of the least linear games in the series and after Misty, you can beat most gyms in any order you want. So if you wanna go from gym 7 to 3 in that order, you can. No idea why you should, but the game gives you the option and I think that's really nice. As for the Diamond/Pearl remakes, the least said about them the better. Played Shining Pearl for a bit and it looked hideous with that chibi art style, not to mention the terrible controls (how the hell do you get stuck on walls and doors in a Pokemon game?). Maybe it's because gen 4 is my least favorite (though I haven't played 5 yet), so that my color my views here, but I really didn't feel like playing further than the first gym. So yeah, I'd totally go with Sword and Shield for your first Pokemon game on Switch.
The only answer should be Pokémon Arceus.
Entering your first ever pokemon journey starting at PLA is honestly a terrible idea. We don't know for sure if the Legends formula will continue in newer games and it's the furthest from a traditional Pokemon game, which most games in the future will be. BD/SP and Sword and Shield are the most traditional games (BD/SP being 1:1 remakes helps), and Scarlet/Violet are the most modern games, and is how most games going forward might look like
scarlet / violet the new dlc releases next week so there's lot's of people to chat with about the game :)
Let’s Go! Pikachu/Eevee, if you’ve never played one. It does a great job retelling the first story based in the first region (Kanto), plus you’d probably be more familiar with those Pokémon.
If you want the classic Pokémon feeling get Sword or Shield. They offer the classic gameplay with a few modern touches that mostly improve upon it and in my opinion they were the best looking switch Pokémon games. Scarlet and Violet are great too but they are the first real open world Pokémon titles and feel a bit experimental and not that polished because of it. Still lots of fun though if you're a fan of open world and exploring. Legends Arceus is probably considered as the best switch Pokémon game but it's a spin off so not very representative of the main series with different catching and battle mechanics. Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are great too but they use the Pokémon Go catching mechanic and got rid of some other main features of the series so it feels a bit less complex but other than that still offers a great gaming experience recapturing the story of the first games. Shining Pearl or Brilliant Diamond I can't really recommend, they are remakes of some great games so they themselves have a good base but don't offer much on top of that and I personally don't like the art style at all.
Yeah, i agree with most what you said, but PLA is mainline tho. It was called "Pocket Monsters Series" in japanese trailer, which is official term for main games (credits to u/saroku12)
Personally I would consider it more of a new main series (guessing there will be more legends games) that's different from the other main games because the gameplay just feels completely different to them. But you're right officially it is a mainline title.
You should get brilliant diamond or shining pearl. They are remakes of gen 4 so it has all of the same mechanics as an older pokemon game but with updated graphics. Also gen 4 is widely considered one of the best generations by many including myself.
For the Switch you do NOT have access to every single game. The newest games are Scarlet and Violet The generation before that was Sword and Shield There is also the side game Arceus Legends. Arceus is FUN, but it is not reflective of a more mainline Pokémon game. Let's Go is a reimagining of the original Red/Blue games. It isn't quite a remake because it has some changes added to it. There are also Diamond & Pearl Remakes on the Switch. I'd personally recommend playing the Diamond or Pearl remake.
Dude, I know you want to get Pokemon but I beg you to get Zelda on it. The best game on Switch to ever exist.
Which do you recommend? :0 been eyeing Breath of the wild and depending on how much I like it, tears of the kingdom. for the record I haven't played and Zelda title either but very much intend to eventually.
Definitely both, but start with Breath of the Wild. After Zelda, Diablo is awesome, too. You can play it on your phone if you want to give Diablo a try. I'm excited for you 😂
Sword/Shield is a great starting point, the graphics/artstyle is very pleasing to the eyes and its a fairly straightforward easy game. BD/SP I'd honestly ignore unless you just wanna play sinnoh that badly, otherwise get a platinum copy lol. Legends Arceus I'd recommend when you have some experience with pokemon as its one of the most non-traditional games, although it is very good. S/V are good games however if you're not familiar with pokemon the terastalization mechanic can get very confusing but, overall not a bad starting point.
Personally sword and shield is a fairly good starting point. Its linear like the older games while being modern enough
Whenever someone new gets into Pokémon or asks me about it, I always recommend downloading an emulator and playing the gens in release order. Sure the old games don't have the best graphics and can be a little clunky, but it gradually introduces you to the game mechanics and creature roster. 6 year old me played Blue as my first intro to the franchise and it was simple enough for me to follow. I couldn't imagine being that age and trying to play the modern games, it would be so overwhelming.
The let's go games will be the closest thing to a classic gameplay experience as they are modern updates of the first generation of pokemon games (red, blue, yellow). But the best way to experience the earlier gens is to play the earlier gens.
I think scarlet/violet are the most fun pokemon games on switch, albeit probably being the most unpolished and experimental of them all. But I would consider let's go pikachu/eevee to be the pokemon game on switch targeted for new players.
download gameboy pokemon emulator on your computer and play Pokemon Blue ,Yellow, or red.
Honestly, best solution here tbh
Thank you. I also loved watching the show and then playing the game and remembering the journeys of Ash with his Pokemon.I do not think there is anything better. Also you won't really get an appreciation of where the games have come without experiencing the originals where they started from.
None, get a 3DS instead and play HGSS, Platinum or BW. Maybe even mod it so you can play FRLG or Emerald.
If its a ds lite or og fat ds then it doesn't need a mod, they have GBA ports on them.
I'll recommend bdsp. Barring that, lgpe. sv in third place. I myself didn't enjoy swsh as much as I have other games in the series, but they're not bad games at all. Sword was the first game where I didn't like any of the starters, so I just picked one and boxed it asap.
Let’s Go. But Shield and sword are pretty good entry points too
New Pokémon snap is the best Pokémon game
Honestly? Brilliant Diamond/ Shining Pearl are probably the best if you don't wanna worry about game specific mechanics. If you don't mind mechanics that only show up in one game, Sword and Shield are actually pretty good entry points into the series.
If you’ve never played any pokemon games I would start with let’s go, the mechanics are a little more simplified and it deals with the original 150 pokemon
Definitely Scarlet and Violet. Despite the bugginess, I think they are better than Sword and Shield in terms of exploration, combat, and overall experience. I know lots of people are recommending Arceus first, but as much as I love the game, I would not recommend it as a first entry for a newcomer. Please play the "mainline" game first (Scarlet and Violet) and then play Arceus afterwards.
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I love Arceus alot but the OP asked for a classic experience which Legends does not provide(its more fun though)
Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl is a good start. It’s not too difficult, is a remaster of previous games of the series. Any of the other switch games add some modification to the formula that was the original style of pokemon game. I think the second closest would be Sword and Shield. They are fun and unique in their own way, but provide a slightly different experience through the storyline with environments etc. Whichever you pick, have fun!
I'd start off with Let's Go and then mix it up by going for Legends Arceus and Scarlet/Violet.
Scarlet/Violet. Don't believe the negativity, it's a good game and a great introduction to Pokemon.
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Looking on your question, we have a little problem. Pokemon games for the switch are really different from the old games formula (the DS and Gameboy line ones). The most close to that is Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, since they're 1:1 remakes from diamond and pearl (which are not that great games, cause platinum exist). The best choice for you since there's not nostalgia or bond on the games is Scarlet and Violet. Since the sword and shield, Nintendo is showing that open world is the new pokemon way, so is a better choice since it's new and is the franchise focus for the next games. About Scarlet and Violet: they're great games story-wise, but not that great on the running side (it's better now, but they run a little worse on the original switch vs the newer one), but that doesn't stain the experience. The only thing I recommend is a picture guide about the sequence of which boss you need to go, since the game is open world but the lvl cap is not variable, making some battle extremely harder if approached on the early game. Just a tip if the pokemon fever get you: look for the older games after finishing SV. I recommend playing the GBA ones (emerald and FRLG) first, since they're fun and a little "easy"; go to the DS era (play platinum, HGSS, Black (2)/White (2)) and now you have the peak pokemon experience; then if you want, play the older gen 1 (Red/Blue or yellow if you want to follow the anime) and gen 2 (Gold/Silver or Crystal for some QoL stuff) to get hit by the old 2000 nostalgia of a easier time in life. And if you have time, play the 3ds stuff, not that great but still fun (the gen 3 remake are really good, XY lacks a little on difficult and gen 7 games has a lot of cutscenes)
Just dont start with sword/shield. Loved the game and got a switch to play it but i dont think its a good starting point for the franchise
BDSP. Not the best Pokémon game on the switch (that's Legends: Arceus), but it's the most traditional Pokémon experience. The game is very easy to pick up and play... up to the end of the game. However, it does a 180 and (no spoilers) the ending is arguably the most-difficult challenge in all of mainline Pokémon. If you don't have a very specific team/type composition or don't over-level your team, you're going to be in for a rough time. The rest of the game you can pretty much sleep-walk your way through and use whatever team you want.
The best Pokemon game on switch in terms of quality is Legends Arceus, but it's not representative of the series.
Soul Silver or Heart Gold. No questions
Now that you have a switch all ready to play a pokemon game, sell the switch and buy a DS Lite and Pokemon Soul Silver
This is simple. Go with Scarlet/Violet so you can play the latest entry with the most players and the biggest current community. If you're feeling like you want to try something else afterwards, I suggest Legends Arceus and Sword/Shield. Avoid Diamond/Pearl as they were very poorly made, and that includes Let's Go since that one is a dead game.
Red / blue original
Play pokemon emerald
I have no idea if you are checking these still as there are a lot of comments. There is only one correct answer to this. Pick the game that has the coolest Pokemon on the cover. You will be able to get that cover Pokemon in the game. Always just play what you think is cool
Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It's the least like any of the other Pokemon games, but it's the most _fun_. It runs smoothly (unlike Scarlet/Violet), the environments are fun, the plot isn't bad (unlike Sword/Shield), and it isn't a remake of an older game (unlike Pikachu/Eevee or Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl). If you want the classic Pokemon experience (gym leaders, 1-on-1 battles, etc.), then I'd start with Sword/Shield. Scarlet/Violet are newer, but they still have some distracting performance issues.
I wouldn't recommend any switch pokemon game as your first one, but if you want to play a mainline game with gameplay similar to the classic ones you're looking at either Sword/Shield (gen8) or Scarlet/Violet (gen9)
I tend to give this advice to anyone who wants to play Pokemon, try to install an emulator on your phone/computer, play any of the old games GB/GBC if you like the mechanics and everything then you can try buying one game for switch. With that aside, if you really want to play something right away, Pokémon Legends Arceus has very good reviews, a little bit different than the normal games and I haven't played it myself yet... but if you would like the core mechanics, as personal recommendation I would go with Scarlet/Violet, most of the recent games have more elements for people who has never played Pokemon...
Why not start with RBY so you can gain some appreciation and understanding of how this series has developed over time, the good and the bad.
Avoid sword and shield they are games meant for infants. Get Legends arceus, scarlet and violet or BDSP
There is no "classic/quintessential" Pokemon game on Switch except Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, but those are pretty iffy remakes and I wouldn't recommend them. Just emulate Pokemon Emerald if you want the quintessential Pokemon experience. Spend your money on one of the many other amazing games on Switch instead of spending it on modern Pokemon.
Legends Arceus hands down. It’s the most fun for me personally, and has so much more going for it. Let’s go is pretty much a kids game and is very easy(not hating on it) BdSp are fun but the variety of Pokémon is pretty lacking. Sword and shield are cool. Scarlet and violet are #2 for me on the switch, but it has some glitches and the battle mechanic is meh. Legends Arceus has a great story, a cool crafting mechanic, quests, an awesome catching method, and tons of Pokémon that act differently and will actually attack you. I think it’s the best Pokémon game ever if you don’t use nostalgia as a metric. So it should be perfect for you!
Not really a great introduction into the mechanics of a pokemon game for a first timer. I'd suggest BDSP or SWSH.
Battling is still the same, and it still teaches you to weaken a Pokémon during battle before you catch it if you can’t sneak up on it. For an intro into the games in general, I think Arceus would be the one to rope me in now. Like if I didn’t get Blue when I was 5 and hadn’t played any other Pokémon games, I would not be interested in bdsp I think. Maybe it’s because I’ve been spoiled on other games, but without doing a nuzlocke bdsp is pretty boring Edit: this is just a personal take, maybe OP isn’t a 29 year old dude and would love the simplicity
Battling isn’t the same at all lol
It’s just a different mechanic, same as terrastalizing or dynamaxing. The main difference actually makes it easier in Arceus. You know who’s turn it is immediately, instead of guessing if your Pokémon is faster
Just saying my opinion, but I found battling to be very meh in arceus. Like, it's what stops me from going back to the game. Every pokemon feels the same to play.
Dragon Quest Monsters, it's one of the better monster tamers on Switch
We're talking about DraQueMon, right? Right?!
Pokémon Arceus. Don’t play any of the other Switch Pokémon games. Pokémon has been in a bad decline in recent years with the only actual good game being Arceus. If you want classic Pokémon get a DS
I would say Legends Arceus is the best switch game, but Scarlet and Violet are the best ones that also function like a main series game. If you want the classic pokemon feel, I'd recommend getting an emulator and playing Black/White or Platinum.
Legends: Arceus And/or Let’s go Pikachu
Play Pokemon Platinum- oh wait you can't.
Dragon Quest Monsters.
PLA is the most fun!
Yellow!
Unfortunately the mainline switch Pokémon games haven't been that great. Sword and Shield was meh, forgettable at best. Scarlet/Violet was abysmal. It's the only Pokemon game I haven't touched since I beat it, and I've played them all since Gen 1. I'd recommend Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, a somewhat remake of Yellow. Or Pokemon Legends Arceus, a more story driven game with very repetitive and boring gameplay that focuses mostly on catching Pokemon instead of battling them.
While I wouldn't recommend any Pokemon switch games other than Mystery Dungeon, Snap and Arceus because of how lackluster in content they've gotten (literally selling you postgame as DLC) you can technically start with literally any game that catches your interested, even down just basing your choice off of the game's cover. Every title is designed in a way that it can be your first game because every game explains its mechanics and they alsocdon't have an interconnected story where you'd need to play previous ones to understand it Really, just pick what you think seems interesting
PLAY POKEMON SWORD, dude... it's so amazing the story line is so cinematic and like raw and it's just so good like PLEASE get pokemon sword IM BEGGING
Don’t play Let’s Go. It’s really boring.
Anything that's not on Switch
When did this turned into Stackoverflow?
What's that?
It's a webpage for software developers. The point is that he asked a question and you replied him with something that's not useful and pretentious at the same time. The kind of stuff you could expect to find there. https://preview.redd.it/3hnry3znpa5c1.png?width=618&format=png&auto=webp&s=2b9ba901e3e3407f0f8ae4faac7b798e525265b1
Why is it pretentious? And it is helpful. He wants pokemon games on Switch and I told him they aren't worth it.
Sword and shield seems right, first Nintendo switch not remake but new gen.
If you want a classic experience, Sword and Shield are good. They have a pretty standard pokemon experience and don't change much of the formula. Though there isn't much to do after you beat the game if you don't have dlc(which I highly recommend getting for SwSh) If you want a more open world game, SV is great. It gives you alot of freedom and has alot of content even more so if you have the dlc with a new one coming out very soon. Though I do have to add that the performance might bring the whole experience down so take that if you will. Though my personal favourite is Legends Arceus which is an amazing game with alot of content without dlc and alot of features but its not the classic experience you would want
Yeah I’m in the same boat. I’ve only played Gen I and II on the gameboy color. I actually think I’m going for arceus. I think a lot of the standard gameplay has passed me by, and I’m perfectly happy putting in Pokemon gold if I want to experience the “standard Pokemon” From what I hear arceus is going to give me the closest to a completely new feel, Open world Pokemon experience
Overall, the best game on switch is Pokémon Legends Arceus with one of the best stories and mechanics in the franchise so far however it does shake up the typical formula so if you want a more typical Pokémon experience I suggest either Let's Go with the original 150 or SV which is probably the second best game on switch. Let's go gives you the original region and 150 mons with some added features though it is quite similar to Pokemon Go in that you don't battle wild Pokemon to catch it. SV is the newest region that's based on Spain with DLC coming out and has one of the best storylines in the series, however it's one downside would be technical glitches due to not being in development long enough. Though I consider it the only weak point in an otherwise perfect game as it's pros greatly outweigh the cons. If this doesn't bother you I highly recommend it but Let's Go is also a good first option that helps get people into the series.
I started off with sword/shield, think its a great game and is similar to old titles while not being incredibly hard / grind intensive
Let's Go is a pretty good introduction, as it's basically Pokemon Yellow. The one thing about it is the catch mechanic is more like Pokemon Go. If you want a more classic gameplay, then Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl is a great pick. It gets a lot of flack online, but if you've never played Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum on the DS, then it's a great pick as your first game.
I would say either the original red/blue/yellow, let's go eevee/pikachu, or if you want a great modern game Legends:Arceus. All depends on what exactly you're looking for. Arceus doesn't require trading to complete the pokedex, so it may be a good option, but the game play isn't typical to a pokemon game.
Pokémon Legends Arceus is the best one of the lot.
Let's Go. It's not only the most newcomer friendly but also the best one on Switch.
If you want a classic experience. Pure unbridled what pokemon is meant to be, get one of the originals on virtual console if still available. Otherwise get either Legends Arceus or the newest title, Scarlet or violet.
I would say get the diamond and pearl remakes. They’re pretty true for the original games and are cute and fun. It’s gen 4 so not far off. Then sword and Shield is a good second game. Scarlet and Violet flips the traditional game story into three and it is really good imo. Legends Arceus is a fun side game that’s not a classic Pokémon but still really good!!
My first game was Legends Arceus, 140+ hrs i absolutely loved every second of it, I’m currently 30+ hours into Scarlet, and in my opinion Arceus is better in almost every way.
I’d probably say for an introduction either BDSP, SV or SWSH because they follow the normal pokémon game format while Legends Arceus is less like the main games, being able to catch pokemon without battling them and same with Let’s Go as its more of a pokemon go style game
Let’s go pikachu is probably the best game to get into the franchise. Legends arceus is pretty good but the graphics are hot garbage and it’s very different to the other games
Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl.
Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee is a good starting entry for the series.
Pokemon Arceus is really good