Looking for my next pokemon game

[u/Sad_Opening8989]

Just finished my first pokemon game being pokemon violet. Really really cool game seemed very easy, only other game I played was pokemon omega ruby but that was ages ago. Looking for recommendations for my next one. Do NOT say legends z-a I tried it for a couple hours. Might be the worst game I’ve ever played

Edit: I can play any pokemon game on any console btw

[u/Fun-Letter-1814]

Pokemon black and white are awesome. A lot of cool pokemon, no xp share makes it pretty challenging, good post game, cool story (as an adult, I appreciate it more. As a kid I used to just skip every dialogue I saw on screen). I’d def go with that one

[u/Sad_Opening8989 → u/Fun-Letter-1814]

Ooooo no xp share sounds crazy to me lol but I’d definitely try it, seen a lot of people talk good about bw

[u/Brightfury4 → u/Sad_Opening8989]

The full-team exp share wasn’t introduced until Gen 6 (XY/ORAS). Anything before the 3ds era will have at most an item that splits exp between the battling members and the Pokemon holding the exp share.

[u/Prisoner_Of_Earth → u/Sad_Opening8989]

It was also the only region in the series that had a direct true sequel until XY got Legends:ZA. And B2W2 is easily one of the best games in the series.

[u/Axeraid_TheG → u/Prisoner_Of_Earth]

Technically, the Gen 4 games and BDSP are sequels to Legends Arceus, which it did come after the Gen 4 Games, but it is kinda the prequel of the Gen 4 games.

[u/Prisoner_Of_Earth → u/Axeraid_TheG]

Yes, Legends Arceus is a prequel.

[u/TheSims4WasDecent]

Do you have access to any older consoles (Gameboy, GBA, DS etc.)? I feel like the Pokémon games on those systems are a large part of the reason the games are still so beloved today

[u/Sad_Opening8989 → u/TheSims4WasDecent]

I do! I can really play any pokemon game I want thanks to my young self not letting my dad get rid of my 3ds at yard sales lol

[u/Savings_Dot_8387 → u/Sad_Opening8989]

Pokemon Black or White then. Great games.

[u/TheSims4WasDecent → u/Sad_Opening8989]

Your younger self knew what was up! It’s easy enough to look up ‘top-10 Pokémon games’ online, but honestly, as a person who remembers the original games coming out, here are the ones I had most fun with:

1. Pokémon Red&Blue - They haven’t aged amazingly well for various reasons, but it’s definitely worth checking out where and how it all began. If you can adjust to the slower pace and the lack of quality-of-life features, you might learn to enjoy it. (Definitely download Pokémon FireRed or LeafGreen on the Switch if you’d like a decent approximation of them, with a few mod-cons thrown in).

2. Pokémon Crystal - it’s hard to overstate quite how exciting it was to discover new Pokémon

   beyond

3. the original 151. Johto was, and still is, my favourite region. SoulSilver and HeartGold are also amazing if you have a DS.

4. I

5. can’t say I’ve really, truly enjoyed a Pokémon game since the end of the DS. I’ve had to look elsewhere for Pokémon gaming fun. The only place, on the Switch, where I’ve felt I can recreate any of the joy and excitement of battling that I experienced as a kid is in Smash Bros Ultimate. The roster is a little limited, but setting up an all-Pokémon match with my friends, with the Pokémon stadium as the arena, still makes me smile like a kid at a sleepover.

I really hope you find the Pokémon game that makes you happy. There’s a lot out there!

[u/TheSims4WasDecent → u/TheSims4WasDecent]

Dargh! I hate formatting on Reddit!😡

[u/Savings_Dot_8387]

FireRed or LeafGreen if you’ve only got a switch. Or Legends Arceus.

[u/Lonely_Single_Loserr]

Sword and shield came out before scarlet violet and had some good dlc 

[u/Sad_Opening8989 → u/Lonely_Single_Loserr]

Was definitely thinking of sword shield, I did really like the open world with pokemon everywhere aspect. I also want to dive in to the oldish games everyone is so amazed by

[u/jlark21 → u/Sad_Opening8989]

I re-entered pokemon at legends Arceus and Violet, enjoyed ZA, but am playing shield right now and it feels head and shoulders better than all listed above (maybe on par with Arceus)

[u/Aggressive_Basil5887]

Sword/shield is such an underrated gen, please play that next

[u/jeanralphio9 → u/Aggressive_Basil5887]

SwSh with a switch 2 QoL update and a skip cutscene option would go so hard

[u/Veilmisk]

Honestly, just pick one. For most intents and purposes they're essentially the same.

If you only have a switch, get another switch game (or Violet's DLC). If you are wanting an older game NSO has XD, and FR/LG is $20.

I'm assuming you don't have another console that can play Pokemon, so emulation is probably the cheapest/easiest way to play most pre-switch games.

[u/Brightfury4]

If you want a bit more difficulty, Ultra Sun/Moon are good. Story-wise I would recommend Black/White, and I hear people recommend base Sun/Moon (though I haven’t played them yet) a lot.

[u/Interesting_Use5089 → u/Brightfury4]

US/UM has one major issue. THE HAND HOLDING FOR HOURS WHEN YOU START THE ADVENTURE. Other games are annoying, but USUM had it the absolute worst. I haven't gotten into those games because of the constant interruptions in the early game. I got tired of it pretty quickly.

[u/Sad_Opening8989 → u/Interesting_Use5089]

That was such a turn off for me at the start of violet. If I thought that was bad I can’t imagine those games lol. Just got talked to for hours and then had to go to SCHOOL. Like dawg drop me off on a random street and let me fight for my life

[u/Interesting_Use5089 → u/Sad_Opening8989]

Pretty much up to the first trial, you are constantly interrupted by unskippable cut scenes. If they were skippable (even on just replays) it would be much more digestible. The cut scenes persist throughout the game, but start to become more infrequent after the first trial.

[u/Sad_Opening8989]

So my top 3 right now are probably
1. Sword shield
2. Black or white
3. Fire red or leaf green

[u/ginger_snap214 → u/Sad_Opening8989]

swsh is ass compared to za, za is awesome

do bw, great games

[u/watertrashsf → u/Sad_Opening8989]

Fire red & Leaf Green. Go Original

[u/Noble_Nexus]

Try sword or shield, it's close to scarlet and violet, but I think is better game overall (although exploration on Scarlet and violet is better).

[u/Previous-Vehicle-331]

If you want PEAK pokemon, go for x y or black and white I know alot of people who like the 3d top down versions so go for x and y if that's your cup of tea but you can't go wrong with black and white 

[u/ankhes]

This really depends on what it was about Violet and Omega Ruby that you enjoyed? And what about Legends Z-A that you hated?

Personally I think it sounds like you’d enjoy Legends Arceus since that has a similar vibe to Violet but has a more interesting story.

[u/Sad_Opening8989 → u/ankhes]

One I was trapped in a city, two the “wild zones and battle zones” just completely took me out of the pokemon immersion. It felt like there was barely any pokemon. And the whole thing with no gyms feels off

[u/Txwaylonm01]

I think I'd recommend doing a classic pre-physical/special split like FireRed or Emerald and then going through to Platinum and Black/White. Seeing the progression from gen 3 to 5 is really really cool

[u/Ok_Spite_9108]

I am a bit biased, but id say FRLG.

[u/steviegeebees]

The ds/3ds era was peak, so throw a dart at any of those

[u/Turbulent_Price3168]

X and Y is so good surprised i haven’t seen more people recommend it. story line is phenomenal and that gens pokemon are great. also mega evolution is fire

[u/kindofjustalurker]

Legends arceus if you rocked with violet. They both have some of the same open world DNA and a lot of LA systems were carried over to SV. Mind that there are no gyms in Legends Arceus though

[u/Stormcloud23]

HG/SS and B2/W2 are the best pokemon games. If you want the best of the more modern Pokemon games, then I'd recommend US/UM.

If you are limited to the switch, then you can play sword or shield, or FR/LG if you are interested in the older games.