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Never Played 'Pokemon' So Where Should I Start?

As the title of this threat implies, I have never played a Pokemon game.

I've always had a passing interest and I even have some of the newest Pokemon essential handbooks that give you information on all the different Pokemon.

I even have some favorite Pokemon from the different ones that I've seen like Limpdick or whatever that candle's name is.

When it comes to game, the recent Arceus looks like it would be a lot of fun as it's more of an open world game it seems. I would like to start there but I'm wondering if it's a good way to start or if I should go with another game that's available on the Nintendo Switch?

For what it's worth, I'm asking for only games on the Switch since I don't have another Nintendo console.
 
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kiphalfton

Member
Emerald is an all time favorite of most people afaik.

Also anything before the transition to 3D, visually looks better than any of the garbage they've released recently.

Edit:
Oh you have only a switch 😬
 
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jaysius

Banned
Moon Ultra is awesome, but don't go backwards from Violet, things will start sucking really bad.

Arceus is an oddball, Violet took some of the mechanics, but dropped others.

Shame you don't have a 3DS to experience Moon Ultra, it's worth playing.
 
The best edition is called Shin Megami Tensei V
Well I got good news then. I own that game and yes, I like it. In fact it's my first Shin Megami Tensei game.

My only issue is because it's an open world game, there's a lot of the same environments. There doesn't seem to be any dungeons as of yet although I do know there are a couple dungeons in the game. But it's mostly just this post-apocalyptic abandoned world. The difference between that and say Arceus is the latter is more colorful.

But do I like it? Absolutely yes I do. I still have an issue trying to figure out fusing demons. I know what to do but some of it can be complex and I don't understand certain mechanics. I'm probably just getting very old and things frustrate me a little bit more than usual.

I would like to try Nocturne which is available on Nintendo Switch too.
 
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Valedix

Gold Member
Keep in mind OP all legit GBA/DS Pokemon games will be like 3 times the price due to rarity, people scalping off them. See what you can get your hands on. I would start with Fire Red.
 
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Draugoth

Gold Member
I wold recommend starting on this line:

1st: Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eeeve
2nd: Pokemon: Legends Arceus
3rd: Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
4th: Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
5th: Pokemon Sword and Shield + DLCs
6th: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet




If you like the games, for to the old ones:

  • 1st: Pokemon Soul Silver/ Heart Gold
  • 2nd: Pokemon Platinum
  • 3rd: Pokemon Black and White
  • 4: Pokemon Black and White 2
  • 5: Pokemon Emerald

Spin Offs Worth a Try:

  • Mistery Dungeon Red and Blue DX (Remakes of Original), Pokemon Snap (Nintendo Switch), Pokemon Super Mistery Dungeon, Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness
 
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I wold recommend starting on this line:

1st: Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eeeve
2nd: Pokemon: Legends Arceus
3rd: Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
4th: Pokemon Sword and Shield
5th: Pokemon Scarle tand Violeet




If you like the games, go to the old ones:

  • 1st: Pmemon Emerald
  • 2nd: Pokemon Platinum
  • 3rd: Pokemon black and White
  • 4: Pokemon Black and White 2
  • 5:

Spin Offs Worth a Try:

  • Mistery Dungeon Red and Blue DX (Remakes of Original), Pokemon Snap (Nintendo Switch), Pokemon Super Mistery Dungeon, Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness
Yeah, Arceus was at the top of my list just because it looks like it'll be a lot of fun. I like exploring.
 
I've played every single mainline Pokémon game so far and my favourite ones are by far Emerald, Explorers of Sky, and Black/White 2.

That being said, if you're just getting started I recommend you go with the latest one. Give Legends: Arceus a go, or just play Scarlet/Violet. The latter have a ton of accesibility options for newcomers that make it a great starting point IMO, even playing competitive battling & shiny hunting is much easier than in previous titles.
 

BlakeofT

Member
I think the best Pokemon games are Heart Gold/Soul Silver or Black/White (didn't play Black 2/White 2, but from what I gather, these are even better than the originals by a large margin).

If you're willing to play a rom hack, Pokemon Unbound is really good. I've also played and liked Pokemon Prism, but it's a GBC rom hack, so it might feel a little old if you don't have any nostalgia for that era.
 

Saber

Gold Member
Pokemon Black/White(If you have a DS).

- Most of pokemon there have good abilities and learn a plenty of moves, making training easier
- Difficult scaling is pretty damn good
- Good story
- Good design of characters and gym leaders
- Awesome music
- TMs are infinite instead of single use
- Almost no handholding

If you're not into it, consider playing Gold/Silver.
 
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01011001

Banned
if you wanna go full retro, then I'd say Pokemon Crystal.

that's a good entry to understand where the series started at. it's better than the first generation in every way, but not too different.
and it's in color + has really nice sprites compared to first gen.

it's like a nice pixel art RPG, not too overwhelming, not too much handholding like the newer titles and it's easy to emulate on literally everything from a Nokia N-Gage to an Xbox Series X
it also only has 251 pokemon to worry about and not weird variants of 900+ pokemon randomly mixed in from 20 years worth of games.
 
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flying_sq

Member
Was always partial to Gold/Silver/Crystal. I would go Diamond/Pearl, after that I think the games got way too easy. Sun and Moon are refreshingly fun, love the atmosphere of those games. Way too easy though.
 

jigglet

Banned
Pokemon Black/White(If you have a DS).

- Most of pokemon there have good abilities and learn a plenty of moves, making training easier
- Difficult scaling is pretty damn good
- Good story
- Good design of characters and gym leaders
- Awesome music
- TMs are infinite instead of single use
- Almost no handholding

If you're not into it, consider playing Gold/Silver.

I have very fond memories of this as I was at the Nintendo World Store when this launched.
 

Inanilmaz

Member
For the original pokemon vibes play this games

1. Pokemon Yellow
2. Pokemon Crystal
3. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

That's it, after completing the trilogy you don't need to play any further.

If you want a challenge, use the same amount of pokemon as the gym leader like in the Anime and a level cap with the gyms strongest pokemon. (Try to look up online without spoiling yourself)

If the switch is your only option start with lets go Pikachu.
 
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Unknown?

Member
Digimon-Story-Cyber-Sleuth-Complete-Edition_BoxArt-Switch.jpg
 

Anchovie123

Member
Lets Go Pikachu/Evee is a Switch re-imagining of gen 1, so probably there. Or just start with Yellow for the Game Boy Color

Then Heart/Gold & Soul/Silver is a DS remake of gen 2. Imo these are the best games of the series.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are 3DS remakes of gen 3. The last good gen, After this the series gets dull, repetitive, uninspiring and too easy.
 

Tams

Gold Member
If you can play on original hardware or in an emulator:

Gold and Silver (and Crystal) are the best. They have the biggest world, but haven't aged as badly as the originals. Ruby and Sapphire (and Emerald) are excellent too.

The Heart Gold and Soul Silver remakes are great. The Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are pretty great too, though I don't feel as well remade. There are no Crystal or Emerald reamakes, unfortunately.

Fire Red and Leaf Green are fantastic if you really want to play the original game. They are remakes of Red and Blue, but using the Ruby and Sapphire (gen 3) engine and graphics.

For Switch:

Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee! are the most fun. Not classic gameplay though, but they capture the 'spirit' best.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the best for classic gameplay. I never liked the originals, nor the remakes much though.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is great, so long as you are fine with the low terrain texture qualities.

Honestly the best is New Pokémon Snap. So chill.
 
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radewagon

Member
Like this:

hide GIF


Or this:

The Simpsons Reaction GIF


Or this:

The Simpsons GIF


No offense to the series, btw. I just feel like it's best years are behind it and it's not really compelling enough to want to get into.
 
If you can on original hardware or in an emulator:

Gold and Silver are the best. Ruby and Sapphire are excellent too.

The Heart Gold and Soul Silver remakes are great. The Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are pretty great too.

For Switch:

Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee! are the most fun. Not classic gameplay though, but they capture the 'spirit' best.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the best for classic gameplay. I never liked the originals, nor the remakes much though.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is great, so long as you are fine with the low terrain texture qualities.

Honestly the best is New Pokémon Snap. So chill.
How difficult is Pokemon Legends Arceus? I read somewhere that it's one of the more difficult Pokemon games.

Is it pretty complicated or is everything pretty easy to learn. I realize as I get older that the more complicated a game is, the more it turns me off. It's not the fault of the game but I think I'm just getting to a point where I can't handle very complicated games with lots of mechanisms.
 

Tams

Gold Member
How difficult is Pokemon Legends Arceus? I read somewhere that it's one of the more difficult Pokemon games.

Is it pretty complicated or is everything pretty easy to learn. I realize as I get older that the more complicated a game is, the more it turns me off. It's not the fault of the game but I think I'm just getting to a point where I can't handle very complicated games with lots of mechanisms.

It's Pokémon. It's not hard unless you're playing against other people (who take it very seriously).

It is on the harder side, at least compared to other recent Pokémon games, but really that should only be a possible issue for children.
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
I wold recommend starting on this line:

1st: Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eeeve
2nd: Pokemon: Legends Arceus
3rd: Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
4th: Pokemon Sword and Shield
5th: Pokemon Scarle tand Violeet




If you like the games, go to the old ones:

  • 1st: Pmemon Emerald
  • 2nd: Pokemon Platinum
  • 3rd: Pokemon black and White
  • 4: Pokemon Black and White 2
  • 5:

Spin Offs Worth a Try:

  • Mistery Dungeon Red and Blue DX (Remakes of Original), Pokemon Snap (Nintendo Switch), Pokemon Super Mistery Dungeon, Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness
Excellent advice.

Pokemon is a generational thing. For most people, everything that came out after the games they enjoyed as kids is trash. When the games weren’t all about the endless grind and the ridiculous secrets you absolutely needed a guide for anymore, they stopped enjoying them.
Hey, I understand. Getting a Dragonite or a Tyranitar after days of grinding got you tons of playground cred. And I could believe hatching the Pokémon you wanted after only 800 tries got you laid once - nah, fuck off and get a life. OP, for the love of good, ignore any suggestion about romhacks, Nuzlockes and whatnot. Get one of the Switch Pokémon games and enjoy it.
 

Draugoth

Gold Member
Excellent advice.

Pokemon is a generational thing. For most people, everything that came out after the games they enjoyed as kids is trash. When the games weren’t all about the endless grind and the ridiculous secrets you absolutely needed a guide for anymore, they stopped enjoying them.
Hey, I understand. Getting a Dragonite or a Tyranitar after days of grinding got you tons of playground cred. And I could believe hatching the Pokémon you wanted after only 800 tries got you laid once - nah, fuck off and get a life. OP, for the love of good, ignore any suggestion about romhacks, Nuzlockes and whatnot. Get one of the Switch Pokémon games and enjoy it.

A New player probably wouldnt have the patience with the grind and mechanics of older entries, nor the graphics and lack of voice acting and shitty story (they games are increadible easy if you understand Pokémon, but not really for new players and kids)

Sure, the older entries are better, but they dont respect your time and are very hard to get for a reasonable price nowdays.

I also updated the list, and it should be the optimal choice for new players to start:


Games to start as a new player (all 3D titles):

1st: Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eeeve (Basically the first games reimagined in 3D)
2nd: Pokemon: Legends Arceus (Probably one of the best spin off games and one of the best Pokémon games period)
3rd: Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Saphire (Easily the best remake in the franchise)
4th: Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (Game with the most ammount of Pokémon to catch and best immersion)
5th: Pokemon Sword and Shield + DLCs (Games with the most content so far, probably)
6th: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Most recent games in the franchise, fun but have a lot of technical issues due to the devs lazyness)




If you end up liking the games, go for to the old ones that are all in 2D, which may not be appealing as the 3D entries for new players:

  • 1st: Pokemon Soul Silver/ Heart Gold (The best Pokémon Remakes ever)
  • 2nd: Pokemon Platinum (The Best sequel in Pokémon games)
  • 3rd: Pokemon Black and White (Pokémon games with best storyline and soundtrack)
  • 4: Pokemon Black and White 2
  • 5: Pokemon Emerald

Spin Offs to try:

  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue DX, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon and Pokémon Mistery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (Remakes of the Pokémon Mistery Dungeon for GBA, Pokémon games for people who want a challenge and a emotional story)
  • New Pokémon Snap (For a fun time)
  • Pokémon Gale of Darkness and Pokémon Colosseum (Challenging Pokémon games solely focused on Double Battles)
 
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Werewolf Jones

Gold Member
Excellent advice.

Pokemon is a generational thing. For most people, everything that came out after the games they enjoyed as kids is trash. When the games weren’t all about the endless grind and the ridiculous secrets you absolutely needed a guide for anymore, they stopped enjoying them.
Hey, I understand. Getting a Dragonite or a Tyranitar after days of grinding got you tons of playground cred. And I could believe hatching the Pokémon you wanted after only 800 tries got you laid once - nah, fuck off and get a life. OP, for the love of good, ignore any suggestion about romhacks, Nuzlockes and whatnot. Get one of the Switch Pokémon games and enjoy it.
zbPZts6.jpg


Beat without using EXP Share and I've got a full time job. Who cares about comp shit or getting the best stats, I've had sex. They're just JRPGs bro. The appeal is every time you play you can use six different party members.

Also the grind in Red/Blue will be more punishing than anything else and Johto has a lack of trainers so when you hit the E4 you WILL be underleveled. If you want casual experience for shared EXP X/Y onward is what you want.

I'm gonna beat base game Diamond and Pearl in the next month or so too. GBA to DS Pokemon was the pinnacle.
 

Saber

Gold Member
Excellent advice.

Pokemon is a generational thing. For most people, everything that came out after the games they enjoyed as kids is trash. When the games weren’t all about the endless grind and the ridiculous secrets you absolutely needed a guide for anymore, they stopped enjoying them.
Hey, I understand. Getting a Dragonite or a Tyranitar after days of grinding got you tons of playground cred. And I could believe hatching the Pokémon you wanted after only 800 tries got you laid once - nah, fuck off and get a life. OP, for the love of good, ignore any suggestion about romhacks, Nuzlockes and whatnot. Get one of the Switch Pokémon games and enjoy it.

It would actually sound better if you have a grasp of this game. Grinding, specially for eggs, its a thing for competitive/battle tower thing. Casual never really had to do any grind for eggs.
Lol, Dragonite and Tyranitar are pretty damn strong monsters, also know as pseudo-lendaries. Doubt any people would even had any problem, aside from high level evolution(overleved pokemon was pretty common even at the G/S).
Also I find funny that you talk as if playing a rpg is something excruciating. Working does not detract me from this at all.
 
Pokémonshowdown , skips the fluff let’s you get straight into battling…but if you want the in between experience I’d start with Alpha Ruby Omega Sapphire
 

Camreezie

Member
Lets Go is a good jumping on point for the switch but its dumbed down massively. If you have access to everything then the first remakes which are firered/ leafgreen
 

bobone

Member
The newest pokemon is always the best.
They have been making it easier and easier to train pokemon with each generation.
It used to take me a week of hatching eggs for the right natures and IV's. Now you just use EXP candies, bottle caps, and nature mints and you're whole team is done in an hour.
I had boxes and boxes full of competitively trained Pokemon in Sword/Shield. And now Scarlet/Violet makes it even easier still.

The open world in Scarlet/Violet is really good for a Nintendo game. And the post game story section is one of the best things Pokemon has done in years.
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
It would actually sound better if you have a grasp of this game. Grinding, specially for eggs, its a thing for competitive/battle tower thing. Casual never really had to do any grind for eggs.
Lol, Dragonite and Tyranitar are pretty damn strong monsters, also know as pseudo-lendaries. Doubt any people would even had any problem, aside from high level evolution(overleved pokemon was pretty common even at the G/S).
Also I find funny that you talk as if playing a rpg is something excruciating. Working does not detract me from this at all.
Hey, just making fun of some very hardcore Pokémon fans that don't realize not everyone will take things that far.
I do find it quite ridiculous that people keep recommending 20yo games to those who want to approach the series for the first time. Considering that Switch is portable, any Switch Pokémon game is exactly what OP and others in the same situation need. If they like the concept, then yeah, maybe hunt down/emulate the best of the old games, but it will never be like being there around the year 2K on original hardware when Pokémon was the absolute talk of the town. I enjoyed Emerald for the first time not even 5 years ago, but going back to the games from that era with their lack of QoL features was a bit of a drag in some parts (and yeah, there was definitely too much water there).
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
I would like to try Nocturne which is available on Nintendo Switch too.
Do that. It has slight worse gameplay and music compared to SMT V, but aside from that it's basically the same thing but with linear dungeons instead of open world.

The script is better in Nocturne too.
 
Despite their names, Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee don't really have anything to do with Pokemon Go. They are remakes of the original Game Boy Pokemon Yellow which is itself a slightly custom version of Pokemon Red/Blue.

What I'm saying is if you want to start with a modern remake of the originals that started it all decades ago, Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee are a great place to start.
 
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