Pokemon | Scarlet & Violet (2022) + Legends Arceus is king

[Deleted member 246005]

I was a bigger fan of the Pokemon adventures manga which swapped protagonists. So it's better late than never.

I'll probably check out the new episodes for a bit.

 

[WaltK]

I'm curious to know what exactly that special episode airing next week, which appears to have Ash in his M20 design and art style, is.

 

[the red monster]

The only sad part of ash leaving is that we will never see old characters and team rocket again.
hopefully yellow rat stays gone along with him.

 

[Willow A113]

We might see different team rocket members.

 

[WaltK]

The only sad part of ash leaving is that we will never see old characters and team rocket again.

Says who?

I could easily see the old characters making guest/cameo appearances in the new series.

 

[the red monster]

Says who?

I could easily see the old characters making guest/cameo appearances in the new series.

because they're connected to ash's journey. there's a reason why EVERYONE showed up throughout the last 3 years/made a cameo in ash vs leon.
past companions will likely show up in the 11 episodes mini-series as a final goodbye (outside may because her voice actress is retired)

 

[WaltK]

because they're connected to ash's journey. there's a reason why EVERYONE showed up throughout the last 3 years/made a cameo in ash vs leon.

That doesn't mean they can't show up outside of Ash's story.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

I quit the Pokemon anime years ago, merely because I was tired of the formulaic nature of Ash. Now that he's gone I feel invested to try and watch again, even though I have long outgrown the anime. Ash should have been replaced decades ago, now there's so much nostalgia attached to him that it makes it harder on the new anime.

 

[Absent]

Pkmn Day…This could’ve been an email.

 

[MATGSY]

True to fashion, the mini series meant to being finality to Ash's journey that only has 11 episodes is still mostly filler.

 

[Soldier]

Frick yeah! The DLC will bring Mamoswine and Zebstrika back into the generation! heck yes!

 

[Sonofjafar]

Got Iron Leaves yesterday. Took a couple of tries due to everyone in my groups getting their butts handed to us.

 

[WaltK]

So, Ash's final episode was pretty much just like any old "final episode before a new series/region" episode from what I've been hearing.

 

[MATGSY]

So, Ash's final episode was pretty much just like any old "final episode before a new series/region" episode from what I've been hearing.

It definitely comes across like they're afraid to fully commit to proper closure. There will be cameos in the future at the very least. & many are suspecting they want the "in case of shit ratings break glass" option of bringing Ash back fully if this new series doesn't pan out.

Kinda wish Misty & Brock got better send-offs. Or let them continue to travel with Ash even after the end.

 

[Zettaflare]

I enjoyed it. I liked the answer they came up with on what defines a Pokemon Master.

 

[Rydgea]

Sooo, I've been out of the Pokémon loop since... basically Gen I. I'm a genwunner? (I'm just finding out.)

My nostalgia has taken me down a journey this past month, starting with rereading my old Toshihiro Ono manga singles. That devolved into a spiral. I dusted off my ancient Nintendo Power mags with the cine-comics / guides inside, I'm rewatching the Indigo League, purchased the rest that's not available on Netflix along with the Orange league and the first few films (only seen the first). Depending how that goes, I might try to catch Journeys. But I've REALLY been itching to play a game! I had every intention of playing Sun for the 3DS, but it just never happened, and I didn't care enough at the time.

I haven't played a game since Yellow, the only one I owned and for my Gameboy Color. Of course now that I want it, everything resale is through the roof (especially the cute Pikachu consoles). Now I'm sad to have shrugged off the Let's Go, Pikachu edition Switch.

Most of all though, I just want some feedback from the community: what are your favorite entries worth looking into? The lists seem to be across the board, but I thought I'd ask you guys. Honestly, at this point, Violet and Scarlet seem to be the most accessible. I don't have a Switch but I guess it's been a long time coming. That new OLED model, though it doesn't have my precious Pikachu, looks pretty sweet and the new games look cool, obviously.

Kindof worried the gap between entries is so wide for me, I won't know what's going on anymore.

 

[MATGSY]

Sooo, I've been out of the Pokémon loop since... basically Gen I. I'm a genwunner? (I'm just finding out.)

My nostalgia has taken me down a journey this past month, starting with rereading my old Toshihiro Ono manga singles. That devolved into a spiral. I dusted off my ancient Nintendo Power mags with the cine-comics / guides inside, I'm rewatching the Indigo League, purchased the rest that's not available on Netflix along with the Orange league and the first few films (only seen the first). Depending how that goes, I might try to catch Journeys. But I've REALLY been itching to play a game! I had every intention of playing Sun for the 3DS, but it just never happened, and I didn't care enough at the time.

I haven't played a game since Yellow, the only one I owned and for my Gameboy Color. Of course now that I want it, everything resale is through the roof (especially the cute Pikachu consoles). Now I'm sad to have shrugged off the Let's Go, Pikachu edition Switch.

Most of all though, I just want some feedback from the community: what are your favorite entries worth looking into? The lists seem to be across the board, but I thought I'd ask you guys. Honestly, at this point, Violet and Scarlet seem to be the most accessible. I don't have a Switch but I guess it's been a long time coming. That new OLED model, though it doesn't have my precious Pikachu, looks pretty sweet and the new games look cool, obviously.

Kindof worried the gap between entries is so wide for me, I won't know what's going on anymore.

That's a hell of a cinderace hole your going down Just remember to not think too hard about Ash still being 10 (literally 9 months must've passed between SuMO & Journeys because that baby was born. How is that even possible?) or get invested in any ship and you should be fine. Anyway, as far as game recommendations go:

-Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver: DS remakes of the gen 2 games that utterly outclass the originals & are among the most well recieved entries in the series period. My only gripe is replacing Kris with Lyra as the female player character, never got why.

-Pokemon Black/White. The main games of Gen 5 & the most serious storyline of the series, putting a much greater focus on the game's villain faction than any other game. If you ever stopped & wondered "hey, isn't this all just glorified dog/cockfighting?", well BW is the game that actually dares to address the donphan in the room.

-Pokemon Legends Arceus. The semi-open world entry on Switch that breaks away from the norm by being set centuries in the past (& yet you still have a smartphone, go figure).

Those are the 3 mainline games that best showcase the range of the franchise IMO. HGSS being the peak iteration of the standard formula & the other 2 being it's subversions. I could also suggest some other non-Switch titles if you like. I never liked the idea of getting a system just for 1 or 2 games.

PS I'm aware that you probably don't know what cinderaces or donphan are yet. Animal idioms must always be adjusted in Pokemon threads, 'tis the law.

 

[Soldier]

Sooo, I've been out of the Pokémon loop since... basically Gen I. I'm a genwunner? (I'm just finding out.)

My nostalgia has taken me down a journey this past month, starting with rereading my old Toshihiro Ono manga singles. That devolved into a spiral. I dusted off my ancient Nintendo Power mags with the cine-comics / guides inside, I'm rewatching the Indigo League, purchased the rest that's not available on Netflix along with the Orange league and the first few films (only seen the first). Depending how that goes, I might try to catch Journeys. But I've REALLY been itching to play a game! I had every intention of playing Sun for the 3DS, but it just never happened, and I didn't care enough at the time.

I haven't played a game since Yellow, the only one I owned and for my Gameboy Color. Of course now that I want it, everything resale is through the roof (especially the cute Pikachu consoles). Now I'm sad to have shrugged off the Let's Go, Pikachu edition Switch.

Most of all though, I just want some feedback from the community: what are your favorite entries worth looking into? The lists seem to be across the board, but I thought I'd ask you guys. Honestly, at this point, Violet and Scarlet seem to be the most accessible. I don't have a Switch but I guess it's been a long time coming. That new OLED model, though it doesn't have my precious Pikachu, looks pretty sweet and the new games look cool, obviously.

Kindof worried the gap between entries is so wide for me, I won't know what's going on anymore.

The gap you have in terms of knowledge is indeed rather vast, and a lot has happened in the several years since you last played. Thankfully there are plenty of people (such as myself) willing to help you get through the stuff you'll likely need to know. MATGSY is pretty spot on in terms of what are the most highly acclaimed in the franchise, and I'd even recommend a lot of his suggestions, few things though.

HG/SS are very good games indeed, and they actually were what got me into the series. I still remember that warm summer day of sitting in my mother's old gray 4runner waiting for her and my sister to get out of Old Navy so I could play it, I must've memorized every detail of that box. They vastly expand on the content of the originals, and add in numerous features that people praise them for to this day. Not easy to get your hands on a copy but if you do you won't be disappointed.

Black and White are a sort of "soft reboot" for the franchise, adding in 156 new mons in the 5th generation and restricting your access to old classics to those new mons until post game. It received a lot of backlash and polarizing opinions on the story and pokemon designs (spoilers, pokemon based off of a garbage bag and a set of gears DO exist, but their reasoning for existence is actually well thought out) but it remains one of the few games that can harken back to the original experience. It's also one of two (its direct sequels are the other ones) games that you cannot catch series mascot Pikachu, you'd have to transfer it from gen 4. It's also the first game in the series whose location isn't based in Japan, rather New York and a few notable cities across the US.

Legends Arceus is indeed a very different game from the mainline series, but that doesn't discount it from being one of the series best. New forms of old classics are brought into the forefront along with the aforementioned semi-open world. However, to get a lot of the references some knowledge on gen 4 games (diamond and pearl) is needed, but by all means it is fully acceptable.

Though if you have Pokemon Sun version, that's also a decent starting point. Gen 7's Alola region (based on Hawaii) has a lot of little homages to Kanto throughout the game, and a few mons from Kanto have new forms, abilities and typings that drastically affect their playstyles called regional variants. it's a bit on the simpler side but honestly it isn't that bad at handholding like more recent titles.

 

[Rydgea]

Aaah, you guys are amazing! Thank you so much @MATGSY & @Soldier! You guys are basically parroting my co-worker on the titles you've chosen. Arceus sounds particularly wild (and cool). But for some reason, the lists I've come across were all over the place, in terms of those specific recommendations.

I forgot that it was a neighbor's (original Gameboy) version of Red or Blue that was my first brush with the games. But I think I was exposed to the show / cards before that. I feel like grandma over here. Time flies!

PS I'm aware that you probably don't know what cinderaces or donphan are yet. Animal idioms must always be adjusted in Pokemon threads, 'tis the law.

Funny enough, I'm familiar with Donphan, because HE WAS IN THAT FIRST MOVIE! (And also in the tie-in prequel manga Toshihiro did that was only ever published in Japan's CoroCoro magazine which I just spent way too much munny on, on account of said Cinderace rabbithole!) (And maybe I'll become familiar with that Pokémon later.)

I still remember that warm summer day of sitting in my mother's old gray 4runner waiting for her and my sister to get out of Old Navy so I could play it, I must've memorized every detail of that box. They vastly expand on the content of the originals, and add in numerous features that people praise them for to this day. Not easy to get your hands on a copy but if you do you won't be disappointed.

I love these stories <3

Sun & Moon are oddly nostalgic to me, despite not having played it, because that game just released the year I went to Japan. Me and my partner stopped at the Pokémon store there. Very cute, but I was thrown by an epic black Charizard statue (super cool looking). Anyways, he proposed in Japan, and so it's associated with my magical memories. I feel like I must play it someday! I still want a Popplio.

- - -

Also, to either of you, since we've recommended games that AREN'T Violet / Scarlet, I heard there's a possibility of Nintendo doing something similar to PlayStation with its back catalog if you subscribe to it? So, that would mean a wealth of Poké games would be at our disposal on one machine, yes?

 

[NoWay]

I’d also highly recommend Let’s Go Pikachu/Evoli as a starting point because of the simplified gameplay mechanics. The Let’s Go games are perfect for somebody who isn’t familiar with modern Pokémon games.

The first Pokémon game of my girlfriend was also Let’s Go and it introduced her on an adequate way into the franchise.