All 11 Pokémon Switch Games Ranked

[@jaxteller99]

I just want the classic Pokémon in switch. Imagine playing emerald or platinum

[@albertbrooks2456]

YES!!!

[@BradleyMcNally-ku3ql]

I feel like this is what the fans wanted yet hated BDSP… they’re not even that bad 😂

[@youngboyE08]

@@BradleyMcNally-ku3qlgot a switch when that pokemon itch started acting up. Bought Scarlet and dropped it after a few hours for BD. Probably will get Pearl before I play the new ones

[@Brandon-kp5to]

Remastered

[@rosethecat2930]

because that worked so well for BDSP

[@elastichedgehog6339]

I hope we get more 'Legends' type games. Edit: Boys, we got 'em.

[@MasonOfLife]

It’s such a good concept, exploring regions at different points in time, with regional variants, different forms/evolutions, rideable Pokémon to a degree, the whole Alpha Pokémon mechanic is fantastic I hope we get a Legends game in Hoenn next And also I think that the legends games could implement the whole gym challenge/Pokémon league challenge into it, still have the rest (maybe not creating the Pokédex but certainly filling it out and doing “research”)

[@simpsons703]

⁠they could have it where you're the founder of the pokemon league

[@KunoichiPeri]

Imagine a legends game set in the past during the time Kanto and Johto don’t have their champion yet, and are thus in conflict with each other due to the Kanto-Johto war!

[@JB-qu8pv]

I don’t think we won’t, meaning we probably will

[@Dairunt1]

Legends is what Let's Go should have been from the start.

[@MasonOfLife]

Hot take but I actually like random encounters in Pokémon, I think Sword and Shield did it best by giving us both, and having it so that the random encounter could be avoided

[@megamcgee]

I totally agree, I actually think the way it is in the latest game actually cheapens it a little. (Although that might be because the game looks and plays like a cheap steam game)

[@alexcallender]

TIL SV got rid of random encounters. Along with completely doing away with Pokérus (and generally being an unoptimized, ugly piece of crap), I'm really not liking many of the changes I'm learning about.

[@MrKittyhead]

Definitely agree. I feel like running into a Pokémon in S/V is way more frustrating.

[@Tom_TP]

@@MrKittyhead 100% agree. In SwSh you can dodge pokemon decently well, but in SV while some pokemon are so small that I can't see them well, their hitboxes are so janky, there are many times I thought I dodged them but actually not.

[@Terranigma23]

Same! I prefer that than bumping in a randomly small Pokemon in SV 😅

[@That_Lady_Charlie]

Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee are the most technically proficient mainline Pokémon games on Switch. They're aesthetically consistent, and even though the catching mechanics are weird, it's a tighter and more fully realized version of Gen 1. Let's Go gameplay is not for everyone, but it's hard for me to make an argument against it being the best mainline Pokémon on Switch.

[@villabong11]

I agree with you also Kanto is a pretty consistent region overall, with caves and team rocket stuff.

[@bruin098]

Yea I just wish they had kept with the traditional gameplay of catching pokemon...and for this reason, I'm out

[@Ajrhyme]

@@bruin098😂😂😂😂

[@grass_snake80]

if it wasn't absurdly easy it would have been better. like it was almost impossible to "lose" in any way unless you tried to.

[@seamarie3111]

I've just been hesitant to pick it up, despite both Pikachu and Eevee being two of my absolute favorites, because of the funky control scheme of only one JoyCon and no Pro Controller support. I probably will at some point though, because I was never able to play any Pokemon game before I got a Switch since I'm partially blind and can't see little screens very well. I still regret not at least trying a Nintendo DS though. I got a PSP instead, and while the screen was bigger it had very few games I wanted and those were ones with lots of reading. I MIGHT have been able to handle Pokemon on DS, ... although there'd have been a lot to read too, and no way to zoom in unlike the Switch.

[@ColonialSun-mg6tq]

Remember when everyone hated the art style in let’s go and now it’s still the best looking mainline game on switch

[@AromonChannel]

That's just proof new pokemon are trash 💀

[@CreeperPlaysGames373]

People hated that?

[@seco4752]

THIS^

[@Toruntk]

Fr I never understood why they hated lets go pikachu.

[@bottomless666]

I wouldn't consider it a mainline game though. More like a mashed up re-vamp

[@scottymclaren3582]

I just want Pokémon Red, Blue, Green and Yellow….. is it too much to ask?

[@Guest2501]

IMO i dont really care if they just boot every pokemon game to the Eshop without any changes, i just really want all the pokemon games to be available just like on the 3ds..

[@coltdeedede]

My hottest take of the Switch Era Pokémon is that Pokémon Let’s Go has the best art direction the series has seen with Mizutani’s character designs and soft painterly aesthetics. If you disagree I strongly encourage you to look at the concept art and the characters designs - I would love to see Johto return in this style (maybe not so Pokémon Go infused but more so artistically). The designs in Scarlett/Violet and Sword/Shield are great too but they don’t infuse with the rest of the world at all, the environment designs don’t match the love seen in the character designs and it’s a shame these mainline titles aren’t given more time to cook.

[@shaydeez]

Totally agree

[@Bobbe1994]

Could not agree more

[@bottledducky9610]

I would kill for a johto remake with the lets go artstyle

[@Bobbe1994]

@@bottledducky9610 Yeah same! Would love if they took a look at cut content and maybe made it work as well

[@GameSethMatch98]

As someone who never played gen IV originally I would say Brilliant Diamond has given me that experience while not requiring a huge time sink. Enjoying it a lot

[@seamarie3111]

I never could play handhelds before the Switch, since the screens are too small and there was no zoom, so missed out on all pre-Switch Pokemon. I love BDSP for filling part of that void.

[@frostbite3820]

Platinum was my first game, then I played white. After white I fell off with pokemon. Then when I got a switch I had a lot of nostalgia for gen 4 and honestly I couldn't be happier going back to it. Maybe I'll give the gen 5 remake a go whenever they make that , but really I just wanted 1 more ride through gen 4 with a fresh coat of paint and that's exactly what I got.

[@shaunkennedy174]

I played Platinum as a kid and I’m still enjoying Brilliant Diamond. I kinda understand why people shit all over BDSP but at the same time, not really. They are remakes of the OG Diamond and Pearl and they serve to satisfy fans who just wanna play classic, traditional Pokémon. I got Brilliant Diamond with my switch OLED and I’m having a good time with it, I’ll probably play Legends next or possibly Scarlet but BDSP are perfectly fine.

[@By-the_Way]

It may have not sold incredibly well, but I do wish we had a Pokken 2. There are so many Pokemon I'd love to see and play with. (And I want to see a nice single player story mode.) As for the games, my favorite would be Scarlet/Violet and Arceus, I absolutely loved 'em.

[@Oggre]

Actually it sold well (I believe + 1 millions copies) but the devs let the game die and the dlcs were too expansive.

[@parlaptie]

@@Oggre Yeah, all the DLCs plus the fact that I don't normally play fighting games really put me off of getting the game at all.

[@sirmel11]

I liked Pokken but after playing the trial, I got my fill. There's no way I'm going to play a repetitive fighting game.

[@nightwing2032]

@@Oggrepokken sold I think either 1 to 2 or 3 million something sales. Thats not much saying much compare to all of Pokémon spin off game sales. Most spin off games don’t have between 6 to 10 million sales. I think most Pokémon spin off games have sold between 1 million to 4 or 5 million sales for every Pokémon spin off game. It’s the same for new pokemon snap which sold on switch I think 2 or 3 million sales. Don’t remember the sales for new pokemon snap but I know it’s not above 6 or 5 million sales. Even pokemon ranger has only reached 4 or 5 million, with the other Pokemon ranger games having I think 2 million sales or 2 million something sales.

[@AnimuuStew]

​@nightwing2032 it's also worth mentioning that it selling ~3.5m copies between both the wii u & switch releases (iirc, might be off) is pretty decent compared to both pokemon spin-offs *and* the main numbered tekken games, even outselling several of them. that's pretty good for fighting games in general too, even managing to either outsell or sell about as many copies as some of the most popular fighting games

[@greydeathangel]

I personally love Legends Arceus more than the Scarlet and Violet games. It was worked on after the fact and made to run so much smoother. Maybe it is the smaller areas with loading screens between that helps, cause they don't want to do a major overhaul on their game engine. What I'd like to see in another game would be to take the Legends formula, but add in some features from the other mainline games. Like for example the Underground from BDSP, that dungeon mini game from the Sword/Shield crown tundra expansion, camping/picnicking from S/V, and how about a lot more options for battling?

[@RyanAlexander-j5p]

I like battling gym trainers! Is there a lot in Arceus or in Scarlet and Violet?

[@HarshDaKilla]

Arceus has minimal trainer battles​@@RyanAlexander-j5p

[@Wft-bu5zc]

Scarlet and Violet are awful IMO, Legends is way better. I was so disappointed by Scarlet.

[@ivanzoneBR]

Legends Arceus is the best, I had so much fun playing it last year and I might even elaborate more why this is one of my favorites experiences on Switch in a video at some point, but thruth be told, it is really a great game that while it could have been even better if wasn't rushed, it was excellent all around and felt like a real evolution of the series as a whole.

[@legomaster2538]

Legends Arceus was actually my first Pokémon game.

[@jeremiahgreen5632]

​@@legomaster2538That's a weird place to start but hey it's a decent game and definitely best Pokemon switch game

[@bugcatcherjacky1334]

I agree. Also the first pokémon game where completing the pokédex doesn't feel redundant and a chore. The fact that I still haven't found all but aren't annoyed is very telling imo. Love the game.

[@Mikedaboss123]

It was terrible for me but that’s me

[@SwiggleMcJiggle]

It definitely was rushed to a certain degree. Textures in many parts of the world look terrible, other parts just feel somewhat empty despite the maps not even being that big and Jubilife Village feels very static for the most part, with if I recall correctly not a single NPC walking or having any kind of cycle within the town. Don't get me wrong, it's a good game, but it definitely had potential to be better. The only Switch games which feel truly finished are Let's Go, New Snap and Mystery Dungeon. Also Quest, but Quest is ass.

[@MisterZebra42]

New Pokemon Snap is so unbelievably good. It’s my go-to game to pull out when I don’t have anything else to play because there’s somehow still stuff in there I’ve never seen. It also sets an impossibly high standard for the rest of the franchise and, not gonna lie, is probably a big part of why I haven’t bought any Pokemon games except Arceus since.

[@denycast]

Same😀👍

[@redlion145]

Interesting take. I can understand the high standard part, because the quality is certainly there with Snap. But it's such a different play style to a mainline Pokémon game, I don't think that much of Snap can be translated to a Sword/Shield or Diamond/Pearl type game. Agreed on Arceus being a step in the right direction though. I still think they're leaving a lot on the table with Arceus, graphics wise, sound wise (no voice acting in 2023?) and even gameplay wise. The questing in Arceus got more than a little repetitive.

[@DanBlabbers]

Pokémon snap being the number 1 games!?!?!?! You’ve got to be shitting me. One of the greatest thing about Pokémon games are the battle mechanics

[@riccardomosena4162]

​@@DanBlabbersspeak for yourself u_u it's also a reason why ranger is one of the most loved spin offs, and there are no battles there either

[@ruoshulian4343]

Yeah I'm never into pokemon battles. I love collecting and finishing pokedex so snap is perfect when u see how pokemon live their lives

[@benhmedia]

New Pokémon Snap quickly became one of my favorite games of all time and I'm so happy to see others love it, as well. It's so sad how Pokémon games rarely look this good but it makes me appreciate this all the more.

[@10640404]

I personally don’t understand the appeal. I like battling and collecting Pokémon much better. But I’m someone who has no interest in photography in general. I barely take pictures in real life either.

[@benhmedia]

@@10640404 It’s a very specific type of gameplay, so I can understand why it won’t be everyone’s cup of Sinistea. I enjoy collecting and battling Pokémon too, I just love NPS for pretty much all the reasons Jon listed: It’s Pokémon acting like animals in their natural habitat, it’s Pokémon in the best graphics they’ve ever been in, and I personally find it enjoyable to go back and try and beat my previous high scores. Also I’m a videographer so maybe that helps :)

[@marcoalonsomartinezguzman6369]

I love pokemon snap as well, I was so excited when it came out. I don't particularly like photography, so that's not my deal with this game. The thing I love about our is that it has so many angles (pun intended). You may look at it as a railroad-shooter, but nice enough for kids. Also, each stage is so vibrating on its own; they can either be so chilling or terrifying. It's just a great mix

[@TangerineTux]

@@10640404 I enjoy photography in real life _but_ I also don’t understand the appeal of a video game version where the environments and Pokémon have already been modelled for you.

[@PastPerspectives11]

@@10640404if you played the original on the NES in the 90s you would get the hype. Pokémon Snap was the shit

[@seamarie3111]

I thoroughly enjoy all the games I have -- Sword, then I got Arceus, then Brilliant Diamond, then Violet. They're all amazing in their own ways! Well technically I have access to the other halves too, Shield, Shining Pearl, and Scarlet, but they're technically my much younger sister's. Since I'm partially blind, I was never able to play handhelds before the Switch, which I often have docked. However, Pokemon games are in the small number of games I can play on my Switch screen. I have a regular Switch, not an OLED. Being a 90s kid/original Pokemon generation era, I missed out on a lot. I saw the show once and just didn't get it. All I knew was Pikachu, who I thought was adorable. I remember when my school had "Pikachu pizza" and talking to my friends about how it'd have little pepperoni cheeks and olive eyes, then being super bummed it was just regular pizza with a Pikachu Froot By The Foot. Anyway, I digress. Since I was never able to get into Pokemon as a kid/teen, I've thoroughly enjoyed playing the adorable Brilliant Diamond because I never did back then. I've still not finished it, as the newer games admittedly have sucked more of my time, but I've still thoroughly enjoyed it. Pokemon Sword was my first game in the series, which I got when my little sis got Shield. I loved it instantly, and it's one of the few mainstream games I can say I've not 100 percented, but at least beaten. Legends: Arceus was an impulse buy and my only digital Pokemon game. I do very much enjoy it and have gotten fairly far. However, there are a few things I visually struggle with in the game, so it's below Sword and Violet. As for Violet, that's taking all my attention right now. Unfortunately, I put it down for awhile after I got it, but I've been playing it like mad for the last couple weeks. I love that with the gym challenges, titans, and Team Star every type of pokemon is represented and gives me a LOT more to do. However, even I have noticed some of the visual issues, like lighting differing depending on camera angle when in shade and some pop-in/tearing. However, that's not dampened my enthusiasm/enjoyment of the game at all. Also, I have a special, silly fondness for Violet and Scarlet because they happened to be released the same day my poodle had SIX puppies ... like a whole Pokemon team, LOL! I also found her spirit pokemon in form of Pawmi/Pawmo, LOL! WOW! That was LONG! TL:DR -- In short, having entered the fandom late in the game, I'm very pleased and having a great time with Pokemon games on Switch!

[@shaunkennedy174]

Good to hear everyone seems to like Scarlet/Violet; I’m probably buying that one after I finish Brilliant Diamond. Honestly I wanna get Scarlet and Legends lol. I’m not sure about buying sword/shield yet, I don’t know if I should worry about playing them before Scarlet or what

[@Rosegold.energy]

Please tell me you named the puppies after Pokémon, or the names of the games (pearl, diamond, emerald, etc)

[@seamarie3111]

@@Rosegold.energy​​⁠LOL that would have been so funny, but nope! They came out literally boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, six of them so their puppy names became Harry, Luna, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny for a time. We kept them for long enough though that they all got their own names eventually, aside from Luna whose name just fit her so well! They're black standard poodles (well, some might be turning blue or silver by now because their mom's a silver). Harry became Zeus, who we kept. Luna stayed Luna until she went home with her new people, who named her Lenny, a shortened nickname for a woman who had a positive effect on one of them as a child. Ron we ended up calling Elvis, because he was the most vocal puppy who'd cry if he felt left out. His people kept his name! Hermione we then called Maela for a time, as a sort of combo of her parents' names, but she later became Xena. We kept her too! My little sis chose her from literally birth. Neville was the smallest puppy by a good bit, but later grew strong and as big as his siblings. We called him Thor after awhile, and his people now call him Charlie, and he's the spoiled little prince of an older couple who dote on him endlessly! All the puppies' families are awesome! Lastly, Ginny eventually became Maela, before her new family, who also took Elvis, named her Dolly Mae! So funny the the puppies originally nicknamed for two siblings actually still get to live with each other! What an experience! Wouldn't trade it for the world! Xena's sweet, likes to pick on her big brother and tell him who's boss, has taken over the armchair as her own when her mama's not in it, barks like a siren outside when she sees something, and loves hugs. Zeus is an absolute goofball who will squeeze into tight, small places like under tables and under beds (and he's not small, about 70 pounds) and can pluck food off the counter without leaving a trace; he LOVES butter! He can also open the door from the outside when he's in the yard going potty and wants in, though he LOVES playing keep-away once you try to get him in, LOL!

[@CoolHilcieni]

as someone who played the original diamond and pearl games, i liked the remakes. i think the argument is gonna be about faithful vs changing too much and honestly i think that's where most of the hate is coming from. i genuinely liked it since i could play through these games again but with updated graphics and gameplay features.

[@shaunkennedy174]

Me too. Im addicted to old school Pokémon gameplay so BDSP really scratched the itch for me. Those games exist purely for that purpose, so I don’t understand why they get absolutely trashed by everyone. They serve their purpose. If you don’t like BDSP’s gameplay, then you need to play the new mainline games instead. Simple as that

[@amirgarcia547]

I already knew that Pokémon Legends Arceus would be the highest of the mainline games, since it’s by far the most unique and impressive Pokémon game on Switch. I made, it made catching tons of fun due to being able to interact with Pokémon on the overworld with lite Monster Hunter mechanics, actually having a notable amount of difficulty with the addition of Alpha Pokémon and the fierce and ferocious Noble Pokémon boss fights, and just being able to run around in and explore these sizable overworlds was a ton of fun. To this day, I still wish Pokémon Co. supported it more, instead of tossing out ScarVi in the same year when it clearly needed more time in the oven. I can only hope we get another game in a similar style in the future (perhaps Legends Kyurem?), and it’s safe to say that despite not being marketed as such like with BD/SP, this was the actual Sinnoh remake all along.

[@LooseAsADEUCE]

Switch Legends Arceus and New Pokemon Snap and you have my list. PLA was so amazing and I really really hope we get more games like that in the future.

[@54hman]

Violet being above sword and shield is a bad take , personally the game didn't advance in any metric , and the graphics and Pokemon designs were made by elementary students

[@RealSuperTV]

I just started playing Legends Arceus a few days ago, and man this is the best pokemon game since Conquest.

[@leov91]

As a photographer myself, snap made my childhood and adult self happy together. What beautiful little game. I don’t play pokemon anymore but that game reminded me why I loved it in the first place

[@bandicootsauce4569]

My Personal Ranking: 1. Rescue Team DX 2. New Pokémon Snap 3. Legends: Arceus 4. Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee 5. Pokkén Tournament DX 6. Scarlet & Violet 7. Sword & Shield 8. Detective Pikachu Returns 9. Unite 10: Café Remix 11: Quest BDSP: "And then there's me!" Me: "No, there's coral, there's rocks, there's Wailmer poo... and THEN there's you."

[@jimmymackinnon8474]

Nice Shark Tale reference.

[@shaunkennedy174]

I don’t see why everyone just immediately throws BDSP in the trash can, I mean I get why they’re not the best Pokémon games on switch but they are literally just OG Pokémon games with a new coat of paint. I guess I can see why you’d hate them if your a new Pokémon fan who’s only ever played the newer games but they definitely satisfy the itch if you like traditional Pokémon gameplay

[@Gabriel_Vieira22]

Solid list

[@Joostmhw]

​@@shaunkennedy174yupppp meanwhile legends takes moves away like crazy and is the best??? Like how does that make sense

[@holly8987]

just watched this as I'm struggling to decide which switch game to get. I have played Lets go Eevee before and loved it. I'm torn between violet, legends arceus and Pokemon snap. Ultimately thinking of getting Arceus and then Snap at a later date, thank you!

[@playboicorgi]

Scarlet & Violet should've been lower tbh, I know a lot of people hated on Pokemon Lets GO but I thought it was actually pretty unique and for a Kanto remake it was definitely cool the way you could ride and fly the Pokemon and the way they treated Pikachu/Eevee and let you put clothes on them too and stuff. I just wish they added a lot more post-game content and maybe let you cross into other regional stuff

[@shaydeez]

Pokémon let’s go is phenomenal. I cried when I played it the first time. It made me buy a switch. Seeing red & blue in 2018 graphics is something I never thought I would experience. Incredible.

[@bohannon2692]

You cried over a video game😂

[@TheRyzenfall]

You cried when WHAT??? 💀

[@MajoraZ]

I play Pokken competitively and do community outreach, so I figured i'd explain more about the game and what makes it good for both Pokemon fans, fighting game players, and i'll list useful resources for people interested in learning more. TL;DR I think it does a really good job adapting Pokemon moves with references to the main series games, as well as giving each Pokemon a personality through their animations;, and from a fighting game perspective, the game is extremely well balanced, has a lot of playstyle variety and room for player expression, and has a big emphasis on neutral play as well as fundamentals and adaptation due to some of it's unique mechanics. As I said, firstly, the game does an amazing job fleshing out normal pokemon moves into very well animated attacks and sequences: A lot of people wish the mainline titles had better animations, and I think this can scratch that itch: You see things like Suicuine using it's trendrils for attacks, or Chandfelure unfurling it's arms, and blatoise dynamically pulling it's limbs into it's shell or firing water out of them like a jetpack to move around. This is all often done in a way so in a way that calls back to the official games: Mewtwo's Hyper beam, for example, has a long recovery (or "endlag" if you're a Smash player) period where he catches his breath afterward to mimic the 1 turn recovery period the mainline games have. Chandelure's hex is adapted into a command grab that does more damage the more debuffs the enemy had, mirroring it doing more damage to status'd enemies in the main games. There's even callbacks to pokedex entries and the anime: Gardevoir's super here fires a black hole like in her dex entries, while Lucario's bone rush appears as it does in the anime, for example. Even the stages have a lot of neat details and references: one of my favorites is that the mirror in the Haunted House stage sometimes flashes and you can see Giratina and the Distortion World inside of it! By extension, this also means each Pokemon has a super distinct personality expressed through their animations, which also fills in different fighting game archetypes: Sceptile is animated and characterized like a Ninja, and fittingly has leech side and seed bomb traps, leaf blade acts like a iaijutsu katana slash, he can use a substitute wooden log, he has leaf shurikens he can throw out that float in midair as space control moves, and leaf storm is an anti-air command grab that leads into an izuna drop, all of which are common move types for Ninjas in fighting games, and gives him a mid range lockdown toolkit where he limits the enemies mobility with his traps and shuriken, can catch the enemy at a distance as they're navigating around those hazards with leaf blade or giga drain (a variable range command grab), and if they try to jump you can go for leaf storm. Some other fun examples is that Weavile tries to act edgy and cool, but secretly is really cute and will laugh or dance around and then try to hide it. Scizor is animated like a mecha, with some of his intro animations calling back to the classic gundam launch sequence, he gets jet boosters out of his wings in his run/hover stance, can charge up hiw claws like cannons, etc. This discussion of character archetypes segues nicely into talking about Pokken as an actual fighting game! To be clear, Pokken IS a competitive, traditional fighter: Characters have completely unique movelists with different inputs (though most of them are just a direction and a button, there's no quarter circles and the like, which keeps them approachable when starting out), there is an attack height system (tho it works differently from in most FG's), you have things like cancels, just-frames (moves getting better when timed just right), even street fighter IV focus attacks and FADC, concepts like oki (the mindgames around when a player is getting back up), footsies, corner pressure, etc is all still applicable, and so on. As a fighting game, as I said, the game is very well balanced: For a long time, the community never bothered with making tier lists, simply because it wasn't needed, and while people do have them and we've made a few community voted lists, overall tiers aren't a major part of the scene: Even characters widely agreed to be in the bottom 5 or bottom 3 in the game like Blastoise or Empoleon or Blaziken still show up in the top 8's of major events and tournaments with some frequency, while other low tier characters like Gardevoir, Suicuine, Charizard, etc show up very, very often: Almost the entire cast is viable even at high levels of play. Playing each character also feels very unique as well: This is, of course, something every good fighting game does well, but Pokken especially gives it's characters a lot of wildly different tools that make the fundamental gameplan and options each character has totally distinct, even compared to other great fighting games. There's also enough versatility in their movesets and options that two high level players using the same character often use them in totally different ways (Player expression), something added by the game's phase shift mechanic, which i'll touch on below. Characters also have distinct mechanics and systems: This can be as basic as Weavile's fastfall or Charizard's double jump, moedrate complexity abilities like Braixen's ability to support/assist cancel and build her support gauge and having stacks of enhancements; or as complex as, say, Darkrai, whose moveset actually allows for full combos even inside the 3d field phase and his normals place traps, and can enter a special buffed install state if he enters the 2d/duel phase with a specific move,. Or Aegislash, who is a stance character that changes his entire moveset to be zoning based and gains super armor in his shield form, but also gains more buffs which enable extra just-frames in his sword form the more he switches between stances, alongside having a unique parry. Pokken's most unique gameplay elements are it's phase shift mechanic and the way it handles attack heights, which both add depth, but in a way arguably helps approachability, as long as you know how they work (sadly, the game never explains either well): Firstly, wheras in other games, height exists as a way for an offensive player to bypass and punish blocking to open up a defensive player by sweeping a standing enemy or using an overhead or a crouching one, In Pokken blocking is height universal, and attack heights are used to allow moves to bypass and punish each other, even during their active frames. This means that height is most often a tool to get a reversal: For a defensive player to predict or react to what the offensive player is doing, and to turn the tables and then start a combo or break back to a neutral state (the state of the match when niether player is under pressure and both are trying to get a hit in). This means less time is spent with one player stuck in the corner, and there's more chances for both players to act. This also means there's not quite as much to keep track of when blocking as a new player, but there ARE still height mixups (If Player 1 expects Player 2 will use a move on X height, P1 can go for a move on Y height to punish it, but P2 can predict P1 knows that and go for a move of Z height instead, etc) As far as phase shifting: People obviously already know that Pokken switches between a 2d and a 3d phase, but 2d to 3d shifts actually happens based on a hidden guage/meter, the PSP guage, which fills up the more successful hits land: Different moves add more or less points. On the flip side, 3d to 2d shifts happen off of any heavy hit or most specials. What this means is that on a basic level, it acts as a system to prevent infinite combos in the 2d phase, and knocks you back to the 3d phase, resetting the state of the match back to a neutral situation where neither player is pressuring the other (with some exceptions). But it also means that at a high level of play (New players, don't worry about this!), players can actually manipulate when shifts occur based on altering up their combo routes and move choices: If you're just going for high damage, you'll want to alter your combos to end right on the shift so the shift doesn't interupt it before your high damage ender (sorta like how you'd change your combo route based on the scaling of what your starter was, except Pokken has that, PLUS you're changing it based on what the PSP guage value is WHEN you landed your starter). But you can also do things like go for a weaker or less safe combo that builds less PSP to keep the enemy in the corner under pressure longer, or as a combo reset; or you can go for a combo that shifts faster if YOU want to get back to the 3d phase either due to the matchup or to escape pressure if you convert off a reversal, or if you simply want the health regen/meter causing a shift brings. Some moves also reduce or reset the PSP guage, so there's a resource management aspect as well As you can see, both of those systems do a lot to allow the match to return to and to emphasize the "neutral state" of the game, when niether player is locked down and both are trying to get a hit in, and also to promote wider use of moves beyond just what does optimal damage. All that said, if the game seems cool or that explanation made it sound interesting, I hope people check the game out! You can find more competitive resources on the game's supercombo page, while the main community disk0rd can be found just by googling that chat service plus pokken: it's still active, as is the game's online, even if it's not as big a scene as some other fighting games. It runs some regular online tournaments, as do other community figures like Devlin, Shadow_MewtwoX, as well as one by Road to Greatness, etc.

[@neogalactic1195]

Brother why did you write an essay for video that wasn't even specifically analyzing pokken

[@sonickhable]

I ain't reading all that but i like your passion

[@TheClawIsTheLaw]

I ain’t reading all that. I’m happy for u tho. Or sorry that happened.

[@TFish115]

Definitely the longest comment I’ve ever seen on KZbin

[@northernlightz5319]

Give this man a Pulitzer Prize!

[@xlm905]

I like all Jon's videos, probably my favourite creator, but this video is probably his best. I haven't even cared about Pokémon since the early 00s, it's just a really well put together and entertaining watch.

[@gianlucasabatini2817]

Genuinely curious why you didn’t wait literally a week (okay maybe a bit more to fully digest it) to include Detective Pikachu? I mean I wouldn’t expect it to place very high regardless but it would’ve been neat:)

[@Wesgarbarwil1420]

I stopped playing scarlet and violet about halfway through. The technical issues really ruined it for me. I haven't played it after the patch was released though so may give it another go at some point

[@MDGamestation]

The only switch Pokemon games I played were Pokken Tournament and Legends. Legends was the first mainline Pokemon game I have played and loved. I do hope we get more Legend-type games in the future

[@a.x.x8184]

Legends Arceus ain’t it yeah it’s good, but it’s boring af way to quickly especially with no online features. I prefer tradionral remakes. To think BdSp wouldn’t have to exist if they remade Sinnoh in gen 8s engine like it was supposed to smh.

[@bernardifilms]

You have a uniquely great voice for this type of content. Subscribed

[@firecraft7032]

I want legends jotho or legends sinjoh like there is no other. God I love that game. I love how smooth the game runs, and how the expanded the world of pokemon feel in the past.

[@Mr.Water3]

It would be legends celebi not the region idk why people keep saying that

[@jakethehuman23]

Legends Arceus is set in the sinnoh region…

[@Blastoisebo122]

@@jakethehuman23sinjoh is johto, not sinnoh

[@TangerineTux]

@@Mr.Water3 Because I would rather emphasise the specific part I would be excited about (a Legends-like game in Johto) than speculate about what its exact title would be. We don’t know that the scenario would necessarily be similar or that Celebi would be the one to take the role that Arceus has in the first installment.

[@Faust_YT]

I'vd played the mainline games and Arceus so far is on top because it's the only game so far that lets you actually "catch them all" without any of the gimmicks of trading. And is what Pokemon should have been years ago, open world.

[@SchoolofRockNRoll]

Swordshield and scarletviolet feel like 3ds games with 1 or 2 steps better graphics. Pokemon has become a franchise where you say "the next one they'll nail" but they never do

[@lol-ih1tl]

On the next system, most other franchises are going to have above PS4 quality graphics while Pokemon is going to look like what the other first party franchises on Switch looked like.

[@alexcallender]

I unironically think SV look worse than the 3DS games.

[@YustinJ420]

@@alexcallender yeah I agree, scarlet and violet looked rough and in a way empty

[@memedwin1438]

what 3ds games are you guys playing???

[@sirmel11]

What do the graphics have to do with your enjoyment? The games look fine.

[@AwshomeHat]

I just want more Legends games

[@GoldStorm07]

Johto or Hoenn would be a dream game for me.

[@shadowoflugia]

I really hope the upcoming Legends game will feel more like PLA than SV 😭

[@amaterasu_xo]

I really fucking hope the next mainline pokemon games performance isn’t as shit as Scarlet and Violet. We don’t need any more sub 20fps games lol

[@sirmel11]

The story was great. The game wasn't that bad.

[@Barix5000]

Man Im SO GLAD you chose Pokemon Snap. It was the absolute best. Definitely one of the Switch's most underrated games

[@DanielMisner]

I am overjoyed that you put Legends at the number two spot. I've logged over 500 hours into that game and I simply adore it.

[@lechataucafe]

New Pokémon Snap getting its due!!! Yes!!! Love that game to death

[@LukeSkywalker-zv3xy]

Pla was the only one where they actually tied Pokémon spawns to exploration

[@bregowine]

“Ups and Downs” is selling it short for sure..

[@jodyanthony]

Legends Arceus is my favorite pokemon game ever, and I’ve been playing since blue.

[@SerenaWisdom]

I picked up Snap when I waited for Tears of the Kingdom and now I'm 400+ hours in (while 120 on totk). Truly a great game, can't wait for the next Snap!

[@SurferKroky]

Wow 😮 that much content in snap ?!

[@SerenaWisdom]

@@SurferKroky Depends. Around 100 hours of content if you play casually, but a lot more if you want good scores!

[@shelleyl9368]

@@SurferKrokyI once spent 6 hours trying to get a perfect photo of Whooper sitting on Tropius’ head as they’re flying over a cliff 🤣🤣🤣 the content is definitely there, especially if you’re aiming to be the very best! Lol

[@SurferKroky]

Lmao 😂 I bloody hope you got the shot !!​@@shelleyl9368

[@darudesandstrom1067]

It’s a shame to see what this franchise has become in the switch era. I’ve almost lost faith, I just hope they’ve listened to the critiques from the last 5 years and they make improvements in the next console

[@RJH755]

I can honestly say Legends Arceus is only Pokemon game on Switch I've enjoyed, though I did appreciate New Snap despite it not being my thing

[@nathankonidaris]

I was never able to play gen IV as a kid, so to play the remakes as a adult was really nice and I enjoyed the old gen feel to it, I hope they keep the old formula for future remakes as it was the most fun to play in my opinion

[@EPS5000]

New Pokemon Snap was a missed opportunity for Labo compatibility. It's so disappointing that you can't use the Labo camera with it :(

[@jolty9540]

"and some creatures that were never intimidating in the past are suddenly quite scary" - Paras: 👁👄👁

[@Galdr]

Pikachu after you catch or defeat the Pichu near it: “So you have chosen…. death.”

[@shermellow]

What I learned from this video. Benedict Cumberbatch while voicing Smaug details a list of switch Pokémon games and enjoys taking pictures.

[@JackVGM]

As someone that loves Gen 4 especially Platinum BDSP just makes me sad, I completely agree with everything you said about it 😅and I actually rate Let's Go fairly highly as a remake, I completely agree that its the best looking Pokemon game on Switch (other than Mystery Dungeon maybe) and it sucks that they didnt do a fully orchestrated soundtrack for BDSP like they did for Let's Go

[@klop4228]

I do think they're better games than SwSh, but only because those are worse lol.

[@matheusg.3508]

I think the was the remakes of BDSP, that made me jump out of this sinking ship... Gen 4 was probably my favorite generation, and to see it being treated that badly was the turning point for me... I'm still waiting for a Gen 4 remake, because this one doesn't count... Platinum is a better remaster than BDSP hahaha

[@PERCYJACKSONA]

@@klop4228I enjoyed SwSh quite a bit- tho maybe its cuz it was my first pokemon game n the first time ya play it hits different

[@klop4228]

@@PERCYJACKSONA Yeah, I can see enjoying them as your first Pokémon games. For me, having played every Pokémon game before it (except XY), it's just a Pokémon game stripped of everything I like in the series. Well, except the Pokémon themselves.

[@billybobbobson3797]

​@klop4228 this is such a bog standard take that literally everyone says this. It's literally everything they remember. What's funny to me is ppl shit on bdsp but love Gen 4. The reality is you enjoyed platinum. Bdsp was a carbon copy of DP. Literally down to a T but only a few they added.

[@Badungong]

What is that immaculate voice, didnt expect that at all seeing you for the first time

[@wawztzta8296]

i cant in good faith rate any of these games above a 6. GameFreak needs to step it up I used to love them but I basically boycott them at this point

[@StrangeDad]

The Pokémon Company will get their rent when they fix that damn door.

[@PSpiceProof]

NEW POKEMON SNAP IN THE PLACE IT BELONGS 👏👏👏👏👏👏 also i know Pokemon TCG (GBC) is technically not a Switch game, but it deserves a quick shout out, it's definitely among the best pokemon games you can play on the switch

[@OmegaShanic]

Just to add to this: Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2, even with rentals, are fantastic additions to NSO that help bulk out the library. They're closer to the mid tier ranking of this list, but absolutely should be played and experienced if you're new to the older generations.

[@Scrummy64]

Couldn't agree more on New Pokémon Snap; such a brilliant game that more than lived up to the original

[@ShallBePurified]

Jon: Pokemon! The internet: How could you say something so controversial yet brave.

[@tylere3782]

This is the most level headed ranking of pokemon games I think I've ever seen. Bravo.

[@alvstar84]

I much preferred Sword & Shield over Scarlet & Violet. Nothing to do with the performance issues either, I just liked many things in S&S better. The music, setting, characters, story I really liked in S&S.

[@flappetyflippers]

Finally someone who agrees. SwSh had so much character especially in the gym challenge but SV just feels empty and soulless

[@a.g8969]

I’ve played Pokémon games since Red and Blue. And I have to admit, yes Sword and Shield are piss easy, but as a game it is one of the best gens IMO. The music is fantastic, the gym battles are hype as fuck during a first play through, the new Pokémon designs are top tier (Sirfetchd, Ponyta, Polteageist, and many more come to mind.) And most importantly, the game ran perfectly. It only had slowdown when playing online in the wild areas. But there were no bugs, no nothing. It is a very clean experience.

[@felixpanzer7750]

@@a.g8969is the dlc worth its money?

[@Blastoisebo122]

@@felixpanzer7750no

[@g10viwho70]

The best games are legends along whit shield and shield, scarlet and violet are the worst titles ever made

[@KidouKenshi22]

WE NEED MORE 2V2 POKEMON GAMES WITH COOP

[@islamthegamer5418]

You described violet perfectly It’s a fun mess Just below it is sword and above it is arceus for me Eevee is no4 Pearl is 5 as mainline rankings And I also liked quest a lot

[@g10viwho70]

Violet over sword and arceus? naahhh

[@TangerineTux]

@@g10viwho70 “above [violet] is arceus” i.e. their ranking is: - Arceus - Violet - Sword - Eevee - Pearl

[@ghostface320]

Very informational video to someone new to the switch, thank you!

[@adrianleonce455]

The only Pokemon Switch games i played are Legends and Violet. And I ended up loving both. They are the most fun I had with Pokemon in a while. For Legends, I enjoyed the exploration, tough battles and filling the Pokedex. For Violet, I enjoyed the story/characters, immense freedom with exploring & tackling story objectives, and some quality of life stuff. Plus, I'm enjoying my time with the Teal Mask DLC.

[@sirmel11]

They're both great games!

[@ziemniaczek172]

​@@sirmel11Yeah they are good but sv had so much more potential and felt so rushed like i would rather Wait for 2 or even more years but get a completed game

[@fadirilastname4528]

Which one would you suggest to a new player and have the bugs and glitches in violet been mostly fixed?

[@sirmel11]

Bro, you gotta ignore what people say online. The game plays fine. For a new player, maybe Sword and Shield? I don't love the story. Scarlet and Violet has a better story. Legends Arceus also has a better story. But for your first game, I'd say Sword and Shield. @@fadirilastname4528

[@JL10196]

Is the Pokémon let’s go game worth buying? Is it the same as the remakes of the fire red/leaf green games?

[@FuDiggity]

To be fair, its very hard to replicate the draw distance technology from the PS1. Yall gotta be nicer to Gamefreak.

[@alexcallender]

Understandable. They're just a small Indie dev team after all.

[@sirmel11]

It's weird people are so mad over that stuff.

[@alexcallender]

@@sirmel11 It's weird how sycophants like you happily lap up whatever rushed, unfinished slop GF tosses on your plate. I'm not mad about Pokémon regressing and massively failing to live up to its potential (just disappointed), but it does irritate me when people make excuses for the sleaze and incompetence, or pretend like there are no issues at all.

[@Dataiconroy]

@@sirmel11no people just want a basic level of quality instead of being sheep that just accept anything GF hands out lmfao

[@sirmel11]

People are sheep because they don't agree with your thoughts?@@Dataiconroy

[@maxcastillo8191]

That is a very nice green shirt, sir. Kudos and great vid too!

[@rekc_bcq4816]

As much as I’m very upset by how BDSP was pretty much an after thought for Game Freak, I’m still happy it exists. Having the original Sinnoh on a modern console is very nice. These games are still good, it’s just because Diamond and Pearl were already good. Is it my favorite? No. Would I prefer to play Platinum? Totally. But BDSP gets at least some credit in my eyes.

[@redlion145]

I agree with this. From the strength of the source games, BDSP gets a lot of credit from me. But it would have to run better, perhaps look better, and include Platinum content to top a list like this.

[@jeremiahgreen5632]

I don't really think the original DP was good and it might be worse than BDSP, the slow system and lacking story really killed it for me tbh

[@wreckitreedy5645]

It’s the closest thing we might get to having any of the older Pokemon games on the switch

[@jmccartt7]

Your Top 3 are my top 3! Snap is so underrated. There's a peace that comes when you are a part of the whole pokemon world watching them live their normal lives.

[@Krisipoke]

New Pokémon Snap is just amazing. I can hardly believe how good it turned out to be. It's just so full of love and detail that it's just hard to convey in words. And I'm glad you seem to think this as well. It's the best Pokémon game since Black2/White2.

[@blaken2651]

It’s literally only about taking pictures. How is that even fun?

[@Krisipoke]

@@blaken2651 It's clearly made by a team who had passion for the project. First of all, it's beautifully made, and has so many small details that any long-time Pokémon fan would appreciate. It just feels like actually going exploring in the world of Pokémon much more than any game before it, and feels much more alive than anything in the franchise. The main gameplay draw is the high-score chase, your photos are ranked on several factors, and it's really hard to get some high scoring pictures of most Pokémon. There are even online leaderboards for the more competitive players. Also there are so many secrets you can discover: new paths, new Pokémon, new interactions that give you new poses, and it could genuinely take months or even years to discover everything completely by yourself. So yeah, there's an incredible amount of content, everything is made with care, there are quite some difficult segments for those looking for a challenge (even boss battles), and it immerses you in this world like nothing before it. And this is coming from someone who has stuck with the series since the very beginning.

[@WhiteOwlr]

I just got a switch for the first time and didn’t know where to start, thank you for the video.

[@Jamsch101]

I'm immensely frightened for Black and white remakes Hope they're like Arceus.

[@kiaratheotaku6257]

Don’t let them ruin gen 5 for the switch

[@shaunkennedy174]

Black and white doesn’t have a definitive version like Diamond and Pearl do. The ONLY reason BDSP is considered “bad” is because they are remakes of OG Diamond and Pearl, not Platinum. Black and White don’t have a perfected version of their generation to compare remakes to, so it won’t receive the same hate as BDSP unless they majorly fuck something up.

[@hugivachit6441]

The autobattler actually looks like a fun background game

[@hugivachit6441]

Gonna try it while I'm waiting for my pokemon to smash my ditto on their picnic

[@DryBones271]

you should have waited until Detective PIkachu before doing this video.

[@charliez077]

Pokémon Switch Games: from downright terrible to sorta good

[@SuperMarioSwagger]

the best game on the switch being a spin off made by another company is honestly the funniest shit ever, modern pokemon is such in a sad state

[@sirmel11]

I definitely don't think it's the best game. It's better to form your own opinions. It didn't look that good.

[@SuperMarioSwagger]

@@sirmel11 it is, but i'm talking about the opinion of the video. Modern pokemon is in such a pathdtic state people can genuinely argue that a spin off is better than the mainline game on the console, it's a common opinion

[@sirmel11]

@@SuperMarioSwagger Eh, the Mystery Dungeon games are good.

[@randerins]

I absolutely loved the Sword and Shield games, especially for the Wild Area parts. It's so damn good when it comes to exploration and finding out different mon around, it makes the game very authentic

[@_Banjo_]

Lets GO was really good to me, the gameplay loop , the shiny hunting etc. Catch combos for better IVs / shiny chances.... plus you can transfer your spares for candy. It all worked so well! The original game didnt actually have much of a story and this game did a good job at tying it all together: even using characters like Archie from HeartGold. They used the Elite Four and some of the gym leaders in the story too. The small pool of pokemon was quite nice, and the ways of training them for competitive was great. My only real issue was, they removed wild battles (Which is ok) however, this meant that at a certain point, it actually made training your pokemon kind of pointless, as there was no one to battle

[@TheBeggies95]

I agree. Lets go is my favorite pokemon game of all time for all these reasons

[@KenzieHolt-p8h]

Growing up, I played mystery dungeon red rescue team and mystery dungeon blue rescue team. Got my first Nintendo in over 15 years and looking to get back into Pokemon but I've heard so many mixed reviews so thank you for compiling this list

[@DryBones271]

Pokémon Legends Arceus was Pokémon + BOTW + Monster Hunter.

[@sirmel11]

For sure!

[@JomaXZ]

Not disagreeing on the Mystery Dungeon placement, but when I say that Mystery Dungeon is one of my favorite games, I'm usually not talking about the first one...

[@BBWahoo]

JOHN VIDEO! YES🎉🎉🎉

[@TangerineTux]

Let’s Go or Legends in Johto would be an instant buy from me.

[@DanielAnimationproductions]

Great ranking Jon! Happy to see Pokken in the top 4. 😁

[@CallsHimselfAWriter]

Thanks for the love for Pokemon Snap. I’m so glad it’s at the top with Legends.

[@vstampde8066]

RIP pokemon games ☠️

[@novalyfe227]

*video starts* you: "Pokemon!" me: "Benedict Cumberbatch?"

[@SJT9791]

I hated the performance and bugs of Scarlet and Violet.

[@sirmel11]

Did you have those issues or did you see them online?

[@OHKOKyle]

@@sirmel11i still have them! & the games bad fps is still causing me migraines! Woohoo!

[@sirmel11]

I've never heard of anyone getting headaches from the game but I'm sorry to hear that.@@OHKOKyle

[@evik1472]

All I want is HeartGold/SoulSilver with Let’s go art style but classic random encounter, battle encounter with shared xp

[@shinra2755]

I absolutely loved Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as a fan of the old skool titles. Highly underrated titles.

[@coltoncleveringa8004]

I absolutely love BDSP! I sank 200 plus hours into BD. I’ve got 500 plus in mystery dungeon!

[@soapmctavish4093]

Pokemon legends arceus is the fav for me till now .Just adding a gym system + pokemon arceus would be like a dream come true

[@NintenRob]

The let's go games has a lot of high quality content. But for me, it is completely butched by the wild Pokémon mechanic. Having to play that stupid minigame is absolutely infuriating. Thats why I'd rank it at the bottom of the games I've played

[@Igor69420]

My dream would be to have a live service Pokémon game where each gen is a new update but that would never happen

[@RichtersShadow]

Here's mine: 1: Let's Go (Nostalgia may play a huge part, but I had a great time with this. The new catching mechanic really helped to vary up the gameplay style to keep me invested. Sure, it's probably too easy and the master trainers suck, but definitely a highlight for me) 2: New Pokemon Snap (I miss secret evolutions and the like, but this is a great sequel) 3: SV (had a lot of fun, but the technical issues and the dreadful towns let it down) 4: Pokemon Legends Arceus (Couldn't put in the top three only because I've only played the opening couple of hours. Need to get back but I can see this going higher) 5: SwSh (I didn't hate this, but the wild area is trash and it's very linear) 6: Pokken (fun to be had, but I'm not really into fighters so fell off quickly) 7: BDSP (terrible remakes) 8: Café Remix (not a lot to it) 9: Pokemon UNITE (not for me) 10: Pokemon Quest (Less beautiful and less tedious than Mystery Dungeon) 11: Mystery Dungeon DX. (gorgeous but I found the game mind-numbingly boring)

[@kylewood4488-b9r]

You should finish Legends Arceus. The grinding to finish the Pokedex may feel tedious at times but the ending and post game felt worth it.

[@RichtersShadow]

That's the plan! I have had a pretty busy year, so it ended up getting pushed to the sideline, but I plan to dive into a few of my longer games to end out the year. Will likely play this in November!@@kylewood4488-b9r

[@Blastoisebo122]

💀

[@UltraPaperGamer]

I keep forgeting Pokemon Snap 2 exist

[@ramenpower8097]

My hot take is that the Let’s Go games are still the best

[@Big_Man_W]

Yeah that is a hot take 😂

[@That_Lady_Charlie]

This statement bothers me. But I also have no good argument against it.

[@SilentMeteorite]

Damn I disagree but more power to you

[@Hundo_Mo]

I loved the Lets Go games. Some times having a simple fun time is better than something over complicated

[@michaelcottrello]

The Let’s Go games weren’t ambitious but they looked good and didn’t have performance issues so yeah not bad take

[@dgc1570]

What about Pokémon NSO games? Why weren't they here on the list? Also no cafe mix?

[@DigitalxGamer]

I actually think random encounters is NOT a step back. I think it's a step to the side. It's just a different way to do things. Being able to avoid LITERALLY all encounters is kinda boring to me. Plus, BDSP did many other things to improve upon the original DP games. First of all, the Underground doesn't rely on local communication anymore, and has a lot more of an actual purpose. In the original, it was just a novelty I did a couple times but got bored with. In this game, I was constantly going back to see what I could find in each new area. On top of that, you have the updated mechanics, including Fairy type. The Contest Spectacular looks so much better now than before, and the boss fights are actually legitimately designed to be challenging if you actually put in an effort to avoid being overleveled. If you really want to challenge yourself, then...do it. It's not hard to do. This game is a MASSIVE upgrade from DP imo, and way better than everybody gives it credit for. It could ABSOLUTELY be better, yes. But you can't judge a game for what it isn't, that's not fair no matter what game you're talking about. It absolutely fares a lot better than Let's Go, imo. At least I feel like I'm playing a Pokemon game. Yes, the wild capture system takes away THAT much for me since that's what you spend about 60% of your time doing in Pokemon games. Plus, it even fails as a remake because it's a completely different game with completely different characters. I am admittedly a little biased because I love the Kanto games and their remake in FRLG, and I wanted a game like that. So I do hold a bit of a grudge against it, even if it's not totally Let's Go's fault. I'm just frustrated at it because the definitive Kanto experience is still FRLG. At least with BDSP's inferiority to Platinum, Platinum still has the phys-spec split and animations. With Legends Arceus, however, boy do I have words. I really don't like Legends Arceus. I LOVE all of the QoL changes they made like evolving whenever you want, nicknaming, etc. But capturing Pokemon without having to battle them is extremely trivial, but even if I want to battle them, I can't even enjoy that because they GUTTED the battle system. Even things you thought were scary early on quickly become nothing more than tedious wastes of time once you realize you can just hit them from behind while crouching in the grass like any other Pokemon. Did you fail to catch it? Oops. Oh well, take a few steps back and hide behind a rock until they stop aggroing on you and then go try again. Or don't even waste your time doing that. Just throw Mud at them until they get stunned, then just walk behind them and try again. And when I say they GUTTED the battle system, I mean it is an absolutely broken mess of a trashfire. There is one strategy: Use Agile moves or speedy moves to get more turns in a row to just demolish everything your opponent sends out. Your opponent will get one or two moves in eventually, but it's nothing compared to what you've done to them. Speed is the only stat that matters in this game. And tanky Pokemon really feel that as a HEAVY nerf, almost to the point of uselessness. That said, I DO like Frostbite and Drowsy and wish that was in the actual games instead of Freeze and Sleep. They feel a lot more fair. I also liked the open zone aspect of it and Pokemon Riding had never been as fun prior to this. The first two Noble Battles were also really fun if you didn't use your own Pokemon. BUT. That is where the fun of the game ends for me. Everything else about it EXTREMELY tedious and the story is boring and predictable af. And this game has gotten me to despise Paras and Parasect like never before. By the time I finished the coastlands, and that TERRIBLE Noble boss fight, I was ready to stop, but I felt the need to power through it to the end. Unlike with Let's Go, where I acknowledge I'm not being fair to it by judging it for what it's not...Legends Arceus doesn't really have that excuse. It's to the point where sometimes I wonder if the Internet and I even played the same game, because I just don't see how this could have possibly been entertaining in any way. It was just a massive grindfest to get even the necessary 10 dex points for each Pokemon. Honestly, I feel kinda the opposite with SV, where people keep marveling about how fun Legends Arceus is...whereas in SV I keep marveling at how great the Pokemon look. My own personal order from worst to best: Pokemon Quest Pokemon Cafe Remix Pokemon Let's Go Pokemon Unite New Pokemon Snap - I just find this game too different from the original. Looks great, and I loved the original Snap, but this feels more clunkily designed, like they felt the need to just stuff as much in as they can rather than actually design areas where these Pokemon may actually live. Legends Arceus BDSP Mystery Dungeon: DX Pokken Tournament DX SWSH Scarlet/Violet Anyway, sorry, this post became a lot more ranty than I wanted it to be. But what can I say, I'm passionate about Pokemon. And people are free to love what they want, of course. Not saying my opinion is the right one or anything. I just explained how I felt about things~

[@OmegaShanic]

I appreciate someone echoing my sentiments with regards to BDSP and Arceus. I think there wasn't enough experience with Arceus for some people - you can absolutely lose your opening Pokemon before you get a turn due to how poorly designed the battle system is. Arceus with a slow Pokemon team is an exercise in frustration, and most battles were just completely frustrating for me. And to me, Pokemon IS battling - getting that wrong is worse than any other problem in any of the other games. As for BDSP, one thing I rarely see mentioned or commented on: Gen 8 "breeding" mechanics. Gen 8 did a lot to update the competitve nature of Pokemon to make it easier, and most of that is in BDSP. This includes, most importantly, Egg Moves, which as of Gen 8 you can freely pass to existing parents. Why is that important? Every. single. Pokemon. in the Underground has an Egg Move. That's right - the Underground is a massive tutor hub for teaching your Pokemon moves they wouldn't normally know. I think people will warm up to BDSP in a few years - Let's Go and ORAS have their fans and defenders who showed up after a few years, and BDSP just isn't as terrible as most people think.

[@LimitedEye]

Yeah I remember playing legends day one and just falling in love with the concept and I desperately want more very much a successor to rangers for me

[@shawnzt4782]

1. Pokemon Sword and Shield: So I know this may be a hot take, but Sword and Shield are some of my favorite Pokemon games ever. I said what I said :) 2. New Pokemon Snap: A wonderfully charming game, definitely in my favorite Pokemon games ever as well. Gorgeous game that makes me smile every time I play it. 3. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: I really like these games, but I don't love them. So much potential squandered by many half baked ideas, but the openness and freedom of Paldea is great, and the story and characters are mostly awesome (Arven is probably the best character in main-line pokemon ever), and some great new Pokemon (Orthworm anyone?). 4. Pokemon BDSP: BDSP were very enjoyable for me. It gave me the classic Pokemon experience, and the music is also great in this one. I do wish the games looked better though, the washed out colors and the bluriness detract from it, but I do like the cutesy art style. Also, I agree with John, this game is incredibly easy up until the Elite 4 and while I love the difficulty, I wish it had been more gradual. 5. Pokemon Legends Arceus: Definitely was a fun game, but not particularly my cup of Sinistea. I'm more of a Pokemon battler, and the battle mechanics in this game were too simplified and unbalanced. Catching Pokemon was fun, and I like how seamless it was, but I actually prefer how Scarlet and Violet was a happy medium between classic Pokemon and Arceus style of catching. 6. Pokemon Let's Go remakes: These were fine. I really didn't like that you had to play the games with a joycon, and it also bugged me that Pokemon battles didn't provide much experience, which I know was on purpose to encourage catching Pokemon, but more my preference and not a game design flaw. I did like the art style, and it looked very clean.

[@alexcallender]

Awful. Terrible. Indefensible.

[@Monadogamer7]

I'm in the same boat, but replace Snap with Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX. Fixed some issues with the OG Rescue Team like giving you the option to choose your Starter if you don't like the one the quiz gives you at the start of the game. Also Starters like Skitty & Machop are no longer locked behind what gender you choose, THANK YOU. Rare Qualities are pretty cool. Basically a second Ability. Rapid Bullseye on Skitty with Double Slap is pretty overpowered but I don't care. Skitty is actually good in a Pokemon game for once. It's a damn shame this came out like 2 weeks before Animal Crossing New Horizons. Hoping we get an Explorers of Sky DX or a PMD 5, as I did enjoy Super Mystery Dungeon on 3DS. Gates To Infinity was alright.

[@DaveReviewsThings]

Yesss am i am dreaming? A list video by Jon? Its a great day

[@Laz3rCat95]

I'm just starting to get back into Pokemon games again on the Switch. I enjoyed Scarlet/Violet a lot, started a Sword/Shield game but haven't done much with it yet. There are many on here I want to try sometime too. New Pokemon Snap looks like a lot of fun and like probably the most visually appealing Pokemon game. Legends sounds like fun too and I know a lot of people really like it. I think I would enjoy Let's Go also especially since you can ride around on the larger Pokemon. I haven't played a Mystery Dungeon game since the DS era but that could be interesting to check out too. And Pokken seems like it could be great to play with friends or family members for some quick fun. I'm not really interested in the rest, though.