The Optimal Pokemon Play Order

[@theguntersadopt3268]

I think you should play black and white 2 after BW because it demonstrates how a game can successfully create a sequel and see how things change in the world.

[@ItzJhon]

I would argue the johto games are direct sequels to the kanto games and demonstrate what BW2 does on a larger scale.

[@SwerveNation]

but unova is a new region and its sequel is good too​@@ItzJhon

[@HowManySmall]

​@@ItzJhonare you kidding B2W2 have a larger post game than even hgss, you have the battle tree, the pwt, the ACTUAL post game story (no a second half baked region doesn't really count as a full second region), and all this on top of the superior main game?

[@HowManySmall]

Sorry KZbin app is scuffed for no reason Not just this but you actually see what real characters were up to during the time skip, which Kanto doesn't have The second region does more to hurt what could've been a perfect region than it ever did to help it

[@matttaylor1449]

Real gen 5 fans prefer BW over B2W2.

[@Gagafreak92]

For all the beginners who are still struggling with how to start: 1. Overall you can start with whatever game you want and what box-art mascot is most appealing to you, since all Pokémon games are designed to be beginner-friendly. 2. Skipping Black²/White² is the biggest crime in history. It's not the full unovan experience if you won't play the sequel where the region us familiar but also different with many new locations, a complete new story (2 years after Black/White) and development of some characters of the first BW games. 3. If you wanna choose Platinum first and love this game due to lore, region and the native Pokémon but want something more challenging after the standard formula, the best game after Platinum would be Legends: Arceus. 4. If you wanna play something more strategic with using your items wisely while loving a great story, the best game is one of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. If you're emotional, you might cry. 5. If you want to move fast and also destroy the Touch-Screen of your Nintendo DS/3DS due to the mechanics, paired with solid stories, the Pokémon Ranger series is the best choice.

[@ItzJhon]

@@Gagafreak92 I basically agree with everything except the bw2 stuff. In order to understand the story and have it not be lost on you, you need to play black and white. Which at that point, gives you a comprehensive experience of the unova region and gen 5. While bw2 are great games and better than base BW, they realistically dont add enough to warrant playing through them instead of moving on to gen 6. (Especially if you want to play the minimum amount of games possible) You get 3 new gym leaders, a couple new towns, a downgraded final boss and the PWT (which is locked behind the post game). BW2 are perfect games to come back to after experiencing what every other generation has to offer. I also definitely support playing any of the spin offs. Ranger, mystery dungeon (darkness/time/sky) and ESPECIALLY colosseum and XD

[@erikcastro9803]

@@ItzJhonBW2 is the best pokemon game made i think i would hate myself if i didn’t recommend anyone to play it even if they do want to the play the minimum amount of pokemon games

[@jordo2604]

Good sir, is there anyway you could respond to my comment and maybe answer some questions I have? Please and thank you.

[@timb4297]

​@@ItzJhon completly Bad take thats like saying yeah you should watch breaking bad but shouldnt watch better call Saul even tho its as good yeah it has the same characters like before but we are getting so much more of them told like in bw2 and there are many differences first better graphics, Animations new characters, new themes, a completly new story, new areas, and more added to the old ones same with the characters, more pokemon, more legendaries, new ones too, new difficulty modi on and on and on its literally a continuation of the story with more work put into it and saying to skip that basically saying to skip a pretty neat pokemon experience just doesn't make sense

[@ItzJhon]

@timb4297 man this reminded me how much I loved better call saul. But to respond to your comment, if thats your reasoning for playing b2w2, why not just play every game? Games like emerald, platinum and the ultra games do the same thing for their predecessors. However the point of this list isnt just ranking the best pokemon games but rather experiencing the most out of the pokemon franchise with the least amount of games possible. B2w2 are easily some of the best pokemon games but you need to play bw1 to understand the story and if youve done that, youve already experienced unova.

[@ResetOnYoutube]

Order: FireRed, LeafGreen (2004) Emerald (2005) Platinum (2009) HeartGold, SoulSilver (2008) Black, White (2011) X, Y (2012) Sun, Moon (2016) Sword, Shield (2019) Scarlet, Violet (2022)

[@ItzJhon]

✅

[@silentgaming7213]

I'm sorry but before or after platinum should have diamond/Pearl, idk how this was skipped over.....

[@ResetOnYoutube]

@@silentgaming7213 me neither

[@urekmazino6800]

​@@silentgaming7213cause it's ass

[@yadplayz77]

​@@ResetOnKZbinshould have chosen UltraSun and UltraMoon for Alola

[@DustyGogoat]

Wildly triggered when he said to skip B2W2 But this is a fun video good job!

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

why don't you wash your gogoat if he is so dusty?

[@ItzJhon]

My Join Avenue fellas aren't gonna be very happy with me 😅

[@kodysoles9912]

Is it worth the $150-200? I skipped that one too. Left off at sun and moon bc I didn’t want to buy a switch. Now I’m rewatching the series and am probably gonna get a switch or the 2 if it launches soon 😂

[@Garde_Mystik]

Tbh, USUM is the real Alola experience, because the game is about the Alola's backstory, the origins of totems, z-moves, trials, the aftermath of this backstory, and everyone trying to deal with it. It also just has much more going for it than Sun and Moon and is otherwise not so different.

[@ItzJhon]

(Gonna repost it here as well just in case ya dont see the previous post) (To be fair tho, You are right that they arent that much different and I dont think there would be any real harm if you played USUM instead) Honestly a really good question. I wanted to talk about that! I bounced around putting US/UM over SU/MO but decided with the latter for one reason in particular. While USUM is objectively better because of things like Ultra Necrozma and Ultra Warp Ride, the way it disrupts the story makes me side with SU/MO as the more faithful Alola experience. 90% of the plot in USUM is the exact same but then removes the lusamine finale (which the plot is intended to build toward) and replaces it with an out of place (albeit better) Necrozma finale. (Basically the same reason I chose B/W over B2W2 but on a smaller scale). Also I think the ultra necrozma stuff fits better if you played through SU/MO because you would have context to what is being replaced. TL;DR USUM's story feels like a "true ending" while SU/MO's feels more like the normal intended route. It doesn't make sense to play the true ending before the normal one.

[@MoeChiller]

Here is the thing: For the Story I would recommend S/M. Then some scenes in USUM doesn't add up while they're only improtant for S/M and they didn't cut it or altered it to fit in the story for USUM. For the Gaming-Experience I would recommend USUM. They added many features in this game like Mantax-Surfing and because of the Sidequests, USUM became (in my opinion) one of the liveliest pokemon games ever.

[@RayOfTruth]

Ultra has gameplay improvements, but ruined the story by removing the themes and character development that made the original Sun & Moon so good.

[@mysterroniouscherry326]

The first order was basically how I played pokemon. Started with LeafGreen, played emerald, then Platinum, SoulSilver, Black, Black 2, X, AlphaSaphire, Moon, Ultra Moon and so on.

[@kratugautam304]

Bro same

[@CallumMcPherson]

I don't know if this was intentional or not, but another cool thing about your optimal play order is that is that it follows the in-universe chronology. Hoenn's story happens at the same time as Kanto's, Sinnoh's story happens at the same time as Johto's, and then the chronology of Gens 5 and beyond is the same as the release order (except that B2W2 and XY happen at the same time).

[@ItzJhon]

theoretically you could swap HGSS and platinum just so that dialogue about the red gyarados makes a lil more sense xD

[@rizot0ny1996]

How do you know Hoenn and Kanto are at the same time? Have I missed something before.

[@randomedgygamer2191]

Imagine legends arceus being your first Pokémon game. It warps the entire experience and everything feels way too outdated after that lol

[@ItzJhon]

I cant imagine how lost someone would feel going from legends arceus to any other mainline game. Its the reason I really wanted to keep the optimal order also in release order.

[@sovereignblastoise6767]

Legends of Arceus was the biggest price of dog shit the only saving grace of that game is Hisuian Samurott

[@iJustNuts]

@@sovereignblastoise6767I didn’t like arceus either. Shining pearl was my favourite

[@JeremiahSpoon]

44 year old grizzled old guy here. This is me. I was in college when Pokemon came out and missed out on all of it. Recently started playing and started with Arceus. At the time, it was the newest game.

[@kj-go3mh]

not my first game as i emulated fire red on a computer in one of my highschool classes a couple years ago but since has been one of the few i’ve put a lot of hours into besides go and violet, i think not mentioning it at all in this video is criminal as it’s and outlining masterpiece for pokemon switch games,. got a couple hours in emerald from emulating back then aswell but have a modded 3ds on the way so i can go back n play the old games because i mean retro and a lot of the fan favorites are back then so im not gon mind the “warping” as i feel like they’re warping the current games into something they were never intended to be..

[@STikER326]

I love how this is exactly the order of how I was introduced to the series (for the earlier gens at least): FireRed>Emerald>Platinum>SoulSilver. It does show the progression of the series' gameplay and introduce you to the Pokémon and regions past Kanto very well. And if that's not enough, I introduced my little sister to the games in the same order, and she became a fan too. So yeah, pretty spot on.

[@ItzJhon]

Anyone that has a quagsire profile pic definitely knows whats up 😤💯

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @ItzJhon! Really appreciate the video. I did read recently that fire red and leaf green were great places to start and glad you advised the same. I played the original Red when it came out new and wanted something to play with my daughter to give her the Gen 1 experience but better. We’ve already clocked 15 hours and we’re both really into it! We are also watching the original anime at the same time which I highly recommend to anyone to experience between play sessions of the game. Nice narrative to add to the game but it’s also like a guide too. Wanted to thank you for the great video as I was thinking about what we might play next and I think your video nailed it.

[@ItzJhon]

This comment literally made my day :). I'm glad I was able to help and hope you guys enjoy ^_^. I hope one day I'll be able to do the same thing with my future kids : D (watching the original anime too was a good call 👍)

[@andrewboyle4591]

Around the time that Pokemon Diamond and Pearl came out I played my first ever Pokemon game. Pokemon Blue on a hand-me-down Gameboy Color. It remains my favorite to this day.

[@LuigiTheMetal64]

When playing Pokémon Emerald, note that the version started the overworld Ability effects gameplay. Route 102 is where you can get Ralts that may have Synchro. If it has any neutral Nature (Shy, Docile, Hard Working, Quirky, or Serious), it is a great Pokémon to have you encounter wild Pokémon with a good starting Nature 1/2 of the time.

[@ItzJhon]

Facts

[@juako0407]

My first serious playthrogh of a pokemon game was X and Y back then in 2017, it was a pretty nice experience overall, but years later when i start to get more into pokemon in general, its feels awful the fact that you don't get the usual xp share for all of your pokemon and i lose interest in older pokemon games, but like 2 or 3 years ago i give it a try ones more and when you get use to the old mechanics is one of the more enjoyables sagas i ever play, so this video its super advisable for newer players

[@ItzJhon]

Thank you!

[@OwenCamel]

I didn't start playing pokemon until Sword and Shield, and continued from there. I went from Sword, to Violet, to Yellow, and now I just started Crystal

[@ItzJhon]

Crystal was my very first game : D How does it feel going from the recent ones back to yellow?

[@slightcurve98]

I personally hated it when they only had gen 5 pokemon in black and white but now I know the mons I love it. But I did think some gen 5 mons were strange

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

Some gen 5 mons looked like they were just there to fill a niche that other pokemon would've filled if they were in the region. It leads to a lot of forgettable and redundant pokemon. That said, when the designs were good they were good. Just wish they really opened the floodgates to old pokemon in the post game.

[@Br0oham]

​@@AGTxASSASSIN To be fair (after a quick google search) almost no route after the Elite 4 has more than 1-2 Unova Pokémon, being almost exclusively gen 1-4 mons, yes they could have had more, but it isn't exactly easy to chuck 400-ish Pokémon into less than 20 locations

[@josephbulkin9222]

​@@AGTxASSASSINbetter than shoving Geodude and Zubat into every region with no alternative.

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

@@josephbulkin9222 i mean they just made two pokemon that were "totally not zubat" and "totally not geodude". I like the sentiment of having all new pokemon. But in execution they just copied gen 1's homework and now instead of zubat we get knock-off zubat. They should've gone a more original direction with a lot of the designs rather than just try to fill the exact same niches that already existed.

[@josephbulkin9222]

@@AGTxASSASSIN It' just feels weird to get into a new region only to be told there are barely any new pokemon to choose from, and you have to choose the old ones to have a decent team.

[@christopherbrenon]

i started my pokemon journey recently and am planning on going in order of generation using the remakes of the classic games

[@Ratorss]

As someone who started Pokémon with the newer games I had zero problem going back to fire red for example. I would say that Fire red felt more fresh after playing the modern games,(S/S, Arceus, S/V) it’s a classic for a reason.

[@ItzJhon]

I think this really shows how well the generation 3 games like Fr/Lg and emerald hold up today. (Which is my favorite generation for a reason😤) Which generation is your favorite? I will say tho, I think you would feel that adverse effect more if you played R/B/Y or G/S/C. I still love em but, I think they are hard to play for players accustomed to the modern games.

[@Ratorss]

I just got a used DSi so I'm playing FireRed and SoulSilver right now. But I will play emerald, platinum, and BW1-2 as well. So I can't really say which gen is really my favorite right now. I liked all the games I played so far except for Sword/Shield. I agree that the very OG games didn't aged really well, but FireRed and LeafGreen kept what made those games great without changing their core.

[@Kittynelson4]

I think the optimal play order if we had to do just four games would be 1.Emerald You get the flavor of the first three generations, the best Pokémon variety along with being the best game boy era game. While fire red does cover the first generation I think that putting nostalgia aside fire red is a much weaker product and a lot harder for new players too traverse then emerald. And the rest of the Gameboy era games feel really dated. 2. Black two and white two this covers the DS era It’s the most streamlined and best Pokémon variety version of the DS games. A pretty decent bump up in graphics. Well, you can make an argument for platinum.I just think the incredible Pokédex from GEN five really enhances these games over the rest of the DS era. And I think that HG and SS are incredibly slow long games with a weird level curves with fairly limited Pokédex. And I think it’s gonna be jarring jumping from GEN three to GEN five if you’ve picked black-and-white one because the Pokédex are going to be so different to wear black to white to have a good mix of new Pokémon to returning ones. 3. Ultra games, these are arguably the hardest games in the franchise and they’re very different from the rest. They have a large Pokédex and a great showcase of boss fights in Pokémon and just a straight upgrade of their original games. It is the best iteration of the team EXP on the 3DS. As well as these games probably have the best showcase of the new fairy type of all the 3DS games as well. You even get that mega evolution aspect from GEN six as well.And lastly, 4.Scarlet and Violet, these also have a very different feel from the rest of the games and they’re the most modern ones too. you get that open world feel similar to generation one but you get to experience the openness with all the roaming Pokémon like with sword and legends Areceus. Well, it sucks having to leave out generations 1246 and 8. I think doing 3579s best representatives shows a big enough jump between generations to where you’re really gonna feel the quality of life improvements. Starting in generation three you have abilities held items nature, the modern version of EVI and ivs and much better move pools so it’s a good starting point to where you have a lot of modern mechanics at the very beginning of your first experience. Then Going from GEN 3 to 5 you see the physical special split really come into play as well as unlimited use TM’s drastic increase in the amount of Pokémon as well as the seasonal changes with weather and such. Then jumping from GEN 5 to 7 you get the 3-D graphics as well as the new fairy type mega evolutions and totem Pokémon, and Z moves and Universal EXP, and the lack of HM Pokémon needed and even your moves being told if they’re super effective or not. I think this is one of the biggest jumps between any set of games, all these quality of life improvements make the games a lot more convenient. And lastly, going from G7 to GEN nine the actual physical gameplay a lot different the traversal the tera type feature. Raid battling. Being on Nintendo switch being upgrading graphics over the 3DS. A lot more accessibility to Pokémon moves, relearning them changing them around no needing of heart scales or move learner. a lot of TMs are available at the start of the game so bad Pokémon with poor level up move sets not really be as much of a problem to use. Not to mention the colossal amount of par variety you get in these games. On top of all the Pokémon in the DLCs. For someone brand new to Pokémon, they’re very first experience and they wanted to play all games the order I would recommend would be. 1.Let’s go games. These are very simple Pokémon games and would ease you into the formula. Not to mention that it’s generation one remake. if you want more traditional experience, pick fire, red or leaf green, but that’s completely optional. 2. Emerald. This would be your first experience in a real mainline Pokémon game. And that way you’re not just going straight from Kanto to Joto it’ll make playing HG and Ss more memorable after playing a change of pace between the games. Not to mention playing Emerald third would be kind of weird jumping from the DS back to the gameboy. 3.HgSS This is your first introduction to a bunch of the new modern feeling mechanics and you get the nostalgia of going back to Kanto at the end of these games I think playing it after emerald instead of before makes emerald feel a lot better. On top of making visiting kanto again more special. 4. Platinum this is the definitive version of these games and the remakes on the switch are not good. One of the best Pokémon games easily, and it fixes a lot of the problems with diamond and pearl. 5. Black and white one This will be very different experience from the rest of the games you’ve played with the whole new unique Pokédex. 6. Pokémon x and y I know it’s a weird putting these before black two and white too, but I think playing two games in a row that are very similar is going to be kind of weird. I think mixing in x and y show you how bad this generation of games is and how good black and white two is. 7. B2W2 going back to experience the second half of Unova again will show how good of a sequel this game is. Not to mention after playing x and y it’ll make you appreciate this game more for how good it really was. 8. The ultra games. I think you can skip over the first versions. There’s a few different totem fights, and the elite four is different. Basically everything else is an upgrade. Not to mention watching the cut scenes multiple times if you had to play the originals and then the ultras would be very tedious. 10. Sword and shield this is much more traditional than the ultra games. This is arguably the most replayable Pokémon game there’s a huge variety of Pokémon in the wild area and the DLC’s at a bunch more that you can use on a play through. 11.Legends Arceus. This is the only non-main game. I’m gonna recommend on my list. It gets you familiar with the whole riding mechanic, and the Pokémon being in the overworld even more than sword and shield. As much as I wasn’t that much a fan of these games it’s hard not to recommend them because it’s a great change of pace. 12. Scarlet and Violet would be the games I would play last. I mean they’re the most recent game so it’s hard to put them anywhere else but here. You either end with these games or you start with them, but this is not a great game to introduce you to the Pokémon formula since it’s so different from the rest. Sorry for bad grammar I’m on my phone so it’s hard to proofread very well .

[@ItzJhon]

Very interesting and thorough list! :o I think this is a great way to play if backtracking isn't an issue. I do like the inclusion of legends arceus quite a bit. I tried to fit it in mine but its just so different from the rest.

[@Resaixo]

I'd still consider Arceus mainline. I think since it's 1. Developed by Game Freak, and 2. Introduces new Pokemon, it kinda has to. Agree heavily with this order though!

[@wandererking]

I think this was very well well thought out. The Lite version is more how I’m going through with my bf for his time but swapping “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!” for FRLG because he’s not much of a gamer and Pokémon Go was is first experience with the franchise.

[@ItzJhon]

pretty good swap tbh : D Lets go is super beginner friendly and waaaay more available than FRLG.

[@kev_sen]

So when it first released with Red and Blue on Gameboy, Gameboy was already on it's way out (black and white still) but this game made it wildly popular again out of nowhere and people bought them just to play Pokemon. You'd have to find someone with the opposite color to trade with a link cable to collect all the Pokemon. Then gameboy color came with the addition of Pokemon Yellow (Pikachu edition) which included all 151 Pokémon in the generation without the need to trade, I would suggest Yellow as the first game as it's also what the original anime/cartoon story was about.

[@Edriella]

Best recommendation list I have found. Thanks.

[@ItzJhon]

@@Edriella Thank you! :,) Nothin but the best for you guys ^_^

[@WeMalachiteNow]

PEPSIMAN SPOTTED!!!!!!

[@MrEroupe]

I think your light way to play is optimal, people will probably get burned out by doing it the first way

[@macrocosmos33]

I've been a hardcore fan since 2010, and I've played almost every game released since and before that year. A couple of months ago, I told my gf to choose one game to begin her first-ever Pokémon journey, and she chose Legends Arceus. Without held items, without worrying about IVs or EVs, without breeding, with easy evoultion methods (for Pokémon that would evolve only by trading), and with one of the smallest Pokédexes in the series, I think that game was a good choice. Later on, when she decides to play another game, it'll be easier for her just to incorporate the other mechanics, knowing the basics from PLA.

[@ItzJhon]

@@macrocosmos33 legends arceus is a great game, easily one of the best in recent memory! I tried really hard to fit it into the video but I had to leave it out for the sole reason that it dosent really represent any of the generations. Regardless, I hope you guys have fun! ^_^

[@Gygrfynhvfcddeft]

Thank You! I am new to the community and I dont know where to start.

[@ItzJhon]

love the pfp btw

[@Kyunoo44]

Randomly was suggested this video in my algorithm. I didn’t realize you were a small creator until I finished the video. You did an awesome job! I’ll give ya a sub!

[@ItzJhon]

Its comments like these I always dreamt of getting. Thank you friendo! :D

[@Kyunoo44]

@@ItzJhon keep going!!!

[@ItzJhon]

@@Kyunoo44 ill make ya proud 💯😤

[@bobman717]

Opening the PC in Ruby only to see the 'Move Pokemon'option was mind blowing

[@ItzJhon]

Peeps dont know how much of a game changer this was 😤

[@IsaiahFisher19]

I feel like starting with gen 1 and 2 ain’t a bad way to start just so you understand what the series was intended to be

[@ItzJhon]

gens 1 and 2 definitely have a vibe to them that you cant really experience without playing them.

[@Rinees05]

You could just do Red, Gold, Ruby, Diamond, Black, X, Sun, Sword and Scarlet in that order as they’re the first version of each new region in order. That is the best order for a true traditional play order for each region. Best games to play for each region? Not at all and probably the worst but it’s the truest and most simple order you could do

[@red_dll]

This is actually a great order to play the original games and also useful for Pokemon MMOs like PokeMMO in terms of casual playing the storylines.

[@ItzJhon]

Funny you mention PokeMMO. Ive been playing since 2012 and made one of the first trailers for it 😤

[@cerealguy9979]

​@@ItzJhonyou made the first trailers?? That's cool because your trailers pretty much convinced me to play Pokemmo

[@ch33seweasel42]

I personally LOVED that you skipped over Silver/Gold/Crystal. They are long and have a lot to do story wise, but they are very limited in terms of what pokemon you use that are different than red/green, waiting to do it until later is very smart on that alone, then it's heart and soul to make it even better.

[@RcktFngrs]

I subbed for the Kamina glasses. Nice vid, keep it up.

[@ItzJhon]

Real know real 🤝💯😤 Ill make you proud friendo!

[@agustintrivino9365]

Bro didn't even take a minute to spit facts

[@ItzJhon]

@@agustintrivino9365 nothin but the best for my fellas 😤💯💯💯

[@SkywalkerOne1977]

This is a fun video. Thanks for sharing! This could help get new people to experience the games.

[@ItzJhon]

Thank ya ^_^

[@furiousdestroyah9999]

Started with PLA, played through Violet after and will probably go into sword and shield next. Maybe this isn't the optimal order, but the games are still lots of fun

[@sammydroubi6022]

I was honestly just looking for a way to experience the most Pokémon regions, without needing to buy too many consoles. So far, I’m convinced I only need a DS lite and a Nintendo switch to play 7/9 regions. Not having a 3DS might keep kalos and alola unavailable, but there will most likely be remakes of them for the switch in the future.

[@roshi1738]

the true optimal play order is just playing crystal

[@ItzJhon]

🤝 It was my first game for a reason

[@darkcyter]

My only complaint about HG/SS is Slugma and Houndour are found in Kanto, they didn't change that, it's infuriating, what's the point of introducing two awesome new fire types if you can't even catch them in that region?

[@Br0oham]

Before watching, my order is just Firered/Leafgreen (gen 1) then R/S/E (gen 3 happening at same time), then Gen 4 - HG/SS (Gen 2) then DPPt (gen 4 happening at same time as gen 2), then Gen 5. That has gen 1-5 in Chronological order. Then XY onwards just do whatever, they kinda threw out any sort of sequential story telling As an avid Gen 5 fan, the take on Gen 5 is enough to earn my like. As much of a masterpiece BW2 are, with all their great additions - auto-repel resetting, Join Avenue, Pokéstar Studios, etc. - it isn't quite Unova as intended. Yes you don't get to play your favourite Pokémon for the story (for 95% of people), but it was a nice change to not see Zubat, Geodude, Pikachu and a ton of other mons you see in every game since their introduction

[@ItzJhon]

Basically got it spot on! :o. Also I'm glad I'm not the only one that shares the sentiment that Black and White are the REAL Unova experience : D

[@AMINISHAK]

I couldn't agree more. But I'll add legends of arceus to the list. It's about the man from the future that travels to the past with some interesting characters related as ancestors..

[@ItzJhon]

I looooved legends arceus and would reccommend it 10/10 times. It was just tough to fit into this list cuz its just so different.

[@greenhillnerdnew8148]

legends arceus definitely replaces the scarlet and violet pick

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

Bit strange including legends arceus in this exercise though, it isn't exactly a core game.

[@greenhillnerdnew8148]

@@AGTxASSASSIN remakes aren't "core" games either, neither are 3rd versions or sequels, all of them can still do the best job in showcasing an era, generation, Pokedex and region of pokemon

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

@@greenhillnerdnew8148 remakes are just that - "remakes" of past games. They play exactly the same with some extra features and nicer visuals. Legends arceus has completely different gameplay to the main series. It isn't an insult, legends is great, but it doesn't really represent the series.

[@greenhillnerdnew8148]

@@AGTxASSASSIN for the purposes of this video, remakes ARENT just past games, their updated mechanics,rosters, design and visual sensibilities tell the stories of both the generation they are reworking, and the generation they were made in, the same way legends would. I'm not contesting that legends Arceus is more separated from diamond and pearl than platinum or even bdsp, it obviously is. I'm making the case that said distance isnt a relevant factor for the purposes of this video, the same way it wasn't for the third versions and remakes.

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

@@greenhillnerdnew8148 I would argue that Legends Arceus doesn't tell the tale of either the gen it references or the gen it was made in. The main game in Legends' generation plays nothing like legends, and while legends obviously draws its theming and references from gen 4, it is hardly a retelling of gen 4. Legends Arceus is a separate entity that draws from diamond and pearl, not replaces it. I would say for this video, remakes ARE nicer versions of the original in the optimal play order. Maybe you can make that argument for the 'lite' version, but even then legends arceus certainly wouldn't do a good job of showcasing either gen as it plays nothing like either and only resembles one of them.

[@maxonator3913]

Optimal play order: Deluxe version (made by me) This was intended to pick out at least 1 base game from every generation/region + all the remakes, to get the full Pokemon experience. 1. Yellow 2. Crystal 3. Emerald 4. FireRed/LeafGreen 5. Platinum 6. HeartGold/SoulSilver 7. Black/White 8. Black2/White2 9. X/Y 10. OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire 11. Sun/Moon 12. UltraSun/UltraMoon 13. Sword/Shield 14. BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl 15. Legends Arceus 16. Scarlet/Violet Alternate order, with the same games (that imo would make more sense for someone just getting into Pokemon today): 1. Emerald 2. Platinum 3. Yellow 4. Crystal 5. Black/White 6. FireRed/LeafGreen 7. Black2/White2 8. HeartGold/SoulSilver 9. X/Y 10. OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire 11. Sun/Moon 12. UltraSun/UltraMoon 13. Sword/Shield 14. BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl 15. Legends Arceus 16. Scarlet/Violet Another alternate order (this time to go through each generation 1 by 1, and then do the remakes or extra games): 1. Yellow 2. Crystal 3. Emerald 4. Platinum 5. Black/White 6. X/Y 7. Sun/Moon 8. Sword/Shield 9. Scarlet/Violet 10. FireRed/LeafGreen 11. HeartGold/SoulSilver 12. OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire 13. BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl 14. Black2/White2 15. UltraSun/UltraMoon 16. Legends Arceus

[@ItzJhon]

All three of these lists get my seal of approval 👍 (don't forget colosseum and XD for the ultimate pokemon experience!)

[@msrsamsri]

After fire red, emerald, soul silver and maybe platinum, every other sequel is hot thrash, in pokemon design, gane design, story and graphics.

[@Rogue88820]

This is really cool (tho you probably shoulda added legands arceus) I like doing these types of things as well but challenge myself to include as many games as possible. Obviously this wouldn't be a good choice for a newcomer so good job👍

[@ItzJhon]

I tried really hard to fit legends arceus in. (I really enjoyed that game) But its so different from everything else and basically requires you to have played a gen 4 game to truly appreciate.

[@Surepeacooler]

My first pokémon game was pokémon sun when it first came out, but i never finished the game. I lost interest for a few years before coming back to pokemon with Sapphire & Pokemon Moon.

[@ItzJhon]

sapphire was one of the first pokemon games I played ^_^. Hope ya enjoy it!

[@RhiannaAtriedes]

First 2 gens dont get enough credit

[@ItzJhon]

Gen 2 especially. Those games have such a vibe

[@watari6346]

Because the remakes are regarded as direct upgrades to the originals to most

[@meeco777]

Follow-up video discussing how to transfer Pokemon from previously played games within the optimum order! 🙌 🔥 💯

[@ItzJhon]

Your just reminded me I forgot to include one of the big reasons behind both orders. 😅 I was supposed to mention that playing these games in this order, lets you transfer them as you progress through em, all the way to pokemon home.

[@AutisticTomato26]

You're right in saying Hoenn has the best selection of pokemon. A ton of my favorite mons come from that region, and it also has my favorite legendaries.

[@ItzJhon]

Nothin but facts Also 10/10 pfp 💯

[@AutisticTomato26]

@@ItzJhon hehe thanks!

[@llusix]

playing these on my modded dsi, thanks for the list 😁🙏🏽

[@ItzJhon]

Nothin but the best content for my fellas 💯😤

[@luxrayblast]

Colosseum before BW and XD before B2W2. Full order is: Legends Arceus Legends Z-A [When it releases that is] FRLG Emerald HGSS (Johto occurs before Sinnoh) Platinum Black & White/ Colosseum Gale Of Darkness B2W2 XY SM Galar + DLC Paldea Prologue ---> The Teal Mask Scarlet/ Violet Main Story Indigo Disk My opinion on the Timeline Order. I'm not hearing the "Orre isn't canon" argument. But, I never played Galar, so my timeline is: Legends Arceus [Rei's Story; Rei is the Boy's name in Legends Arceus, so I used that.] LeafGreen Emerald HeartGold Platinum Colosseum/ White White 2 X Sun Violet Main Violet Teal Mask Violet Indigo Disk But, my very first game was Diamond on DS. However, this is the timeline I built from my adventures. The timeline just isn't in order of completion, just where I'm placing them. From LeafGreen onward, the trainer name is LuxrayBlast. Because I want it to be the story of my character's adventures.

[@ItzJhon]

anyone who respects colosseum and XD is a friend of mine👍

[@luxrayblast]

@@ItzJhon Really? Thanks. I actually used my Pokémon Colosseum Team for the Indigo Disk Story in Violet. Plus, in B2W2, there's a character in Castelia City who has plans to make a device to allow Pokémon & people to communicate. Dr. Kaminko just so happened to attempt that in XD, he failed. So, there's a small connection between XD & B2W2 that *somewhat* canonizes those games, even if Kaminko isn't name dropped or referenced directly.

[@luxrayblast]

@@ItzJhon Also, I will say this: At the end of Kieran's Indigo Disk Battle in Violet, the two Pokémon left standing against his Hydrapple were the two Pokémon who literally STARTED my Pokémon Colosseum playthrough: Myriga the Espeon & Dyguino the Umbreon. My Colosseum Team's Adventure ended with the two who began the adventure in the first place. They won their first battle together and their final battle together. If the idea of the same Espeon & Umbreon who fought countless double battles to stop Evice, being the ones ending Kieran's Reign as BB League Champion isn't poetic, I don't know what is. But, Myriga, Dyguino, Lanayru (Ampharos), Ostyrix (Quagsire), Citadark (Typhlosion) & Nyxorius (Flygon) were double battle Veterans. Also, It may have taken 3 years to finish Colosseum & XD, but, during my 2023 Pokémon gaming until the release of The Indigo Disk marathon, I can say that I am pretty Pokémon'd out. My most recent completed adventure was Crystal. Colosseum, Emerald, XD, Platinum, White, White 2 Challenge Mode, Crystal, Violet, Diamond, Brilliant Diamond, Black 2 & 3 runs of Legends Arceus within 4 years of each other is ALOT of Pokémon. I only plan to play up to Lance in GS.

[@danielcm4237]

This dude just straight up ditched the best pokémon game 💀

[@ItzJhon]

Whatcha mean? I got HGSS and emerald on there :)

[@danielcm4237]

@@ItzJhon Actually, in my heart, Emerald is the best pokémon game, but technically I think B2W2 is the best one (HGSS is top 3)

[@banzaialex5984]

B2W2 are just good imo Overall well made but it's extremely forgettable. It's one of the only games in the franchise where if someone asked me to describe the story, battles and locations I wouldn't be able to describe a majority of it

[@tyc4587]

He said Emerald

[@GTD101]

Pokemon crystal

[@supersaiyansalamence]

I’d say play HGSS before Platinum because platinum starts with the red Gyarados report on TV making it a nice callback. Also I’d add in B2W2 and UsUm instead of SuMo.

[@ItzJhon]

all valid changes!

[@Lunziq]

Great order, I would add some games with side comments: Play bw2 after bw if you really enjoyed bw. If you liked Emerald, play ORAS after xy. Adding these as extras gives space for an optional better experience. Bw2 are straight up upgrades from bw so if you enjoyed those games, bw2 will enhance the gen 5 experience. If you liked gen 3, playing trough it in gen 6 is also a great extra experience. Even though for me Emerald is the best gen 3 experience, the extras and gen 6 megas really make it a great extra experience. It all depends on the time you got (lets be real here, no one is really 'buying' the older games if they have never played Pokemon before). So adding those as extras in addition to the 5 games only route gives a lot of diversity in the time you want/have to spend. Legends is also a nice honorable mention to experience something new after all the classic gameplay games.

[@ItzJhon]

100% agree! I may be biased but, I think if you enjoyed any pokemon game, you should try out XD & Colosseum. Easily the most slept on games in the entire franchise.

[@troyforce1]

I agree with everything except the black and white discrepancy. There is no reason to play BW when BW2 exists. I think you're misrembering how many changes BW2 made.

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

I agree bw2 is way better, but i think the point he makes in the video is that the original bw are the more "gen 5" experience. If you want someone to experience the whole series i guess you would want them to experience gen 5 as originally envisioned rather than bw2 which watered that down a bit.

[@robmalcolm8042]

Yeah 2 series was good but the original had a better story and that og 5th gen experience. 2 did add alot but there was already a good amount of content on the first games.

[@josephbulkin9222]

So many Unova Pokemon arent even available in BW2 until after the Pokemon League(Seismitoad, Durant)

[@trapez77]

Bw 2 makes you do the stupid pokestar studio in order to progress

[@robmalcolm8042]

@@trapez77 true but that doesn’t take that long and isn’t too intruding it’s fairly quick. I like at least for black 2 how they have that trainer tower post game it’s good for leveling. Almost as good as firered and leafgreen but those two probably have the best way of grinding since it doesn’t scale at high levels like black and white do

[@waragainstmyself1159]

Also this was a great video!! instant like

[@kj-go3mh]

since ya said you’ll read every comment n asked for opinions i’ll lyk how you did on ur takes.. fire red/leaf green is a good dare i say perfect starting point for the franchise.. but if you really want that old feeling you could go yellow, next i dont hate your emerald take as thats my second mainline pokemon game i touched but i feel like if you want the “intended” release order which felt mostly like what you were going for id say stick with hg/ss 2nd because that’s where they’re intended to be, then emerald, then platinum, x/y, b2/w2 bc they’re jus better or you can do them in order but if you have to pick one to not recycle to much content go with the better one right? same take for ultra sun/moon but i know much less abt the differences between these two compared to bw 1/2, me personally owning a switch and am never going to pay to experience sword or shield because they don’t seem worth it in the slightest unless i come across it cheap and much prefer arceus and violet/scarlet so id put those in my endin part

[@ItzJhon]

@@kj-go3mh respectable take. The only reason I would say emerald before hgss is because going to a 4th gen game with the physical special split then back to a third gen game will feel awkward to most players. (In addition to the fact that gen 2 has a lot of repeat pokemon from gen 1 so hoppin to a gen 3 game is a nice change of pace. Playing bw2 without bw is tough cuz the story wont make sense so if you could only play 1, id just go for base bw. Finally sw/sh is one of the weakest entries so I dont blame you. You can always count on ItzJhon to read the comments ;)

[@Maisxxn]

My current play order is emerald-fire red I had already started emerald before deciding to play them all again Next I’m doing soul silver then platinum then white then white 2

[@ItzJhon]

golden age of pokemon right there

[@Raincloudblue]

Honestly if you want to have the best Pokemon play order without skipping the originals, here it is: 1. Pokemon Yellow 2. Pokemon FireRed (Remake) 3. Pokemon Crystal 4. Pokemon HeartGold (Remake) 5. Pokemon Emerald 6. Pokemon Omega Ruby (Remake) 7. Pokemon Platinum 8. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond (Remake) 9. Pokemon White 10. Pokemon White 2 11. Pokemon Y 12. Pokemon Sun 13. Pokemon UltraSun (Modified & Enhanced) (It's an alternate version of the same game with same graphics but with additional features) 14. Pokemon Shield 15. Pokemon Scarlet 16. Pokemon Legends: Arceus Extra: Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu (Remake of Pokemon Yellow) Now this is based on the better version with exclusive pokemon in each gen, of course you can pick the other versions based on your preference, but this is the true Pokemon experience. You're welcome.

[@4mmdefeater366]

im completely new to the franchise haven’t played one game yet but for example why would u play crystal and heartgold after emerald for example even if they came out after

[@Raincloudblue]

@4mmdefeater366 Based on the video I think it’s his personal opinion to put Gen 2 in the 4th place order, I actually got confused by this because the games generally follow the anime show’s story and environment, but one doesn’t have to watch the show to understand the games and that is the point of the games: to widen the pokémon fanbase with more content. That is why you can actually play the games in any order you want because each game keeps its own story and features while making you feel like its a different experience every time. That’s why you get to choose your name in every game instead of playing as a fixed MC character’s name like Ash from the show. In the games you are the MC, because this is your adventure. Trust me the best way to play the games is in this order. You get to experience how the games evolved graphically and mechanically and that is the best way to experience the games.

[@kuroskurort]

Was I the only one who expected him to give an order for all 37 games or at least include the remakes, too? xD But still a good video!

[@ItzJhon]

I can if ya want ¬‿¬ also anyone who uses xD is a friend of mine

[@darkcyter]

I'm probably one of the few who LOVED gen7 games, enjoyed the trials and z moves, my complaint was to "bond" with the pokemon with petting them which takes a bit long, and the handholding in the story is just too damn annoying, but I loved the unique features different from all the other gens/regions

[@ahmedalmohands7437]

Between every 2 games together i should choose one right as its same story?

[@ItzJhon]

Yup!

[@t-murph9371]

Why is Colosseum never mentioned in anyone’s list?

[@ItzJhon]

@@t-murph9371 colosseum and XD are easily some of if not my fave games of all time. If I included spin offs, they would 100% be on the list 😤💯

[@he2692]

I havent played a pokemon game since the orginal red all those years ago. Gonna pick up fire red and go back in time 20 odd years 😂

[@rizot0ny1996]

I’ve never played Black or White, the day I went to target to buy them only 1 copy of B2 and W2 were available and I bought both.

[@waragainstmyself1159]

I want to introduce pokemon games to my kids like i used to play.. i had pokemon red, and then i ended up with silver. I still remember the breeding eggs part. Those games are still some of my favorites. Whats a good gameboy to buy? Im so confused by all the models after GBA is when i stopped playing. Should i go with a gameboy SP? or this one called a DS? bro help a bro out lol

[@ItzJhon]

Id personally recommend the gameboy advance SP or the DS lite. The gameboy advance sp is able to play the games you had (red and silver) but also play the generation 3 games (emerald, firered etc.). The DS lite is super affordable and can play what most people would agree is the peak of the franchise (generations 3-5). Hope that helps : D

[@djbarela4]

I started my daughter on a rom hack Pokémon pink it’s yellow and crystal remake and you can choose jigglypuff as a starter. Pokemon yellow taught me to read as a kid lol

[@geraldsaved]

What is the best play order to catch them all and transfer to Pokémon HOME?

[@ItzJhon]

I had that exact thing in mind when creating these lists! The first play order outlined in this video is perfect for that situation as it basically takes you chronologically through the series. This allows you to not only transfer all your pokemon eventually to home, but also lets you transfer your pokemon to each game as you play through them. The tricky part is the hardware. You would need to have: 1x DS/DS Lites 1x 3DS 1x Switch Access to Pokemon Bank & Poke Transporter Access to Pokemon Home In addition to all the games

[@geraldsaved]

@@ItzJhon Thanks for sharing man! I appreciate the response! I have all the systems. Just need more games!

[@goldfish1091]

​@geraldsaved or your could have a 3ds moddded u can play all the pokemon games before switch and u can play switch games since u have all systems u can find physical copies cheap in mecari or look in thrift stores

[@KVJoker13]

So I love Black 2/White 2. And while I was initially against you leaving it out, I slept on it and understood where you were coming from. B2/W2 introduced a lot of amazing features and while I still love these games, one thing that I wasn’t a fan of was the purposeful ambiguity of what happened to the player character from Black/White. While the development process would have probably pushed the release date back: if they took the Kyurem story from B2/W2 and put that in the post game of Black/White (heck, do a time skip of 2 years), I think it would have been better. N saving Hilbert/Hilda would have hit more because of all the previous interactions N had with them up to that point. If they did this, I think Black/White would have been the best Pokémon games of all time. Also, if they implemented more elements of Platinum into Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl (like how they put elements of Crystal into HeartGold/SoulSilver), that would have gotten my vote into the optimal play order lite list. I’m still bummed BDSP wasn’t as good as it could’ve and should’ve been.

[@ItzJhon]

Having bw2 being the post game for base bw would have been so cool. While I would take bw2 anyday over base bw, it dosent give anywhere near the same gen 5 experience as black and white. With that in mind, If there were more differences between the main game, I would have prob said to play it.

[@Yash-oe9vy]

Black and white 2 were legit one the best games. A blunder to skip them

[@ItzJhon]

yes and no. Bw2 are easily some of the best games in the franchise, however if you removed any of the other games in the list in favor of bw2, youd be missing out on more than if you just skip em

[@iambravvo]

@@ItzJhonnah that was genuinely a horrible decision ngl there’s no defending skipping it

[@AnimeFusionUpdatesz]

I made a list myself Main Completion 1) Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen 2) Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver 3) Pokémon Emerald 4) Pokémon Legends Arceus 5) Pokémon Platinum 6) Pokémon Black and White 7) Pokémon Black2 & White2 8) Pokémon X&Y 9) Pokémon Sun and Moon 10) Pokémon Sword and Shield 11) Sword and Shield DLC 1 12) SW/SS DLC 2 13) Pokémon Scarlet and Violet 14) Pokémon S/V DLC 1 15) S/V DLC 2 and then Epilogue After this if the person decides to revisit the regions but in a different game 16) Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee 17) Pokémon OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire 18) Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl 19) Pokémon UltraSun & UltraMoon

[@NeekoNikoo]

Another absolute BANGER

[@limegrass6194]

Im gonna say it, the wild area wasn't evem that open world. I remember how irked I would be looking for something in the wild area and see something down a cliff and then having to bike around eleventy million meters to get a thing that was just a few steps in front of me just down a cliff. The wild area only feels big because the rest of the game's routes are mostly 1 dimensional.

[@ItzJhon]

FACTS. I love pokemon only popping up when they are right in front of you. It breaks emersion and just looks bad.

[@RuseGuise]

How are y'all playing the older games like fire red? I also want to play heart gold

[@berkinarss]

You can download an emulator

[@RuseGuise]

@berkinarss which one do you use? Visual advance or something like that, I think it's called

[@berkinarss]

@@RuseGuise i use mesen for nes, snes9x for snes, desmume for ds, and citra for 3ds

[@akhsdenlew1861]

@@berkinarss IS there a viable way to play Heartgold in PC without bugs and crushes?

[@berkinarss]

@@RuseGuise I use desmume for ds and citra for 3ds

[@anthonytitone]

Fire Red/Leaf Green, Emerald, Platinum, HG/SS, B&W, B&W2, X&Y (debatable), Sun/Moon, US/UM, Legends Arceus, & if u reallllly need more Pokemon in ur life then go back & play Yellow, skip the rest of the switch games unless u want to play them all. I like the idea of this list but I just don’t c how Emerald & Platinum r less essential than Sword/Shield & Scarlet/Violet

[@jsredstanley3]

This is the order i played these as a kid. I quit at hgss though

[@ItzJhon]

Sounds like you had a good childhood 💯

[@konstantinkunz2256]

10:38 that is actually not true. Everwhere in Sword and Shield you can see wild pokémon in the grass.

[@corvidcosmo]

3:56 Except for me, who got destroyed by her Togekiss the first time.

[@ItzJhon]

For me it was milotic xD

[@DorminatorX]

i wouldnt reccomend jumping from new to old because the old exp share is a pain and after you got used to the superior shared exp share and no hm's you will HATE the old pokemon games. the best to start IMO is BDSP because its a combination of old and new

[@ItzJhon]

agreed 🤝

[@LogChop]

6:34 - 7:00 i disagree. I've played in this order Emerald > SwSh > Legends Arceus > Platinum > FRLG > XY > ORAS > BW1 > BW2 And loved all of them, except the latest XY (it was too easy). I felt like some old games are better than the newer ones. Also I played BW2 right after BW1 and i wasn't bored at at all. The starting area is entirely different till castelia city. And by far, BW2 is my favourite pokemon game and the only game where i beat the post game.

[@ItzJhon]

Its definitely doable just like in ur case. I would highly recommend hgss tho. Especially if you like post games ;)

[@LogChop]

@@ItzJhon yeah, that's definitely next on my list of games to play!

[@DaVinci19-o6z]

Why would you choose SM instead of USUM???

[@ItzJhon]

I went into detail in another comment but long story short, Usum are objectively better games but have an altered plot that doesn't make as much sense as base Sun and moon.

[@RayOfTruth]

Ultra has gameplay improvements, but ruined the story by removing the themes and character development that made the original Sun & Moon so good.

[@Juancam132]

My pick for how I’d play is playing with the remakes/remasters. Whatever version has better pokemon too 1. pokemon fire red 2. Pokemon soul silver 3. Pokemon omega ruby 4. Pokemon Re:illuminated platinum (rom hack that is still unavailable but remakes platinum) 5. Pokemon white 6. Pokemon white 2 7. Pokemon y 8. Pokemon sun 9. Pokemon ultra sun 10. Pokemon shield 11. Legends arceus 12. Pokemon Scarlett

[@markhoxit2897]

As someone who started with let’s go eevee and Pokémon sword, I feel like I have a hard time playing the pre gen 6 games, even though they are considered the better games. (Just started xy and have been LOVING IT though) I tried platinum but not having exp share just messed me up. Any tips on how to work around no exp share? And couldn’t it be found as a held item in some of those games?

[@ItzJhon]

From gens 1-5, the exp share is a held item that you can find somewhere in the early game. In platinum, its given to you right before you enter the cycling road. As for working around the no new exp share, the best way to combat it is using ur team differently. Unless you want to spend the time grinding out and having a full party of 6, you should focus on using only 3-4 pokemon for battling(one of them being your starter). This leaves room for the last two spots to focus on HMs needed to traverse. These older games were meant to be played at a much slower pace than the newer ones so dont be afraid to take a break if you get exhausted. If you ever find a team member really falling behind, you can always catch a stronger wild pokemon to fill that spot. If it still just isnt resonating with you, theres definitely a romhack version of the older games that patches in stuff from the newer games like teamwide exp. I hope that helps :) Emerald and platinum are some of my faves in the series so I hope you enjoy em :D

[@fonginisensei7818]

I would definitely not skip black and white 2. Yeah the story isn't as in depth as the first. But it's just the ultimate upgrade in every other aspect. The amount of mons you have access to. The team building. The exploration and expansion of the unova region is just to good. I'm currently on a playthrough now of white 2 and it's the most fun I've had in a long time with Pokemon

[@ItzJhon]

BW2 is without a doubt better than base BW. The reason why it didnt make it in is because I wanted the list to be as concise as possible and BW2 are just too similar to base BW(even with all the improvements) to justify playing through both of em.

[@concentratus8362]

My personal order: 1) Firered/Leafgreen or Red/Blue Color romhack with 2 gen sprites 2) Gold/Silver/Crystal or Polished Crystal/Crystal Clear Romhacks 3) Emerald or ORAS 4) Hearthgold/Soulsilver or Sacret Gold/StormSilver romhacks 5)Platinum or Renegade Platinum romhack 6) Black/White or Blaze Black/Volt White romhacks 7) Black/White 2 or Blaze Black/Volt White 2 romhacks 8) Unbound romhack 9) Good gen 2 romhacks (Prism, Orange) and good gen 3 romhacks (∞)

[@ItzJhon]

The addition of some romhacks definitely spices things up 👀👀 whats ur fave one?

[@Carnage209ws_]

I’m playing ultra violet right now which one should I go to next? I was planning on emerald next

[@ItzJhon]

if ya mean ultra moon, sword and shield would be next chronologically. If you want to stay on the 3ds, Omega ruby and alpha sapphire are essentially 3d remakes of emerald. if ya mean violet, starting over at emerald (which is probably my favorite mainline game) and then following the order in the video wouldn't be a bad option.

[@Carnage209ws_]

@@ItzJhon ultra violet is I think a fire red nd leaf green rom im playing on delta

[@ItzJhon]

@@Carnage209ws_ OHHHHH Emerald would deffo be the next best thing then

[@ForceTheOne]

Definitely get rid of Sun & Moon & Add Ultra Sun & Ultra moon. They are way more completed & more updated as it’s the same game with a basically a free DLC.

[@fellowpassenger_54-67]

That would be the way to go if you don’t care about the story during your first play through, otherwise SM should take priority since the story is much better than USUM’s version of it

[@RayOfTruth]

Ultra has gameplay improvements, but ruined the story by removing the themes and character development that made the original Sun & Moon so good.

[@matttaylor1449]

More or less agree with everything in this video. Though personally I like the experience have playing each gen’s original games and slowly gaining those quality of life features.

[@ItzJhon]

The best way to play tbh

[@nate1811]

The only issue I have with fire red is that you can’t get mewtwo after beating the game.

[@ItzJhon]

yeah... it is a little annoying that you have to do some of the sevii island stuff before mewtwo. But at the end of the day, you can still catch em : D

[@Stennett2144]

platinum needs to be in the top 5.

[@LuMnOsITi]

Red, yellow, fire red, complete.

[@Duane9419]

The Gamecube games are amazing.

[@ItzJhon]

🤝 aint nobody a bigger fan of colosseum and XD than me 😤😤

[@Kukujack42]

I’ve played black and white as well as black and white 2 and tbh black and white 2 were the way more fun unova experience so I would recommend playing it right after black or white

[@Kukujack42]

Plus there’s also just way more to do and access so that’s already more of a reason to play it

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

I recommend bw2 instead of bw. Better game, better experience. Playing both would be pretty long and redundant tbh.

[@jackhenwood7277]

Personally, I feel BW2 need to be played due to it being a direct sequel to BW, and it’s absolutely brilliant seeing how the characters have developed in the 2 years. Also I’d suggest playing HGSS everytime after FRLG due to the fact that once again it’s a sequel and then go back the Emerald then Platinum. Also USUM over SM because they are basically just expanded versions

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

The only thing about playing hgss before emerald is that when you go back to emerald, there's gonna be some quality of life stuff that you got used to that is now missing.

[@RayOfTruth]

Ultra has gameplay improvements, but ruined the story by removing the themes and character development that made the original Sun & Moon so good.

[@sodhu4478]

This video would have been really usefull a year ago, at the time I never played a Pokémon game, so not knowing anything i started with the First Pokémon game over, i choose Pokémon Red.

[@ItzJhon]

cant go wrong with the starting at the very beginning : D

[@DeathInTheSnow]

I honestly don't think every generation needs representation. If anything, I would skip straight to HG/SS first and taste the games that way, especially if you've never played Pokémon before.. From there, and once you're familiar with the mechanics, I would try out Black and White to see how far the 2D games could go. I agree that they're a standalone experience, but they're also huge games with some of the best designs and mechanics. Then I would skip to gen 9. See what the games are currently like and decide if 3D is what you're into as a new player. Remember, by now, you've played 3 full games of the same type minimum, 6 if you did both versions. It would get tiring, and by the time you've finished SV, probably quite frustrating as well. But there is a good remedy for that. B2&W2 are the best sequels that the series has ever had. Every bit as a good B&W, but remixed with some earlier gens and new puzzles to keep it fresh. It also had that neat animated trailer to go with it, with Rosa and her Serperior. Everybody loves Rosa and Hilda, and the games are so much fun!

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

i agree not every gen needs representation, but i think the "lite" version he presented in the video strikes the best balance for this. including ORAS gives you a taste of both gen 3 (which invented a lot of series staples) and gen 6 (which gave mega evolution and was generally a big moment for the series being the first 3d games) in one game.

[@gyatttt1109]

BW had some of the best designs? Have you seen Klink, Vanillish, Trubbish, Heatmor, Druddigon, Alomomola, Tynamo, Palpitoad, or any of the starters, just to name a few? Generation 5 had by far the worst designs of every pokemon game (SWSH is barely behind tho), and the only thing BW have going for them is the story, which I also think is pretty stale. I personally don't know anybody who is playing a pokemon game for the story. BW is also incredibly linear and the backtracking is awful. Indisputably one of the worst games in the series.

[@jackdiddles4304]

@@gyatttt1109 L take, gen 5 had great designs and the backtracking is hardly a bother at all. did you not get the hm for fly or something? it's given right to you and you don't even need gym badges to make the hm moves work.

[@CanadianFitted]

Firered, Emerald, Platinum, SoulSilver, White, Black 2 or your pick of versions and then have fun and shiny hunt, don’t play the rest 😂

[@sydstep]

Great list!!

[@ItzJhon]

Thank ya! : D

[@PaulKickboxing]

I started with fire red then went to emerald, i beat emerald , but i didnt finish fire red , im going to go download leaf green and give that a run through. Emerald was fun, but im super under leveled in the battle frontier so i kinda stopped playing it

[@MidasCooks]

1:FRLG 2: Emerald 3:HGSS 4:Platinum 5: Black & White 6: X&Y 7: Oras 8:USUM 9: Sword & Shield 10: Scarlet & Violet. (Note: it may be a controversial opinion to skip the original sun and moon, but usum it’s so much better in all aspects.)

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

Good order but too many games for a beginner, gotta trim some that are just alright

[@ItzJhon]

Valid order👍 I dont think there would be much harm for playing USUM over SU/MO. I just see them in a similar vain to BW and B2W2 on a smaller scale

[@MidasCooks]

@@AGTxASSASSIN I see this is kind of like the ultimate list

[@ridermalak3291]

Replace FRLG with Dark Violet (GBA Romhack) for a better story connection with HGSS

[@MidasCooks]

@@ItzJhon It may be bcuz of bias but I personally like them better because they don’t stray too far story wise until the end

[@SuperDuperson-v9k]

I completely agree with your first list besides the fact that I would add BW2.

[@jjco665]

I'd say the ultra lean list would be to just stick with emerald, platinum, HGSS and if you're not liking pokemon, give it one last chance with Legends Arceus. Some games like sword and shield, and the lets go ones will make you feel ripped off, gen 1 and 2 are great and all, but too glitchy and mechanics do not represent the plus side of these games, gen 5+ are great too, but pokemon peaked in gens 3 and 4.

[@AGTxASSASSIN]

I'm sippin that ultra lean

[@ItzJhon]

If you asked me, Emerald, Platinum and HGSS are without a doubt the best games in the franchise. Buuuuuut, In order to appreciate the good ones and get a full grasp of the franchise, I had to throw in some of the more polarizing games.

[@Bigh90]

I just got back into playing these games but already finished heartgold. I’m gonna play platinum next and then BW after but don’t know if I should just play BW2 instead. Is it worth playing them both? Is it worth playing both versions of each generation in general?

[@ItzJhon]

Great question! While bw2 and bw are very similar, playing bw2 without bw is gonna make a lot of the plot (especially the team plasma stuff) feel weak. Its definitely an option, but I wouldn't recommend it. However, in your case, I would only play BW2 if you reallllllllllly enjoyed black and white. Otherwise, its going to feel like your playing the same game again with some minor tweaks. While Black and white 2 are amazing games, I think its more worth your while to experience a whole new gen than to do another lap around unova. BW2 is a great game to come back to once you've experienced what each gen has to offer. Hope that helps : D