[size=4]So I'm getting a DS this christmas after wanting one for [i]years[/i]! I know [b]I want to [i]finally[/i] get into pokemon, but I'm not sure which gen to start on[/b], so I thought I'd ask y'all![/size]
I know that all the games are quite friendly to new players, and I've heard that [b]black and white[/b] are in particular catered to newbies, so [b]currently I'm leaning towards them[/b] (most likely white)
Their [b]starters[/b] aren't exactly my favourite, though, which is a [b]pretty big factor[/b] for me, for obvious sentimental reasons. I'll probably chose Snivy if I go with b/w, despite my bias towards fire starters
[size=1](I know they're the most difficult option, gameplay-wise, but Cyndaquil and Charmander will always have a place in my heart... just look at that lil bean ~ [img]https://i.imgur.com/ui1663i.png[/img] ...uh, back to the point though)[/size]
Also, just from looking at a couple of screenshots of gameplay, I'm [b]not loving the art style of b/w[/b] either, it seems stuck awkwardly between the classic pixel art and the gorgeous full 3D animation of the recent games, though after I actually start playing it probably won't bother me as much
I've also considered starting with the [b]first gen[/b], but I want a game that's as playable as possible, and I've heard the older games are comparably more difficult to pick up, as well as something about a shift in the battle system from b/w, but I'm not sure how that comes into things in terms of starting out tbh
[center][size=4][b]So what do y'all recommend?[/b][/size][/center]
Oh yeah, also, before you ask, I'll most likely be getting a 2DS XL, but since the games are playable on all models it doesn't matter much (I'm [b]open to opinions on the best DS to get as well[/b], though I'm already pretty set on 2DS XL at this point)
So I'm getting a DS this christmas after wanting one for years! I know I want to finally get into pokemon, but I'm not sure which gen to start on, so I thought I'd ask y'all!
I know that all the games are quite friendly to new players, and I've heard that
black and white are in particular catered to newbies, so
currently I'm leaning towards them (most likely white)
Their
starters aren't exactly my favourite, though, which is a
pretty big factor for me, for obvious sentimental reasons. I'll probably chose Snivy if I go with b/w, despite my bias towards fire starters
(I know they're the most difficult option, gameplay-wise, but Cyndaquil and Charmander will always have a place in my heart... just look at that lil bean ~ 
...uh, back to the point though)
Also, just from looking at a couple of screenshots of gameplay, I'm
not loving the art style of b/w either, it seems stuck awkwardly between the classic pixel art and the gorgeous full 3D animation of the recent games, though after I actually start playing it probably won't bother me as much
I've also considered starting with the
first gen, but I want a game that's as playable as possible, and I've heard the older games are comparably more difficult to pick up, as well as something about a shift in the battle system from b/w, but I'm not sure how that comes into things in terms of starting out tbh
So what do y'all recommend?
Oh yeah, also, before you ask, I'll most likely be getting a 2DS XL, but since the games are playable on all models it doesn't matter much (I'm
open to opinions on the best DS to get as well, though I'm already pretty set on 2DS XL at this point)
Heartgold/Soulsilver are some of my favorite games of all time and I think that they would be great entry points to the series! They have great starters (ya boy cyndaquil is in there), the classic portrait art style, and a lot of cute little additions like following pokemon and gameboy sounds. They can be a little grindy and the level scaling is a bit weird in the middle of the game, but I think they're solid titles.
Pokemon Platinum might be a good place to start too, Sinnoh is a pretty fun region and the story gets wild lol. I would recommend it over Diamond or Pearl because they made quite a few quality of life changes that really improve the experience. I don't recall Platinum being too grindy or boring except before the Elite Four, which is pretty standard for a Pokemon game lol.
B/W are also decent entry points, they improve upon so much from Gen4 and have easily my favorite story ever in a Pokemon game. You definitely get used to the pixel graphics, though they are a little weird at first. They have a great selection of fun pokemon but be aware that they only have Gen5 pokemon for the entirety of the story. That's definitely a limitation that some people aren't ok with haha.
Basically, I would go with a Gen4 game (Heartgold/Soulsilver or Platinum) as your first, they're solid titles that deserve a run through. B/W would also be fine, they just improve on enough that if/when you want to go back and play Gen 4 things will feel sluggish in comparison. A 2DS is perfect for pokemon games, the 3D titles barely use 3D and it's honestly more hassle then it's worth!
Heartgold/Soulsilver are some of my favorite games of all time and I think that they would be great entry points to the series! They have great starters (ya boy cyndaquil is in there), the classic portrait art style, and a lot of cute little additions like following pokemon and gameboy sounds. They can be a little grindy and the level scaling is a bit weird in the middle of the game, but I think they're solid titles.
Pokemon Platinum might be a good place to start too, Sinnoh is a pretty fun region and the story gets wild lol. I would recommend it over Diamond or Pearl because they made quite a few quality of life changes that really improve the experience. I don't recall Platinum being too grindy or boring except before the Elite Four, which is pretty standard for a Pokemon game lol.
B/W are also decent entry points, they improve upon so much from Gen4 and have easily my favorite story ever in a Pokemon game. You definitely get used to the pixel graphics, though they are a little weird at first. They have a great selection of fun pokemon but be aware that they only have Gen5 pokemon for the entirety of the story. That's definitely a limitation that some people aren't ok with haha.
Basically, I would go with a Gen4 game (Heartgold/Soulsilver or Platinum) as your first, they're solid titles that deserve a run through. B/W would also be fine, they just improve on enough that if/when you want to go back and play Gen 4 things will feel sluggish in comparison. A 2DS is perfect for pokemon games, the 3D titles barely use 3D and it's honestly more hassle then it's worth!
[quote name="Ern" date="2019-11-29 03:22:27" ]
Heartgold/Soulsilver are some of my favorite games of all time and I think that they would be great entry points to the series! They have great starters (ya boy cyndaquil is in there), the classic portrait art style, and a lot of cute little additions like following pokemon and gameboy sounds. They can be a little grindy and the level scaling is a bit weird in the middle of the game, but I think they're solid titles.
Pokemon Platinum might be a good place to start too, Sinnoh is a pretty fun region and the story gets wild lol. I would recommend it over Diamond or Pearl because they made quite a few quality of life changes that really improve the experience. I don't recall Platinum being too grindy or boring except before the Elite Four, which is pretty standard for a Pokemon game lol.
B/W are also decent entry points, they improve upon so much from Gen4 and have easily my favorite story ever in a Pokemon game. You definitely get used to the pixel graphics, though they are a little weird at first. They have a great selection of fun pokemon but be aware that they only have Gen5 pokemon for the entirety of the story. That's definitely a limitation that some people aren't ok with haha.
Basically, I would go with a Gen4 game (Heartgold/Soulsilver or Platinum) as your first, they're solid titles that deserve a run through. B/W would also be fine, they just improve on enough that if/when you want to go back and play Gen 4 things will feel sluggish in comparison. A 2DS is perfect for pokemon games, the 3D titles barely use 3D and it's honestly more hassle then it's worth!
[/quote]
Don't have much experience with pokemon games, but this seems about right!
Ern wrote on 2019-11-29 03:22:27:
Heartgold/Soulsilver are some of my favorite games of all time and I think that they would be great entry points to the series! They have great starters (ya boy cyndaquil is in there), the classic portrait art style, and a lot of cute little additions like following pokemon and gameboy sounds. They can be a little grindy and the level scaling is a bit weird in the middle of the game, but I think they're solid titles.
Pokemon Platinum might be a good place to start too, Sinnoh is a pretty fun region and the story gets wild lol. I would recommend it over Diamond or Pearl because they made quite a few quality of life changes that really improve the experience. I don't recall Platinum being too grindy or boring except before the Elite Four, which is pretty standard for a Pokemon game lol.
B/W are also decent entry points, they improve upon so much from Gen4 and have easily my favorite story ever in a Pokemon game. You definitely get used to the pixel graphics, though they are a little weird at first. They have a great selection of fun pokemon but be aware that they only have Gen5 pokemon for the entirety of the story. That's definitely a limitation that some people aren't ok with haha.
Basically, I would go with a Gen4 game (Heartgold/Soulsilver or Platinum) as your first, they're solid titles that deserve a run through. B/W would also be fine, they just improve on enough that if/when you want to go back and play Gen 4 things will feel sluggish in comparison. A 2DS is perfect for pokemon games, the 3D titles barely use 3D and it's honestly more hassle then it's worth!
Don't have much experience with pokemon games, but this seems about right!
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heartgold was my first game and i'd say it's pretty good for beginners!
black and white are good too, but if you really don't want it go with something else
if you want something more recent, x and y would be a good one, or omega ruby/alpha sapphire because i think those are supposed to be the easiest
as for a ds, definitely get a 2ds, those are great and it's not much of a step down from a 3ds
I second HeartGold/Soulsiver! They're pretty beginner-friendly, have some of the most content in an individual game throughout the entire series, and you can have the smol bean as your starter! I also find the pixel art and color palette in these games in particular super aesthetically pleasing. The only downside to this game is that it can be a little hard to come by nowadays and tends to be more expensive than the others, but to me it's an experience worth the price tag.
That said, I'm super partial to Black/White as it's one of my personal favorites, though I'm not sure I'd call it a beginner friendly entry only because the region has a lot of obscure newer Pokemon and doesn't allow you to use the ones you're most likely already familiar with until after you beat the main story. With that said, this game still has many of my all-time favorite Pokemon designs, some of which are super creative, and the story has more depth and substance than most other entries in the franchise. If you enjoy HGSS or whichever other game you choose to start with, definitely consider picking up BW later on.
The reason older games are considered harder to pick up and less "beginner friendly" is because the newer ones have added a lot of quality-of-life features and removed some tedious mechanics. The original first gen games in particular have some odd quirks and bugs that haven't aged too well, but were pretty forgivable at the time due to being the first entry in a wildly popular series. You will likely be fine if you stick to the DS games and up though!
Consoles-wise, go ahead and pick up a 2DS! It will give you the biggest library of Pokemon games on one console (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Heartgold/SoulSilver, Black/White/2, XY, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon; that comes down to four different generations and six different regions to play through between them all). Also the 2DS is not a huge step down from the 3DS, and you're not even missing much with the 3DS Pokemon games because they barely use the 3D.
Edit: I just remembered, you can also play the Gen 1 and 2 games on the 3DS through the 3DS online shop if you ever did want to go back and play them!
I second HeartGold/Soulsiver! They're pretty beginner-friendly, have some of the most content in an individual game throughout the entire series, and you can have the smol bean as your starter! I also find the pixel art and color palette in these games in particular super aesthetically pleasing. The only downside to this game is that it can be a little hard to come by nowadays and tends to be more expensive than the others, but to me it's an experience worth the price tag.
That said, I'm super partial to Black/White as it's one of my personal favorites, though I'm not sure I'd call it a beginner friendly entry only because the region has a lot of obscure newer Pokemon and doesn't allow you to use the ones you're most likely already familiar with until after you beat the main story. With that said, this game still has many of my all-time favorite Pokemon designs, some of which are super creative, and the story has more depth and substance than most other entries in the franchise. If you enjoy HGSS or whichever other game you choose to start with, definitely consider picking up BW later on.
The reason older games are considered harder to pick up and less "beginner friendly" is because the newer ones have added a lot of quality-of-life features and removed some tedious mechanics. The original first gen games in particular have some odd quirks and bugs that haven't aged too well, but were pretty forgivable at the time due to being the first entry in a wildly popular series. You will likely be fine if you stick to the DS games and up though!
Consoles-wise, go ahead and pick up a 2DS! It will give you the biggest library of Pokemon games on one console (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Heartgold/SoulSilver, Black/White/2, XY, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon; that comes down to four different generations and six different regions to play through between them all). Also the 2DS is not a huge step down from the 3DS, and you're not even missing much with the 3DS Pokemon games because they barely use the 3D.
Edit: I just remembered, you can also play the Gen 1 and 2 games on the 3DS through the 3DS online shop if you ever did want to go back and play them!
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agreein' with everyone else, heartgold and soulsilver are very nice games for a newbie. they've also got the added bonus of not overwhelming you with about 800 species of 'mon
although, if it's a clear tutorial you want and some nice behaviour towards newbies, head for sun/moon.
ultra sun/moon are newer and bigger but have some pretty difficult segments, the former two are easier and better for newbies.
then again, just- if you're stuck by anything when you're playing, pm me. i've played through a lot of pokemon, and i'm always happy to offer advice!
agreein' with everyone else, heartgold and soulsilver are very nice games for a newbie. they've also got the added bonus of not overwhelming you with about 800 species of 'mon
although, if it's a clear tutorial you want and some nice behaviour towards newbies, head for sun/moon.
ultra sun/moon are newer and bigger but have some pretty difficult segments, the former two are easier and better for newbies.
then again, just- if you're stuck by anything when you're playing, pm me. i've played through a lot of pokemon, and i'm always happy to offer advice!
I've been playing since RBY days, and echoing what others have say, Gen 4 and specifically HGSS sounds like a good fit for your first game.
It has a starter Pokemon you're already drawn to, and introduces you to a lot of classic elements (regions, characters, Pokemon) with updated mechanics and expanded content. And because it's [b]smack in the middle of generations[/b], it'll be easier to go on to play older or newer games.
The older generations are incredibly fun and obviously laid the foundation of the entire series, but you might find the story simple and the mechanics frustrating as a starting point in almost-2020. Meanwhile, newer generations have more complex storytelling and friendlier mechanics, but can spoil older plot points* and/or spoil YOU with mechanics you'll miss in earlier games.
*Especially Gen 5+, which is when the stories really start to grow around and outside your character's journey.
You can still have a ton of fun with the series no matter where you start, and there are definite pros and cons to each. Ultimately, it matters what you enjoy and want in a game.
Remember! Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites.
Good luck with your new Pokemon journey! [emoji=firework size=1]
I've been playing since RBY days, and echoing what others have say, Gen 4 and specifically HGSS sounds like a good fit for your first game.
It has a starter Pokemon you're already drawn to, and introduces you to a lot of classic elements (regions, characters, Pokemon) with updated mechanics and expanded content. And because it's
smack in the middle of generations, it'll be easier to go on to play older or newer games.
The older generations are incredibly fun and obviously laid the foundation of the entire series, but you might find the story simple and the mechanics frustrating as a starting point in almost-2020. Meanwhile, newer generations have more complex storytelling and friendlier mechanics, but can spoil older plot points* and/or spoil YOU with mechanics you'll miss in earlier games.
*Especially Gen 5+, which is when the stories really start to grow around and outside your character's journey.
You can still have a ton of fun with the series no matter where you start, and there are definite pros and cons to each. Ultimately, it matters what you enjoy and want in a game.
Remember! Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites.
Good luck with your new Pokemon journey!
I've got to say I wasn't expecting such an unanimous answer!
I have to agree that Heartgold and Soulsilver seem quite approachable, and the appeal of having a lil Cyndaquil buddy is too much to refuse [emoji=tundra love size=1]
If you're interested, I think I'll go to at least a couple of the older games after, mainly for the story and to get the more buggy gameplay out of the way before I get to the newer gens
I would like to get my claws into x/y soon, though, uh, totally not just for the sake of catching a goomy... (I love snails [i]and[/i] dragons, it's a dream come true), plus fennekin would be an adorable starter!
Regardless, HG/SS definitely seem like the place to start! I'll have to start thinking of nicknames for my lil spicy bean [emoji=tundra laughing size=1]
I've got to say I wasn't expecting such an unanimous answer!
I have to agree that Heartgold and Soulsilver seem quite approachable, and the appeal of having a lil Cyndaquil buddy is too much to refuse
If you're interested, I think I'll go to at least a couple of the older games after, mainly for the story and to get the more buggy gameplay out of the way before I get to the newer gens
I would like to get my claws into x/y soon, though, uh, totally not just for the sake of catching a goomy... (I love snails
and dragons, it's a dream come true), plus fennekin would be an adorable starter!
Regardless, HG/SS definitely seem like the place to start! I'll have to start thinking of nicknames for my lil spicy bean
I started Playing Pokemon in 1992 on the grey brick that was Game Boy, I had Pokemon red/blue and later when it came out, Yellow, it was there in red/blue I met the love of my life, Bulbasaur.
Kanto was my favorite region, so if you can find a way to start at the beginning, I think that's a good place to start.
I started Playing Pokemon in 1992 on the grey brick that was Game Boy, I had Pokemon red/blue and later when it came out, Yellow, it was there in red/blue I met the love of my life, Bulbasaur.
Kanto was my favorite region, so if you can find a way to start at the beginning, I think that's a good place to start.
I totally recommend Black/White! I started with them and adore the lively animated sprites, the fast paced city setting, and how the characters influence the story. I will always sing the praises of gen 5. And Black 2/White 2 are just as good, if not better. But for story context play Black/White before the sequels, obviously.
In terms of difficulty, Black/White are pretty easy, but be warned that the final battles and the post game are rather on the hard side and it will take lots of training to prepare for them. Post game especially has an unusual level gap (opponent's pokemon will most likely be much higher leveled than yours) so you'd better prepare for that too. But these things are only minor issues. Black 2/White 2 handle this much better, so that's a plus.
I also hear great things about gen 4, but I haven't played those yet. If you want to play classic games a la gen 1, I would recommend HeartGold/SoulSilver, the remakes of gen 2. These take the classic story and mechanics from gen 2 and make them much easier to understand for new players. You can even have your pokemon walk behind you in certain areas! I had a very confusing time in my gen 2 playthrough and I wish that I had played the remakes, for they are so much better. These will serve you well.
I totally recommend Black/White! I started with them and adore the lively animated sprites, the fast paced city setting, and how the characters influence the story. I will always sing the praises of gen 5. And Black 2/White 2 are just as good, if not better. But for story context play Black/White before the sequels, obviously.
In terms of difficulty, Black/White are pretty easy, but be warned that the final battles and the post game are rather on the hard side and it will take lots of training to prepare for them. Post game especially has an unusual level gap (opponent's pokemon will most likely be much higher leveled than yours) so you'd better prepare for that too. But these things are only minor issues. Black 2/White 2 handle this much better, so that's a plus.
I also hear great things about gen 4, but I haven't played those yet. If you want to play classic games a la gen 1, I would recommend HeartGold/SoulSilver, the remakes of gen 2. These take the classic story and mechanics from gen 2 and make them much easier to understand for new players. You can even have your pokemon walk behind you in certain areas! I had a very confusing time in my gen 2 playthrough and I wish that I had played the remakes, for they are so much better. These will serve you well.
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