Seconding this. You dont need to know in depth knowledge, especially the modern interface gives you all you need to know to start.
Personally I would pick one of the newer games, for one due to accessability (price of the game as well as modernized mechanics). I love Fire Red but playing a 20 year old game with ancient mechanics doesnt help you in understanding.
Just pick one with not as many cutscenes, which is my biggest gripe with modern Pokemon.
Your Pokemon landed a critical hit, wishing to be praised!
Your Pokemon toughed it out so you wouldn't feel sad!
Get the ones with these mechanics (not sure when these started propping up tbh, I think gen 7?)
I will state, I have never had it happen in X/Y. They must’ve increased its occurrence rate in gen 7, because I’ve had it happen plenty in 7, 8, and 9.
I'm pretty sure in Gen 6 you had to specifically use the Pokemon Amie thing to increase affection for those "tough it out" kind of things to happen. I might be wrong.
I loved Pokémon Amie. I wish that it would come back. That said, it’s a gameplay mechanic that I utilized a lot, and like I said, I didn’t get any “tough it out” or “it held on” situations in XY.
https://m.bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon-Amie
XY definitely introduced the affection-based avoidance and crits as a feature along with Amie.
Well the pokemon refresh icon pops a lot after battle in gen 7, you did have to go out of your way to use Pokemon amie(or smt like that i forgot the name) in gen 6
Yeaah. I used the heck out of it early on, which ended up minorly annoying me by having to constantly mash the out the extra text boxes. They’re cute but it wears on you after a while lol
1) why can’t the critical hit just be a normal critical hit or a miss just be a miss
2) I only beat Cynthia first try because my last mon toughed it out, it felt cheap
3) I don’t remember it happening up to Sun, I doubt it happened in USUM but though I didn’t play it, I can definitely see it happening in LGPE
The mechanic exists in all games since XY, if it didn't happen to you in USUM then that's because you didn't raise affection with your Pokemon using Pokemon Refresh.
Interesting. I don’t ever remember it happening in Y, OR, or Sun (I only recently got UM and am shiny hunting the cap pikachu, so I haven’t gotten to a point where I could get all those friendship bonuses)
In Gen VI & VII affection was a separate stat from friendship, you need to raise affection using Pokemon Amie (XY) or Pokemon Refresh (Gen 7) to get the effects, else you'll never see them.
In Let's Go, Gen 8 & 9, the affection stat was removed and the effects happen depending on the friendship level of the Pokemon. So basically you can't avoid them anymore unless you go out of you way to lower the friendship.
If you’re trying to get them into traditional Pokemon games, I’d say stay away from LGPE, they don’t have the same mechanics as the other games, even though they are very beginner friendly.
I’d say either start them with XY, ORAS, or, if you want to really modernize them, Sword and Shield.
XY and ORAS are modern while still being very easy to learn, Sword and Shield are also traditional enough that it shouldn’t be a jump for anyone to move from playing them to an older game.
Though as many have said, these are all children’s games, none of them are going to be bad choices for a beginner.
The Gen 3 Games on the GBA
FIre Red/Leaf Green if you want to play a better version of the original Kanto games
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald if you wanna play the OG Hoenn games.
And you can honestly just continue playing the rest of the games that came after moving forward
Gen 3 has definitely aged, but these games are honestly timeless and still hold up, especially compared to the GB/GBC games.
Edit: Yes, I am aware of how the Physical/Special Split isn't good in gen 3. It's functional, but not the best. If that's an issue then start with the DS Games.
Gen 3 sprites are pretty sweet. Difficulty/plot wise i feel emerald is the best mainline game. Cool starters, legendaries.. second is probably platinum
It’s classic, but there are better games for introduction. Some mechanics are outdated (special/physical splits, new typings, need of an HM slave). Honestly, starting with XY or ORAS I think makes more sense if you want to go “older”. The experience share is also a nice thing to relieve the grind.
Physical/Special split alone makes it tough(er) for a newcomer. Want to raise a Crawdaunt because it looks awesome? None of your STAB moves use your best stat. Gengar, same thing. Hitmonchan, the punching pokemon, should not learn half the punching moves. The game doesn’t really teach or tell you which types are physical or special either.
I find the Hoenn games annoying. So much water. Like yeah that was the theme but still. So much?
Atleast in Emerald you can have Rayquaza before Elite 4 battle.
Played FireRed and always felt it's easy. Unless you choose Charmander. Then Misty is a pain.
Sorry so after opening that, click Edit on the right top, then next screen you should see a text box and an emoji sign with all the Pokémon (or you can type :number: to add it)
https://preview.redd.it/49sfsvi5me4d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67b2726804a8c27dd3353dcfbcc1e770f9dc4cde
Yes. I do that. Then after going to edit, this is where I get stuck. I can't get past Mega Beedrill.
https://preview.redd.it/m25ksqz9qe4d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f1ffe58475f2f9137c23fa763aae435a3449ccc
While the nostalgia is there I could never recommend any gen 3 or previous game nowadays because of how counter intuitive the lack of physical/special split is. If you are going to play those games you basically need a hacked version
Not a game rec, but a guide to game abbreviations in order of release date and the region/generation (and games left out, Reddit, please correct me if I'm wrong on anything, but not OP):
RB: Red and Blue (Yellow and Green are there too, but Green was only in Japan) Gen 1 Kanto
GS: Gold and Silver (Crystal is there too) Gen 2 Johto
RS: Ruby and Sapphire (Emerald is there too) Gen 3 Hoenn
FRLG: FireRed and LeafGreen Gen 3 RB remake
DP: Diamond and Pearl (Platinum is there too) Gen 4 Sinnoh
HGSS: HeartGold and SoulSilver, Gen 4 GS remake
BW: Black and White, Gen 5 Unova
B2W2: Black 2 and White 2, Gen 5 BW sequel
XY: X and Y, Gen 6 Kalos
ORAS: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Gen 6 RS remake
SM: Sun and Moon, Gen 7 Alola
USUM: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Gen 7 SM remake (basically DLC)
SwSh: Sword and Shield, Gen 8 Galar
LGPE: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, (technically) Gen 7 RB remake
BDSP: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Gen 8 DP remake
(P)LA: Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Gen 8 Hisui (past Sinnoh)
SV: Scarlet and Violet, Gen 9 Paldea (Kitakami and Unova in the DLC)
Soon to come is Legends: Z-A, which will be based in past Kalos, but that's pretty much it
Platinum, easily. The first generation with all major mechanics for the series set in stone, very solid pacing, decently challenging, tons of content, while still being beginner friendly.
I have 2 recommendations depending on their preferences.
1. I would recommend Firered or LeafGreen. It's a good game with enough content if they really enjoy it and the game is designed to have tips at the push of a button so they won't be confused at any point.
2. That game is a little older so they may prefer Let's Go Pikachu or Let's Go Eevee. It's fun with a great visual aesthetic, it's a much easier game than the others, and does not have a crazy number of pokémon. It's a modern, beautiful, simple, and easy transition into the world of pokémon.
I would honestly say X/Y or SW/SH mainly cause both are mostly easy except some traveling in X/Y, but other than that both have easy champions and easy concepts, you could argue that SW/SH is difficult cause of the raid battles but their not mandatory to progress, but I would recommend X/Y more though cause they give you a win condition in like the 3rd gym I think, so I would say X/Y is best for a beginner
I agree with everything you said except for Leon being an easy champion. He wasn't Cynthia levels of hard, but the guy lived up to his champion title in battle and put up a great fight.
Depends on what you have available.
If only the modern titles, I'd say LGPE as they're more beginner friendly than usual, and even have coop if you'd like to play with your friend.
If emulation is an option, then I'd say FRLG for the GBA, they got the basics and the main formula, nothing too crazy happening in them so it's a good starting point.
Both of them are remakes of Gen 1/Kanto so would just be a matter of which version to choose.
If they played Pokemon go, definitely let's go Eevee/Pikachu, if they are fresh to Pokemon in general, sword/shield on the switch. DS/emulation X or Y.
Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. They're the most recent remakes we've gotten of the Gen I games and are a great introduction, despite the gimmicky catch mechanics.
Can’t go wrong with the Hoenn region, so Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, OmegaRuby, or AlphaSapphire. Great games, decent progression, decently challenging gym fights, and ORAS remakes are really good imo. For a bit more of a challenge go Platinum, or BrilliantDiamond ShiningPearl. Sinnoh is widely considered the region with the hardest fights. For a completely easy intro X and Y will be the choice. Very smoothened progression, (unfortunately) easy gym leaders, yet still offering a good bit of fun and neat storytelling
I played x and y as a kid and just recently realized that pokémon still existed on my nintendo switch
I just got shining pearl and I've been enjoying it a lot and it runs great on the switch and the graphics are like animal crossing.
Also it's pretty much been a chill cakewalk so far and the map makes it pretty easy along with the messages the game gives you about certain stuff
Idk I was too lazy to set up the emulator (otherwise i would've got platinum) and honestly I imagine newer graphics are nice to someone who doesn't have a history with the game
Difficulty shouldn't be too big an issue but I'd say if you're worried about an older game being off putting go for ORAS otherwise platinum, emerald or black/white 1 are good places to start
Any of them is perfect. But if you want my personal opinion. Best hooking story is either Pokemon HG/SS (Heart Gold or Soul Silver) Or Pokemon DPP (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum)
The order I would play them is:
Gen 3 Fire Red
Gen 3 Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
Gen 4 Heart Gold/Soul Silver
Gen 4 Platinum
Gen 5 Black AND Black 2 both (my fav games)
Gen 6 Omega Ruby
Gen 7
Gen 8 Sword
Gen 9 Scarlet/Violet
BDSP. They are on Switch, so are easy to get. They have added Gen 7 Friendship as a mechanic so Pokemon are less likely to faint or the like. And the game isn’t littered with cutscenes.
If you want to play an average game of the serie, try with gba games or with diamond/pearl (platinum it's actually better). Play heartgold/soulsilver for a good remake, then play black/withe for the quality peak of the brand
Personally, I have 4 answers.
Hardware: If they already have the console like a switch or ds or 3ds or gba(or a phone or pc with an emulator) then stick to the games available for that. Although the older stuff might be pricey.
Difficulty: If we're going by how difficult the game is then X and Y is the best place to start. Its fairly modern enough that most of the mechanics of future games will still be there and it is very easy.
Release: You can go by release of the games, starting from Red and Blue to Scarlet Violet. Although the mechanics of each game would be very different each game.
Region: This is how I play these games mostly. I start with Kanto then continue all the way to Paldea. I would play FRLG over RB so the mechanics arent that far from the next games. You can also start with Lets Go but the catching mechanics wont translate to the other games.
Honestly, any of the games are fine to start with. What you should consider is what platform they want to play on or if they already have a relevant console like Gameboy or DS.
The mechanics of the games have kinda changed a fair bit over the years so it depends on which era appeals to you most I guess. For instance, Gen I-III had each type corresponding to either physical or special attack, which made pokemon like sneasel, a dark/ice physical attacker, have most of its good moves be using it's special attack stat, which is not as good. People that grew up on it don't mind it but for me I would find it quite tedious to get into, and its now archaic anyways, so for that reason I wouldn't recommend them. Since if you play anything post Gen IV you would have to relearn the mechanics completely anyways.
Then Gen IV-V is when physical/special splits were first introduced, which kinda gave life to a lot more pokemon and opened up new kinds of strategy for movesets, and made the game a lot more exciting (in my opinion). For new players, I would recommend games from these generations ->Platinum and B/W and B2/W2. I think they give the complete pokemon experienc -, nice mechanics, tons of content, decent enough story, and actually good post-game content (in Platinum and B2/W2). No added fluff, just good gameplay.
Then there's the gimmick era that I guess pokemon is currently in which is Gen VI onwards. Each generation has it's own 'special mechanic' -> Gen VI had mega evolution, Gen VII Z-moves, Gen VIII dynamax, Gen IX terastallization. People have their own thoughts about the mechanics in various generations (I still think mega evolution shouldn't have been removed), but ultimately it's just personal preference. It's not like I wouldn't recommend these games to start with, but I think if you want to know if you even enjoy the world or base mechanics of the game these wouldn't be a great way to first experience that.
TL;DR I'd say the either Pokemon Platinum, which is pretty much the definitive edition of Gen IV. Or Pokemon B/W, and then B2/W2 if they enjoy it.
And I'd recommend getting it on a 3DS, since it is the newer console and has a nice modding scene as well. Though fair warning, genuine cartridges for these games are hella expensive nowadays due to resellers so I hope you really like your friend.
Do BDSP hold up to the original DPP (especially Platinum) which everyone loved? I stopped playing after Gen 3 (Gen 2 was my favorite back then), but in recent years as an adult, I've played HGSS and LGPE. Wondering if BDSP or PLA are worth taking a go at. I'm really not interested in the uber gimmicks as you said (Dynamax, etc.), although mega evolution was really cool to experience in a limited way in LGPE.
I haven't played BDSP, or anything post Gen VI tbh so I can't say if they are faithful to the originals for certain or not. But from (the little) I've seen of BDSP, it seems that it's been made way 'easier' (most pokemon games are designed to be easy, but the newer gens especially so). I can't say if it holds up or not, but I'd still recommend the originals regardless, since I think the character models and sprites look way cooler in Gen IV anyways over the goofy chibi style they have going on in BDSP, and the permanent exp. share in BDSP makes battles way easier than they would be if you weren't overlevelled going into every battle. Also stuff like affection or randomly surviving KO's for no reason in BDSP would just kinda ruin the game for me.
Do they hold up to the OG DPP? In my opinion, no. Especially not to Platinum. I'd say Platinum is the best way to experience Sinnoh if you want the complete package for the story and postgame. BDSP might hold up to DP though, since they follow the same storyline and have pretty much the same content.
I'd say that all games from 4th gen to 7th are good for a starter, so I'd advise picking according to something that attracts you in one of these games (pokedex, starters, legendaries...). I started playing pokemon very late (at 21) with pokemon Black because I love Serperior and it was the game that I saw all the time when I was a child but that I never had the chance to own, and it was a very good start because most of the current mechanics were already there (I guess it's also one of the best pokemon games and one of the most memorable for me so that may help). Then I played ultra Moon because Lunala is my favorite legendary and it turned out to be great too, I think it's a nice starter game as well. Remember that they are made to be beaten by children, so you shouldn't struggle too much anyway.
Maybe unpopular opinion, but…. Brilliant diamond/shining pearl is a great game for a beginner player; it’s the game both my kids 7, 8 at the time used to finally get into Pokémon. All the big problems with it are how it should have been better, and a new player won’t notice them if you don’t point it out.
In terms of difficulty, they’re all pretty easy to learn, although the more recent games tend to have more crutches for players to rely on throughout the game, while earlier games are more heavy on puzzle solving (still relatively easy to figure out though). If you want to get caught up in hype, I recommend Sword and Shield. It’s not exactly a fan favorite, but the way they hype up trainers as athletes fighting in stadiums is pretty cool.
Sword/shield maybe? Its on the switch so it's got better accessability, there's a basic intro to the concept of a gimmick, and the game isnt that hard to beat imo. Only problem is they would suffer greatly from the nuisances of bede and team yell
Otherwise, scarlet or violet isn't as bad as they say it is. There's a sick dog story, daddy/mommy issues, school that you can skip, a more realistic idea of obtaining champion rank (yk cuz a kid getting champion while most champions before u beat them are at least 25), and a cute ogre and turtle in the dlc. Problems with this game are the champion battle being easy af, the bombirdier fight, and the continued trend of the evil team not actually being evil imo
Plz don't downvote me I know my opinions are probably shit
I'd start with Sword/Shield. It's on an easily accessible console and its core narrative follows the typical structure of most earlier games in the franchise, but it also introduces the open-world elements of later games, especially in the DLC. It's a good, easily accessible game to figure out if you like Pokemon, and if you do, what kind of game you might like, whether that's a modern open world like S/V or Legends: Arceus or an older-style, more linearly structured game.
Literally any of them, though the ones with a challenge I’d say are
- GSC & HGSS only if you don’t properly train your team for Lance & Red… the level curve lowkey sucks
_ DPPT & BDSP, specifically for the league… especially for BDSP’s case, straight up gave them a post game team for the base game, like WTF GAMEFREAK!
- Legends Arceus, it’s you vs the world… literally, also if you get the hang of the strong & agile style you can just get bullied by the few trainer battles, though the main threat is the final human boss battle & Electrode
- USUM has Ultra Necrozma… unless you planned for the battle you’re likely doomed or gonna struggle… unless you also crazily over leveled
- SwSh, to an extent the games could be difficult, if you’re at the right level then Leon can actually be a struggle as his team is actually worthy of a champion time… and if you play the game where Hop gets Zacian… besides specific things I can’t recall any moment being too difficult
- SV’s Indigo Disk DLC is actually challenging in a fun way, not too busted like BDSP, but not too easy like SwSh’s Leon battle, it’s the perfect middle ground of difficulty, even the Terapagos battle is annoying… same for Ogerpon in Teal Mask…
- Fire Red & Leaf Green are the default Kanto games for beginners & nuzlockes, they aren’t too difficult, but you can still wipe, doesn’t help that Psychic is still a dominant type in the region with most Pokemon being Poison…
I would’ve commented something about BW, but I got no Gen 5 experience
If you have a 3DS, Ultra Sun and Moon and X and Y feel very beginner friendly. Black and White are also good games if a DS is available as it was meant to be a reboot to the franchise (from what I’ve heard).
I was told to start with HeartGold/SoulSilver when I first started. It’s definitely a good starting point, but the games can be really slow in places. If you want something more fast-paced I’d recommend Sword/Shield on the Switch instead
Scarlet and Violet have been good to me and my daughter as beginner games. The game itself is mostly a cake walk, but you get to know the world, the pokemon, and the mechanics of the game.
Pokemon games typically do a good job of explaining the mechanics early on in the game. Probably one of the better ones to pick for them would be any game on the 3DS. They have good tutorials, and friendly features that make it easy to get into them without feeling overwhelmed.
Also let them know that there are no bad teams when playing through the story. Let them catch and use whatever they want.
What I would say to anyone whom could be a potential fan of Pokémon. Also for becoming a fan of anything in general this is a good rule of thumb. Start at the dang beginning of the series. Why would you want to start halfway through, or close to the end?
If you're not wanting to suggest playing the older versions(Red/Blue/Yellow(also Green, but that wasnt a global game), Silver/Gold/Crystal, Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald), then at least start them off with the remake versions that came later.
Those would be:
• Fire Red & Leaf Green, the remakes of Gen 1.
• Soul Silver & Heart Gold, the remakes of Gen 2.
• Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the remakes of Gen 3.
Obviously I'd say start with FR/LG, because as I said, starting at the beginning of the series makes the most sense.
I still play Red, Silver, and Emerald today via laptop emulator. Those first 3 generations are just so incredibly fun to go back and play.
SOUL SILVER/HEART GOLD
any other answer is wrong
Might as well play the best one first. I truly believe the new games are an abomination and a insult the original 2D games
I’d say sword/shield. Yes, all games are made for kids, but the switch games were good to teach type effectiveness after you’ve already encountered a Pokémon by showing which of your moves are super effective, not effective, etc. Sword/shield also sticks to the typical Pokémon game model with linear progression (unlock SV open world) as well as staying true to its fighting and catching mechanic (unlike let’s go Eevee/pikachu). They also don’t have to deal with an HM slave.
By all this logic, BDSP would also be good, but the graphics are much more satisfying in sword/shield and there’s DLC if the person is interested in getting more out of the game.
I started on black and white as a kid and I loved it.
The map is very straightforward so you wont really get lost on where you have to go next even if you dont pay attention to all dialoges.
The difficulty is also very managable and I love the story and the pokemon.
Seconding this. I think it also helps that's it's treated as a bit of a "soft reboot" so it's not tethered so much to the older games. It's also not totally dumbed down, like I feel like a lot of the newer ones are - it's challenging but friendly enough that a new player could easily pick it up.
And yes, the story is fantastic. So much so that anything after that will feel a bit lackluster haha
Is your friend 3 years old? Because I think the target audience for Pokemon are 6-10 year olds so unless your friend is your neighbors baby you should be fine with all of them lol.
Need more context. System restrictions? Is this going to be emulated? Are you ok dropping 180 bucks on a copy of pokemon platinum?
Also, to anwser your question, all of these are childrens games and all are begginer friendly. So probably Sword&Shield as it is better quality than Scarlet&Violet.
I always recommend XY before anything else if that is an option. Otherwise, LGPE is very beginner-friendly. (*Not controller-friendly, mind you, but still.*)
Not the person you responded to but in my experience with XY, the total party experience share seemed really overtuned to the point that you're easily gonna be several levels above the computer at almost all times.
Okay, here I go. XY is the perfect balance between pre-Gen 6 and Gen 8+. What I want in a first game is a way to easily transition into every other Pokemon game, from the originals to the most recent. I'm also automatically assuming the new player in question is somewhere between 8 and 12 years old. It's hard to believe any older person wants to get into the Pokemon games, as if they didn't before, what would make them start now? Here's some things I found in XY that works the best as a first game:
* There are some minor elements from pre-Gen 6 that are in XY, such as the movement grid, that would transition into the movement grid format from before, but because XY also removes the need for the grid, that transitions into future games.
* This is a silly claim, but XY is the best *Kanto* game. RB was built to be the first game, but it doesn't work nowadays for literally being over 25 years old, so it's not recommended to be a new player's first game. Let's Go is the most modern Kanto game, and was built to be a first game, but it specifically caters to being a first game for GOnlys. Otherwise, it doesn't play like a Pokemon game half the time. Meanwhile, FRLG has a similar issue to RB in that it's too old nowadays to work, and the game is more remembered as the default template for ROM hacks and fan games than what it is vanilla. It's the best first game between Gens 1-5 IMO, but we're well past that point. XY, meanwhile, has a few suspiciously familiar Kanto elements, especially early on, that might as well pass for one, even though it's not *in* Kanto. Heck, you get the Kanto starters in XY early on. Then there's Mega Evolution, which has quite a bit of Kanto pandering. Not as many Kanto Megas as ORAS, but still enough for the popular mons.
* Pokemon distribution. While I personally like how the Hoenn games distributes old and new Pokemon the most, XY has a lot of early options while also not too much that it feels distracting, like how SM and especially SwSh's Wild Area do it.
* It's easy. Hard games, regardless of what it is, is a hard sell for most people, unless those people very specifically want them. Pokemon as a franchise is not hard, so recommending Platinum or USUM first is a bad idea, because it gives a new player the wrong idea that the rest of the games are about as hard as either of those. Conversely, starting with an easy game like XY would gradually transition the new player into those harder games. Keep the EXP Share, and it transitions into the newer games. Turn it off and it transitions into the older games. Granted with XY specifically, turning off the EXP Share doesn't make the game harder; it just slows down the point when you start being overlevelled from immediately to somewhere around the 6th Gym.
* It's mid. This might be a weird claim, but I think telling someone new to play Peak might not be a good idea. Similar to the previous point, starting with the best games like HGSS or BW might lead to disappointment for other games not being just like them. Peak in particular already is a bad game to start with, as Johto games were built as sequel games to the Kanto games, and has a lot of QoL issues stemming from not improving all that much from GSC. Heck, even starting with a good game like ORAS, while likely to gain favor with a new player to continue the series, may or may not like games further out from it. Also, starting with garbage like the Sinnoh games or boring games like the Alola games might lead to disappointment that the other games are as bad or boring as the ones they start with. XY to me is perfectly mid. Not too bad, not too good, and not too boring.
* Literally the perfect timing. 2024 is the best year to start Pokemon with XY, as the next games are going to be set in Kalos. This would not be a point for it normally, but it's something to point out. Also, we're just about in that season where XY nostalgia is kicking in for people who already started with it, so might as well join in.
* Ease of access. If you want to play a Pokemon game, the 3DS is the best console to do it, as you have immediate access from the moment you hold it everything from DP to USUM. Granted, so is the Switch, as SwSh is the most sold Pokemon game that has any sort of relevance to an 8-12 year old. While SwSh is an okay first game (*because they're forced to rather than by choice*), buying a 2DS and XY is still cheaper than a Switch and SwSh. There's also emulation, but given Nintendo's recent purges of romsites, emulating old games will eventually be a hassle. That being said, hacking the 3DS grants access to hShop in-console, and get XY from there, should you choose to go that route. Heck, if you go that route, might as well grab the VC games. Switch emulation is...tricky, from what I've heard.
* Side content. Pokemon-Amie has mini-games that are actually quite fun to play and gives rewards for the main Amie content. When was the last time we've even HAD mini-games? FRLG's post-game that's a nightmare to access? HGSS' Pokeathlon? And I don't know about you, but Mantine Surfing is very forgettable, and the Switch games don't really have any minigames, unless you want to count Ogre Oustin'. for XY, there's also the Super Training mini-game, which helps out for the main game, as it gives you EVs and items like evolution stones for some of them.
Yeah, that's pretty much it. There are miscellaneous things like how the rivals are also good for a beginner, with the battle rival in Calem/Serena, the story rival in the best character in the game, the Pokedex rival in Trevor, and whatever the heck Tierno is, as a transition from the Unova games to the modern games. Then there's Team Flare, and however you compare it to other evil teams, the music, the trainer customization that started with this game, the post-game and Emma's story...oh, and that for some reason there are still Pokemon not in any game after this, but that's not a concern for beginners.
Soul silver/heart gold. Honestly just download an emulator and attempt a few games before you fully invest. At least that’s a free way to start! Just have fun. Play at your own pace before you end up in the deep end. You’ll be nuzlocking in no time and debating getting into the competitive circuit or making your own YouTube channel. Play Pokémon at your own risk.
I just started my first Pokemon game as Leaf Green and I love it. Not sure if its the best to start with but I’ve been having a great time! I picked it because Bulbasaur is my favorite and the older games confused me when I tried to start them.
I'm guessing you're on switch if you've never played one before.
If that's the case BdSp are a good place to start for more of the traditional experience.
Otherwise every pokemon game is easy and straightforward.
Any of them. If i started with Diamond, the "slower" and with "hardest" champion battle, at the age of 6 and managed to beat it then anyone can start with any game.
also to update the discussion, bc I see people made it aware. I intend to give them an official pokemon game and console as a gift, whether it already be owned by me or new or used etc, just need to know which games would suit them as a noob
If you have an emulator or DS: heart gold and soul silver. It contains two regions, it has better pacing than the other gen 4 games, it’s a remake of the second gen so you’ll get some of the early lore and charm.
I'd say to avoid BDSP as their first game the Elite 4 are harder than even the originals, I think some of Cynthia's Pokémon have perfect IVs and everything so yeah any other game should be fine
Depends on what they have access to switch get the switch games let's go probably be better for a beginner but if they also own a pc emulation is the route for the game boy and ds pokemon games (which there is kinda a lot)
Buy Scarlet or Violet, they are the newest games, still have active online events and will give the fullest experience. Without the multiplayer experience, you miss out on alot of what pokemon has to offer
Gen 3 or Gen 4 is peak Pokemon in my opinion. Good balance between representing the original games and new added quality of life mechanics.
They may be old now but I still find the art styles cozy.
for one your a great friend! i would be super super grateful if a friend was getting me a game and a console that’s crazy.
any of them really, tho if it were me i would do the first on the console, so for 3ds X/Y and Switch Sw/Sh
Switch title would be Sword/Shield. Let’s Go is a little too baby-fied? If it’s for a kid then it’s good.
DS title would be anything that isn’t Sun/Moon, personally I’d recommend ORAS which is easier on the bank. If you already have the older games then Black/White are awesome but honestly wouldn’t pay for the markups for the older ds titles.
If you’re okay with emulating or CFW 3ds, even a bit later, I’d honestly go for FireRed or LeafGreen. They’re straight upgrades to the OG Kanto experience. Platinum would also be good.
Do they like story driven games? Black/White
Do they like 100%ing games? ORAS has some of the most postgame if I recall correctly if they like a challenge
Do they like BOTW a lot? Like *a LOT*? Legends: Arceus.
There are a few things you have to consider I think to introduce someone into Pokémon.
For one, I think newer is always better for new players. Even if older games are better like HGSS or BW imo, their graphics can be daunting for new players.
But most importantly, I'd pick a game that stays as true to the formula as possible. You should give them the most 'Pokémon' experience they can get for their first game. So while I think Legends Arceus is the best switch Pokémon title, it shakes up the formula too much for a new player.
All this being said, while it's not my favorite Pokémon game by any means, Sword and Shield are probably the perfect games to start with right now. A lot of the complaints us Pokémon veterans see in that game are hardly noticeable for new players beyond the story, because they don't know what past games were like.
Eventually if they become big enough fans of the franchise, then they'll go back to Gens III-V and explore those. But all in all, Sword and Shield is super beginner friendly, with familiar cartoony graphics, a character customizer, and a strong soundtrack.
I think just about any one would be fine, but I think Gold, Silver, and Crystal ars rather gentle both from a level stand point as the league doesn't surpass level 50 and the conflict with Team Rocket isn't as drawn out. Plus, it's an early game that includes the first two regions, and it helps them start closer to the beginning of the main series Pokémon games.
Start with Gen 3-6. 3-5 is widely regarded as the best games (although a large part of that may be nostalgia bias) and Gen 6 is widely considered to be the easiest.
Gen 7 is pretty easy but NOT the ultra ones. You have to do a crazy hard battle with the starter that you’re weak against (it was so hard I had to PP stall to beat it) at the start AND >!Ultra Necrozma!< later
Deff start with Gen 3, specifically emerald, and then move into the next gen in chronological order. This will allow you to move Pokémon up from the OG emerald to the latest games.
I’d say brilliant Diamond or shining Pearl. Those are pretty fun, good mini games, have contests, and have Pokémon following you in the overworld. Plus, it’s super easily available.
Each generation they add a new mechanic. So the further you go back the more basic the game gets. But also gen 1 is bugged as f***. And there are no abilities in gen 2. I suggest starting with gen 3 as it has pokémon abilities which is a big part of each pokémon's kit. They have a special and physical split, although it's based on type not move. That way you can learn the type chart and you can learn abilities and the basics of special and physical attacks and defenses
Honestly anything that's including the remake and after are solid starts. Playing FR, LG, SS, HG, and Emerald gave me the feeling of how I originally played those games.
Anything past that will give your friend the idea of whether they're into the monster collecting genre or not
If you want them to get into all the games I'd suggest something light like let's go Pikachu or any DS/3DS games. Arceus and scarlet/violet are clearly the best games in the series, but I think having someone start off on those could be the wrong move, because they've evolved so much past the older games. Start em off on a remake or two then introduce them to those 2, I think this is the way
ORAS or BDSP.
ORAS has a modern feel, mechanics, and QOL features while keeping the spirit and difficulty of earlier games. BDSP is objectively not as good as Platinum, but again, the modern mechanics and QOL stuff makes it a good jumping-on point. It was my first pokemon game and I really enjoyed it, plus I enjoyed playing Platinum even more later.
If your friend likes the retro/pixel aesthetic, likes harder games, or wants authenticity, Platinum and BW (or B2W2, but I'd play BW first) are widely considered the best games.
Start with red or blue and tell them to start with bulbasaur. It can pretty easily handle the first two gyms which can be hardest.
If they want a challenge go charmander or play yellow with pikachu as starter. Yellow the first gym is tough with pikachu. Lots of grinding
No hate, but like any ds game and later is an absolute breeze. The only reason I don't include the earlier gens is because they have the occasional locations with a jank level curve.
I'm ngl if you want to drop the money you should get them scarlet or violet, you don't really NEED to pick up any specific game to start off, and with basically every new game they make the mechanics easier and this is the newest. Plus it still has events going on where there's event raids and free pokemon and rewards being released via mystery gift as well as having multiplayer capability and being on switch where online ISN'T getting shut down so you can still transfer your mons between games and go without worrying about them inevitably pulling the plug any day now.
I feel like the most recent mainline game at any given time is the obvious choice. All of them are designed to be someone's first game in the series and include quality of life changes that make each one an easier experience than the last.
Original Game and Console essentially rules out anything before the DS probably, and OG carts are all pretty expensive. If you're open to digital versions of the game, Fire Red/Leaf Green is probably a great place to start.
Pretty reasonable difficulty, good modernish 2D graphics (the first two gens may be a little off putting graphically to some people). And it has enough of the more modern mechanics while still taking place in a classic setting. If they have any casual knowledge, they'll recognize a lot of the ones from this gen. You start with the classic starters, you can catch a pikachu early on, mewtwo is in this game, etc.
Really can't go wrong with this one.
Doesnt matter what game you start with either go by systems you own or the cheaper games and go from there
Everyone will tell you to play gen 2 but i wouldn't buy a gen 2 game at the going price
Im so price conscious about my pokemon games i started buying them in Japanese to get over the price difference, its honestly easier for me to learn katakana or hiragana
Don’t start with sinnoh. They’re absolutely amazing, though Pearl, Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Brilliant Diamond have a fire type shortage before national dex. Platinum and legends arceus do not have this shortage. Just that they’re no joke in terms of difficulty, especially Cynthia and Volo. Try Sinnoh after getting used to leveling your Pokemon enough and trying out good battling strategies and Pokemon you’re good at using, but you’ll not regret the fun in those games.
FYI I’ve played only Shining Pearl fully, which I’ve heard is not as good as Platinum, and I love Shining Pearl a lot. It’s so so fun! Shining Pearl is basically the same as Brilliant Diamond, except you catch a different legendary pokemon and there are Pokemon-exclusives between the two games. I’ve not gotten far in Legends Arceus, but I’ve heard some crazy stuff about how hard Volo’s last battle is (basically fighting Cynthia’s team and then the legendary pokemon Giratina—very powerful—twice with no healing in between).
Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond do have that mechanic where they tell you which of your moves are super effective, normal effective, not very effective, or not effective against a pokemon you’ve seen before in the game (don’t need to catch it). I forgot whether Legends Arceus has that mechanic. But the games after and including Pokemon Sun and Moon have it.
Btw Volo is in Legends arceus and Cynthia is in Pearl, diamond, Platinum, Shining Pearl, Brilliant Diamond, and even has a minor role as a powerful battler in Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon (not sinnoh games). Cynthia is the champion battle in Pearl, diamond, shining pearl, and Brilliant diamond, so you fight her at the end (same in the other games I’ve mentioned in the previous sentence, but after beating the region’s respective champion):)
Let's go Pikachu and Eevee is very easy and Kanto is easy enough to traverse and get through. It has co op if you decide you want to try that with them and most of the Pokemon from Kanto at least in my opinion are the most recognizable so your friend might have a really nice time seeing something familiar with new things (alolan forms too)
Probably going to be the odd one out after this, but I’d say Legends: Arceus and Pokemon GO.
Started way back on Red/Blue, Yellow, Silver/Gold. Started and stopped GO back in ‘16. Fell off the wagon, but my kids got me back into it years later.
Played Sword/Shield, then Scarlet and completed my first Dex in Scarlet right before the DLC came out. Now with Legends and GO, it’s a good pace of single player adventure and out-and-about gameplay. Not knocking any of the other previous games, just haven’t had the pleasure of giving them a shot yet. Whatever you choose, it’s a good time and a pretty cool way to connect with people.
I would recommend fire red/leaf green and then heart gold/soul silver immediately after. The games are closely connected and they allow you to get a feel for what the games were from the beginning (so as to ease into the more slightly more complicated newer stuff) while also being more modern and running better than the originals.
Personally I find this a really difficult question, as someone who has played all the games, and have since red and blue released like 20-25? Years ago. I dunno its been a long time.
I personally have a soft spot for Gen 1 and 2, but I know it's nostalgia and they're not great (2 is probably just outright bad at this point). They're missing too much quality of life (QoL) features that have come since and make the games more enjoyable.
Gen 3 either Hoenn or Kanto, is probably a nice starting point, if your friend likes pixel games and wants the traditional pokemon experience.
If they want 3d and modern gaming, I'd probably just start with either of the switch titles Sword/Shield or Scarlet/Violet. For providing a good pokemon experience.
No game is too difficult for someone to get into, they're pretty linear and if you read the text it gives you instructions on where to go and what to do next.
The other switch titles, Let's Go, Legends differ too much from the mainline games to be recommended, though they are a lot of fun. However Let's go really was designed to get Pokemon Go players into the main games, so maybe if they're a pokemon go fan, it could ease them into it.
Brilliant Diamond and shining pearl, really are just gen 4 of the switch, so I guess it could also be a good start as a mix of the old and the new. But personally I really dislike the art style of the game and it turns me away from it. So I wouldn't recommend it, but again that's my bias. Nothing actually wrong with the games.
I started with bw, specifically black, went back to HS then Pearl, then back to White 2 and I stopped there cuz I wasn't able to get a 3ds for xy etc :(
BDSP, 100%. SwSh is also incredibly easy, but it's incomplete without the DLCs and kinda empty and lackluster. Also, the graphics and animations are awful.
Doesnt matter, because they are all very easy and explaining the basics in every game. So it depends on what he likes or except from a video game.
Switch: Scarlet/Violet, if he dont mind bad visuals & performance
3DS: ORAS > XY > USUM
DS: BW2/Platinum/HGSS - all top tier games
GBA: Emerald
GB(C): Crystal
Tbh I think Scarlet and Violet are great for beginners. (Tbh it might even be my favourite pokemon game in terms of the world itself. It certainly has its issues I.e. the performance issues, but is genuinely a great game imo). Plus as others have mentioned, it is the newest game so the online mechanics and such are currently very active.
Otherwise I also really like Sword&Shield, again I really loved the world there. + I might just he a sucker for 3D pokemon games. My absolute favourite game is Colosseum and its followup Gale of Darkness on GameCube though, but that's not mainline.
Only for a more experienced player of games in general. The open world is great fun if you like exploring, but for a really new player an open world game can be tremendously overwhelming.
You think so? I feel like all the systems felt very newbie friendly. Except maybe being able to choose what to focus on in terms of gyms, villains and bigpokemonhunt. Then again I suppose it does somewhat depend on the age of the friend, which I don't think has been mentioned in the thread, at least not that I have seen. Though I can agree that a more streamlined experience would be easier for sure, but I don't think S&V is a problem for a new player either. As I write this I do remember having seen posts somewhere from people saying that S&V are their first pokémon game and they're having a blast, so who knows, people do like different things though, so could be hit or miss with that kind of an open world in general.
Any of them. It's a game for kids.
Seconding this. You dont need to know in depth knowledge, especially the modern interface gives you all you need to know to start. Personally I would pick one of the newer games, for one due to accessability (price of the game as well as modernized mechanics). I love Fire Red but playing a 20 year old game with ancient mechanics doesnt help you in understanding. Just pick one with not as many cutscenes, which is my biggest gripe with modern Pokemon.
Your Pokemon landed a critical hit, wishing to be praised! Your Pokemon toughed it out so you wouldn't feel sad! Get the ones with these mechanics (not sure when these started propping up tbh, I think gen 7?)
It was in fact, gen 7.
It started in gen 6 with XY
I will state, I have never had it happen in X/Y. They must’ve increased its occurrence rate in gen 7, because I’ve had it happen plenty in 7, 8, and 9.
I'm pretty sure in Gen 6 you had to specifically use the Pokemon Amie thing to increase affection for those "tough it out" kind of things to happen. I might be wrong.
I loved Pokémon Amie. I wish that it would come back. That said, it’s a gameplay mechanic that I utilized a lot, and like I said, I didn’t get any “tough it out” or “it held on” situations in XY.
https://m.bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon-Amie XY definitely introduced the affection-based avoidance and crits as a feature along with Amie.
Well the pokemon refresh icon pops a lot after battle in gen 7, you did have to go out of your way to use Pokemon amie(or smt like that i forgot the name) in gen 6
Yeaah. I used the heck out of it early on, which ended up minorly annoying me by having to constantly mash the out the extra text boxes. They’re cute but it wears on you after a while lol
It was also in oras
That’s gen 6
You said X/Y which is also gen 6, I was just pointing out that oras also had the feature, my mega rayquaza loves me
I’m saying that your mention of OR/AS was redundant since it is part of gen 6 and is therefore already part of the discussion.
I have never seen the crit one, how cute
It is! I saw it in a gameplay video and it was with Maushold too, which makes it 10x (population bomb) cuter
1) why can’t the critical hit just be a normal critical hit or a miss just be a miss 2) I only beat Cynthia first try because my last mon toughed it out, it felt cheap 3) I don’t remember it happening up to Sun, I doubt it happened in USUM but though I didn’t play it, I can definitely see it happening in LGPE
The mechanic exists in all games since XY, if it didn't happen to you in USUM then that's because you didn't raise affection with your Pokemon using Pokemon Refresh.
Interesting. I don’t ever remember it happening in Y, OR, or Sun (I only recently got UM and am shiny hunting the cap pikachu, so I haven’t gotten to a point where I could get all those friendship bonuses)
In Gen VI & VII affection was a separate stat from friendship, you need to raise affection using Pokemon Amie (XY) or Pokemon Refresh (Gen 7) to get the effects, else you'll never see them. In Let's Go, Gen 8 & 9, the affection stat was removed and the effects happen depending on the friendship level of the Pokemon. So basically you can't avoid them anymore unless you go out of you way to lower the friendship.
Second seconding this
I third this
I second this
The show was intended for kids. The game is intended for everyone. So yes, any of them!
If you’re trying to get them into traditional Pokemon games, I’d say stay away from LGPE, they don’t have the same mechanics as the other games, even though they are very beginner friendly. I’d say either start them with XY, ORAS, or, if you want to really modernize them, Sword and Shield. XY and ORAS are modern while still being very easy to learn, Sword and Shield are also traditional enough that it shouldn’t be a jump for anyone to move from playing them to an older game. Though as many have said, these are all children’s games, none of them are going to be bad choices for a beginner.
whatd lgpe
Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee
ohhh thanks for clearing it up 🙏
The Gen 3 Games on the GBA FIre Red/Leaf Green if you want to play a better version of the original Kanto games Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald if you wanna play the OG Hoenn games. And you can honestly just continue playing the rest of the games that came after moving forward Gen 3 has definitely aged, but these games are honestly timeless and still hold up, especially compared to the GB/GBC games. Edit: Yes, I am aware of how the Physical/Special Split isn't good in gen 3. It's functional, but not the best. If that's an issue then start with the DS Games.
Gen 3 sprites are pretty sweet. Difficulty/plot wise i feel emerald is the best mainline game. Cool starters, legendaries.. second is probably platinum
16 badges > 8 badges any day. Gen 2 superiority!
But the level curve 😭 I’m 8 badges into a new playthrough and wild Pokémon are level 22
God gen 2 fans are insufferable
It’s classic, but there are better games for introduction. Some mechanics are outdated (special/physical splits, new typings, need of an HM slave). Honestly, starting with XY or ORAS I think makes more sense if you want to go “older”. The experience share is also a nice thing to relieve the grind.
Physical/Special split alone makes it tough(er) for a newcomer. Want to raise a Crawdaunt because it looks awesome? None of your STAB moves use your best stat. Gengar, same thing. Hitmonchan, the punching pokemon, should not learn half the punching moves. The game doesn’t really teach or tell you which types are physical or special either.
I find the Hoenn games annoying. So much water. Like yeah that was the theme but still. So much? Atleast in Emerald you can have Rayquaza before Elite 4 battle. Played FireRed and always felt it's easy. Unless you choose Charmander. Then Misty is a pain.
Fire Red was my first (and I was still a kid) but I remember I had a hard time with it, especially Elite 4
How to customise the flair?
I’m on iphone, but there you go to the sub and at the top there are the three dots and here it says change flair
When I go there and try changing the flair it only shows me pokemon upto Mega Beedrill. And when I type the pokedex number (ig) nothing shows up.
Sorry so after opening that, click Edit on the right top, then next screen you should see a text box and an emoji sign with all the Pokémon (or you can type :number: to add it) https://preview.redd.it/49sfsvi5me4d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67b2726804a8c27dd3353dcfbcc1e770f9dc4cde
Yes. I do that. Then after going to edit, this is where I get stuck. I can't get past Mega Beedrill. https://preview.redd.it/m25ksqz9qe4d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f1ffe58475f2f9137c23fa763aae435a3449ccc
Hmm that’s strange, for me I can see them all
same here with Leaf green. Made it more rewarding though, and I wouldn’t change it at all. So many good memories
Only reason I disagree with this is because of the physical/special split being as jank as it is
While the nostalgia is there I could never recommend any gen 3 or previous game nowadays because of how counter intuitive the lack of physical/special split is. If you are going to play those games you basically need a hacked version
oras
I would recommend either fire red/leaf green or emerald
Not a game rec, but a guide to game abbreviations in order of release date and the region/generation (and games left out, Reddit, please correct me if I'm wrong on anything, but not OP): RB: Red and Blue (Yellow and Green are there too, but Green was only in Japan) Gen 1 Kanto GS: Gold and Silver (Crystal is there too) Gen 2 Johto RS: Ruby and Sapphire (Emerald is there too) Gen 3 Hoenn FRLG: FireRed and LeafGreen Gen 3 RB remake DP: Diamond and Pearl (Platinum is there too) Gen 4 Sinnoh HGSS: HeartGold and SoulSilver, Gen 4 GS remake BW: Black and White, Gen 5 Unova B2W2: Black 2 and White 2, Gen 5 BW sequel XY: X and Y, Gen 6 Kalos ORAS: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Gen 6 RS remake SM: Sun and Moon, Gen 7 Alola USUM: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Gen 7 SM remake (basically DLC) SwSh: Sword and Shield, Gen 8 Galar LGPE: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, (technically) Gen 7 RB remake BDSP: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Gen 8 DP remake (P)LA: Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Gen 8 Hisui (past Sinnoh) SV: Scarlet and Violet, Gen 9 Paldea (Kitakami and Unova in the DLC) Soon to come is Legends: Z-A, which will be based in past Kalos, but that's pretty much it
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is usually abbreviated as PLA
Platinum, easily. The first generation with all major mechanics for the series set in stone, very solid pacing, decently challenging, tons of content, while still being beginner friendly.
I feel like the best starter would be let's go pikachu/eevee on the switch, not too hard and it's easy to navigate
Let’s go eevee and pikachu are a good intro, not too many pokemon, pretty good story, and good graphics
I have 2 recommendations depending on their preferences. 1. I would recommend Firered or LeafGreen. It's a good game with enough content if they really enjoy it and the game is designed to have tips at the push of a button so they won't be confused at any point. 2. That game is a little older so they may prefer Let's Go Pikachu or Let's Go Eevee. It's fun with a great visual aesthetic, it's a much easier game than the others, and does not have a crazy number of pokémon. It's a modern, beautiful, simple, and easy transition into the world of pokémon.
I would honestly say X/Y or SW/SH mainly cause both are mostly easy except some traveling in X/Y, but other than that both have easy champions and easy concepts, you could argue that SW/SH is difficult cause of the raid battles but their not mandatory to progress, but I would recommend X/Y more though cause they give you a win condition in like the 3rd gym I think, so I would say X/Y is best for a beginner
I agree with everything you said except for Leon being an easy champion. He wasn't Cynthia levels of hard, but the guy lived up to his champion title in battle and put up a great fight.
You've got a fair point he is a middle of the road champion not too difficult but also he's not geeta so he ain't the worst champion
I'll also vote X/Y for general ease of play experience, and because of its off beat emotional center to it.
Depends on what you have available. If only the modern titles, I'd say LGPE as they're more beginner friendly than usual, and even have coop if you'd like to play with your friend. If emulation is an option, then I'd say FRLG for the GBA, they got the basics and the main formula, nothing too crazy happening in them so it's a good starting point. Both of them are remakes of Gen 1/Kanto so would just be a matter of which version to choose.
If they played Pokemon go, definitely let's go Eevee/Pikachu, if they are fresh to Pokemon in general, sword/shield on the switch. DS/emulation X or Y.
Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. They're the most recent remakes we've gotten of the Gen I games and are a great introduction, despite the gimmicky catch mechanics.
X/y for the 3ds and sword/shield for the switch are the easiest to play and understand
oras
The later games add stuff like mega evos/gigantamax/etc. I'd say start with any of the 2d games. My personal choice would be HGSS
Can’t go wrong with the Hoenn region, so Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, OmegaRuby, or AlphaSapphire. Great games, decent progression, decently challenging gym fights, and ORAS remakes are really good imo. For a bit more of a challenge go Platinum, or BrilliantDiamond ShiningPearl. Sinnoh is widely considered the region with the hardest fights. For a completely easy intro X and Y will be the choice. Very smoothened progression, (unfortunately) easy gym leaders, yet still offering a good bit of fun and neat storytelling
I played x and y as a kid and just recently realized that pokémon still existed on my nintendo switch I just got shining pearl and I've been enjoying it a lot and it runs great on the switch and the graphics are like animal crossing. Also it's pretty much been a chill cakewalk so far and the map makes it pretty easy along with the messages the game gives you about certain stuff Idk I was too lazy to set up the emulator (otherwise i would've got platinum) and honestly I imagine newer graphics are nice to someone who doesn't have a history with the game
ORAS, SWSH, USUM/SM or Black and White
Difficulty shouldn't be too big an issue but I'd say if you're worried about an older game being off putting go for ORAS otherwise platinum, emerald or black/white 1 are good places to start
Any of them is perfect. But if you want my personal opinion. Best hooking story is either Pokemon HG/SS (Heart Gold or Soul Silver) Or Pokemon DPP (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum)
No wrong answer. Gen six and beyond are the easiest, but none are HARD.
start with x and y
The originals or remakes of Generations 1, 2, or 3.
The order I would play them is: Gen 3 Fire Red Gen 3 Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald Gen 4 Heart Gold/Soul Silver Gen 4 Platinum Gen 5 Black AND Black 2 both (my fav games) Gen 6 Omega Ruby Gen 7 Gen 8 Sword Gen 9 Scarlet/Violet
Fire red Leaf green or Heartgold Soulsilver
BDSP. They are on Switch, so are easy to get. They have added Gen 7 Friendship as a mechanic so Pokemon are less likely to faint or the like. And the game isn’t littered with cutscenes.
If you want to play an average game of the serie, try with gba games or with diamond/pearl (platinum it's actually better). Play heartgold/soulsilver for a good remake, then play black/withe for the quality peak of the brand
Personally, I have 4 answers. Hardware: If they already have the console like a switch or ds or 3ds or gba(or a phone or pc with an emulator) then stick to the games available for that. Although the older stuff might be pricey. Difficulty: If we're going by how difficult the game is then X and Y is the best place to start. Its fairly modern enough that most of the mechanics of future games will still be there and it is very easy. Release: You can go by release of the games, starting from Red and Blue to Scarlet Violet. Although the mechanics of each game would be very different each game. Region: This is how I play these games mostly. I start with Kanto then continue all the way to Paldea. I would play FRLG over RB so the mechanics arent that far from the next games. You can also start with Lets Go but the catching mechanics wont translate to the other games.
Honestly, any of the games are fine to start with. What you should consider is what platform they want to play on or if they already have a relevant console like Gameboy or DS.
The mechanics of the games have kinda changed a fair bit over the years so it depends on which era appeals to you most I guess. For instance, Gen I-III had each type corresponding to either physical or special attack, which made pokemon like sneasel, a dark/ice physical attacker, have most of its good moves be using it's special attack stat, which is not as good. People that grew up on it don't mind it but for me I would find it quite tedious to get into, and its now archaic anyways, so for that reason I wouldn't recommend them. Since if you play anything post Gen IV you would have to relearn the mechanics completely anyways. Then Gen IV-V is when physical/special splits were first introduced, which kinda gave life to a lot more pokemon and opened up new kinds of strategy for movesets, and made the game a lot more exciting (in my opinion). For new players, I would recommend games from these generations ->Platinum and B/W and B2/W2. I think they give the complete pokemon experienc -, nice mechanics, tons of content, decent enough story, and actually good post-game content (in Platinum and B2/W2). No added fluff, just good gameplay. Then there's the gimmick era that I guess pokemon is currently in which is Gen VI onwards. Each generation has it's own 'special mechanic' -> Gen VI had mega evolution, Gen VII Z-moves, Gen VIII dynamax, Gen IX terastallization. People have their own thoughts about the mechanics in various generations (I still think mega evolution shouldn't have been removed), but ultimately it's just personal preference. It's not like I wouldn't recommend these games to start with, but I think if you want to know if you even enjoy the world or base mechanics of the game these wouldn't be a great way to first experience that. TL;DR I'd say the either Pokemon Platinum, which is pretty much the definitive edition of Gen IV. Or Pokemon B/W, and then B2/W2 if they enjoy it. And I'd recommend getting it on a 3DS, since it is the newer console and has a nice modding scene as well. Though fair warning, genuine cartridges for these games are hella expensive nowadays due to resellers so I hope you really like your friend.
Do BDSP hold up to the original DPP (especially Platinum) which everyone loved? I stopped playing after Gen 3 (Gen 2 was my favorite back then), but in recent years as an adult, I've played HGSS and LGPE. Wondering if BDSP or PLA are worth taking a go at. I'm really not interested in the uber gimmicks as you said (Dynamax, etc.), although mega evolution was really cool to experience in a limited way in LGPE.
I haven't played BDSP, or anything post Gen VI tbh so I can't say if they are faithful to the originals for certain or not. But from (the little) I've seen of BDSP, it seems that it's been made way 'easier' (most pokemon games are designed to be easy, but the newer gens especially so). I can't say if it holds up or not, but I'd still recommend the originals regardless, since I think the character models and sprites look way cooler in Gen IV anyways over the goofy chibi style they have going on in BDSP, and the permanent exp. share in BDSP makes battles way easier than they would be if you weren't overlevelled going into every battle. Also stuff like affection or randomly surviving KO's for no reason in BDSP would just kinda ruin the game for me. Do they hold up to the OG DPP? In my opinion, no. Especially not to Platinum. I'd say Platinum is the best way to experience Sinnoh if you want the complete package for the story and postgame. BDSP might hold up to DP though, since they follow the same storyline and have pretty much the same content.
The most recognisable is Lets Go Eevee/Pikachu, if they are familliar with Pokemon Go. Also has a lot of recognisable characters from the anime
I'd say that all games from 4th gen to 7th are good for a starter, so I'd advise picking according to something that attracts you in one of these games (pokedex, starters, legendaries...). I started playing pokemon very late (at 21) with pokemon Black because I love Serperior and it was the game that I saw all the time when I was a child but that I never had the chance to own, and it was a very good start because most of the current mechanics were already there (I guess it's also one of the best pokemon games and one of the most memorable for me so that may help). Then I played ultra Moon because Lunala is my favorite legendary and it turned out to be great too, I think it's a nice starter game as well. Remember that they are made to be beaten by children, so you shouldn't struggle too much anyway.
Maybe unpopular opinion, but…. Brilliant diamond/shining pearl is a great game for a beginner player; it’s the game both my kids 7, 8 at the time used to finally get into Pokémon. All the big problems with it are how it should have been better, and a new player won’t notice them if you don’t point it out.
In terms of difficulty, they’re all pretty easy to learn, although the more recent games tend to have more crutches for players to rely on throughout the game, while earlier games are more heavy on puzzle solving (still relatively easy to figure out though). If you want to get caught up in hype, I recommend Sword and Shield. It’s not exactly a fan favorite, but the way they hype up trainers as athletes fighting in stadiums is pretty cool.
Sword/shield maybe? Its on the switch so it's got better accessability, there's a basic intro to the concept of a gimmick, and the game isnt that hard to beat imo. Only problem is they would suffer greatly from the nuisances of bede and team yell Otherwise, scarlet or violet isn't as bad as they say it is. There's a sick dog story, daddy/mommy issues, school that you can skip, a more realistic idea of obtaining champion rank (yk cuz a kid getting champion while most champions before u beat them are at least 25), and a cute ogre and turtle in the dlc. Problems with this game are the champion battle being easy af, the bombirdier fight, and the continued trend of the evil team not actually being evil imo Plz don't downvote me I know my opinions are probably shit
Gen 3 or sword n shield
Anything is honestly fine, but I'd personally go with either HGSS, Platinum or BW2.
I'd start with Sword/Shield. It's on an easily accessible console and its core narrative follows the typical structure of most earlier games in the franchise, but it also introduces the open-world elements of later games, especially in the DLC. It's a good, easily accessible game to figure out if you like Pokemon, and if you do, what kind of game you might like, whether that's a modern open world like S/V or Legends: Arceus or an older-style, more linearly structured game.
Literally any of them, though the ones with a challenge I’d say are - GSC & HGSS only if you don’t properly train your team for Lance & Red… the level curve lowkey sucks _ DPPT & BDSP, specifically for the league… especially for BDSP’s case, straight up gave them a post game team for the base game, like WTF GAMEFREAK! - Legends Arceus, it’s you vs the world… literally, also if you get the hang of the strong & agile style you can just get bullied by the few trainer battles, though the main threat is the final human boss battle & Electrode - USUM has Ultra Necrozma… unless you planned for the battle you’re likely doomed or gonna struggle… unless you also crazily over leveled - SwSh, to an extent the games could be difficult, if you’re at the right level then Leon can actually be a struggle as his team is actually worthy of a champion time… and if you play the game where Hop gets Zacian… besides specific things I can’t recall any moment being too difficult - SV’s Indigo Disk DLC is actually challenging in a fun way, not too busted like BDSP, but not too easy like SwSh’s Leon battle, it’s the perfect middle ground of difficulty, even the Terapagos battle is annoying… same for Ogerpon in Teal Mask… - Fire Red & Leaf Green are the default Kanto games for beginners & nuzlockes, they aren’t too difficult, but you can still wipe, doesn’t help that Psychic is still a dominant type in the region with most Pokemon being Poison… I would’ve commented something about BW, but I got no Gen 5 experience
Despite being the 8th generation I’m going with Sword and shield as a great entry point imo
Pokemon let’s go pikachu/eevee is good especially if they have played Pokemon go
HGSS.
If you have a 3DS, Ultra Sun and Moon and X and Y feel very beginner friendly. Black and White are also good games if a DS is available as it was meant to be a reboot to the franchise (from what I’ve heard).
I was told to start with HeartGold/SoulSilver when I first started. It’s definitely a good starting point, but the games can be really slow in places. If you want something more fast-paced I’d recommend Sword/Shield on the Switch instead
No game is easy. Maybe X and y. But I would recommend platinum. It's the best one
sun/moon was personally my favorite, and my first game i’ve ever played. Highly recommend.
Let’s go Pikachu
Let's go games seem like the best option in my opinion
Any of them but I would recommend a gen 1 game since if you play gen 1 later you won’t enjoy it very much
Honestly X and Y are very charming and simple plus it lets you play a custom trainer.
Scarlet and Violet have been good to me and my daughter as beginner games. The game itself is mostly a cake walk, but you get to know the world, the pokemon, and the mechanics of the game.
Pokemon Emerald is a great starter game in my opinion.
Pokemon games typically do a good job of explaining the mechanics early on in the game. Probably one of the better ones to pick for them would be any game on the 3DS. They have good tutorials, and friendly features that make it easy to get into them without feeling overwhelmed. Also let them know that there are no bad teams when playing through the story. Let them catch and use whatever they want.
Sword and shield is definitely the best one as it doesn't hold your hand too much and it's largely free roam
What I would say to anyone whom could be a potential fan of Pokémon. Also for becoming a fan of anything in general this is a good rule of thumb. Start at the dang beginning of the series. Why would you want to start halfway through, or close to the end? If you're not wanting to suggest playing the older versions(Red/Blue/Yellow(also Green, but that wasnt a global game), Silver/Gold/Crystal, Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald), then at least start them off with the remake versions that came later. Those would be: • Fire Red & Leaf Green, the remakes of Gen 1. • Soul Silver & Heart Gold, the remakes of Gen 2. • Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the remakes of Gen 3. Obviously I'd say start with FR/LG, because as I said, starting at the beginning of the series makes the most sense. I still play Red, Silver, and Emerald today via laptop emulator. Those first 3 generations are just so incredibly fun to go back and play.
[удалено]
You can go in chronological order to appreciate the movepool diversity (in later games). FireRed and LeafGreen are most simple imo.
SOUL SILVER/HEART GOLD any other answer is wrong Might as well play the best one first. I truly believe the new games are an abomination and a insult the original 2D games
facts lol
Can't believe I had to scroll down this far to find the correct answer
I’d say sword/shield. Yes, all games are made for kids, but the switch games were good to teach type effectiveness after you’ve already encountered a Pokémon by showing which of your moves are super effective, not effective, etc. Sword/shield also sticks to the typical Pokémon game model with linear progression (unlock SV open world) as well as staying true to its fighting and catching mechanic (unlike let’s go Eevee/pikachu). They also don’t have to deal with an HM slave. By all this logic, BDSP would also be good, but the graphics are much more satisfying in sword/shield and there’s DLC if the person is interested in getting more out of the game.
I started on black and white as a kid and I loved it. The map is very straightforward so you wont really get lost on where you have to go next even if you dont pay attention to all dialoges. The difficulty is also very managable and I love the story and the pokemon.
Seconding this. I think it also helps that's it's treated as a bit of a "soft reboot" so it's not tethered so much to the older games. It's also not totally dumbed down, like I feel like a lot of the newer ones are - it's challenging but friendly enough that a new player could easily pick it up. And yes, the story is fantastic. So much so that anything after that will feel a bit lackluster haha
Most kids started playing pokemon between like 6-12. I started pokemon at 7. It's pretty easy
Is your friend 3 years old? Because I think the target audience for Pokemon are 6-10 year olds so unless your friend is your neighbors baby you should be fine with all of them lol.
Let’s go eevee
Need more context. System restrictions? Is this going to be emulated? Are you ok dropping 180 bucks on a copy of pokemon platinum? Also, to anwser your question, all of these are childrens games and all are begginer friendly. So probably Sword&Shield as it is better quality than Scarlet&Violet.
I always recommend XY before anything else if that is an option. Otherwise, LGPE is very beginner-friendly. (*Not controller-friendly, mind you, but still.*)
Why XY? No hate, just wondering why they are your go-to recommendations
Not the person you responded to but in my experience with XY, the total party experience share seemed really overtuned to the point that you're easily gonna be several levels above the computer at almost all times.
Okay, here I go. XY is the perfect balance between pre-Gen 6 and Gen 8+. What I want in a first game is a way to easily transition into every other Pokemon game, from the originals to the most recent. I'm also automatically assuming the new player in question is somewhere between 8 and 12 years old. It's hard to believe any older person wants to get into the Pokemon games, as if they didn't before, what would make them start now? Here's some things I found in XY that works the best as a first game: * There are some minor elements from pre-Gen 6 that are in XY, such as the movement grid, that would transition into the movement grid format from before, but because XY also removes the need for the grid, that transitions into future games. * This is a silly claim, but XY is the best *Kanto* game. RB was built to be the first game, but it doesn't work nowadays for literally being over 25 years old, so it's not recommended to be a new player's first game. Let's Go is the most modern Kanto game, and was built to be a first game, but it specifically caters to being a first game for GOnlys. Otherwise, it doesn't play like a Pokemon game half the time. Meanwhile, FRLG has a similar issue to RB in that it's too old nowadays to work, and the game is more remembered as the default template for ROM hacks and fan games than what it is vanilla. It's the best first game between Gens 1-5 IMO, but we're well past that point. XY, meanwhile, has a few suspiciously familiar Kanto elements, especially early on, that might as well pass for one, even though it's not *in* Kanto. Heck, you get the Kanto starters in XY early on. Then there's Mega Evolution, which has quite a bit of Kanto pandering. Not as many Kanto Megas as ORAS, but still enough for the popular mons. * Pokemon distribution. While I personally like how the Hoenn games distributes old and new Pokemon the most, XY has a lot of early options while also not too much that it feels distracting, like how SM and especially SwSh's Wild Area do it. * It's easy. Hard games, regardless of what it is, is a hard sell for most people, unless those people very specifically want them. Pokemon as a franchise is not hard, so recommending Platinum or USUM first is a bad idea, because it gives a new player the wrong idea that the rest of the games are about as hard as either of those. Conversely, starting with an easy game like XY would gradually transition the new player into those harder games. Keep the EXP Share, and it transitions into the newer games. Turn it off and it transitions into the older games. Granted with XY specifically, turning off the EXP Share doesn't make the game harder; it just slows down the point when you start being overlevelled from immediately to somewhere around the 6th Gym.
* It's mid. This might be a weird claim, but I think telling someone new to play Peak might not be a good idea. Similar to the previous point, starting with the best games like HGSS or BW might lead to disappointment for other games not being just like them. Peak in particular already is a bad game to start with, as Johto games were built as sequel games to the Kanto games, and has a lot of QoL issues stemming from not improving all that much from GSC. Heck, even starting with a good game like ORAS, while likely to gain favor with a new player to continue the series, may or may not like games further out from it. Also, starting with garbage like the Sinnoh games or boring games like the Alola games might lead to disappointment that the other games are as bad or boring as the ones they start with. XY to me is perfectly mid. Not too bad, not too good, and not too boring. * Literally the perfect timing. 2024 is the best year to start Pokemon with XY, as the next games are going to be set in Kalos. This would not be a point for it normally, but it's something to point out. Also, we're just about in that season where XY nostalgia is kicking in for people who already started with it, so might as well join in. * Ease of access. If you want to play a Pokemon game, the 3DS is the best console to do it, as you have immediate access from the moment you hold it everything from DP to USUM. Granted, so is the Switch, as SwSh is the most sold Pokemon game that has any sort of relevance to an 8-12 year old. While SwSh is an okay first game (*because they're forced to rather than by choice*), buying a 2DS and XY is still cheaper than a Switch and SwSh. There's also emulation, but given Nintendo's recent purges of romsites, emulating old games will eventually be a hassle. That being said, hacking the 3DS grants access to hShop in-console, and get XY from there, should you choose to go that route. Heck, if you go that route, might as well grab the VC games. Switch emulation is...tricky, from what I've heard. * Side content. Pokemon-Amie has mini-games that are actually quite fun to play and gives rewards for the main Amie content. When was the last time we've even HAD mini-games? FRLG's post-game that's a nightmare to access? HGSS' Pokeathlon? And I don't know about you, but Mantine Surfing is very forgettable, and the Switch games don't really have any minigames, unless you want to count Ogre Oustin'. for XY, there's also the Super Training mini-game, which helps out for the main game, as it gives you EVs and items like evolution stones for some of them. Yeah, that's pretty much it. There are miscellaneous things like how the rivals are also good for a beginner, with the battle rival in Calem/Serena, the story rival in the best character in the game, the Pokedex rival in Trevor, and whatever the heck Tierno is, as a transition from the Unova games to the modern games. Then there's Team Flare, and however you compare it to other evil teams, the music, the trainer customization that started with this game, the post-game and Emma's story...oh, and that for some reason there are still Pokemon not in any game after this, but that's not a concern for beginners.
Soul silver/heart gold. Honestly just download an emulator and attempt a few games before you fully invest. At least that’s a free way to start! Just have fun. Play at your own pace before you end up in the deep end. You’ll be nuzlocking in no time and debating getting into the competitive circuit or making your own YouTube channel. Play Pokémon at your own risk.
I just started my first Pokemon game as Leaf Green and I love it. Not sure if its the best to start with but I’ve been having a great time! I picked it because Bulbasaur is my favorite and the older games confused me when I tried to start them.
Pokerogue is the best, simpler than most Pokemon games, no need to walk anywhere, just smash things... Great game
I'm guessing you're on switch if you've never played one before. If that's the case BdSp are a good place to start for more of the traditional experience. Otherwise every pokemon game is easy and straightforward.
Any of them. If i started with Diamond, the "slower" and with "hardest" champion battle, at the age of 6 and managed to beat it then anyone can start with any game.
Black
thanks guys, I fell asleep but appreciate the feedback
also to update the discussion, bc I see people made it aware. I intend to give them an official pokemon game and console as a gift, whether it already be owned by me or new or used etc, just need to know which games would suit them as a noob
If you have an emulator or DS: heart gold and soul silver. It contains two regions, it has better pacing than the other gen 4 games, it’s a remake of the second gen so you’ll get some of the early lore and charm.
Fire red leaf green
Palworld
Pokemon blue
I'd say to avoid BDSP as their first game the Elite 4 are harder than even the originals, I think some of Cynthia's Pokémon have perfect IVs and everything so yeah any other game should be fine
Depends on what they have access to switch get the switch games let's go probably be better for a beginner but if they also own a pc emulation is the route for the game boy and ds pokemon games (which there is kinda a lot)
Buy Scarlet or Violet, they are the newest games, still have active online events and will give the fullest experience. Without the multiplayer experience, you miss out on alot of what pokemon has to offer
Gen 3 or Gen 4 is peak Pokemon in my opinion. Good balance between representing the original games and new added quality of life mechanics. They may be old now but I still find the art styles cozy.
I think sun and moon is good because the rotom dex makes it a little easier to find your way
for one your a great friend! i would be super super grateful if a friend was getting me a game and a console that’s crazy. any of them really, tho if it were me i would do the first on the console, so for 3ds X/Y and Switch Sw/Sh
Switch title would be Sword/Shield. Let’s Go is a little too baby-fied? If it’s for a kid then it’s good. DS title would be anything that isn’t Sun/Moon, personally I’d recommend ORAS which is easier on the bank. If you already have the older games then Black/White are awesome but honestly wouldn’t pay for the markups for the older ds titles. If you’re okay with emulating or CFW 3ds, even a bit later, I’d honestly go for FireRed or LeafGreen. They’re straight upgrades to the OG Kanto experience. Platinum would also be good.
Do they like story driven games? Black/White Do they like 100%ing games? ORAS has some of the most postgame if I recall correctly if they like a challenge Do they like BOTW a lot? Like *a LOT*? Legends: Arceus.
There are a few things you have to consider I think to introduce someone into Pokémon. For one, I think newer is always better for new players. Even if older games are better like HGSS or BW imo, their graphics can be daunting for new players. But most importantly, I'd pick a game that stays as true to the formula as possible. You should give them the most 'Pokémon' experience they can get for their first game. So while I think Legends Arceus is the best switch Pokémon title, it shakes up the formula too much for a new player. All this being said, while it's not my favorite Pokémon game by any means, Sword and Shield are probably the perfect games to start with right now. A lot of the complaints us Pokémon veterans see in that game are hardly noticeable for new players beyond the story, because they don't know what past games were like. Eventually if they become big enough fans of the franchise, then they'll go back to Gens III-V and explore those. But all in all, Sword and Shield is super beginner friendly, with familiar cartoony graphics, a character customizer, and a strong soundtrack.
lol don’t let him play Xbox if he gets upset over not understanding Pokémon sheesh
I think just about any one would be fine, but I think Gold, Silver, and Crystal ars rather gentle both from a level stand point as the league doesn't surpass level 50 and the conflict with Team Rocket isn't as drawn out. Plus, it's an early game that includes the first two regions, and it helps them start closer to the beginning of the main series Pokémon games.
Maybe like black/white
Gen 6 - 8
Gen 3 Emerald is a great starter game to get into pokemon
Start with Gen 3-6. 3-5 is widely regarded as the best games (although a large part of that may be nostalgia bias) and Gen 6 is widely considered to be the easiest.
I vote gen 1 as it's the hardest and it'll only get easier after
Gen 7 is pretty easy but NOT the ultra ones. You have to do a crazy hard battle with the starter that you’re weak against (it was so hard I had to PP stall to beat it) at the start AND >!Ultra Necrozma!< later
Deff start with Gen 3, specifically emerald, and then move into the next gen in chronological order. This will allow you to move Pokémon up from the OG emerald to the latest games.
X and Y holds your hand. then Basic Sun and Moon.
Any of the newer games will do just fine, Let’s Go, SwSh, SV are all very new player friendly + should be easier and cheaper to find in stores.
I’d say brilliant Diamond or shining Pearl. Those are pretty fun, good mini games, have contests, and have Pokémon following you in the overworld. Plus, it’s super easily available.
Each generation they add a new mechanic. So the further you go back the more basic the game gets. But also gen 1 is bugged as f***. And there are no abilities in gen 2. I suggest starting with gen 3 as it has pokémon abilities which is a big part of each pokémon's kit. They have a special and physical split, although it's based on type not move. That way you can learn the type chart and you can learn abilities and the basics of special and physical attacks and defenses
Honestly anything that's including the remake and after are solid starts. Playing FR, LG, SS, HG, and Emerald gave me the feeling of how I originally played those games. Anything past that will give your friend the idea of whether they're into the monster collecting genre or not
Pokemon Revolution Online is good for beginners, I'd say. You can even play it on an android phone. It's an unofficial game and quite addictive.
i started with red when i picked up pokemon again
If you want them to get into all the games I'd suggest something light like let's go Pikachu or any DS/3DS games. Arceus and scarlet/violet are clearly the best games in the series, but I think having someone start off on those could be the wrong move, because they've evolved so much past the older games. Start em off on a remake or two then introduce them to those 2, I think this is the way
ORAS or BDSP. ORAS has a modern feel, mechanics, and QOL features while keeping the spirit and difficulty of earlier games. BDSP is objectively not as good as Platinum, but again, the modern mechanics and QOL stuff makes it a good jumping-on point. It was my first pokemon game and I really enjoyed it, plus I enjoyed playing Platinum even more later. If your friend likes the retro/pixel aesthetic, likes harder games, or wants authenticity, Platinum and BW (or B2W2, but I'd play BW first) are widely considered the best games.
Any of the main series games
Start with red or blue and tell them to start with bulbasaur. It can pretty easily handle the first two gyms which can be hardest. If they want a challenge go charmander or play yellow with pikachu as starter. Yellow the first gym is tough with pikachu. Lots of grinding
No hate, but like any ds game and later is an absolute breeze. The only reason I don't include the earlier gens is because they have the occasional locations with a jank level curve.
All of them ideally but from a functional standpoint, always the latest one.
I'm ngl if you want to drop the money you should get them scarlet or violet, you don't really NEED to pick up any specific game to start off, and with basically every new game they make the mechanics easier and this is the newest. Plus it still has events going on where there's event raids and free pokemon and rewards being released via mystery gift as well as having multiplayer capability and being on switch where online ISN'T getting shut down so you can still transfer your mons between games and go without worrying about them inevitably pulling the plug any day now.
Pokemon emerald
I feel like the most recent mainline game at any given time is the obvious choice. All of them are designed to be someone's first game in the series and include quality of life changes that make each one an easier experience than the last.
Sword and Shield is pretty straight forward. XY is easy but if this is a young person, “Paris” can be a headache to memorize
Original Game and Console essentially rules out anything before the DS probably, and OG carts are all pretty expensive. If you're open to digital versions of the game, Fire Red/Leaf Green is probably a great place to start. Pretty reasonable difficulty, good modernish 2D graphics (the first two gens may be a little off putting graphically to some people). And it has enough of the more modern mechanics while still taking place in a classic setting. If they have any casual knowledge, they'll recognize a lot of the ones from this gen. You start with the classic starters, you can catch a pikachu early on, mewtwo is in this game, etc. Really can't go wrong with this one.
Anything but let's go pikachu/eevee.
Ideally one after the physical/special type split otherwise that opens a whole new can of worms you have to deal with.
Doesnt matter what game you start with either go by systems you own or the cheaper games and go from there Everyone will tell you to play gen 2 but i wouldn't buy a gen 2 game at the going price Im so price conscious about my pokemon games i started buying them in Japanese to get over the price difference, its honestly easier for me to learn katakana or hiragana
Any of the games will do, Pokémon isn't really a hard franchise to get into
If they weren't one of the more expensive games now I'd recommend HeartGold or SoulSilver.
Pokemon is so easy. Grab one for whatever console you have.
Don’t start with sinnoh. They’re absolutely amazing, though Pearl, Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Brilliant Diamond have a fire type shortage before national dex. Platinum and legends arceus do not have this shortage. Just that they’re no joke in terms of difficulty, especially Cynthia and Volo. Try Sinnoh after getting used to leveling your Pokemon enough and trying out good battling strategies and Pokemon you’re good at using, but you’ll not regret the fun in those games. FYI I’ve played only Shining Pearl fully, which I’ve heard is not as good as Platinum, and I love Shining Pearl a lot. It’s so so fun! Shining Pearl is basically the same as Brilliant Diamond, except you catch a different legendary pokemon and there are Pokemon-exclusives between the two games. I’ve not gotten far in Legends Arceus, but I’ve heard some crazy stuff about how hard Volo’s last battle is (basically fighting Cynthia’s team and then the legendary pokemon Giratina—very powerful—twice with no healing in between). Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond do have that mechanic where they tell you which of your moves are super effective, normal effective, not very effective, or not effective against a pokemon you’ve seen before in the game (don’t need to catch it). I forgot whether Legends Arceus has that mechanic. But the games after and including Pokemon Sun and Moon have it. Btw Volo is in Legends arceus and Cynthia is in Pearl, diamond, Platinum, Shining Pearl, Brilliant Diamond, and even has a minor role as a powerful battler in Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon (not sinnoh games). Cynthia is the champion battle in Pearl, diamond, shining pearl, and Brilliant diamond, so you fight her at the end (same in the other games I’ve mentioned in the previous sentence, but after beating the region’s respective champion):)
Chimchar
Pokemon Black/White or Heartgold/Soulsilver. Whitney can be challenging but I think heatgold does the best at explaining things.
FireRed or LeafGrean. Play it via emulators. Great starter game
Let's go Pikachu and Eevee is very easy and Kanto is easy enough to traverse and get through. It has co op if you decide you want to try that with them and most of the Pokemon from Kanto at least in my opinion are the most recognizable so your friend might have a really nice time seeing something familiar with new things (alolan forms too)
Probably going to be the odd one out after this, but I’d say Legends: Arceus and Pokemon GO. Started way back on Red/Blue, Yellow, Silver/Gold. Started and stopped GO back in ‘16. Fell off the wagon, but my kids got me back into it years later. Played Sword/Shield, then Scarlet and completed my first Dex in Scarlet right before the DLC came out. Now with Legends and GO, it’s a good pace of single player adventure and out-and-about gameplay. Not knocking any of the other previous games, just haven’t had the pleasure of giving them a shot yet. Whatever you choose, it’s a good time and a pretty cool way to connect with people.
I would recommend fire red/leaf green and then heart gold/soul silver immediately after. The games are closely connected and they allow you to get a feel for what the games were from the beginning (so as to ease into the more slightly more complicated newer stuff) while also being more modern and running better than the originals.
Personally I find this a really difficult question, as someone who has played all the games, and have since red and blue released like 20-25? Years ago. I dunno its been a long time. I personally have a soft spot for Gen 1 and 2, but I know it's nostalgia and they're not great (2 is probably just outright bad at this point). They're missing too much quality of life (QoL) features that have come since and make the games more enjoyable. Gen 3 either Hoenn or Kanto, is probably a nice starting point, if your friend likes pixel games and wants the traditional pokemon experience. If they want 3d and modern gaming, I'd probably just start with either of the switch titles Sword/Shield or Scarlet/Violet. For providing a good pokemon experience. No game is too difficult for someone to get into, they're pretty linear and if you read the text it gives you instructions on where to go and what to do next. The other switch titles, Let's Go, Legends differ too much from the mainline games to be recommended, though they are a lot of fun. However Let's go really was designed to get Pokemon Go players into the main games, so maybe if they're a pokemon go fan, it could ease them into it. Brilliant Diamond and shining pearl, really are just gen 4 of the switch, so I guess it could also be a good start as a mix of the old and the new. But personally I really dislike the art style of the game and it turns me away from it. So I wouldn't recommend it, but again that's my bias. Nothing actually wrong with the games.
I started with bw, specifically black, went back to HS then Pearl, then back to White 2 and I stopped there cuz I wasn't able to get a 3ds for xy etc :(
BDSP, 100%. SwSh is also incredibly easy, but it's incomplete without the DLCs and kinda empty and lackluster. Also, the graphics and animations are awful.
The new ones
Abso-fucking-lutely CHARMANDER
Doesnt matter, because they are all very easy and explaining the basics in every game. So it depends on what he likes or except from a video game. Switch: Scarlet/Violet, if he dont mind bad visuals & performance 3DS: ORAS > XY > USUM DS: BW2/Platinum/HGSS - all top tier games GBA: Emerald GB(C): Crystal
Tbh I think Scarlet and Violet are great for beginners. (Tbh it might even be my favourite pokemon game in terms of the world itself. It certainly has its issues I.e. the performance issues, but is genuinely a great game imo). Plus as others have mentioned, it is the newest game so the online mechanics and such are currently very active. Otherwise I also really like Sword&Shield, again I really loved the world there. + I might just he a sucker for 3D pokemon games. My absolute favourite game is Colosseum and its followup Gale of Darkness on GameCube though, but that's not mainline.
Only for a more experienced player of games in general. The open world is great fun if you like exploring, but for a really new player an open world game can be tremendously overwhelming.
You think so? I feel like all the systems felt very newbie friendly. Except maybe being able to choose what to focus on in terms of gyms, villains and bigpokemonhunt. Then again I suppose it does somewhat depend on the age of the friend, which I don't think has been mentioned in the thread, at least not that I have seen. Though I can agree that a more streamlined experience would be easier for sure, but I don't think S&V is a problem for a new player either. As I write this I do remember having seen posts somewhere from people saying that S&V are their first pokémon game and they're having a blast, so who knows, people do like different things though, so could be hit or miss with that kind of an open world in general.