Worst Pokémon game?

Started by Pokedigifan1178 March 3rd, 2019 1:30 PM
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Pokedigifan1178

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Which Pokémon game do you believe is the worst?

Because there are a few Pokémon games that were bad.

I just want to know your opinion that’s all

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Seen April 18th, 2022
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From the main series, it'd have to be Sun & Moon...still haven't found the motivation to get very far in (and I'm only remotely further in Ultra Sun)...

The PokePark series wasn't that great either, although it does have its charm...
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Pokedigifan1178

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From the main series, it'd have to be Sun & Moon...still haven't found the motivation to get very far in (and I'm only remotely further in Ultra Sun)...

The PokePark series wasn't that great either, although it does have its charm...
Sun and moon is mediocre right.

Is that why it’s bad

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If I had to: it'd be RBY.

The games did not age well at all, as is evident from their VC release. Apologies to all the Gen I fans out there.

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probably a bit hard to nail down an objectively worst one, but I'm not a fan of Red/Blue/Yellow, even though that's where I started, and the past two generations (6 and 7) have kind of been disappointing imo
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Pokedigifan1178

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probably a bit hard to nail down an objectively worst one, but I'm not a fan of Red/Blue/Yellow, even though that's where I started, and the past two generations (6 and 7) have kind of been disappointing imo
Do you think sword and shield will be as bad as sun and moon?

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Do you think sword and shield will be as bad as sun and moon?
I'm admittedly not optimistic about Sword & Shield right now given how the franchise has been going for years now, but it's also much too soon for me (or anyone really) to think that the games are certainly going to be good or bad. All we have at the moment is the reveal trailer, which is nowhere near enough information to truly make a judgment on at this time.
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For the main games, Sun and Moon are my least favorites. (I haven't played much of USUM, though, so I can't comment too well about how they compare to Sun/Moon.) While they start off with some of the main elements seen in Pokemon games, they spend too much time breaking up the flow of gameplay with constant cutscenes and unskippable tutorials. That wouldn't be so bad if they let up fairly early on, but the same pattern persists across several islands. If anything, it feels more like I'm going on a supervised field trip through Alola with Has and Lillie, with a little bit of time to explore on my own. As a long-term player, I've found the experience fairly boring, and there isn't a decent post-game to offset the dullness of the main game.

In addition to the constant tutorials and interruptions (seriously, couldn't there be a menu option where we can indicate that we've been playing these games since long before our companion characters were born?), the story didn't appeal to me very much. Part of the problem is that Lillie is central to the story (as opposed to the player character being the story's focus). As someone who didn't like Lillie, and frankly found her annoying, it seemed like I had to keep interrupting my own journey to listen to Lillie's plights and occasionally get her out of trouble.

That said, Sun and Moon aren't bad games. They just didn't feel as much like Pokemon games as I would have liked, between story changes, lack of gyms, and various other elements. I may be unusual, but I actually like stories where my character is central to what is going on, and if anything, I would rather focus less on the plot and more on my character's development as a trainer. And while I understand that GF designs these games for children, I made it through gen I just fine with far fewer tutorials and linear roadblocks, and I suspect modern kids could do so as well. Perhaps GF has come to underestimate its audience's abilities.

We'll see what happens with Sword and Shield. I liked the trailer, though there's no indication that those games won't share certain irritating elements with Sun and Moon. But at least it seems like S/S will be traditional entries in that they'll have random encounters, wild Pokemon battles, and gyms. Personally, although I would love to see the games return to the level of content they had in gens 4 and 5 (with battle frontiers, etc.), I would be satisfied if gen 8 resembled gen 6 (traditional format, fairly safe design choices, some nostalgic elements thrown in). I've been feeling fairly apathetic about Pokemon of late, and I'm hoping that gen 8 will help change that for me. I tend to get more invested in even generations than odd ones, and I would say that even generations tend to be safer in their design choices (they don't tend to have complete reboots in terms of Pokemon available in the main game, for example), and I'm hoping that gen 8 will continue that trend.
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Pokedigifan1178

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I feel like the main Pokémon games are bad a bit because they are repetitive.

Every game is like you play as a trainer who fights [insert crime syndicate], Wins [insert league], and captures new Pokémon..

It’s pretty much the same with only one change or two.

Like mega evolution and Z stones.

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I feel like the main Pokémon games are bad a bit because they are repetitive.

Every game is like you play as a trainer who fights [insert crime syndicate], Wins [insert league], and captures new Pokémon..

It’s pretty much the same with only one change or two.

Like mega evolution and Z stones.
But that's how Pokemon is, though. It's been that way since the very beginning. It's been that way since the "golden years" or whenever people most fondly remember of Pokemon. BW and BW2? You start as a kid who has to take down Team Plasma and when you're done kicking their asses, you become Champion. There is nothing that fifth gen (or hell, any generation aside from seventh slightly) did uniquely to deviate from that formula.

Simply put: Game Freak follows the mantra of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" to an absolute T. The biggest change that you will see from Pokemon game to Pokemon game is the plot. I'll give credit where credit is due and say that SM gave a fair bit of twists and turns here and there unlike previous Pokemon games, so its plot (to me, at least) is more flavourful than the rest. But as far as everything else? It's typical Pokemon, always has been and always will be.

I feel like Game freak would have to stray away from the main version line entirely if people want them to upend the entire formula and re-build from the ground up.

Pokedigifan1178

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But that's how Pokemon is, though. It's been that way since the very beginning. It's been that way since the "golden years" or whenever people most fondly remember of Pokemon. BW and BW2? You start as a kid who has to take down Team Plasma and when you're done kicking their asses, you become Champion. There is nothing that fifth gen (or hell, any generation aside from seventh slightly) did uniquely to deviate from that formula.

Simply put: Game Freak follows the mantra of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" to an absolute T. The biggest change that you will see from Pokemon game to Pokemon game is the plot. I'll give credit where credit is due and say that SM gave a fair bit of twists and turns here and there unlike previous Pokemon games, so its plot (to me, at least) is more flavourful than the rest. But as far as everything else? It's typical Pokemon, always has been and always will be.

I feel like Game freak would have to stray away from the main version line entirely if people want them to upend the entire formula and re-build from the ground up.
But I’m just saying that if you keep doing that. It kinda becomes stale.

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But I’m just saying that if you keep doing that. It kinda becomes stale.
For some people? Sure. For others? It's been accepted that this is how Pokemon has always been and there's no real reason for Game Freak to change what works (so far), so they wouldn't.

Pokedigifan1178

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For some people? Sure. For others? It's been accepted that this is how Pokemon has always been and there's no real reason for Game Freak to change what works (so far), so they wouldn't.
Okay then

Anyway

Sorry if this is a little bit unrelated.

But would you consider a crossover game between Pokémon and digimon to be a bad game or a good game.

Just asking that’s all.

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sun and moon has a different feel compared to past games but i liked it, lillie is a great character and the ending made me tear a little bit on the inside. but i felt no replay value so there's that. rby still stands to me as the worst. yellow was the only one where i actually managed to go past misty.
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Red and Blue, no question. I was introduced to Pokémon at Generation 3, and I don't think I'll be able to bear playing any earlier than that.
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I was introduced in Gen 3, and while It took me a while to play RBY I still enjoyed them. I haven't really hated a Pokemon game since I first started playing. Sun and Moon had a lot of cutscenes that it felt like an interactive movie, but I still like them for what they have added to the series.

But for the worst games in the series, I would have to say Gen 6. I just didn't enjoy them as much as every other game. Although the anime is the exact opposite. I think Gen 5 is the best game, but the worst anime.

No matter how used the Pokemon formula is, it works and many people enjoy it. And it will stay that way for a long time. And Game Freak will always get my money too. XD

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I will have to say BW really watered down my fiery passion for Pokemon for as long as they were in dominance, largely because of the total absence and incapability to use Pokemon from the older generation until you beat the game, which is pretty stupid imo. And till date I am unable to process the overworld as well as the weirdly animated sprites.

Again, I don't hate the game nor the generation, I just find BW difficult to digest, coming from someone whom played since RBGY and still excited for Sword and Shield.
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RBY. I started in Kanto with Yellow and I enjoyed them back then, but as was already said here, they really didn't age well. If we count spinoffs, then LGPE is even worse than RBY, because they combined the worse elements from several Pokémon games - handholding from SM, catching from GO and outdated mechanics from RBY, while also removing most of the features that made Pokémon great during their peak.
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Sun and Moon do doubts in my mind.

Weak story, annoying characters I didn't care about, constant tutorials and hand-holding, Hau just casually giving you OP items like Max Revives. They were insanely easy. Alola was bare, so many areas just looked incomplete, they partially fixed this in USUM but it still wasn't great. Not enough new Pokemon.

The removal of the fantastic PSS (one of the only good things about gen 6) for the vastly inferior and almost unuseable festival plaza. Virtually no post-game content.

When I sit down and really think about it its pretty shocking to me that in my mind Pokemon hasn't actually released a "great" game since 2011 with Black and White. That's almost ten years.....
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From those that I have played so far, Yellow was the one that I enjoyed the least. There is a pretty funky battle system, no abilities, few Pokémon, bad TMs, and of course, the critical hit algorithm. Now, I haven't played the other Gen 1 games yet (and I don't want to so soon), but they'd probably give me a worse experience.

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X/Y are clearly the worst:

- No challenge whatsoever, outrageously easy
- Introduces terrible concepts such as the new Exp Share and Mega Evolution
- No notable post-game
- No memorable story or characters
- Came after what was probably the best Pokemon Game, Black/White 2, so they KNEW how to do it right

The only good thing about these games is that Gen 6 had probably the most balanced battling metagame, despite Mega Evolutions (at least before Mega Rayquaza became a thing).
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I would say I enjoyed bw the least. It was hard for me to get into it when I didn't like a lot of new designs while being forced to only use the new Pokemon. And those bridges man. I like to forget those happened.

Also op I agree Pokemon has become stale. I keep seeing two sides over the internet, one side would love to see Pokemon go a new course and one side defends it by claiming that that is what Pokemon is. I don't really understand the defiance of it? I think what Pokemon "is" worked really well generation 1-4 and after that it's becoming more of the same old same old with some tweaks. I really think Pokemon has so much potential to be something better than it has been for years now.

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I would say I enjoyed bw the least. It was hard for me to get into it when I didn't like a lot of new designs while being forced to only use the new Pokemon. And those bridges man. I like to forget those happened.

Also op I agree Pokemon has become stale. I keep seeing two sides over the internet, one side would love to see Pokemon go a new course and one side defends it by claiming that that is what Pokemon is. I don't really understand the defiance of it? I think what Pokemon "is" worked really well generation 1-4 and after that it's becoming more of the same old same old with some tweaks. I really think Pokemon has so much potential to be something better than it has been for years now.
It's not defiance, it's acceptance.

Defiance is implying a resistance to change. While I'd love for Pokemon to deviate from the norm, I've accepted it is what it is, and that the formula has worked since RBY and it won't change because people will buy the Pokemon games en masse and support whatever decision Game Freak makes. They have no real reason to change it because there's no significant gain achieved in changing the formula.

You've said yourself that you're not sure exactly what you want Pokemon to be, but you want it to be different. But how different are we talking, here? How much needs to be changed in order to be satisfactory? Pokemon, as its absolute core, is always about being a kid that's on a journey to become a Pokemon champion while defeating whatever evil team stands in your way. The only thing that's really workable in Pokemon games is the main plotline which has varied across the generations but is usually some form of evil team wanting to take over the world/wanting to control nature/wanting to destroy/etc.

Don't get me wrong. Ultimately, I agree with your point that Pokemon has the potential to be more. But again, Game Freak would have to upend the entire formula of the games and start from scratch; almost creating a new line of games entirely with a new focus, etc.

As it stands, I don't know if there's much reason or incentive for them to do that.
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It's not defiance, it's acceptance.

Defiance is implying a resistance to change. While I'd love for Pokemon to deviate from the norm, I've accepted it is what it is, and that the formula has worked since RBY and it won't change because people will by the Pokemon games en masse and support whatever decision Game Freak makes. They have no real reason to change it because there's no significant gain achieved in changing the formula.

You've said yourself that you're not sure exactly what you want Pokemon to be, but you want it to be different. But how different are we talking, here? How much needs to be changed in order to be satisfactory? Pokemon, as its absolute core, is always about being a kid that's on a journey to become a Pokemon champion while defeating whatever evil team stands in your way. The only thing that's really workable in Pokemon games is the main plotline which has varied across the generations but is usually some form of evil team wanting to take over the world/wanting to control nature/wanting to destroy/etc.

Don't get me wrong. Ultimately, I agree with your point that Pokemon has the potential to be more. But again, Game Freak would have to upend the entire formula of the games and start from scratch; almost creating a new line of games entirely with a new focus, etc.

As it stands, I don't know if there's much reason or incentive for them to do that.
I totally get they're not going to do it. I honestly have almost zero hope anything will change it just makes me sad knowing that there's a threshold Pokemon could reach, but probably never will because what they have found sells.

I say defiance because I've seen all over the internet someone coming forward saying they wish Pokemon would stray from the same thing to be met with "well then you don't want a pokemon game" or "but that's how pokemon is." I get it to an extent.. but man can a fan dream or even wish for something different?

At one point you said, "For some people? Sure. For others? It's been accepted that this is how Pokemon has always been and there's no real reason for Game Freak to change what works (so far), so they wouldn't." and the response back to you was, "okay then"

because what is there to discuss if there are fans constantly harping that this works for them and that it sells? We all understand that point it doesn't even need to be pointed out. Of course there are people who love Pokemon how it is otherwise it wouldn't be a top selling game. At the same time there are fans who also love Pokemon and would love to see new life given to something they love.

tldr: I am happy you are satisfied with Pokemon, but there are some fans who are dreaming just a bit bigger for it and that's okay

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I totally get they're not going to do it. I honestly have almost zero hope anything will change it just makes me sad knowing that there's a threshold Pokemon could reach, but probably never will because what they have found sells.

I say defiance because I've seen all over the internet someone coming forward saying they wish Pokemon would stray from the same thing to be met with "well then you don't want a pokemon game" or "but that's how pokemon is." I get it to an extent.. but man can a fan dream or even wish for something different?

At one point you said, "For some people? Sure. For others? It's been accepted that this is how Pokemon has always been and there's no real reason for Game Freak to change what works (so far), so they wouldn't." and the response back to you was, "okay then"

because what is there to discuss if there are fans constantly harping that this works for them and that it sells? We all understand that point it doesn't even need to be pointed out. Of course there are people who love Pokemon how it is otherwise it wouldn't be a top selling game. At the same time there are fans who also love Pokemon and would love to see new life given to something they love.

tldr: I am happy you are satisfied with Pokemon, but there are some fans who are dreaming just a bit bigger for it and that's okay
That's actually completely okay! No one's faulting you guys for wanting something more; hell even I want more from Pokemon games these days other than just being the same old formula again. But I suppose what frustrates me the most is that the very same people who want to dream of more.... are usually the same ones being disappointed game after game after game. I suppose it's because they still hold on to a tiny bit of hope that things would change, that the next game would be one that they've been waiting years for, and who can blame them? A part of my frustration is also because I'm also a realist and I know not to get my expectations too high with Pokemon games when I know it's more or less going to be the same thing under a different skin.