Toadofsky Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 So I've never played Pokemon, like, ever. Sure, I've played bits and pieces of one or two of them, not much. I'm thinking I may finally give one a shot. So, I'm wondering, which game would be a good one for a noob to start off with? The new DS games? The remake of the original two for the GBA? The original GBA games? Would the recent one or the new one coming out be a good place to start? Yeah, not the most interesting topic to post I know, but I'm doing a Pokemon image on my computer right now and just thought I'd ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollgagh Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I haven't played the DS games yet, but I am of the opinion that the GBA remakes are a great place to start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadofsky Posted February 21, 2009 Author Share Posted February 21, 2009 I haven't played the DS games yet, but I am of the opinion that the GBA remakes are a great place to start I wasn't sure if those were remakes or not, but if I can track them down, I'll give them a shot, if that's the one people keep suggesting (not that your opinion doesn't count). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I personally like the 2nd gen games the best (Gold/Silver for GBC). They have a reasonable amount of new Pokemon, updated graphics/sprites, and a really nice upgraded battle system compared to the 1st gens. Though I haven't played the DS games, I hear those are fun as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dopple Boppler Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I would say start with FireRed/LeafGreen, the GBA remakes of the originals, and if you like those then get Platinum whenever that comes out for the DS. There's not much reason to get the third generation games (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald) unless you're just really, really into the games. As for Gold/Silver/Crystal, they're my personal favorites in the series, but I would suggest holding out for the inevitable DS remakes; the battery packs on both my Japanese Silver and English Gold have been dead for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I agree about Fire Red/Leaf Green. If you can find one for a reasonable price ($20 or so) pick it up. The remakes are probably the most accessible. My Gold and Silver batteries died a while ago as well, so you should probably wait to see if a DS version of that series ever releases. Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald aren't bad (I got Emerald for free and kind of liked it). Diamond and Sapphire are good, but I think they're a bit over-complicated. Personally, I had so much fun playing the original Blue and Red back in 1998. I know I got all 150 Pokemon legitimately (no action replay or whatever cheat device was out back then) in Blue after playing it and most of Red for a cumulative total of more than 100 hours. Enough of my reminiscing. Pick up Fire Red or Leaf Green. Great experience, definitely worthwhile, and still a lot of fun whether you're twelve or twenty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 man, blue's where it's at. too bad all the batteries are probably completely dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollgagh Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I know I got all 150 Pokemon legitimately (no action replay or whatever cheat device was out back then) in Blue after playing it and most of Red for a cumulative total of more than 100 hours. I got all 250 G/S legit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLyGeN Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Crystal is my favorite in the series. If you want a good story and a good game, check out Crystal. It's made in such a way that if you want to keep it simple, you can keep it simple. And if you want to make things complex with breeding and stat gains and shit, you can. (And yes, do go with Crystal over Gold or Silver. There are a few actual graphical differences (burnt tower is really burnt), and it goes into the story of the Brass and Tin tower, and the Unown Ruins more than the original two.) And yes, do pay attention to the story. It's not really a children's game. FireLeafGreenRed still has a bit of a children's feel to it, and the main value that comes from it is nostalgic value which you won't be able to partake in. Plus, typhlosion is so cute <3 start with Cyndaquil. Almost as cute as Mechafone's kittens. Starting with Yellow and then moving to Crystal would really be the ideal way to go, but Crystal is much more polished (Multiple colors displayed at once... sorted item pockets... visual EXP bar). So I wouldn't want Yellow to turn you off by having a little of the inevitable "first gen" sloppiness. tl;dr version: Crystal. That said... Gold/Silver/Crystal inevitable DS remakes; Before I bust a nut in my pants, is this confirmed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadofsky Posted February 21, 2009 Author Share Posted February 21, 2009 I guess Fire Red and Leaf Green it is then! Now I have to finish Final Fantasy IV on my DS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Damned Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 EDIT: Bah, took too long to type it al out. Curse you, bandaged finger! Curse you! Before I bust a nut in my pants, is this confirmed? No, it's just rumored a lot. Fans will cite all kinds of "evidence" but it's mostly conjecture entirely on their part, one instance of a broad copyright (using names that include "Gold" and "Silver"), and a bit of leftover data found in a decompiled version of the game data. There is no evidence to support it beyond "because I think they should!" Ahem... First, you have to consider if you can even find any of the older games. I suppose there are ROMs and emulators that would take care of that, but that's a big no-no here, and I think playing them on the actual hardware is part of the whole experience. If you can find working carts of them, I'd suggest starting with the second generation, specifically Crystal. It refined the improvements featured in Gold and Silver. It will also be a nice change when you get to the much better GBA graphics and music. Again, hit up the third version, Emerald, as it adds more than what Ruby and Sapphire had. Most people will say "No, only play Fire Red/Leaf Green!", but they overlook the fact that those are remakes. Playing Emerald will prepare you for playing Fire/Leaf. Fire/Leaf will be almost identical to the originals, but with a fair amount of side-quests that pop up around and after the second to last gym. They are pretty much optional, so you can just ignore them to get the "original" experience. (Alternatively, you can just go from Fire/Leaf to Crystal, but I find that the change in battle mechanics can be a hurdle to most new players.) You may want to skip the DS games if you find you're not really getting into any of the above games. It may improve yet again on the whole series, but it's more like a very fancy expansion pack to the GBA games than anything else. Sadly, the creators of Pokémon seem fine with adding only minor changes to the plot and setting, relying more on tweaking the battle system. It's a rather well-done and complex battle system, yes, but that's only half of the whole game. Ultimately, you should pick the one that sound more appealing to you. If you want simpler battling, go for the GameBoy Color line. If you want more refined battling, go for the GBA games, and then decide if you want to go for the original flavor of Fire Red/Lef Green, or the new taste of Emerald. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NNY Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Red/Blue/Yellow will always be my favorite, even if Gold/Silver/Crystal are better. Kinda like how Sonic 3 (& Knuckles) are better than Sonic 2, even though it's my favorite. But, those games are completely incompatible with the current gen. Platinum is coming out next month, so I suggest getting that. In the mean time, get Fire Red/Leaf Green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLyGeN Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I still say you should really consider that you won't enjoy FireRed and LeafGreen as much as most of these guys who have played the original Red and Blue.. The main problem I see with beginning with the GBA ones is that, if you were to ever play a Gameboy edition, it would seem like a general downgrade. I got all 250 G/S legit celebi fail edit: NNY actually brings up a good point. You won't have any multiplayer fun if you start with the Gameboy/Advance ones, because everyone's since moved on. But then you'd have to begin with the Platinum version, and this thread has generally agreed that Platinum isn't the best place to begin. I never really played multiplayer anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollgagh Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 celebi fail wait no, I got that one gimme a break, it was 7 years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The only Pokemon I played was Yellow from the old Game Boy, but I think it is safe to say it is not really the best for playing debut; too outdated for it, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aninymouse Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Yellow is a lot of fun. I still go back and beat it from time to time... I wonder if my battery is still ticking inside... At any rate, Crystal is a great place to start, but if you can't manage it then I'd say you should start with some game in the DPPt trilogy. Skip third gen unless you wanna play F/L... I was never fond of the graphical style in RSE at all. Everything in the overworld was so tiny... Platinum looks gorgeous compared to anything else, though. It's the little touches. Plus it helps that there's some 50 Pokemon added to the number you can use before you complete the main quest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHands Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The thing about Pokemon is that all of the core games (none of that Ranger and Mystery Dungeon bullshit) are basically the same, even if there are small changes in the story (Pikachu as a starter? I'm going after Legendary Dogs instead of birds? There's a plot now?). Platinum might not be the best place to start as far as nostalgia and overall fun on your own, but the multiplayer is the thing that makes the series shine, even if you don't plan on using it. Everyone plays Pokemon, even the people that deny it emphatically. You wanna know if your Torchic can beat the shit out of their Mudkip, and you wanna know as soon as your realize you can do it. Grab Platinum, that way you don't feel out of the loop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobocop Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I guess Fire Red and Leaf Green it is then! Good choice, that's what I would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linkjing Donuts Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 what's your favorite color? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremanJoe Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I still love Red version, and I enjoy it's plot/narrative (is that the right word to use?) the most, as well as it's music. However, for a newcomer to the series, given the poor/mediocre graphics, bugs and lack of features it may not be the best place to start. On the other hand, I love Diamond too, but because it has a perfectly refined battle system. It's fun to battle and trade with friends online, etc. The plot in this game was, well, bad. Also, the music wasn't at all memorable. Crystal is probably the best choice, as I believe it has the best balance between plot and gameplay. Of what I played of Sapphire, it wasn't as fun. There were too many bells and whistles, but nothing felt greatly improved (save for the graphics). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linkspast Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Id say you Gotta catch `em all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I'm under the personal opinion that you can pretty much pick up any game and get a sense for the series. If you wanna start where it all started, go for Red/Blue. You want it a little more refined? Silver/Gold. Apparently Ruby/Sapphire is the black sheep of the family (I kind of have to agree, I never got into the game as much). Maybe you want the original, but don't wanna play through the next generations to see what they improved, then go Firered/Leafgreen. But in all honesty, since the idea of trading is pretty big in the games, I think you would get the most enjoyment out of getting Platinum when it comes out. It's not as though you'll really be 'missing' anything in not playing the older generations, except maybe the, 'This is where it all started' feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 da knows everything about pkmn. trust her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoeTaKa Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I couldn't get back into Pokémon after doing Red, seemed like such a chore to do it all again. I got Yellow the day it was released and felt ripped off after about an hour or so, so I went back and exchanged it for another game. I started to dig Pokémon Colliseum quite a bit on N64 but that got old quite quickly besides "ooo 3D pokémon, you bastards, use these to make a damn N64 RPG!". When Gold and Silver came out...I dunno, I think Yellow had put me off lol. I loved Red to death though it was amazing, do I still think Pokémon is good though...I'm not sure it seems like there's too much to it now. I might get into the next one myself someday. Edit: Omg Pokémon Trading Cards game for Game Boy Colour, I don't think I've ever been so hooked on playing an actual card game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Just out of curiosity, does anyone know of a store that might still have new copies of Fire Red/Leaf Green? I'm trying to get a new copy of one of them without going the online route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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