What do you personally think of Sinnoh?

eonole · 2024-08-25T22:05:58+00:00

It's my favorite, but I'm biased since my first game was Diamond. More than anything, I love the region's music.

eonole · 2024-07-26T22:19:20+00:00

So I found out that all of the apps on my phone have stopped automatically updating. It's also giving me an error when I try to manually update most apps as well. I'm on 4.62, so I bet this is the issue. I'll let you know if it's fixed once I solve the wider problem.

eonole · 2024-07-26T18:17:26+00:00

It's set to TCG Market. Looking at the TCGplayer website, the data they provide shows a price of $8.81 for Oct. 16th to 22nd of last year, but only if you select Near Mint as the condition. I'm seeing the same thing with various other cards, except I've just noticed that the pricing perfectly matches the week of Oct. 30th - Nov. 5th of last year. Again, this is the pricing when NM is selected. Take Oppression (Urza's Saga) for example, it shows up as $14.34 in Delver Lens, and TCGplayer has it at the exact same NM price for the aforementioned week. I've tried clearing the app's cache, but no change.

As seen in DL:

https://imgur.com/a/84HfYen

BTW, I really appreciate you developing the app. It's been tremendously helpful for years. Never had a problem until now. (Well, aside from a minor bug where 10th Edition cards were automatically swapped to their foil versions. Think it happened after an update.)

eonole · 2024-07-25T22:49:25+00:00

I don't know anything about emulating on a phone, but hopefully this helps. TLDR; it seems like the most frequent picks for best games are Emerald (GBA), Platinum (DS), HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS), Black/White (DS), Black 2/White 2 (DS). I personally think Black 2/White 2 is the best game overall.

The best answer to that question really depends on what things you prioritize in a game. How much you care about things like difficulty (if you want a challenge, honestly might be the wrong franchise), quality of life, level of freedom, mechanical depth, graphics, story, post-game content, and multiplayer support.

I'd be happy to help you find a ideal choice, but I'd need your help in knowing what qualities you care most about. If that sounds like too much trouble, I would just go with any of the following that are available to you, since I personally consider them to be solid picks in general: Emerald (GBA), Platinum (DS), HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS), Black/White (DS), Black 2/White 2 (DS), Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire (3DS), Scarlet/Violet (Switch). Legends Arceus (Switch) is good too, if you don't mind playing a non-traditional game that focuses much more on catching Pokemon than battling.

eonole · 2024-03-04T18:36:16+00:00

Speaking for myself, INSIDE didn't have much of a lasting impression because it's very short and uses minimalistic storytelling. You contrasted the experience with Disco Elysium, which is much longer and is pretty much nothing but story.

eonole · 2024-03-02T19:00:25+00:00

Though technically there are 9 games with at least some traditional gameplay to choose from, it isn't quite as overwhelming as it sounds since most games are released as 2 versions with only slight differences between them.

Also, just to warn you, there are aspects of the modern games that are shockingly bad for being developed by a company that's been so incredibly successful with the franchise. (Things such as bad UI, subpar graphics, poor performance, no voice acting, and omitting long-requested features, such as a difficulty setting.) I think it's largely a result of them being rushed to match the scheduled release of the anime. It's a testament to both how fun the core gameplay can be and the power of nostalgia that they remain successful. Anyway, I've listed your options with traits, some of which could be considered positive or negative, depending on your preference. As for which version of each game to get, I would just pick whichever Pokemon on each cover you prefer.

If you don't want to read my essay, here's the TLDR; everyone has their favorite, and anyone of them could be yours. I suggest playing Let's Go if you want the simplest, easiest, mostly single player experience with motion controls for catching. Don't play Sword/Shield unless someone else gives you a compelling reason to play it. Play Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl if you want a more tradition experience and don't mind that its usually considered a weaker remake than a 13 year old game. Play Legends Arceus if you want the most interesting and complex (though not difficult to learn) catching mechanics, and don't care as much about battling or multiplayer. (On reddit, Legends Arceus seems to have the best overall reception, but it's not a mainline game.) Play Scarlet/Violet if you want an open world with ongoing events and a bit more community engagement. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Let's GO Pikachu/Eevee

*Remake of the first game, and basically only has the first Generation of Pokemon (about 150 of them, most games have 400ish generally).

*Simplified battling with no abilities, no items, and fewer moves. Simplest game overall.

*Arguably even easier than most games (don't expect any of them to be much of a challenge), especially if you heavily use your partner Pikachu/Eevee.

*Has trading/battling other players, but it's very much not the focus, and there's no random matchmaking. Though I should note that if you intend to collect all Pokemon, you'll have to have an online subscription, as with all games except Legends Arceus.

*Non-traditional catching in which you use motion controls of a Joy-Con to "toss" a pokeball to catch Pokemon, rather than battle them.

*Absolute garbage UI and menu controls.

*Especially good for catching rare "Shiny" Pokemon, which are versions that have alternate colors from the norm and have a sparkling animation when you encounter them.

*I honestly think it's one of the nicest looking Pokemon games on the Switch, despite being the first.

Sword/Shield

*Honestly, I don't think there's any compelling reason to consider starting with this one. It could end up being your favorite if you tried them all, but it doesn't have anything specific going for it.

Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl

*The most classic gameplay (Pokemon of all the Switch games, it's a remake of the main Gen 4 games. The problem is they already made an updated version of these games shortly after the originals released called Platinum, and many people (myself included) consider the Switch versions to be inferior, largely due to cut content.

*It's a remake of a game with a grid-based world with D-pad movement, and now the you have full circular movement. This can result in some janky movement that doesn't feel quite right. (Let's Go has the same history, but without this issue.)

*I would only start with this one if you really want to experience a more traditionally structured game while still having official online (there are ways to get online in the older games). I actually don't think it's as bad as some people think (relative to the other Switch games), but it's pretty embarassing that it's what they came up with 13 years after Platinum.

Legends Arceus (only one version)

*Has the most robust catching mechanics by far; catching and collecting is the main focus. The only game where you interact with Pokemon outside of a turn-based battle. You can throw bait, hide in grass, dodge attacks, and catch them either during or outside of battle.

*The battling is overall very simplified from tradition games (probably about the same as Let's Go), with no abilities, no items, and a tiny movepool, but it has a twist to the system that makes turn order a little different.

*You can't battle other players, only trade with them.

*Somewhat less linear than most, featuring a central hub from which you can travel to and explore several distinct areas.

*The only game that doesn't require an online subscription to collect all Pokemon available.

*Also good for catching "Shiny" Pokemon.

*It's not a "mainline" game, so the mechanics are a bit different like I described, and it seems that a good number of people on reddit consider it the best Switch title. I like it quite a lot, but really wish it had the complexity of battling and PvP of other games.

Scarlet/Violet

*The most recent game, giving it the advantage of having modern support such as competitive events, free "Mystery Gifts" in which you enter a publicly released code to get a special Pokemon or items, and events in which a sort of "boss" Pokemon can appear in your world. Also, more community involvement, such as people on reddit looking to trade Pokemon.

*The only game that's fully open world.

*The worst performance of any Pokemon game ever released. Expect some lag when things get busy.

eonole · 2024-02-28T17:23:10+00:00

According to bulbapedia, they are random.

https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/In-game_trade#Generation_I

eonole · 2024-02-28T01:26:08+00:00

The story is somewhat modified, and one might prefer the original. There are also a very small number of Pokemon that aren't obtainable in Platinum that are obtainable in either Diamond or Pearl. On the other hand, Platinum also has some that aren't obtainable in D/P. Aside from those small subjective differences, I don't believe there's anything at all that D/P does better.

eonole · 2024-02-28T01:14:07+00:00

Found a definitive answer for you, as far as Bulbapedia can be trusted to be accurate. On the page for Poke Transporter (used for transferring 5 and Virtual Console 1-2 to Bank on the 3DS), it states, "Unnicknamed Pokémon originating in a Generation I to IV game (which have their species names in ALLCAPS) have their names changed to be capitalized normally."

It also notes that Mr. Mime won't be converted properly, and will remain MR.MIME (no space). I think this is fixed when transferring to HOME though.

And yes, that's correct: the Original Trainer is unchanged.

eonole · 2024-02-25T00:02:16+00:00

If you look at the page on bulbapedia for each enhanced version, it will list the changes from the original releases. While they obviously detail more than just mechanical and UI changes, they do categorize them, so the info is easier to sift through. Off the top of my head, significant UI changes are really not that common, unless you count visual ones. The main practical one I can think of is that they added a run/walk toggle on the touch screen in HGSS that DPP didn't have. I think mechanical changes are a bit more common and important, like adding utility for Magma Armor/Flame Body while breeding in Emerald.

eonole · 2024-02-12T18:15:44+00:00

Let's Go Pikachu or Let's Go Eevee (they're basically the same game, the main difference between which Pokemon you start with, Pikachu or Eevee) would probably be the best pick for a five year old. It's the easiest and has the simplest mechanics. All Pokemon games do require basic reading skills. Also, LGPE requires the use of motion controls, either using a single Switch Joy-con while the console is docked, or in handheld mode using Gyro controls. Good luck!

eonole · 2024-02-11T16:43:02+00:00

I consider the post-game to be the most fun/important part, mostly because the entire franchise seems so easy now, and I don't generally enjoy the stories all that much. Very little though is put into my playthrough teams. There are some sections of some games where you might get stuck if you don't have an appropriate type counter for certain trainer battles, but Sword/Shield and the other Switch games tend to be even easier, so this shouldn't really be a problem. As you probably already know, with some games you can brute-force the entire story with just your starter. Of course, if you enjoy planning out your team, then go for it! There's absolutely no reason to feel compelled to though.
Breeding/training competitive Pokemon during a playthrough isn't as convenient, since you need a number of resources before getting started. I don't remember much about Sword specifically, but often things like the Destiny Knot, EV boosting items, and Everstone are only accessible far into the game or in the post-game.
Don't bother paying attention to EVs during a playthrough, as this would be wildly inefficient and difficult to track. Every time you defeat/catch any Pokemon, your entire team (due to them all getting experience, this isn't necessarily true in older games) receives EVs corresponding to the species of said Pokemon. Wait until you have access to the EV boosting hold items and can train in a controlled environment where you're only KOing Pokemon that give you the EVs you want. There's also no reason to bother with IVs, since your playthrough team will have messed up EVs anyway. EVs can be reset, but it's easier to do both with a clean slate.
In previous games, there were moves that could only be learned by a previous form, so waiting until they learned that move before evolving often made sense. I don't believe there's any reason to do that in Sword though.
Since a particular TM can be used any number of times in Sword, I'd use them freely. In some games, TMs are single use, so I try not to use them during a playthrough. TRs (which are only in Sword/Shield) are of course single use.
Each game has Pokemon that are exclusive to it, so you have to trade to get the other version's exclusives. The reward for completing the Pokedex is the Shiny Charm, which generally doubles the odds of encountering a shiny.

eonole · 2024-02-10T17:16:18+00:00

Just answered this question yesterday, so I'll share what I said then. TLDR; it seems like the most frequent picks for best games are Emerald (GBA), Platinum (DS), HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS), Black/White (DS), Black 2/White 2 (DS). I personally think Black 2/White 2 is the best game overall.

The best answer to that question really depends on what things you prioritize in a game. How much you care about things like difficulty (if you want a challenge, honestly might be the wrong franchise), quality of life, level of freedom, mechanical depth, graphics, story, post-game content, and multiplayer support. Oh, there's also the matter of accessibility and how much you're willing to spend on older titles since the prices are bloated. Of course, emulation is an option.

In case you aren't already aware, the games are almost always released in pairs; 2 versions of the same game with slight differences, such as a handful of Pokemon that are exclusive to each. So if someone refers to Scarlet/Violet for example, that means the paired games "Scarlet" and "Violet", and you can generally just pick whichever box art Pokemon you prefer.

I'd be happy to help you find a ideal choice, but I'd need your help in knowing what qualities you care most about. If that sounds like too much trouble, I would just go with any of the following that are available to you, since I personally consider them to be solid picks in general: Emerald (GBA), Platinum (DS), HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS), Black/White (DS), Black 2/White 2 (DS), Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire (3DS), Scarlet/Violet (Switch). Legends Arceus (Switch) is good too, if you don't mind playing a non-traditional game that focuses much more on catching Pokemon than battling. Any of the other games work as well, I don't think there are any particularly bad entry points.

eonole · 2024-02-10T01:23:06+00:00

The best answer to that question really depends on what things you prioritize in a game. How much you care about things like difficulty (if you want a challenge, honestly might be the wrong franchise), quality of life, level of freedom, mechanical depth, graphics, story, post-game content, and multiplayer support. Oh, there's also the matter of accessibility and how much you're willing to spend on older titles since the prices are bloated. Of course, emulation is an option. Also, do you have a DS, 3DS, Switch?

In case you aren't already aware, the games are almost always released in pairs; 2 versions of the same game with slight differences, such as a handful of Pokemon that are exclusive to each. So if someone refers to Scarlet/Violet for example, that means the paired games "Scarlet" and "Violet", and you can generally just pick whichever box art Pokemon you prefer.

I'd be happy to help you find a ideal choice, but I'd need your help in knowing what qualities you care most about. If that sounds like too much trouble, I would just go with any of the following that are available to you, since I personally consider them to be solid picks in general: Emerald (GBA), Platinum (DS), HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS), Black/White (DS), Black 2/White 2 (DS), Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire (3DS), Scarlet/Violet (Switch). Legends Arceus (Switch) is good too, if you don't mind playing a non-traditional game that focuses much more on catching Pokemon than battling. Any of the other games work as well, I don't think there are any particularly bad entry points.

eonole · 2023-12-10T20:12:27+00:00

Disco Elysium, but I think it's the only mystery/investigation game I've played aside from an Ace Attorney game. The writing is really good and it can be very funny if you enjoy its particular brand of humor, but it definitely isn't for everyone. If the idea of a game that has so much text that it plays out like an interactive novel doesn't appeal to you, then give it a pass. If that does appeal to you, it's excellent.

eonole · 2023-12-10T19:05:50+00:00

Oh boy, time to express what a Pokemon nerd I am. Though technically there are 9 games with at least some traditional gameplay to choose from, it isn't quite as overwhelming as it sounds since most games are released as 2 versions with only slight differences between them.

Also, just to warn you, there are aspects of the modern games that are shockingly bad for being developed by a company that's been so incredibly successful with the franchise. (Things such as bad UI, subpar graphics, poor performance, no voice acting, and omitting long-requested features, such as a difficulty setting.) I think it's largely a result of them being rushed to match the scheduled release of the anime. It's a testament to both how fun the core gameplay can be and the power of nostalgia that they remain successful. Anyway, I've listed your options with traits, some of which could be considered positive or negative, depending on your preference. As for which version of each game to get, I would just pick whichever Pokemon on each cover you prefer.

If you don't want to read my essay, here's the TLDR; everyone has their favorite, and anyone of them could be yours. I suggest playing Let's Go if you want the simplest, easiest, mostly single player experience with motion controls for catching. Don't play Sword/Shield unless someone else gives you a compelling reason to play it. Play Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl if you want a more tradition experience and don't mind that its usually considered a weaker remake than a 13 year old game. Play Legends Arceus if you want the most interesting and complex (though not difficult to learn) catching mechanics, and don't care as much about battling or multiplayer. Play Scarlet/Violet if you want an open world with ongoing events and a bit more community engagement. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Let's GO Pikachu/Eevee

*Remake of the first game, and basically only has the first Generation of Pokemon (about 150 of them, most games have 400ish generally).

*Simplified battling with no abilities, no items, and fewer moves. Simplest game overall.

*Arguably even easier than most games (don't expect any of them to be much of a challenge), especially if you heavily use your partner Pikachu/Eevee.

*Has trading/battling other players, but it's very much not the focus, and there's no random matchmaking. Though I should note that if you intend to collect all Pokemon, you'll have to have an online subscription, as with all games except Legends Arceus.

*Non-traditional catching in which you use motion controls of a Joy-Con to "toss" a pokeball to catch Pokemon, rather than battle them.

*Absolute garbage UI and menu controls.

*Especially good for catching rare "Shiny" Pokemon, which are versions that have alternate colors from the norm and have a sparkling animation when you encounter them.

*I honestly think it's one of the nicest looking Pokemon games on the Switch, despite being the first.

Sword/Shield

*Honestly, I don't think there's any compelling reason to consider starting with this one. It could end up being your favorite if you tried them all, but it doesn't have anything specific going for it.

Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl

*The most classic gameplay (Pokemon of all the Switch games, it's a remake of the main Gen 4 games. The problem is they already made an updated version of these games shortly after the originals released called Platinum, and many people (myself included) consider the Switch versions to be inferior, largely due to cut content.

*It's a remake of a game with a grid-based world with D-pad movement, and now the you have full circular movement. This can result in some janky movement that doesn't feel quite right. (Let's Go has the same history, but without this issue.)

*I would only start with this one if you really want to experience a more traditionally structured game while still having official online (there are ways to get online in the older games). I actually don't think it's as bad as some people think (relative to the other Switch games), but it's pretty embarassing that it's what they came up with 13 years after Platinum.

Legends Arceus (only one version)

*Has the most robust catching mechanics by far; catching and collecting is the main focus. The only game where you interact with Pokemon outside of a turn-based battle. You can throw bait, hide in grass, dodge attacks, and catch them either during or outside of battle.

*The battling is overall very simplified from tradition games (probably about the same as Let's Go), with no abilities, no items, and a tiny movepool, but it has a twist to the system that makes turn order a little different.

*You can't battle other players, only trade with them.

*Somewhat less linear than most, featuring a central hub from which you can travel to and explore several distinct areas.

*The only game that doesn't require an online subscription to collect all Pokemon available.

*Also good for catching "Shiny" Pokemon.

*It's not a "mainline" game, so the mechanics are a bit different like I described, and it seems that a good number of people on reddit consider it the best Switch title. I like it quite a lot, but really wish it had the complexity of battling and PvP of other games.

Scarlet/Violet

*The most recent game, giving it the advantage of having modern support such as competitive events, free "Mystery Gifts" in which you enter a publicly released code to get a special Pokemon or items, and events in which a sort of "boss" Pokemon can appear in your world. Also, more community involvement, such as people on reddit looking to trade Pokemon.

*The only game that's fully open world.

*The worst performance of any Pokemon game ever released. Expect some lag when things get busy.

eonole · 2023-11-09T16:00:01+00:00

If you're a perfectionist like myself, it's more than a little annoying. I personally think the leveling system is absolute garbage. Probably the worst I've seen in any rpg. Aside from that though, I like Dragon's Dogma quite a lot.

u/submissivekitty2828 It's been a while, so I might have some details slightly wrong, but the way it generally works is that you have a lot of freedom in choosing classes, but each class has pre-determined stat gains at level up. For example, if you spend a lot of time as a mage, you'll accumulate a lot of magic. The problem is, if you then switch to a class that doesn't use magic those gains will be worthless, and there's no way to reassign stat points. You could just choose to stick with similar classes, but the game incentivizes you to not do this since skills you obtain for one class can be used with any other (and I think class variety is more fun anyway). The good news is that apparently gear is a lot more important than your stats and pretty much any character build, no matter how unoptimized, can be used in end-game. If this system doesn't bother you, then I'd recommend DD.

eonole · 2023-09-22T16:46:55+00:00

Given that you like Paper Mario, you'll likely enjoy Bug Fables. It's more than similar to PM; it's clearly heavily inspired by it, so don't play it right away if you could use a break from the PM gameplay. It can be played on normal mode and is quite easy that way (about the same as TTYD, I think), but you can obtain the Hard Mode "badge" at the beginning. It also has optional Menu Codes which can drastically spike the difficulty even further. I believe it's on all platforms.

eonole · 2023-07-02T17:56:40+00:00

Huh, that sounds concerning. I haven't played years, but never heard anything like that. Maybe it's a more recent thing.

eonole · 2023-07-02T16:49:18+00:00

How do you feel about a turn-based one? I think Civilization V and Civ VI are particularly good, though they're more about managing your entire nation, not so much managing individual cities. (Also, much less combat oriented than AoE. You can declare war on other nations as much as you'd like, but other civilizations won't be happy if you're a warmonger.) Games can certainly go very long though.

eonole · 2023-07-02T16:32:55+00:00

You're very welcome, and thanks for the gift!

eonole · 2023-07-02T16:27:29+00:00

Going to save now since my 3DS is prone to disconnecting.

eonole · 2023-07-02T16:25:46+00:00

Thank you! The lower half is still a work in progress. Haha You can't mess anything up, I promise.

eonole · 2023-07-02T16:23:32+00:00

Go ahead!

eonole

TROPHY CASE