What Pokémon game do you recommend to someone who's never played one?
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Honestly I would say Gen 2 is probably the best entry point to someone who wants to experience the best classic Pokemon game. It is the most enhanced 8-Bit entry and has both Kanto and Johto to explore. Sure Red/Blue are also good entry points but honestly they are only noteworthy as the first entry, and even then I would suggest Yellow instead. For Kanto the GBA remakes are good to show off the first region.
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I sometimes recommend Go. It's definitely not a traditional choice, but I have found it's easy to integrate into a daily routine and helps some of my friends get outside more and walking/exercising, which then leads them into getting interest in other games!
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I definitely love the GSC aesthetic myself, and it definitely refined a lot of RBY's design. It's not as though it's incomprehensible to a first time player, I just think they are missing out on a lot of the context for the gen 1 references, and if they are already willing to go as far back as gen 2, why not just go right back to the start anyway?
I disagree with the notion that Yellow is superior to RB. It is more of a side game for anime fans than a straight upgrade. Not a bad experience by any means, but I think it sets bad expectations for the rest of the series for new players by having their starter follow them and gifting them one of each Kanto starter, among other Yellow specific changes.
I don't deny that Go led to essentially a second Pokémania, and it probably did (and to an extent still does) introduce new players to the main series games.
But if I were to point to a single game to exemplify a typical Pokémon game experience to a new player, Go would definitely not be it.
If I wanted to introduce someone to Mario, I wouldn't say start with Mario Kart. I think they'd have fun, I like Mario Kart, but it really does not represent a typical Mario game experience.
Perhaps I should have specified main series in the OP.
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SwSh is a pretty generic Pokémon game, so I'd say that. PLA if the person likes open world games more, and Z-A if they don't like turn-based. SV and its DLC if they're interested in WW.
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Yeh these are all good and logical
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Depends. I would go with the ultra sun/moon since they are both easy to enter and relatively easy to reach endgame. İ would not advice R/B/G/Y, G/S/C, R/S/E, D/P/Pt because of either the sharp difficulty curve or just... Slow. But gen 5 and onward are relatively easier to enter and complete.
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Is that a good thing? I completed Red when I was 9, before the days of AI, online guides and YouTube tutorials. Is everyone so challenge averse that Pokémon is seen as too daunting for new players unless they have an exp share and endless tutorials?
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Yes 🤣
Also I do not recommend Yellow. Your starter is meant to be able to handle the first Gym if need be but Pikachu literally can't due to Brock having Ground immunity and Rock resisting Normal, making him a horrible option.
Red and Blue are ok, Ditto any Generation really. It just takes a bit more care and "grinding* on Gens 3+ since the EV system was changed.
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