Exterminieren
Banned
Oshawott > All your favourites.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
My 5yr old has discovered Pokemon. What should I start him out with?
- Thread starter Snookie
- Start date
pock3tmonster
Banned
Pokemon Red and Blue versions were what I started with, but honestly, regardless of the nostalgia that is associated with earlier generations, the best versions to start with are Black and White. The first post got it in one. These two versions are just remarkably more accessible and could be considered a 'soft' reboot of sorts, with only Generation V Pokemon available during the main quest. So much has been streamlined and there is less tedium associated with some of the features that Pokemon is well-known for. The Black and White versions are the Red and Blue of his generation.
CalhounBurns
Neo Member
Opaque purple GBC and Pokemon Blue, my bro got the teal GBC and Pokemon Red. Best Christmas ever.
For real, get Black or White, or one for you and your son. Or possibly wait till B&W2, which is what I'd do. Are people really recommending the crappy older versions? They honestly suck in comparison to the newer ones. Especially the first generation Red, Blue, Yellow ones. The newer they are the better they are...except Diamond and Pearl, that generation possibly sucks harder than the first.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
That's why Platinum exists
Although why would you want for BW2 when BW is there, especially when, like GSC, BW2 would be more satisfying with BW.
fixed for ya
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Besides if you pick up the latest and greatest in pokemon for your son (and yourself if you do choose so) it also helps the chance of him being able to play with other friends who might have the title or pick it up in the near future. 
With all this talk makes me want to revisit the series since I have not played a pokemon game since the first one on the gameboy.
With all this talk makes me want to revisit the series since I have not played a pokemon game since the first one on the gameboy.
Explain.
Holy Order Sol
Member
Not really.
Cute Dragon Here
Member
I would strongly suggest that you start it out with Black/White right now, to get a head start on the current generation. The worst thing one can do is to cling to an obsolete generation, especially with gameplay improvements in recent games. You won't regret going the latest and greatest, and if he starts out with them, be rest assured that he'll be able to adapt to more and more changes. Gen I-II, has too many inconsistencies and is too broken for today's world. and anything before IV is unplayable on DSi and up.
your crazy.
Exterminieren
Banned
This is madness, and I will not have it.
The reasons you think is good but the opposite.
I actually always liked the Physical/Special split. The only downside is the game originally not being designed with it in mind. It makes a lot more sense though.
And I agree with those suggesting Black and White, all things considered. The "problem" really is that so many improvements have been made up till Black and White that going back to older games can be a little tricky.
And I agree with those suggesting Black and White, all things considered. The "problem" really is that so many improvements have been made up till Black and White that going back to older games can be a little tricky.
Making some pokémons more useful. I don't see the problem.
Holy Order Sol
Member
He just basically told you it was a waste of time to try and reason with him.
TheContact
Member
Like some other posters have said, since he's young and won't be turned off by lower tier graphics, start him off on red/yellow/blue, then once he finishes that maybe put him in a DS version
And making some others useless wasting all the time i've used to train some pokémon in the R/S/E era, it's the main reason i've stopped to care about competitive scene.
Holy Order Sol
Member
I find this hilarious.
Exterminieren
Banned
Considering that this would require buying new hardware to get a game that none of his friends are playing and that has none of the improvements in game mechanics and usability that have come since... No. This is a terrible suggestion.
So you're sulking about it, then.
Ah well, at least we know where you're coming from now.
Red Liquorice
Member
Get the one his friend has.
Supermanisdead
Member
Heartgold or Soulsilver. Pokemon following you = the best. Black and White have ugly pokemon.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Why are people suggesting GBA-era Pokemon when they can't play 3DS?
Angry Fork
Member
Red/Blue/Yellow is the only answer.
Shame on these new fangled people suggesting Black/White/Orange/Hazel/Sapphire/Silver/Gray/Pink. NO RESPECT FOR THE ORIGINALS.
Shame on these new fangled people suggesting Black/White/Orange/Hazel/Sapphire/Silver/Gray/Pink. NO RESPECT FOR THE ORIGINALS.
Exterminieren
Banned
Not if you've been paying attention.
At this point the thread has long since lost its OP origins and is just Pokemon recommendations. Let's just roll with it.
AgentChris
Member
This.
I want to say I appreciate this thread as I have no experience with Pokemon games. My 7 year old just finished Pokemon Black and he wanted to start on an earlier game, being that he's been watching the first episodes of the Pokemon cartoon, but I didn't know what to get. We ended up getting HeartGold. He's been locked in his room for three hours already.
Aaron Strife
Banned
Gold/Silver is the earliest game that's actually playable nowadays. Look, I love RBY as much as the next guy, but not being able to map items to Select and having to go into the menu for strength/cut is bullshit. And of course most copies of GSC now are dead.
If you have a GBA or DS that's capable of playing them, Fire Red and Leaf Green would be my recommendation. Otherwise, Black and White.
If you have a GBA or DS that's capable of playing them, Fire Red and Leaf Green would be my recommendation. Otherwise, Black and White.
Glad you got him the superior version!izakq said:
entremet
Member
I don't get it all either.
Exterminieren
Banned
You have chosen... wisely.
Koroviev
Member
Yeah, I don't know why people were knocking HG/SS. They're not old and they contain a lot of content. Personally, I think they look and play better than the most recent iteration.
Holy Order Sol
Member
That text speed.
(that's really the only thing going against them I can think of, but having to go back for a while for the purpose of building my Gen 5 team was kinda painful)
Koroviev
Member
We're talking about the NDS remakes, right? iirc, isn't the text speed adjustable?
Holy Order Sol
Member
Yeah, but even maximum speed in HG/SS is rather slow.
Koroviev
Member
Huh, I don't recall. I haven't played the games in a while, lol.
Exterminieren
Banned
They're good games, don't get me wrong (though I have a lot more problems with that gen than most people seem to do), but Black and White are a better jumping on point, simply because they were designed from the ground up to be exactly that.
Because OP didn't said "can't be for anything outside 3ds" and the firered/leafgreen are simpler than today's pokemon
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
I thought it was implied they have 3DS only.
HeartGold than I guess ....
I love the newer pokemons ... but if you are going to give to a first starter a game where you have to worry with gender, age, clothes, friendship, more than 1 type and 650 pokemons with other pokemon and everything instead of just level/evolution in 1x1 battles .. than you better give Pokemon Conquest to the child xD
I love the newer pokemons ... but if you are going to give to a first starter a game where you have to worry with gender, age, clothes, friendship, more than 1 type and 650 pokemons with other pokemon and everything instead of just level/evolution in 1x1 battles .. than you better give Pokemon Conquest to the child xD
Little Green Yoda
Member
That's why you gotta bet on the blue chippers, like legendaries!
how fuck is Mew UU in the 5th gen?
Pokemon is one of the few series in the world where the next iteration is actually better than the previous games.
Gen 1 has better designs than gen 5? The kid is 5 years old. He won't care. What he'll see is small or giant colorful monsters beating the crap out of other colorful monsters. And he's gonna have fun seeing those battles.
Just start with Black/White and that's that.
Gen 1 has better designs than gen 5? The kid is 5 years old. He won't care. What he'll see is small or giant colorful monsters beating the crap out of other colorful monsters. And he's gonna have fun seeing those battles.
Just start with Black/White and that's that.
Koroviev
Member
I understand that and it definitely makes sense considering the TV show. The super-pixelated look just drives me crazy (._. )
