Pokémon at 30: Here’s the best version you can play on Switch 2 right now
After the big day of 40 years celebrated by The Legend of Zelda series last week, now it’s Pokémon’s turn, since ten years have passed – it will celebrate its 30th birthday on the 27th of February. That’s a huge milestone for what is arguably the biggest franchise in the world, and there’s likely to be plenty of news on the day itself.
Pokémon Day looks set to give us our first glimpse of the next generation of mainstream games, along with what many people hope will be new ways to play the series’ best retro titles on modern hardware (if they’re lucky).
If all of this makes you more excited about the franchise than you expected, though, and you’re lucky enough to have a Nintendo Switch 2 in your playlist, you might be wondering which Pokémon game you should load onto the hardware. After all, the console doesn’t yet have an exclusive Pokémon game; rather, it’s a whole list of Switch releases that are playable, with some visual enhancements.
Which Pokémon game should you play first on Switch 2?
Right now, I think there are only two options that work in terms of a Pokémon game that uses the power of the Switch 2 to give you an impressive result – and one of those options wins, in my opinion.
My suggestion would be for players who want to start with the series or return to it Legends of Pokémon: ZAis the latest game produced by Game Freak and one of the best in ages. Worse, it has a completely native Switch 2 version, which makes things easier and faster, making it visually better than playing on the first generation Switch.
The game is actually different from the series, as explained in the “Legends” section of the title, and features more action-packed real-time battles than the turn-based fare of the main games. It is set in Lumiose City, a big city inspired by Paris with lots of wild monsters roaming around certain areas for you to capture.
Watch it open
It’s a fun little thing, and refreshes the formula nicely – although that Switch 2 version isn’t the most amazing title. Its newness, however, means it takes my top spot.
That said, some games with Switch 2 upgrades are from the past: Violet again Scarlet. This was incredibly rocky on the Switch 1, with poor performance and muddy visuals, but has changed on the Switch 2 thanks to a free update.
For a more traditional battle system, they’re a good choice, and they have a very open world to explore. I think they are still very civilized, so I will leave them in second place. That said, like older games, you can find them cheap if you’re lucky, so keep an eye out.
