Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is Terrible Value

By Nintendo Co., Ltd./Game Freak Inc./Creatures Inc. - https://press.pokemon.com/en/Release-Date-for-Pokemon-Legends-Z-A-Revealed-and-Pokemon-Presents-Vid, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80792028

I have been playing through Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the Nintendo Switch 2, and I want to tell you my thoughts on the game. Prior to obtaining this game, I think I have heard every kind of extreme opinion where I have heard unnecessary praise, as well as unnecessary hatred of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The truth is, Pokémon Legends: Z-A falls somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. I have already talked at length about Game Freak's (lack of) role in the development of this game, so I am just going to focus on what I liked and did not like about the game.

My Top 5 Games I Played In 2022

I was meaning to write this post earlier in 2023, but I was dealing with a tailbone injury so I could not sit for long periods of time. I feel well enough now to talk about my five best games I have played in 2022. As mentioned in previous lists, this is not my best games that were released in 2022, but rather the games I played for the first time in 2022. Before I get into the list, I have one honorable mention:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet - Lots To Unpack Here

I do not know why I did this, but I purchased Pokémon Violet on the day of its release. I have not been kind to the previous main-line Pokémon games, but maybe, just maybe, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet could be decent. I am a jaded Pokémon fan who just wants to play a universally decent Pokémon game. As of writing this post, I have finished playing Pokémon Violet, and I have some thoughts about this latest entry.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Is This A Good Game?

When I first heard about Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I could not believe that Game Freak was going to move away from the formula that they have always used to create their mainline Pokémon games and sell millions of copies, despite their fleeting quality. I was critical of Pokémon Sword and Shield, and I thought that because Game Freak was still making huge profits off terrible Pokémon games and the overall Pokémon marketing machine, they would have no reason to innovate. Imagine my surprise when Game Freak announced this new game which is going to be a brand-new Pokémon experience, where the focus is on discovering all the Pokémon in the Hisui region, rather than win a bunch of gym badges and challenge a region's Elite Four and Champion. I still had low expectations, and the lack of marketing told me that Game Freak was not sure how the audience was going to receive this game upon its release.

My Top 5 Games I Have Played In 2021

I am going to write some more cheap filler content and briefly talk about my ranking of the best five games I have played in 2021. These were games that I played for the first time in 2021, not necessarily released on 2021. I expected some certain games to be on my list, but there was a surprise on the list as well. Before I go through the list, I have some honorable mentions that just missed my list.

Quick Nintendo Switch Game Reviews (Part 2)

I created a post last year where I made quick reviews on a number of Nintendo Switch games. Now that I have played many more Switch games since then, I am going to write a second part of my series of quick Switch game reviews. My thoughts are limited to a paragraph or two. Let us get started...

Pokemon Sword and Shield: What It Says About The Pokemon Franchise

I finally played Pokémon Sword for the Nintendo Switch. Pokémon Sword and Shield were supposed to be the long-touted revolutionary main console adventure after being on strictly handheld consoles for so many years. Did the games live up to general expectations? More importantly, did the games live up to my expectations?

Pokemon Let's Go Eevee: The Easiest Pokemon Game Yet

I just finished playing Pokemon Let's Go Eevee. While the game was an enjoyable re-creation of Pokemon Yellow on the old Game Boy Color with some questionable mechanics fit for the Nintendo Switch, the easy difficulty surprised me. In fact, Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is the easiest Pokemon game I have ever played. You can beat every trainer in this game with minimal amounts of grinding for experience, and the game is a great exposure to the world of Pokemon for younger gamers.