Old players gripe because it doesn't bring much to the table and just felt like a reprint, but that's perfectly fine for a new player. I think Gen 4 is a solid new player intro spot. BDSP is overall a weaker entry for experienced players, but might be a decent choice for new folks. It's notably different from the core Pokemon experience, and so I wouldn't suggest it as a way to get into the series and understand what it's about. Legends: Arceus is great and such a refreshing breath of fresh air to the franchise, but again, that's more of a feature that speaks to experienced players. New Pokemon Snap is definitely not the norm. I think it relies upon player knowledge of type relationships and might prove overwhelming for a new player to the franchise. Plus, this generation's gimmick is amazing for returning players who are very well-versed in type relationships and using old Pokemon in new ways, but that is much better for folks who have grown up with these games. However, the performance issues are notable and would likely be off-putting to a new player. Scarlet/Violet are great game entries for experienced players, as they take great ideas into a franchise that sometimes gets stagnant. I don't think it's actually a great snapshot of the core Pokemon experience. Let's Go are not games for new players so much as they are for taking Pokemon Go players and recasting it as Gen 1. I think Sword/Shield is the clear choice for a new player. I think a lot of people are suggesting games they like from their perspective, rather than from a new player's perspective. Here's an extensive post I made for a first time pokemon player a while back with the same question: Submission Filter Image Only Image Only No Image No Image Media Only Media Only No Media No Media Discussion Only Discussion Only No Discussion No Discussion Info Only Info Only No Info No Info Art Only Art Only No Art No Art Crafts Only Crafts Only No Crafts No Crafts Memes Only Memes Only No Memes No Memes Venting Venting No Venting No Venting No Art & No Venting No Art & No Venting No Memes & No Venting No Memes & No Venting Clear Filter Clear Filter Event Calendar

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