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In case you are like me at first and didn’t see it already: you are able to switch the visuals while playing from remastered to original.
Loved playing Halo: The Master Chief Collection a few years back. It was my first time playing Halo games. Quite impressive and the soundtrack of the first one is just sooo good.
I played the games in their original release order. Finally got stuck at Halo: Reach. Guess too much of a good thing is still too much. :wink: Still have to play Reach and Halo 4.
So far, my favorite games in the Halo series are Halo 2 and Halo 3: ODST (not to be confused with Halo 3). And of course, Halo Infinite: such a good game. A shame they messed the live service aspect up so badly with it.

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Quite a lot actually, considering I took a self-imposed three month hiatus after suffering severe Doctor Who burnout to spend most of my time on Pokemon.

So, in order of when I started playing over my hiatus…

My first Pokemon game which I have 95% completed. All I need is a few more mons for the Crown Tundra dex, and some of the legendaries from Dynamax adventures and I’ll be done.


Quite possibly one of my favourite games of all time - despite all the bugs and PS2 era graphics. I’ve pretty much 100% completed Scarlet, having got all three dex’s filled.

Paldea, Kitakami and Blueberry.

My greatest achievement has got to be capturing a shiny Trapinch whilst in the Terarium. Flygon is an all-time favourite mon, so getting one of its pre-volutions was a no-brainer.

He went straight on my team on was nicknamed Vertigo.

Speaking of nicknames. I’ve had a Bronzong on my team in every Pokemon game that I have played, and every time it’s been nicknamed Steel Specs.

Fun fact: I half inched this nickname from one of my least favourite BigFinish stories (the android chauffeur in ‘The Hollows of Time’)


Anyone that’s played Brilliant Diamond will know it was the highly anticipated remake of the Gen 4 titles…

And will also know that it was horrendous.

Genuinely, I have never been so bored. I actually couldnt even finish this one. So I moved onto a prequel to the Gen 4 titles which was…


Perfection! The emphasis on actual story telling was incredible - up there with the Gen 9 (Scarlet and Violet) titles. It also ended up being much more difficult than the other games I’d went through, which was a welcome change.

Pokemon can also attack the player in Legends Arceus - never in my life did I think I would be scared out of my wits because of a Buizel!

Incredible gameplay, one of the best videogame soundtracks out there, an incredible story, and vibrant characters (like the scatter brained Prof Laventon, Adaman and Iridia who lead the Diamond and Pearl clans respectively, and then there’s Volo… an unhinged nutcase who teams up with Giratina for one of the most intense fights).

I only need a few more dex entries before taking on Arceus himself. So looking forward to the final battle.


Because I adored Scarlet so much, I decided I wanted to play through it again and purchased the other side of the Gen 9 coin.

All I need are a few mons off the Blueberry Dex and I’m 100% done with it. Also had a lot more fun with the gym challenge this time thanks to my experience in Scarlet… meaning my team wasn’t immediately swept by the Psychic Gym Leader, Tulip!

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That fight was so tough, it took both me and my brother roughly 20 attempts each to get through it

If you’re looking for more Pokémon, I strongly recommend HeartGold/SoulSilver, I still genuinely believe that they’re the best games in the series.

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Played some Civ IV tonight.

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I played Pokémon in my youth. I had a GameBoy Colour and played Pokémon Blue.

At some point I also played Pokémon Ruby and I played Pokémon Yellow when that came out which was just a reskin of Blue/Green with added Pikachu following you around.

I used to watch the cartoon and play the game, trading with friends.

But these kind of games aren’t really for me. First of all, I never ever want to use the rare candies or TMs or anything like that - in games where I get stuff like healing potions I never find a good time to use them, always wanting to save them up, it’s a problem.

Plus when I nearly complete something I usually totally lose interest, so I’ve never 100% any Pokédex.

Then there was a huge gap until Pokémon Go came out, played that a lot when it was new and did lots of walking, I have friends who still play it every day but I rarely even turn it on now.

I got Let’s Go Pikachu! on the Switch just for the integration with Go really, I didn’t really like the game much.

I didn’t even know half the Switch games you just mentioned existed! I was curious about Arceus because it looked like the first actually different game in ages. But never tried it.

I love the world and the characters but yeah it’s not for me :man_shrugging:t2:

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I used to play a lot of Pokémon back in the day. It was big among my friends back in the GBA days, so we always played Ruby/Sapphire and Emerald on school breaks. And I collected Pokémon cards but never played with them. Oh, and loved the anime! I then played Diamond on DS for hours on end - it’s my most-played Pokémon game and probably my favourite. I played a little X and Omega Ruby when I got a 3DS. And Haven’t played any Pokémon since (except for Go, which I played a little back when it came out just to see what the fuss was ablut, but that doesn’t count).

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I actually got myself a 3DS and a couple of the pre-Gen 6 titles from CeX recently.

Wish I’d actually looked at the price for some of the games, since HeartGold was £110 :skull:

I think the maine reason the Volo fight is such a nightmare is because it’s three phases long.

You’ve got to take down his team first, then Giratina, then Giratina in its Origin Form. Honestly, my Torterra saved me during that fight, because I just spammed strong style Earthquake and Seed Bomb.

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I definitely understand that, because I ended up doing similar when I played through Pokemon Shield… and the expansion pass pokedex still isn’t complete.

That being said, I think the main reasons I started with Gen 8 (Sword and Shield) are;

  • Setting. The Galar region is based on the UK and that’s reflected in the starters who all take inspiration from British Culture (a footballing fire rabbit, a drummer grass gorilla and - my personal favourite - a water lizard based on James Bond).

  • The Gym Battles. Considering Gen 8 takes place in Pokemon Britian, the gym matches actually take place in giant stadiums with huge audiences chanting along to the music as you battle. It makes the whole vibe incredibly addicting, especially given how difficult some of the 8 Gym leaders can be.

Though four of the leaders are version exclusive.

Bea (Fighting) and Gordie (Rock) are only in Sword.

Alistair (Ghost) and Melony (Ice) are only in Shield.

  • The Generational Gimmick. This is something that only started being a thing Gen 6 onward, but the gimmick of Gen 8 is still one of my favourites. Dynamaxing; getting to make your Pokemon the size of a building for three turns where they are massively powerful and capable of pulling off incredible moves.

Some Pokemon even got special Dynamax forms, like Gengar.

Considering you played the early titles I can kinda understand not vibing with the Let’s Go titles. They’re basically intended to be simiplified versions of the original Gen 1 games for people to jump in with.

If you did plan on getting back into the Pokemon series, I can definitely reccomend the Switch titles post-Let’s Go.

The most recent ones Gen 9 - Scarlet and Violet - do have their issues, considering the graphics are a bit buggy. But this was GameFreak’s first attempt at a truly open world Pokemon game.

The Generational Gimmick this time round is phenomenal too, Terastalisation - basically allowing you to change the typing of your mon during battle, powering up moves the same as it’s tera type, and making it so it’s only weak to attacks of its tera type.

So if you had a grass type and were going up against a fire type, if your tera type was water the opponent would basically have little effect on you post-Terastilisation.

Also the story in Gen 9… yeah, genuinely heartbreaking at times.

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You don’t know how many games I’ve nearly completed. Like I get to the final act or the last boss, then just stop playing and play something else…

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You would definitely enjoy Legends Arceus then.

The Legends sub-series are all set some time before one of the main games, with Arceus being set circa 200 years prior to the events of Diamond and Pearl, and you’re literally helping to create the region’s very first Pokedex.

The second Legends title was announced this year too, being a prequel to the Gen 6 titles - X and Y - and taking place entirely within the capital city of its region, Lumiose City (Pokemon Paris).

A good portion of the fanbase were completely flawed by this trailer, as they all expected the next Legends title to be set in Unova (Gen 5, Black and White games. Region based on New York).

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I don’t think we know that for certain yet, there’s theories about it being set after

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Nothing is confirmed as far as I know but it feels like there is a lot more to explore before X and Y. With the War and the special floett that was in the code but only appeared in cut scenes

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I couldn’t even get the entirety of Doom Coalition for that price :skull:

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True. Though I’m genuinely hoping it will be a past-centric series.

Mainly because I would love a Legends Galar game one day down the line focused on Zacian and Zamazenta’s initial defeat of Eternatus.

But make it so it’s all inspired by King Arthur legends.,

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Why did I buy Balatro on Friday. This game is dangerous. I can’t stop doing runs :sob::sob:

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Also omg Pokémon discussion! Arceus is probably my fave Pokémon game, but I love almost every single one in the series; even the modern era ones that the internet love to hate on

Mad excited for Z-A, whatever the hell it’s gonna be :sweat_smile:

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I played more of The Lego Movie game on Saturday as I’m close to 100% (although as I’ve mentioned upthread will never reach 100% because of a known glitch I didn’t know about till it was too late). But there’s a level where I doubt I’ll get all the instruction booklets because it’s one of those race style levels where you can’t change character to one more useful and if you miss what you need to get the booklet, you can’t go back you have to restart the level. Sod that. This game may end up only ever being nearly completed.

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I recently got Balatro as well. It’s really hard to put down (although I am still yet to get past Ante 6)

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That’s where I’m at too, and I keep almost winning there but just messing up right at the end :sob::sob:

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I have been thinking about buying this on my phone but have not bought it yet. But it is as good as everyone says?

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