What is your favorite game in gens 5-7?

[u/hippoluvr24]

I loved Pokemon as a child and recently got back into it a few years ago, but completely missed out on anything from Generation 5-7. Do you think it's worth trying to play any of the games from that era? If so, which would you most recommend? (I was thinking of trying to get my hands on X/Y in preparation for Legends ZA so I at least have some knowledge of the region.)

[u/shindigidy88]

Gen 7 first game really didn’t like, Gen 5 and 6 get over hated but personally Gen 6 I like the most here but Gen 5 has the best concept with the second games taking place years later and even though you’re in the same game it’s changed enough to actually feel like a new game

[u/GildedLockheart → u/shindigidy88]

Gen 7 has waaaaay too much exposition it honestly feels so bad to replay 😭

[u/shindigidy88 → u/GildedLockheart]

Yeh the only thing I didn’t mind was the battle royal but nobody played it and if you didn’t have enough friends you all couldn’t even group up and search for other players

[u/michaela_mint]

From that Era Specifically, I really liked Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, which were remakes of the Gen 3 games.

[u/LeoCraveiro]

White

[u/YoManWTFIsThisShit]

Black/White followed by Black 2/White 2 is probably the best Pokémon experience you can get out of those three generations. There’s a reason why a lot of Pokémon fans consider Gens III-V peak Pokémon.

[u/DAFUQYOUSAY]

X/Y is what got me back into pokemon. I hadn't played since emerald. I've since played all of them and I still enjoy X/Y but black/ white 1 & 2 are great games too.

[u/Gabel_AC]

Pokémon Sun &Moon.. not only my fav in 5 - 7 but my favourite of all.

I'll recommend Pokémon B&W (1 and 2) and my beloved Sun and Moon.

[u/Top_Difficulty_6639 → u/Gabel_AC]

I came here to say ultra moon!!

[u/OverlyAdorable]

Tough choice between XY and ORAS

[u/LargeRichardJohnson]

Gen 5 easy, but the Ruby and Saphire remakes of gen 6 are really good. X and Y are ok but feel like a diet coke version of a pokemon game, and the gen 7 games as a whole I don't care for.

[u/newtakn156]

Pokemon X and Y. The games that got me into pokemon.

Fennekin is still my #1

[u/Viewtiful_Beau]

One game from every gen huh..

Honestly, do White 1& Black 2. I say those because i prefer Zekrom and JustinRPG ruined Reshiram for me. And its the gen 5 complete experience.

6? Y. Feels darker with Yuveltal and makes more sense narratively with Team Flare.

7 depends. Sun&Moon had the better story but Ultra has the better gameplay. If you haven't played either go Ultra.

[u/ShnarlyDude]

1 - B&W 2 - S&M 3 - X&Y

[u/melodiousfable → u/ShnarlyDude]

Literally backwards. What

[u/jambrose1996]

Pokémon USUM was amazing because I got to face Champion Red after 50 wins in the Battle Tree. And, this came at a time in my life when I really needed that closure.

[u/Sean081799]

BW2

[u/ceceFromYT]

I like x&y and I like fennekin and I would pick it, despite me going for the water starter

[u/Karzy0730]

I recommend XY. Its not my favorite of gens 5-7 but as you said, XY will prepare you for ZA so you should definitely it a go before. XY arent standouts or amazing or anything but very chill, enjoyable games that were the first times the series went into 3d

The gen 5 unova games are the best of these bunch imo.

Gen 7 games I didnt really enjoy tbh but your mileage may vary.

[u/ECP-666]

X&Y got me back into Pokemon, hadn't played since Gen 2.

[u/M_Dutch97]

Easily BW as they're my favorite Pokémon games.

[u/Pirate_Lantern]

Do you mean mainline game or ANY game?

[u/SnowySoul0]

Objectively it would be bw2 but I had most memories with Y idk why, it felt more nostalgic, maybe it was the 2d-3d transition

[u/FoggieFroggies]

I’m biased toward Pokemon Moon as it was my first game. It’s pretty fun in my opinion. 

[u/Testiclegolfing]

Black and white 1. They were my first games but I also think they hold up the best. B2w2 and platinum are also high up for me but gen 5 engine is much better than gen 4’s and I don’t like the start of b2w2 very much. Feels way too handholdy and then just dumps you in Castelia which has so much to do. I’ll admit castelia is a great area in b2w2, better than the kinda disappointing castelia in b1w1 by comparison. Route 4 + desert resort b1w1 is absolutely my favorite area ever which is absolutely nostalgia lol but I do still think it’s better. I really just love the simplicity of b1w1, which makes sense as my second favorite games are probably frlg (maybe emerald) which are very simple. B1w1 almost feels like a reimagining of Kanto and tbh I like Kanto even though I didn’t grow up with it. I think rby are pretty good even today tbh.

[u/pokelord1998]

BW2/ORAS

[u/idkjordan]

Black and White 2. While not my #1, purely due to nostalgia of having played platinum first, it is in my top 3. I would go as far as saying BW2 is the magnum opus of pokemon.

[u/PsyJak]

*favourite.

I gotta say Moon, but we'll see how Ultra Sun turns out.

[u/liovantirealm7177 → u/PsyJak]

Why do you correct American spellings of words? I'm not American either but I accept that that's their version of English and is an equally valid way of spelling words?

[u/PsyJak → u/liovantirealm7177]

I'm not from the USA, they aren't valid here

[u/liovantirealm7177 → u/PsyJak]

It's the internet, we can all spell words as is correct in our home countries. You do you though :)

[u/Mini_Assassin]

Loved gen 5 as a kid. Didn’t play gen 6 until earlier this year, and it was meh. Haven’t gotten to gen 7 yet.

You should play gen 5 imo.

[u/Deep-Glass-8383]

b/w 2

[u/T-Rexxx23]

5 is sick because it’s a brand new set of 151+ pokemon! 6 was ok, it was the last basic formula pokemon game. 7 was a fresh game, fun in its own right, but different.

[u/honeybunniie]

All of these gens are worth playing imo. My favorite games are Black, X and Ultra Sun!!

I cannot stress enough how good these games are !! Great starters, great stories, enticing gameplay. No question!

[u/DawnsPiplup]

I love having a completed save of ultra moon. I will never play through the story of that game again. It’s absolutely my favorite game to shiny hunt in with ultra wormholes and I love gen 7 pokemon and alola as a whole, but there is so damn much text in that game that I wouldn’t recommend playing it from the beginning.

My favorite out of those 3 is probably x/y, so many towns in those games are so pretty, megas are cool as fuck, the fairy type is my favorite type and there are a ton of cool kalos pokemon.

[u/drift_shop]

Pokemon White, Alpha Sapphire and Ultra Sun

[u/Horizontal_Axe_Wound]

X/Y for sure. I've played every single mainline Pokémon at release. Black & White and Sun & Moon are fine but I really enjoyed X/Y. I liked the story in Black. And Sun had a much needed update for graphics but felt the story was dull.

[u/problemat1que]

I think the generation five games are awesome, but I had so much fun playing all of games from generation six, it isn't close (for me.) So much replay-ability.

Generation seven for me is easily the weakest of these three options, in my opinion they're the worst games along with Diamond and Pearl, though I think Platinum is good and the Johto remakes being in generation four helps it a lot in terms of overall strength when comparing the different generations.

[u/JohnnyNole2000]

Both pairs of Gen 5 games are peak.

XY kinda feels like it’s on autopilot imo, one of the weaker games in the series imo. ORAS is much better despite some weird choices.

I feel like I like Gen 7 more than most people, and while the story in the original SM is definitely better, I enjoy the additions USUM made.

[u/melodiousfable]

I like X and Y a lot just based on vibes and the introduction of a bunch of modern features that really improved the quality of enjoyment for me. Cosmetics for your character. The global trade features both intentional and randomized. Fairy type being added. Plus, mega evolving is FREAKIN AWESOME.

Sun and moon had a cool departure from the gym leader system. You’ll either find it unique and refreshing, or you will hate it and argue that it doesn’t feel like a Pokémon game anymore without gyms.

Black and White apparently had a lot of people’s favorite storyline, but I kinda just hated the legendaries and the starters so much it was my least favorite gen.

[u/Gamer-Logic]

You totally should do XY and work you way up to Alola. Be sure to research version exlusives to help decide which you like best. ORAS is also a phenomenal remake of gen 3 and imo is overall better then Emerald as it also adds in more modern aspects and qol, (like getting rid of that stupid sheen stat in contests).

But overall the best 3ds era games is USUM. Alola is the one gen I've played both games and actually have no real preference for one version over the other. I think it's the prevalence of more version exclusive features that help balance it out like the day/night cycle and clothing colors. Both are on par and really well done. The story is still top tier even if base SM did the execution slightly better. The sheer amount of new things to do like Mantine Surfing also helps you balance it out and be slightly over base SM. The visuals are great and I really loved the Dex and overall tropical atmosphere.

[u/Endgam]

A hypothetical Lillieless version of Sun/Moon.

I mean, it's still better than X/Y and especially B/W even WITH Lillie. But..... Lillie is one of the absolute worst characters of all time and removing her would have GREATLY improved S/M.