What’s the least fun play through you’ve had?

[Neyo]

What is your least enjoyed play through of a Pokémon game? This can be a fan game, a Nuzlocke, or any other variant of Pokémon games. Just what you hated the most.

 

[Esserise]

It's hard to recall a specific one, but there have been several that I ended up quitting midway through because I just wasn't satisfied with how it had been going. I suppose a noteworthy mention might be my first Sword runthrough, which I actually really loved, up until the first wave of DLC came out. The problem was, in the time between finishing the game and the IOA rollout, I had gotten my team up to Level 100, with full EVs and Bottle Capped IVs, and everything, but that would have steamrolled through the Isle and made it no fun at all. So I tried planning a secondary team, but that one fell apart when I found out that the Shiny Melmetal I'd brought over couldn't be fed Max Soup. Ultimately I ended up preserving the main team in my HOME box and just wiping the save file, which stung a bit since I'd made lots of other accomplishments on that file as well, like getting my first 200 streak at the Battle Tower, completing the Pokédex and the Curry Dex, buying every piece of clothing, collecting every League Card background, etc.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

My playthrough of XY. With bad AI and underdeveloped characters, I had enough playing it. But I loved the Kalos Region.

 

[WyndonCalling]

It's difficult to remember a specific run-through I hated, because my boredom just leaves me to put down the console long before I become actively irritated. I almost exclusively revisit playthroughs as Nuzlocke runs, so these often end when I can clearly see the writing on the wall for my Liepard and Leavanny in Victory Road - this said, some of my most tough Nuzlockes have been very memorable for the challenge and comedic value.

Of all run-throughs, I suppose X left me the most unenthused. It's taken me this long to revisit it as one of my tough, 'box-less' Nuzlockes and my initial reaction to Kalos feels validated again. I've made it a little past Zubat Roost and just... haven't been minded to pick it up for a week. Early Kalos just feels so civilised, packed with characters and bereft of gyms that there's little in the way of an adventuring or challenging vibe, and my current strategy is spamming Return with my entire party.

 

[CynthiaLover]

While I don't have any particular runs that stand out to me, I do feel that certain games affected my runs because of how unsatisfying or tedious they were. One of which will probably be a hot topic but it's just how I feel about it so deal with it.

The first one would be XY. While I beat the game long ago, trying to do another run in either game is just... blegh. After how well-developed the characters were in Gen 5, XY was a HUGE drop in quality. The rivals are meh at best, the villains are about as interesting as Team Rocket and not threatening at all, Lysander was a waste of a villain team leader, the Gym Leaders were a total bore, the Mega Evolution plot contradicted itself repeatedly before outright vanishing after Korrina, and the games are just not fun. Really, the furthest I can get now is probably Ramos before it becomes too much of a chore. The quality of the games, along with the fact they practically hand you everything important on a silver platter instead of making you earn it (Lucario being the biggest offender) really caused the games as a whole to be just terrible. Sure, Kalos is beautiful, and a lot of the Mons introduced in it are great like Greninja, Delphox, Noivern, and so on, but the quality of the games drag that down so, so badly. I can't finish any run in those games now as they just become too much of a chore. Probably my last run in these games I got about as far as Korrina before I couldn't pick it up anymore. It's a good thing ORAS came out otherwise Gen 6 would've been totally forgettable.

Now, time for the hot topic section. HeartGold and SoulSilver, and Johto as a whole. I seriously don't see the appeal of these games. The grinding is tedious, the level curve is atrocious, I don't really care about walking Pokemon unless it offers something useful (something that Sword/Shield actually did right in that regard), the region is a bore, the "Johto" Mons are completely outclassed by their Kantoian neighbors (especially in the original games), as well as being scarce in their own region, the Starters are the weakest and lamest to date, Silver is just as overrated as Blue, and the games are just an absolute chore to play. I really can't see the so-called "sacred cow" value of these games. They are one of the reasons I feel Gen 4 is a mixed bag at times. While back when they were first out, sure, I did okay, but nowadays they're just such a pain in the arse to pick up and play. Every time I try to play them I can barely get past Morty before throwing in the towel because they're just that much of a hassle to play. My last playthrough ended at the Lighthouse, as I just couldn't force myself to try to enjoy the game anymore. Really, I don't see their appeal at all. As a result, any run I have in them is marred by their huge number of flaws that ultimately ruins the playthrough.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

I stopped playing Heartgold after the entering Kanto.

 

[Esserise]

The grinding is tedious, the level curve is atrocious

The movepools and TM distribution are ass, too. Nothing makes me weep for Gen 5+ faster than trying to plan out movesets in HGSS.

Personally, I struggle to make it even a fair distance into the Johto portion of any of the Johto-based games, because the pacing is just so aimless. Like, I think the cutscenes in the Alola games can be a real slog, but at least there, I still feel some form of momentum from the plot, which isn't something Johto has.

And, to reiterate on the slowness - even 7 years after the Running Shoes were introduced, these games seriously still force you to trek from New Bark up to Mr. Pokémon's house and back, and then still over Route 29 one more time before they're given to you.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever had a playthrough of HGSS that I am particularly fond of. But I guess to be fair, I was unable to play it when it first came out since I didn't get a DS until 2011, and by then, I was more excited about BW, whose pacing and game speed completely dunks on the Gen 4 games.

 

[Phosphene]

Probably my LG Eevee playthrough. I kept rotating my team because I was never really satisfied with it nor felt a connection to any of my Pokémon outside of my Nidorina/Nidoqueen. The catching mechanic wasn't my jam and battles, which are usually what I focus on the most, gave so little experience that they never felt satisfyingly. The region felt empty and underwhelming.

I ultimately stopped playing during the Silph Co. plotline because the game just wasn't grabbing my attention.

 

[Neyo]

Probably my LG Eevee playthrough. I kept rotating my team because I was never really satisfied with it nor felt a connection to any of my Pokémon outside of my Nidorina/Nidoqueen.

This exact same thing happened to me when I was playing through ORAS after resetting my save file. It couldn’t get through it due to a lack of emotion. Well, perhaps attachment is more accurate.

 

[RK9]

LG Pikachu playthrough. It was so absolutely boring. On top of that the catch mechanic and stuff. The only Pokémon game I've never finished and I don't intend to do so.

 

[WyndonCalling]

I'm not the biggest fan of LGPE but I like Kanto well enough and the followers are adorable and well-executed for the most part... but boy, almost all of my goodwill evaporated with the repeat of Lt. Surge's bloody bin puzzle.

 

[Esserise]

I like LGPE for the story changes, Meltan and Melmetal, the Partner interactions, and because the first 151 are a really cohesive mix in terms of designs and color palettes. They work really well together as a diverse group of creatures.

but boy, almost all of my goodwill evaporated with the repeat of Lt. Surge's bloody bin puzzle.

Even though it’s easier to solve in that game?

 

[WyndonCalling]

Even though it’s easier to solve in that game?

Oh, it's not the difficulty - it's never actually been difficult. It's the creative bankruptcy after more than two decades. I get that the very first team may have had very limited assets to work with, and that the first remake might have had obligations to 'faithfulness', but to have such a non-puzzle on an actual console is faintly bewildering.

 

[Esserise]

Oh, it's not the difficulty - it's never actually been difficult. It's the creative bankruptcy after more than two decades. I get that the very first team may have had very limited assets to work with, and that the first remake might have had obligations to 'faithfulness', but to have such a non-puzzle on an actual console is faintly bewildering.

Ah, I see. Well in that regard, I would probably extend that complaint to all of the Gym puzzles - the only reason why I'm not disappointed by them is pretty much because I'm letting the game use the remake excuse. (Although I would undoubtedly prefer a remake that made more radical changes wherever possible.)

 

[Leaf_Ranger]

Moon! I disliked the region, I hated having the in-game time of day being the opposite of real world and I disliked most of the new Pkmn since I was expecting to have much more Grass-type Pkmn as well asmore diverse Alolan forms than just Kantonian Pkmn. Unfortunatelt not even my beloved and sick puppy Licanroc is enough for me to turn on the game! I regret even buying the game.

 

[RK9]

While not least enjoyable cause I did enjoy Platinum, I find it hard to play through Platinum. It's so slow and the constant backtrack to older cities is just a big drag and causes me to lose will to play so I never really reach beyond Gym 5.

I'm currently also replaying Ultra Sun but here too, I can't find the will to go on. Everything looks the same, you get stopped at every turn and it's just ugh.

 

[Enzo]

This actually a fan game. A ROM Hack of HGSS called Sacred Gold. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to s*** on the guy's work. But it's unplayable.

Like, they tried to make it harder and ''fix'' the curve levels and stuff like that. But like,,, they gave Falkner a full team of level 15 pokemon. Not only is that WAY over the top, but it's impossible, cuz you pokemon won't listen to you if they are over level 10 if you don't get his badge, and it's almost impossible to win with a underleved mon. And even f you somehow win against one of them with a mon way under that level, it will most likely then not not obey you, since the exp gained will throw it over level 10.

Which is pretty bad, I wanted to play this ROM so much. But apperently he's not gonna fix it any time soon

 

[RK9]

Ah, a Drayano one. Those are amazing. Playing his Platinum one now and it's tough but a good kind of tough. He makes a lot of good changes.

 

[Enzo]

Ah, a Drayano one. Those are amazing. Playing his Platinum one now and it's tough but a good kind of tough. He makes a lot of good changes.

Well good for you, cuz I feel like he tried to make it harder and just went all in without thinking it through. Literally threw it aside after somehow winning against Falkner and realizing the entire thing would be like that.

 

[Enzo]

For offical game now: A lot of people will chew me alive here, but I gotta say it: I REALLY disliked Platinum and gen 4 as a whole.

They just feels soooo slow, like dragging on themselves, and because of this I couldn't really enjoy it. I did not even feel like the game had a rhythm either, just this long walk with some extra text thrown around.

Hope they fix it in the remakes.