The Switch 2 versions of Scarlet and Violet boast an impressive 60 frames per second and also a higher Pokemon spawn count thanks to a larger render distance and an increase of the original Switch's hard limit of 16. Naturally, shiny hunters are alreadyꦏ using 🌠this to their advantage.

In the cave in Area Zero, it's possible to summon Flutter Mane at will with a glitch. Simply create a s♋hiny sandwich for Ghost-type Pokemon an🌊d then head into the cave. Pressing ZL will cause Flutter Mane to spawn, and you should get a shiny one quite quickly.

The trick to getting a lot of them is patience.🀅 Regular 'mon𒁏s despawn after a time, but shinies won't. So, just wait out any of the boring regular color Flutter Mane and keep pressing ZL. Eventually, you'll have a whole horde of the green ghosts surrounding you like this Redditor.

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"The switch 2 improvement is crazy! I legit couldn't believe this many spawned," they write excitedly. "I legit kept colliding with some of them, causing me to trig♓ger a battle animation… when I ran, I was touching another one, which triggered the battle animation again and so on…"

Th🌠ey say it took them just 24 minutes to find seven shiny Flutter Mane, so if you'v🥃e been wanting to get the perfect VGC-ready one, get hunting.

Anoth🍃er player got 10 shiny Porygon 2 during an outbreak. It's unbelievable. Some people are angry it's so easy to get 🦩shinies these days – when I was a kid, you had to deal with the full 1/8192 odds – but does it really matter?

In the meantime, check out all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Switch 2 launch games to see what you can play on the new console.

Beast of Reincarnation looks like a modern triple-A game, because🍨 it is. Gone are the saturated hues and sparse environmental details of Pokemon, in are dense foliage, colossal bosses, and swift combat. The difference is night and day – or Sun and Moon.

"GameFreak, Gen 10 better look amazing on Nintendo Switch 2 next year if you all are capa💛ble of making games look like this compared to Pokemon," writes one awestruck fan on . "Same developers. Game Freak cannot be serious," another.

People have been clowning on Game Freak for how bad Pokemon Scarlet and Violet run for ages. It's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:a lot better on the Switch 2, but peop♔le still can't believe the company is capable🃏 of this.

Over on Reddit, one person🎃 writes, ✨in all caps which I shall spare you from, "Game Freak made this?! Bro, this is Game Freak?" I know, we're all just as shocked, honestly.

"I bet they didn't crunch this in a year or two," one person. Since a new Pokemon Game is released every couple of years by Game Freak, a lo✨t of people believe the team is overworked.

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However, even though Beast of Reincarnation is due out in 2026, with Pokemon🐈 Legends: Z-A coming later this year, Game Freak introduced back in 2022, so we have no evidence crunch is an issue.

On BlueSky, one person : "Game Freak:♓ We hirജed a guy who told us what textures are. It has really revolutionized our whole deal."

It's unbelievable how different this looks to Pokemon. Considering 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to Switch 2, it's not like Game Freak couldn't make a game look like this on the hardware, but clearly that's just n🦩ot the aesthetic direction either it or Nintendo wants to take Pokemon in.

While we wait for next year, check out all the other 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:upcoming games you have to look forward to.

Emma is a character that many of you will have missed if, like me, you became the Pokemon League champion in X and Y and then restarted the game or move🐭d on to something else. She's a huge part of the postgame and a central character in Looker's questline.

When you first encounter her, she's an illiterate street urchin with some surprisingly powerful Pokemon at her side. I won't spoi⛦l her story, but it takes some wild turns, revealing a truly tragic piece of Looker's past and ending in a very sci-fi way.

Clearly, her ta🌳le resonated with a lot of fans. They've spotted a character they believe to be her in the Z-A box art, and as she doesn't seem too much older, they believe the time jump isn't that long.

"My girl Emma is on the box art for Pokꦛemon Legends: Z-A, I used to dream of days like this," one of Emma's biggest fans. "TIMESKIP EMMA!!! Yep Legends: Z-A is already the best game in the series," anothꦰer emotional Emma supporter.

In the box art, Emma has a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Mega Lucario, Pikachu, and Mega Gardevoir next to her, and it looks like she's facing off againstꦆ the protagonist. The protagonist is throwing a lone Chikorita at Emma, and I don't fancy the little Grass-type 'mon's chances against that beefy team Emma has.

This battle scene suggests that Emma could be a friendly rival or🔯 even an antagonist in this new game, which would certainly be an interesting evolution of her X & ꦉY story.

What role do you think Emma will play?

In the meantime, check out our ranking of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Pokemon games.

27 years after making the logo, Chris Maple is finally going public. "The task was both exciting and challenging," he write♑s on his , where he's shared some T-shirt mockups with one of his early versions of the design.

Maple received a call from Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa's secretary and travelled to the company's Redmꦇond office to hear what it wanted from him. "[Arakawa] introduced himself and said that they're going to be launching a game officially in the United States and Europe," Maple tells . "Only problem is, the prior agencies they've tried out for the൩ situation didn't quite hit the mark, and they burnt the budget and time element."

So, he only had a month to create what is now known worldwide as the Pokemon logo. He was given "toys and pieces of paper and weird drawings and things all in front of me on the table" to use as references. "I go, 'What is this?' And he goes, 'It's a Pocket Monster,'" Maple recalls. "And I said, 'Oh, what's a Pocket Monster?’' He g🅠oes, 'It's Pokemon. We're going to call it Pokemon.'"

Maple didn't play the games, he just knew that Pokemon Blue was coming to the West with a Yellow version to follow sometime later, and that may have influenced his decision to make the logo the color it is today. Ultimaཧtely, he settled on his final design because of the "energy in it."

When he showed it to the Nintendo executives, the room was quiet for a while. "And then Don James [former Nintendo of America executive VP of operations] speaks up and says, 'I believe this is the one,'" Maple says. "Arakawa's just sitting there. He goes, 'Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay.' And Lance [Barr, former Nintendo of America designer] gets up and leaves and Gail [Tilden, former Nintendo of America VP brand management] leaves and then Don looks at me and goes, 'Produce it.' I went, 'Okay.' So I w🐻ent back and produced it."

This logo was then changed slightly after E3, with the P and E having their crescent moon-shaped inner flairs changed for hollow semi circles after he was vaguely asked to "just change it a little." That's the logo we still see today in 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet🦄. If he could change anything about the logo, it would be ♍reverting it to that original version.

He also hopes to be ask🧸ed to come back to work on the franchise's 30th anniversary. He reckons Nintendo will get another artist to do it, but "I know it won't be right because all the base, all the foundational thought that went into creating it in the first place to survive the way it did and for us to be talking to one another today, there is an energy and a skeleton in there, and to even add another component, like the word 30th or two numerical characters, TLC [tender loving care], big time," he explains.

"Don’t just get it done. It's going to be TLC. So I would hope that Pokemon International would ring me and say, 'Hey, this would be great PR. The guy⛄ that did the logo gets to put the 30th on for us. Good PR for us.' That would be smart of them to do. Of course I'm pitching for myself here."

Until then, check out our ranking of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Pokemon games.

No matter what you love best about Palworld, whether it be the creature-catching elements as seen in the , the management sim-like base construction, open world exploration and tower defence, or the simple joys of survival crafting, we've found plenty of alternatives that fit the bill. You'll find a range of games like Palworld below, each reflecting at least one of the core gameplay systems as seen in the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:mega-hit survival game. Let's dive in!

10. Cult of the Lamb

Developer: Massive Monster
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC, PS﷽4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

If you find the autonomous building crafting systems of Palworld super satisfying, Cꦿult of the Lamb is worth a try. This roguelike-meets-management sim has you collecting cute Followers out in the wild (not unlike your adorabl𝓀e Pals) to bring back to the cult grounds as your adoring minions. The thing that makes Cult of the Lamb a game like Palworld is how you basically don't have to lift a finger to construct anything in your camp yourself, since your Followers carry out chores autonomously. Likewise, Palworld's focus on crafting sees type-specific Pals helping out according to their strengths – water-type Pals water plants, for example – meaning you can spend more time exploring the land while your lackeys do the grunt work for you.

9. Rust

Developer: Facepunch Studios
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac

Open-world online multiplayer game Rust has a lot in common with Palworld. As one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Steam games out there, Rust is a survival crafting experience centered around banding together with fellow players to set up camp, farm for materials, and raid other encampments across a huge map. The risk of getting raided and carrying out attacks against other live players is something that Palworld fans will find familiar, especially if the tower defense and guild alliance elements are your favorite things about it. Plus, Rust can be played on PC, Mac, and PS4 platforms, making it a great a🐈lternative for those without access to a PC or Xbox.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Developer: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 

Another game that has clearly influenced Palworld and therefore feels similar to it at times is 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历꧙史查询:The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This 2017 Nintendo exclusive redefined our expectations when it comes to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Zelda games, introducing a verdant open world to explore as Link. Emergent storytelling and chance encounters really magnify the reactivity offered by Breath of the Wild and sequel 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, making it a game like Palworld that the Pocket Pair title seeks to emulate in its massive open world. You might not be able to capture Bokoblins and put th♛em to work at base camp, but when it comes to exploration-focussed gameplay, the parallels between Palworld and BOTW speak for themselves.

7. Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Developer: Game Freak
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 

An obvious game like Palworld is, well, any of Game Freak's Pokemon games. More specifically, Pokemon Legends: Arceus feels extremely similar to Palworld as a creature-catching RPG set in a semi-open world. Pals and Pokemon creatures themselves strike an uncanny resemblance to each other at times, and you capture Pals much in the same way you capture Pokemon: with Pal Spheres, the legally-distinct answer to Poke Balls. That being said, your Pals are much more useful than their Game Freak counterparts, as not only can they battle other Pals outꩲ in the open world, but they make very helpful crafting minions back at camp. 

6. Temtem

Developer: Crema
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC

If the MMO-like feel of Palworld is what you enjoy best about it, as well as the adorable pocket monsters, consider giving Temtem a go. H𓃲eavily inspired ✅by the Pokemon franchise but adding a more competitive slant to its PvP battles, Temtem is one game like Palworld that combines cutesy creature-catching, online multiplayer encounters, and PvE showdowns. You can play Temtem on all new gen consoles as well as PC and the Nintendo Switch, making it one of the more broadly-accessible Palworld dupes on this list.

5. Cassette Beasts

Developer: Bytten Studio
Platform(s): Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Pixel RPG Cassette Beasts is an excellent alternative to Palworld if you like your creature-catching games with a heavy dose of nostalgia. It riffs off elements of both Pokemon and the likes of Persona 3, with the ability to fuse your caught beasts with others to make brand new creatures. The only snag here is that unlike Palworld's online servers, Cassette Beasts is currently couch co-op only. Still, if it's a diverse range of catchable creatures you're after as well as a lovely overarching story, you can't go wrong with Bytten Studio's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:musi♏c-infused spin on the classic Pokemon formula.

4. Valheim

Developer: Iron Gate Studio
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One

Another one for fans of a good survival crafting experience, Valheim will fill the Palworld🧔-shaped hole in your heart if you're craving more open-world antics. Just like Palworld, Valheim launched into Early Access and went on to attract a similarly dedicated fanbase. Its brooding Viking theme might not match Palworld's vividly bizarre aesthetic, and there are no cutesy pocket monsters to capture and implement as your own personal building goons, but if you're after a gigantic survival crafting experience with complex management and building systems, Valheim is an easy rꦗecommendation.

3. Scrap Mechanic

Developer: Axolot Games
Platform(s): PC

Merging the broad open world and automatic maintenance systems of Palworld, Scrap Mechanic is a Palworld alternative to consider as a PC player. Of all the games like Palworld on this list, Scrap Mechanic might be the best match in terms of tone: it's brig🎐ht, it's loud, and all about exploring with your friends and battling enemies found all across a frankly huge map. You'll be building ingenious machines instead of catching and recruiting Pals to do your bidding, but the engineering slant means that plenty of these machines operate by themselves to complete helpful tasks without you needing to lift a finger.

2. Minecraft Legends

Developer: Mojang Studios
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Serie൩s X

Palworld's PvE potential is promising, but 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Minecraft Legends represents the kind of in-depth competitive multiplayer-raid experience you might be craving. Much as in Palworld, Minecraft Legends tasks players with constructing a base out of f🎐ound materials that they later must defend from enemy attacks. The PvP element adds a layer of competitiveness as your team battles it out against the other, and although you don't have any cute Pals to catch in𒉰 the wild, you can spawn a variety of allied golems, creepers, and other iconic Minecraft creatures to follow you and fight by your side. 

1. Ark: Survival Evolved

Developer: Studio Wildcard
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC

One of Palworld's best alternatives is a game the developers say 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:partially inspired it. Ark: Survival Evolved is a dino-infested sandbox where you can either eliminate or domesticate some fearsome prehistoric beasts, much in the same way you collect Pals in Palword. It's a first-person experience that feels a lot grittier and darker than the splashy colorful vibe of Palworld, but it lays a lot of groundwork in term๊s of survival crafting, scavenging, and automatic management systems that Pocket Pair would go on to emulate. It's worth trying Ark: Survival Evolved if you're on the hunt for more games like Palworld, especially since it's a little more accessible across a🉐 broad range of platforms.

For more Palworld alternatives, why not check out the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best survival games?

As our friends at spotted, Junichi Masuda, co-founder of primary Pokemon developer Game Freak and now "chief creative fellow" at The Pokemon Company itself, recently posted an innocuous🌠 photo of a Japanese studio with the (auto machine translated) caption: "On the 5th of July, Pokemon was born in Japan, where Game Freak once lived."

I also ran the post through DeepL and touched it up with my own limited Japanese, and the result🎀 is a little more informative: "July 5th. This is Japan's [Shimokitazawa]. Where Game Freak used to be. This is where Pokémon [was] born." The former studio Masuda's referencing is in Japan's west Tokyo Shimokitazawa neighborhood, which has been before. 

At first blush, this appeared to be little more than an innocent bit of nostalgia acknowledging the 34th anni⛄versary of Pokemon's life. However, fans like Pokemon sleuth were quick to point out that July 5 also carries special meaning within the Pokemon universe: it's the same day that the Legendary Mew was discovered. 

An old in the 1996 Red and Blue Pokemon games confirms that on July 5, in Guyana, South America, "a new Pokemon was discovered deep in the jungle." We now know that mysterious Pokemon was Mew, as it was later named on July 10. Curiously, and in defiance of Pokemon movie lore, a February 6 log also says "Mew gave bir🅘th" and the newborn was named Mewtwo, but we're not going to worry about the ramifications of that right now or how it was seemingly retconned in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee.  

The point is, ♊Masuda has seemingly revealed a Pokemon Easter egg that's been hidden – or at least virtually unknown – for 27 years. Mew's appeared in countless ga♍mes, and the history of Pokemon has been chronicled to death, but I've never seen the date of its discovery connected to the birth of the series until now. 

Meanwhile, a bunch of Pokemon fans are playing a custom ROM with the extremely cursed ability of Infinite Fusion.  

We don't know a whole lot abo𒉰ut Project Bloom just yet, but it sounds like it'll be a stark departure from Game Freak's pedigree, which includes the mainline Pokemon games all the way back to Red and Blue, as well as oddities like Little Town Hero, Giga Wrecker, and... Tembo the Ba♏dass Elephant.

Privateꦕ𓆏 Division is a subsidiary of publishing giant Take-Two Interactive dedicated to publishing games from small to medium-sized developers. Some notable games it's published include The Outer World, OlliOlli World, Rollerdrome, and Kerbal Space Program 2. Game Freak says it's had its eye on the publisher right from the start.

"We'🐻re thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prior work," said Game Freak director Kota Furushima. "꧒From the beginning, Private Division was the publisher we wanted to work with on our new game. Their track record and global expertise give us all the confidence to create a sweeping new action-adventure game that we can't wait to share more about in the future."

Private Division also has plenty of praise for Game Freak and teased that it's helping tꦿhe studio to unlock its full potential with Project Bloom, which further hints at the game's seemingly bigger scope.

"Over the past three decades, you'd be hard pressed to find a studio which has released more iconic hits than Game Freak," said Private Division boss and Take-Two exec Michael Worosz. "We're ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we're hon💃ored to be the first Western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market."

Now for the not-so-exciting news: Project Bloom is still in "early development" and isn't expect to launch until Take-Two's 2026 fiscal year. By then it could practi💝cally launch on a new generation of consoles, but neither the developer nor publisher have confirmed anything about what platforms Project Bloom is targeti♉ng.

For everything nearer on the horizon, here's our guide to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:new games of 2023.

Masao Taya - the director of Game Freak's latest release Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On - recently spoke to about the studio explaining: "We believe th🥃at it is very important for the studio to continue making and releasing titles outside of the Pokémon series." The director continues: "In recent years, the resources needed for game devel🉐opment have grown and grown, so Development Department One has been trying out a style of development where it works with external studios."

If you didn't know, Game Freak is primarily known for developing many of the games in the Pokemon series, including Poke☂mon Emerald, Pokemon Gold and Silver, Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee plus many others. Aside from Nintendo's monster collecting games though, Game Freak is also behind the Pocket Card Jockey series - the latest of which just released via Apple Arcade - as well as the Nintendo Switch game Giga Wrecker Alt.

In the same Axios interview, Taya revealed that the studio isn't planning on announcing any new games just yet, but that we should expect to see more of Pocke🙈t Card Jockey at the very least: "Some of the feedback we’ve received has been that the game is too hard, so I would like us to carefully adjust the balance going forward. We are also planning other updates, but at this point, I still can’t reveal any details."

Game Freak isn't the only developer known for making Pokemon games, Nintendo has also utilized the likes of ILCA, the studio behind the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes, as well as Creatures, who brought us Detective Pikachu🍰 as well as a range of other 3DS and mobile games for the series, and 𒐪a range of other studios to bring more Pokemon games into the world. 

Take a look at our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Pokemon games list to find out which one you should play next. 

Just earlier today, it was revealed that Pocket Ca🌊rd Jockey: Ride On! would be coming to the Apple Arcade subscription service later this month on January 20 (thanks, ). The beloved cult series from Pokemon developer Game Freak is finally being freed from the shackles of the Nintendo 3DS system, and coming to a brand new platform for the first time.

Pocket Card Jockey is - and stay with us here - a mash-up of a tactical horse racing simulator and a solitaire battler. You begin by breeding stables of cutesy horses, before rꦿacing them against other jockeys on tracks, with critical m൩oments in each race being decided by rapid games of solitaire.

It all sounds barmy, yes, but it works brilliantly. Pocket Card Jockey was f꧅irst released by Game Freak in Japan in 2013, and would take three years to launch for western audiences in 2016. By all accounts, it's become something of a cult-like hit for Nintendo players in the years since.

Here's hoping Pocket Card Jockey manages to achieve newfound attention from audiences when it comes to iOS devices 💟on January 20 via Apple Arcade. Elsewhere for the subscription service, romance choice-based game Episode XOXO comes to Apple Arcade this week on January 6, while image puzzler Illustration joins the roster on January 13. 

Check out our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best iPhone games guide if you're looking for other gems to get stuck into before Pocket Card Jockey arrives on the service. 

I'm not here to talk about those ideas today, though. What interests me right now are the ideas that don't get discussed much anymore. Those ideas that time – and, apparently, Game Freak – somehow forgot. Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly normal for a game seq🐎uel to have a gimmick or unique selling point that marks it out in the franchise, but when that USP is well-received, most companies would consider it plain comꦆmon sense to make it a staple and incorporate it into the wider series going forward.

Gam⛄e Freak doesn't do that, generally speaking. New ideas are introduced, hyped to high hell in the promotional material, then silently abandoned, usually by the very next game in turn. The only ones that do get to stick around are those core concepts that can be smoothly integrated into the core mechanics (such as he🍸ld items or Pokemon Eggs) or basic quality of life improvements, like being able to change nicknames anywhere. Is it just me, or is that… weird?

Ghost-type ideas

To pick a random starting point: what happened to stadiums? Sword and Shield introduced the idea that a Pokemon gym could be so much more than a dozen conveyor belts and a dog fighting pit, and built the gyms up into huge arenas with thousands of cheering fans, turning it into a spectator sport. It made you feel like it really mattered! But just one generation later, Scarlet and Violet's Elite Four – the greatest the region has to offer – all fight you in a grey, windowless, feature🌊less room with no audience at all. Prior to that, the gym battles all take place in small parks or nondescript tennis courts. Ta🦋lk about a step backwards.

Or hey, what about Contests? These Poke-pageants have occasionally made an appearance starting back in Gen 3, but struggled to get traction – presumably because they never actually hung around and thus never had the chance to develop alongside the core battling gameplay. But while they weren't perfect, I was still all in favour of the idea. Usually when Game Freak tries to develop Pokemon mechanics outs🔜ide of the combat, it often becomes൲ empty, time-filler gameplay, like the ability to pointlessly prod and wash your Pokemon as though you were playing a budget Nintendogs knock-off. Contests were a great middle ground, a proper set of mechanics that built on what existed and prompted thought, investment and engagement. Now they're just… in the past, and I'm not sure why.

It goes on like this. Growing berry trees was around for a while, but no longer. The age of the Pokewalker has been and gone. Dynamaxing is dead, as is Mega-evolution before it. No more contests means no more Poffin cooking either. Hope you weren't looking forward to the "third version" games a la Crystal and Emerald, because that's all ancient history. Gen 3's Hidden Bases would've made a lot of sense as part of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop system, but it's too late now. And when something does come back, it💖's largely due to the obligation of being in a remake – i.e., the Underground returning in the Switch adaptations of Diamond and Pearl. Nice to see it again, but it wasn't in Gen 9 afterwards, and there's no reas🦄on to think it'll be in Gen 10 either.

And it makes for this weird kind of apathetic fatigue. I rather like the Terastallization mechanic introduced in Scarlet and Violet, but even as I praise it, I can practically see it being fed into a paper shredder. I have no confidence it'll be back, and the same goes for the co-op and the picnics. Even the open world's long-term legacy seems shaky after whatℱ it's done to Gen 9's technical functionality, and it makes it hard to care about any of it when it doesn't feel like Game Freak does either. Even if you personally really liked Scarlet and Violet, you might feel a bit d🅰iscouraged by the fact that most of its bes🌸t ideas will probably never exist beyond it.

But regardless of whether you actually enjoy any of these abandoned ideas, it is certainly strange to see such a throwaway culture with regards t🌱o your own creations. Let's be clear, this isn't dynamic reinvention, like what Resident Evil 7 or Breath of the Wild did for their long-running series, nor is it the impatient passion of a restless creative auteur. It feels more like… amnesia. If even half of the dead features mentioned above had been kept and built on game-by-game, the Pokemon series would be a very different beast – and almost certainly for the better.

"Uh… Oh yes! I'm the Move Deleter!"

Which makes me wonder about the root cause of this phenomenon. Game Freak is recognised as a comparatively small company with a speedy turnover rate, so perhaps it's simply a matter of what's feasible with the resources and time given to them. I guess every generation needs a USP attached, so mixing up something sexy and new each time probably means there's rarely the chance to go back to proven concepts or ideas with potential. Not to mention that they do still think up a batch of new Pokemon for every generation, which ain't nothing even with the total creative surrender that is "Fl꧟amigo". 

Oh, and it should be acknowledged that there's also been that there's a high-ranking element to the company that's seemingly resistant to certain kinds of innovation, and thus a lot of work has to be done via a constant cycle of short-term contracted workers. If true, that certainly wouldn't do much to help a company's lasting ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚmemory.

Though maybe it's simpler than that. We all know that Pokemon games will continue to sell like nose plugs outside a sewage treatment plant no matter what happens, especially when Pokemon Scarlet and V⛦iolet had the biggest launch of anꦓy console exclusive game ever. From a purely financial standpoint, t🍌he effort required to integrate and rebuild old mechanics probably ain't worth the investment.

But frankly, I don't really care about that. I'm not a shareholder in the Pokemon Company, and I have no fears about the profitability of what is comfortably one of the most recognised franchises on the planet. I'm interested solely in the games being good games, and while I've argued before that it's worth the franchise taking steps to evolve, you can't do that if you don't remember what you've done in the past, or if you uproot y🎐our ideas before they can ever germinate and develop. 

It's worth mentioning that recently we've seen direct competitors to the Pokemon brand starting to announce themselves, with young, ambitious upstarts like Temtem and Nexomon. I doubt Nintendo needs to be worried, but there is something to be said for﷽ the fact that some games seem to think they have a real chance to overtake tℱhe venerable franchise – and if Pokemon wants to be the very best, they'll need to start earning it again at some point.

If you want to leap into Paldea regardless, a good place to start is the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet tips we've laid out here!

The best RPGs tend to also tell some of the very 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best game stories, with many also introducing a cast of memorable companions, engaging questlines, combat progression systems, and choices with consequences that let you shape your own journey. In fact, many of these ingredients share some crossover with the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best MMORPGs, the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best JRPGs, and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best single-player games you can play right now, so👍 it's als💫o worth checking out our recommendations there if you're looking for more games to dive into that might appeal to you.  

2025 has been the year of RPGs as well, giving us some fantastic outings such as 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Assassin's Creed: Shadows and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. We've also heard news for future releases such as 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Mass Effect 5, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Fallout 5, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Elder Scrolls 6, so this year's just the start as well when it comes to exciting new games in the genre. With that in mind, there's a 𒈔lot to keep track of. But, if you're looking for some role-pla🍬ying goodness to get stuck into immediately, read on below as we take you through our pick of the best RPGs you can play right now. 

The 25 best RPGs you can play right now

25. In Stars and Time

Developer: insertdisc5
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch

In Stars and Time is 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:one of the best indie RPGs we saw in 2023, and it's well worth checking༒ out if you're looking for something with a unique twist. Following the adventure of Siffrin and their friends, you set out to try and end an evil king's schemes. But just as you try to do the final showdown, ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚyou find yourself trapped in a time loop.

With every death and mistake you make, you learn more - growing stronger, wiser, and more capable of taking on the king with each attempt. C🐽om🌄plete with an engaging turn-based combat system that follows the rules of rock paper scissors and a satisfying sense of progression, the party you journey with feels like a real found family, and the design and feel of In Stars and Time leave a lasting impression.

24. Horizon Forbidden West

Developer: Guerrilla Games
Platform(s): PS4, PS5, PC

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Horizon Forbidden West is the sequel to the beloved Horizon Zero Dawn, and🧸 it does exactly what a good sequel should: it iterates on what made the game great and pushes itself beyond that. The open world of the Forbidden West beckons you with enticing quests in every corner and robot dinosaurs around every bend, with enough variety to feel excitingly fresh while also feeling familiar, like a warm blanket wrapped around yꦬour shoulders on a cold night.

Simple fetch quests expand into beautiful stories, and Aloy remains the center of this world as a character you are immediately drawn to and root for. There are few sequels that so elegantly expand upon the original like this game. In fact, we called it "phenomenal" during our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Horizon Forbidden West review, and it's an RPG you can't miss.

23. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Developer: Square Enix
Platform(s): PS5, PC

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth takes us beyond the city of Midgar in Final Fant🧸asy 7 Remake to bring us a grand, sprawling adventure in the wider world. Following Cloud and the gang as they set off in pursuit of Sephiroth, Rebirth builds on what came before, with new synergy abilities and skills in combat, more opportunities to bond with your party, and impressive modern recreations of locales plucked from the original 🀅1997 release.

As we said in our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth review, the follow-up adds meaningful improvements to side content, and the overall𓄧 experience is elevated by just how much the party is able to shine as a group throughout. While it's still worth diving into Remake first, Rebirth is undoubtedly a 𝄹fitting continuation.

22. Divinity: Original Sin 2

Developers: Larian Studios
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox On꧂e, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

There's a ton of flexibility in Divinity: Original Sin 2, as well as rewarding combat and beautiful visuals that really make this one of the best RPGs around. Take your time when choosing your 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Divinity 2 class, as the depth and flexibility of your build mean your first decisi๊on ꦉis an important one.

Then, dive into the world of R༺ivellon, where dark beings from beyond the veil are invading after the one person meant to hold them back died before the start of this game's events. At times, this game will feel a helluva lot like you're enjoying a tabletop RPG, thanks to Larian Studios embracing choice and creativity. Once you pick up Divinity: Original Sin 2, you'll find it hard to put down.

21. Cyberpunk 2077

Developer: CD Projekt Red
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Cyberpunk 2077 has come a long way since it first launched in 2020, with a myriad of improvements, updates that add more to the experience, and the recent launch of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Phantom Liberty DLC featuring an espionage-s෴haped adventure starring Idris Elba.

Following the journey of V, who sets out to save their own life after a gig takes a very bad turn, you get swept up in the goings-on of Night City with an engram of an infamous rockerboy by the name of Johnny Silverhand, aka Keanu Reeves. With a host of characters to meet along the way - and some you can develop a relationship with if you so choose - the neon-tinted RPG takes you on quite a ride. For more details, check out our five-star 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Cyberpunk 2077 review.

20. The Outer Worlds

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platform(s): ꩵPC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

The ཧOuter Worlds is a game that lets Obsidian show off its best talent: Making RPGs with great dialogue, engaging characters, and a world that drags you in and never lets you go. The Outer Worlds feels like Firefly and Mass Effect had a neon space baby, and you are the caretaker of its future – no pressure. Sure, this game asks you to do a lot of talking in order to get to the best bits it has to offer, but almost every conversation you have with the denizens of Halcyon will delight you in some way.

As we mention in our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Outer Worlds review, brilliant voice acting coupled with cracking writing, and surprisingly deft facial animations, means you will be picking favorites and picking them fast. This makes every decision more difficult, which is the mark of a great RPG: the ability to make you sweat with anxiety over a superficially innocuous dialogue option. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Outer Worlds 2 is also currently being worked on, so be sure to play this game before the sequel com🌱es out!

19. Pillars of Eternity

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox𝕴 Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

If you find yourself reminiscing about Baldur's Gate, Pillars of Eternity is the game for you. It's also a game for you to get into if you're looking to see what to play next if you've just wrapped up Obsidian's latest game, Avowed, which is set in Eor🐠a – the same world as PoE. The world of Eora is a captivating world full of different races like elves, dwarves, humans, orlans, aumaua, and more – there's a clear Dungeons and Dragons influence here.

You might spend hours on the cha𒈔racter creation screen before you even dive into the compelling story, which offers eleven playable classes and the option to choose a pet (yes, you read that right). Talking to characters includes descriptions of their body language to help you better decide how to react to them, which is just one of many amazing details that prove Obsidian really put everythinཧg into Pillars of Eternity.

18. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch

Fire Emblem: Thr෴ee Houses brings the turn-based strategy series to Nintendo Switch, which means you can spend hundreds of hours delving into its epic story no matter where you are. Not long after you boot up Three Houses, you'll find yourself wanting to build your team while commuting to work and learn more about every last character while waiting in the doctor's office.

With a great story propelling the action forward into tight and difficult turn-based combat, Three Houses greatly improves upon the original formula. There's even a Persona-like relationship simulator that will have you arguing over your favorite characters with friends and getting emotionally invested in every last one of them. This is one you won't wanna miss. Read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Fire Emblem: Three Houses review for more info!

17. Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Developer: Game Freak
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch

Game Freak wanted to create a new way to enjoy all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Pokemon games, and Pokemon Legends Arceus does all that and more. Not only does the story pull you in immediately, but the shift to open-world exploration delivers the kind of Pokemon experience we all dreamed of when we were youꦉng.

The series, which has doggedly stuck to its formula for 25 years, needed a game like Arceus, which injects it with new life, focusing more on the Pokemon and less on the gym leaders. This is delightful for fans of the 'mons as the "gotta catch 'em all" phrase truly takes center stage. As we pointed out in our澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Pokemon Legends Arceus review, there's so much fun to be had while playing this title that you won't mind the occasional performan꧅ce issue, we promise.

16. Persona 5 Royal

Developer: Atlus
Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One𝔍, Xbox ꦦSeries X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC

School is hard. It’s even harder when you have a super-powered alter ego who spends their nights roaming through a supernatural realm fighting 🌳the bloodthirsty, personified desires of the people around them. Persona 5 Royal is an expanded version of Persona 5, one of the best RPG games of 2017.

The expansion gives quality of life and gameplay adjustments, plus two new characters, adding even more value to the 100-hour game. Persona 5 wants you to understand each character, and Royal gives you the chance to learn about mysterious student Kasumi Yoshizawa and school counselor Takuto Maruki - you'll be entrenched in the world of Shujin Academy before you know it. Read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Persona 5 review if you💯 want more details on why this is one of the best RPGs of all time.

15. Diablo 3

Developer: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Blizzard Entertainment
Platform(s): Xbo𝔍x One, Xbox Series🐼 X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC

Diablo 3 made its debut a decade ago and in that time it has steadily risen to become one of the best cooperative RPGs out there. Once Blizzard cleared out the controversial auction house, refined the loot system, and expanded the endgame, Diablo 3 was given the space it needed to surpass its original limitations – the gamไe that exists today is truly phenomen♕al.

Whether you're exploring the depths of Sanctuary alone or partying up with three other friends to take on the most challenging encounters, Diablo 3 is still one hell of a good experience. And if this gives you a taste for more, you can also dive right into Diablo 4.

14. Stardew Valley

Developer: ConcernedApe
Platform(s): PC, PS🅰4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox♑ Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

In 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Stardew Valley, Peli꧃can Town welcomes everyone. After inheriting your grandfather's farm, you might want to cultivate the land into a lush paradise with fruits and vegetables springing from the ground, or perhaps you'd rather focus on the social side of the game and romance a villager of your choosing.

As more of the game unfolds, the further you'll get - aside from selling your produce and/or levelling up friendships, you can also tackle the dungeon-crawling mines. Or spend your days fishing. Or just buy hats to reward yourself for reaching milestones. Seasons dictate what you can and can't do, so you'll soon fall into a pleasantly repetitive routine. And that's a very good thing. If you have the farming bug, you can also check out our list of the best 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:games like Stardew Valley to play now.

13. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Developer: Sandfall Interactive 
Platform(s): PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't just one of the best RPGs that you can play right now, it’s also one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best games of 2025, period! Set in a dying world where a brutal god-lik𝓡e figure known as the Paintress paints a number on a monolith every year (killing everyone of that age), you'll lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress before any more ಞinnocents die.

Heavily inspired by Belle Époque France aesthetics and JRPG mechanics, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is like a breath of fresh air. Combining real-time mechanics with strategic turn-based combat encounters, you'll be hooked from the get-go. In our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review, we wrote how "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an outstanding visionary debut from Sandfall Interactive" and that it has "one of the moꦕst exciting and rewarding action and turn-based hybrid battle systems ever devised". It's also an emotional rollercoaster. Truly a modern masterpiece.  

12. Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Developer: BioWare
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

It's been a long time coming, but 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Dragon Age: The Veilguard at last brought back BioWare's fantasy series, and it plays to the studio's strengths in all the right ways. From introducing us to a cast of memorable companions, to taking us to new parts of T﷽hedas in an approachable story filled with choices and consequences.

There's plenty of role-play goodness, too, with a customizable character that can be a member of several different 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Dragon Age: The Veilgaurd factions that give you a unique backstory and dialogue. As we said in our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Dragon Age The Veilguard review, it really is "𒊎a true return to RPG form for BioWare". And once you've wrapped uꦉp Rook's journey, it's well worth checking out the games that came before it.

11. Bloodborne

Developer: FromSoftware
Platform(s): PS4

Welcome to Yarnum, a ꦦgloomy, somber city straight out of a gothic novel whose inhabitants are suffering through a plague – not just of the illness type, but also the dangerous beasts type. Yarnum, despite being the last place you'd want to visit IRL, will entice you, begging you to return back to it long after you've bested its worst.

You'll want to knock on more doors and hear the bizarre cackles of villagers, or walk along another rooftop in an attempt to find a hidden mystery. Our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Bloodborne review points out how this is a near-perfect ga💎me, and for good reason. Bloodborne's streamlined RPG elements have you working with six stats, and the character creator lets you design some of the coolest Victorian Gothic heroes ever. The hats, man, the hats are so cool.

10. Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Developer: Ubisoft
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

If you couldn't tell already from our five-star 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Assassin’s Creed Odyssey review, this is a leap forward for Ubisoft’s stabby series. For the first time, you have NPCs to romance (whether you want to be a Casanova or as chaste as a saint), and dialogue options. Then combine those✃ brand-new features with the return of naval combat and enoug♛h side-quests, locations, and hidden secrets to keep you busy for days, and you've got Odyssey.

Your misthios (mercenary) Alexios or Kassandra is truly yours to shape however you wish. With nine endings to unlock, the way you end specific quests will end up impacting the world around you, whether that’s for the better or worse. You know what that means? Multiple playthroughs. If you dare, of course, as you will be kept busy for over 100 hours if you choose to explore everywhere and do everything (and everyone). This RPG put the Assassin's Creed series on a new path - one that both 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Assassin's Creed Origins and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Assassin's Creed Valhalla would go on to follow.

9. Disco Elysium

Developer: ZA/UM
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, ൲Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

In Disco Elysium, you're a detective who has a drinking problem, drug-induced amnesia, and you can die in the opening minutes while trying to get your tie from the ceiling fan. There's no traditi꧅onal combat, but there are dialogue trees and skill checks, and you'll need to upgrade skills to pass skill checks; however, it's a slippery slope.

Upgrade your Draꦏma too high, and you might be partial to the occasional fit of hysterics. All of Disco Elysium is based on dice rolls, which are added to your skill value and stat value - the resulting roll and addition of all the stats will tell you if you've succeeded in completing a task, which can be as asinine as getting your tie from a ceiling fan.

8. Elden Ring

Developer: FromSoftware
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Elden Ring introduces you to a breathtakingly beautiful world filled with bizarre, twisted lore that's the result of a collab between George R. R. Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki - and you'll never want to leave it. From poison swamps to cursed ꦿkings, The La𝄹nds Between is fascinating and fearsome. Elden Ring is an absolute beast, taking the best parts of the FromSoftware formula and injecting them with refreshing new elements that attract veteran and beginner players alike.

If you want to avoid that big, bad boss early on in the game, hop on your horse Torrent and level up a bit, or find a better weapon tucked away in a castle full of mean magicians. There are tons of options for players that mean countless permutations of weapon, armor, and stat builds; giving you so many ways to play this game you can easily justify a playthrough or two (or three). Read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Elden Ring review for more details!

7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Developer: BioWare
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Swi🍃tch

Sometimes, RPGs can feel a bit unapproachable. If you're not a lov꧂er of the game type, you might feel daunted by a title that requires an endless supply of patience or a seemingly endless supply of choice. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a game that appeals to hardcore RPG players and those who may have been hesi🅷tant to join the ranks. Set 4,000 years before the movies' events, you are tasked with training in the ways of the Force under the tutelage of the Jedi.

The game lets you pick from three character classes at the start of the game and choose if your character will align with the dark side or the light side of the Force. This is easily one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Star Wars games around, and fans adore it as it captures the magical, space-fantastical essence of the films while imbuing the entire experience with choice. There's incredible voice acting, accessible gameplay, and sparkling supporting characters. Plus, you get to swing a karking lightsaber.

6. Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Developer: Bethesda
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/ꦿS, Nintendo Switch

Be anyone you want. Do anything you want. Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is rammed full of delirious licenses to properly live in its world. You can devote yourself to Alchemy and go hunting for a Daedra heart, adventure to the top of the Companions, or just wander around Skyrim making a living harvesting wheat and potat⛦oes as a farmhand.

Sure,ꦗ the threat of a dragon razing a nearby village is almost ever-present. But despite the incoming apocalypse, your goals in Skyrim are just that - your own. Nothing forces you to accept quests. While we wait for Elder Scrolls 6 to be released, rest assured that Skyrim boots you out into the open with some looted gear and a whole world at your feet, and then it’s up to you to find out what kind of Dragonborn you want to be.

5. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Developer: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch

Link is a blank canvas. A wonderful, quiet, blank canvas that you can turn into a stealthy Sheikah, a fully-armored knight, or someone who runs around in their underwear throwing chickens at Moblins. Link’s personality is so malleable that you can do whatever you want in 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and it just feels right. Despite the apocalypse that’s on the way, people have t🎃heir own business to be getting on with and let y🍒ou do exactly the same.

From spotting the tip of a new tower in the distance to navigating one of the mysterious mazes on the edge of the map, your surroundings are so intriguing that the world practically begs you to get distracted, fitting perfectly into the idea that Link has woken up after decades in slumber and just can’t stay still. Read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lꦍegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild rev🧔iew for more details. It's also worth checking out the follow-up, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Legend of Zelda: 🍃Tears of the Kingdom.

4. Fallout: New Vegas

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One

You can't blame The Courier for going on their rampage. Someone just shot them in the head; they survived, and now they want answers. But with all of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Fallout: New Vegas' land available to explore right from the beginning, that can wait. Not really a surprise, considering it’s also one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best open world games around. You might even decide that finding the person who shot you in the ဣhead is the last thing you want, your survival instinct telling you that you had probably best stay away.

Join one of the many fierce factions, try to become the Savior of the Damned by boosting your good karma, or simply create your own goals. Collect all the teddy bears in the land. Clear Quarry Junction from its, er… pest problem. It's up to you. Seriously, New Vegas isn't just one of the best RPGs of all time; it's also one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Fallout games ever made. It's a must-play.

3. Mass Effect 2

Developer: BioWare
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

In this sequel (which you can enjoy along with the entire trilogy thanks to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Mass Effect Legendary Edition), BioWare takes the foundation laid in Mass Effect and builds a beautiful shiny space house on top of it. Oh, and it chucks out the goddamn 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Mako maneuvering. There's a c🅺ompletely redesigned combat system that evokes the duck and cover s⛄tyle of the Gears games - with Shepard's special skills and your squad's unique abilities; you get dynamic gameplay that feels personalized.

The game's comfortable place as the space meat in the middle of the "introducing you to this world" and "destroying this world" sandwich gives the plot some breathing room. Into that breathing room steps the most incredible cast of characters, potentially ever. The romance options actually hurt your feelings, the background stories tug at your heartstrings, and the ideological arguments between your friends paralyze you. Sure, RPGs are good at evoking emotion and forcing you to make game-time decisions, but the sheer magnitude of how much Mass Effect 2 makes you care is a rare achievement. Find out more about this masterpiece in our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Mass Effect 2 review.

2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Developer: CD Projekt Red
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

There's nothing quite like The Witcher 3. One moment, you can help put the soul of a Noonwraith to rest, and the next, you can head to the Passiflora and engage in some heavy petting (that you paid for). With a fantas♒tic mix of tough (but fun) combat, brilliant writing, and truly difficult decisions, The Witcher 3 will sink its hooks into you faster than you can say, "Wind's howling." Geralt of Rivia is both reviled and required by the people of this mythical world, and the tension of being an outsider in an environment growing more prejudiced by the minute is palpable.

But, as we mentioned in our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Witcher 3 review, keeping busy is easy. Spend your time slaying monsters or seeking out rare armor tucked away in hard-to-reach areas - the choice is yours. And once you're done with the weighty and intense main storyline, you can simply download The Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone DLC for a few dozen more hours of hanging out with Geralt and Roach. Simply put, this is the second best damn RPG you can play right now (especially since it got a shiny next-gen upgrade o🥀n PS5 and Xbox Ser🔜ies X/S), so toss a coin to your Witcher; you've got the time – we're in for a wait for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:The Witcher 4, after all.

1. Baldur's Gate 3

Developer: Larian Studios
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Baldur's Gate 3 is not only the best RPG around, but it also topped our pick of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best games of 2023. And it's no wonder when you consider the depth and breadth of Larian's adventure. In fact, we're still playing this game today, and it's raised the bar hi🤡gh for every new RPG that comes our way.

With so much freedom to shape your journey, the Sword Coast is a v♚eritable playground for you to experiment - whether that be with the abilities of your chosen class, what decisions you make during major story beats, or who - if anyone - you decide to romance as you try to deal with the tadpole lodged in your brain. With a memorable cast of characters, fantastic storytelling, and choices with impactful consequences, Baldur's Gate 3 is a massively engrossing experience that is leading the charge when it comes to the modern RPG landscape.

If you want to know more about our top pick for the best RPG of all time, read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Baldur's Gate 3 review.

For more titles, check out our list of all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:new games heading our way this year and next.

Everyone has a version that's become a particular favorite for a variety of reasons, and there is a lot of passion out there for just about every Pokemon game going. But we've tried to bring together a roundup that celebrates and ranks the very best Pokemon games we've seen across the series so far. While we've seen lots of memorable off-shoots like 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Go and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Sleep, this list focuses on the core entries - many of which are counted among the very 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best DS games, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best 3DS games, and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best GBA games of all time for good reason. And with the later releases in the lineup of best Switch exclusives, it's no wonder ⛄that it's such a ch♛allenge to decide which game comes out on top or deserves a spot in our top 10 picks.

As a series that's constantly growing, we happily have more Pokemon goodness on the way, with the upcoming adventure, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Legends Z-A and the recently announced off-shoot, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Champions. And now with the Switch 2 finally here, there's sure to be a whole slew of new critters and trainers to meet on Nintendo's new-gen console. But while we wait for these 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:new games to arrive, join us as we take you through our ranking of the best P🦩okemon games to play today.

The best Pokemon games to play right now

10. Pokemon Sun and Moon 

Developer: Game Freak
Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Pokemon Sun and Moon is like going on a tropical Pokemon-themed holiday. It’s vibrant, bright, and offers a slightly different experience than you're used to. As we mentioned in our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokémon Sun and Moon review, "Al✅ola is a utopia." The region was a breath of fresh air for the series since it changed the setting and reflected its theme in its unique Alolan Pokémon variants. But, isn't wasn't all sunshine and sand. Some of the Alolan designs are quite unforgettable, although we’re pretty sure everyone will remember the mighty Alolan Exeggutor for the rest of their days.

The change from the typical gym♈ battles was odd, too, and made Sun and Moon feel a lot slower than the earlier games. Plus, it's very light on the post-game content after you finish the main campaign. This doesn’t mean it's a bad entry in the Pokemon꧂ series by any means, and it’s certainly more accessible for newcomers. Pokemon Sun and Moon's lush world and interesting story are still worth working your way through, and it also has nice features that build on what was established in X and Y, including tons of character customization options and more of a social aspect.

9. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl 

Developer: Game Freak
Platform: Nintendo DS

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl introduced Pokemon trading into the modern age. Instead of using a cable link, the games made use of the Nintendo DS' WiFi connectivity to trade Pokemon with other players. In fact, in our Pokemon Diamond/Pearl review, we praised the game's online battling an🍎d trading elements. While some new features did come into play too, most of them built on those th💃at were already introduced in Ruby and Sapphire.

Before the enhanced Platinum version came along, the animations had a habit of slowing down the battle sequences, whiꦛch made the pacing feel a bit off. It also deserves some credit for its story: the evil Team Galactic conducts science experiments to try and take control of the Legendaries in the Sinnoh region in some rather weird ways, but it's not as gripping as other stories we get to experience.

8. Pokemon X and Y 

Developer: Game Freak
Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Pokemon X and Y took Pokemon into the world of 3D on the Nintendo 3DS and let us experience its universe like never before. It was a significant change from the other titles that came before it and felt like it truly marked the start of a new era for the 🐭long-running franchise. 💛The charming sprites of yesteryear turned into gorgeous 3D models on the handheld, which elevated the battle sequences to new animated heights. The Pokemon-Amie system was also introduced for the first time, which lets you interact with your Pokemon companions and form bonds with them. It was a welcome touch that finally let you pet and play with your favorite battling buddies.

X and Y also brought in a lot more customization, allowing you to change the look and style of your trainer. While it is only cosmetic, it added to the role-playing element of the experience in a fun way. X and Y propelled the series forward and laid down the groundwork for what was to come in Sun and Moon. It also introduced yet more interesting Pokemon, including the addition of the fairy-type, as well as new social features. While it isn't quite as good as some of the earlier games, it’s one of the best-looking entries in the franchise so far and will always be notable for transitioning the main Pokemon series into the realm of 3D. Read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon X and Y review for more details!

7. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Developer: Game Freak
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

2022's Pokemon Scarlet and Violet might not have had the most bug-free Switch launch of all time, but when it comes to the more modern franchise releases, it's certainly one of the most ambitious. In our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet review, we said that "Pokemon Scarlet and Violet offer ambitious ideas and fun concepts that in♏ject life into the Pokemon formula"; however, its execution is a bit messy for sureꦓ.

The good news, though, is that raids are back, and although the graphics are often clunkier than they 🅠are fluid, it's still a good time to be had. With two new rideable Pokemon and a unique multiplayer mechanic, our review hit the nail on the head when Joel Franey claimed it as "probably the most interesting mainline Pokemon game in a long time – for better and worse."

6. Pokemon Legends Arceus

Developer: Game Freak
Platform: Nintendo Switch

This entry in the main Pokemon series is as close as the ♌franchise has gotten to a reboot in its storied history. (And there are even arguments as to whether it should be considered "mainline" in the first place.) It's the first game that really opens up the world, giving you a chance upon chance to run into Pokemon the wild - just like you would if we did live in a world populated by the little pocket monsters.

With an incredible story (that takes you back to a time in the world of Pokemon we've never seen before) and new gameplay elements that give the series a bit of a refresh, Pokemon Legends Arceus is a fantastic addition to the franchise that takes the tried-and-true formula and expands it outwards. If you love Pokemon, you'll love this. Check out our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Legends Arceus review for more on this absolute gem.

5. Pokemon Sword and Shield

Developer: Game Freak
Platform: Nintendo Switch

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Sword and Shield were one of the most anticipated games of 2019, and with good reason. As the first entry in the core Pokemon series to land on Nintendo's hybrid console, ꦍSword and Shield opened us up to the world of Pokemon like never before. The Galar Region made for a delightful setting based in the UK, and it's easy to spend several hours in its expansive Wild Area catching all the roaming Pokemon and uncovering everything it has to offer.

The Galarian form designs also nodded to aspects of the UK, and bonding with all the critters using the new camp feature was a welcome touch. In our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Sword and Shield review, we said it's a "Pokemon game for a new generation," thanks to some of the more accessible featurꦰes it introduced, allowing new players to ease into the formula we know and love. While it might be a touch easier than other entries in the series, Sword and Shield offers a fantasti✤cally memorable experience with a cast of colorful characters and Pokemon. And it's easily the best-looking Pokemon game to date.

4. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2

Developer: Game Freak
Platform: Nintendo DS

While it's also well worth checking out Pokemon Black and White, the sequels Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 take you to a far more interesting, evolved versio𝔍n of the Unova region. With Black and White exploring one of the most memorable storylines, the sequels only building on that all the more in a new adventure that takes 🅺place two years after the events of the first games.

Complete with beautiful sprites, a World Tournament feature that lets you take on past gym leaders, and an achievement-like system that sees you earning medals, Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 have so much to offer - with one of the best post-game set ups of the series to boot. Read our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 review for more information on this DS classic.

3. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire 

Developer: Game Freak
Platforms: Game Boy, Nintendo DS

While a lot of formula remained unchanged, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire took the series into a vibrant world of color on the GameBoy Advance. The Pokemon sprites popped from the screen like never before, and the magical start-up screen is hard to forget. It was also the first Pokemon game to introduce a lot of elements and features that continued throughout the series. 2v2 double battles popped up for the f🦩irst time, and Pokemon were also attributed with different Natures which affected their overall stats.

An extensive list of new abilities was also first introduced in this entry, which were specific to different types - this added more depth to the battles compared to the games that came before. Contests were also brought in to add new challenges to the gameplay. The Hoenn region was a great setting, and the Legendary Pokemon Groudon and Kyogre - who could summon a specific weather element into battle - were very memorable. Since Ruby and Sapphire built upon what Silver and Gold established without veering off into any drastic new direction, it didn’t feel quite as special. Check out our 澳洲幸运♛5开奖号码历史查询:Pokeꦬmon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire review for more insights.

2. Pokemon Red and Blue 

Developer: Game Freak
Platforms: Game Boy, Nintendo 3DS

Going back to where it all began, Pokemon Red and Blue set us on the path to be the very best, like no one ever wཧas, and we haven’t looked back since. The world of Kanto still feels just as magical as it ever did, and the original 151 Pokemon are the most memorable in the franchise’s history for their wonderful designs. Who can forget the classic starter Pokemon, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander? The first games captured our imaginations and made us wish with every fiber of our being that we could really be trainers in the real world.

Thankfully, Pokemon Go helped us get closer ♏than ever to realizing that dream, but you still can’t quite beat the classic Pokemon experience. The Gameboy graphics have a nostalgic charm you don’t quite get with t♑he later entries, and it’s still very playable to this day, which is a testament to just how good it is. While it established the long-running series we all know and love, it doesn’t quite make the top spot.

1. Pokemon Gold and Silver  

Developer: Game Freak
Platforms: Game Boy, Nintendo 3DS

After Pokemon Red and Blue put the world into a Pokemon frenzy, the sequel 🔯had some big shoes to fill. Fans everywhere for eager for more, and thankfully Silver and Gold delivered just that in the best way possible. Bigger and better than before, the second generation introduced 100 excellent and memorable additions to the Pokemon library, along with two new Pokemon types, and a whole host of new moves. It brought in some interesting new features that changed up the game in fun new ways. Introducing a day and night cycle added time-specific challenges, and brought in some Pokemon that could only be caught at certain times of day. Silver and Gold still had all the hallmarks that made the first games so enjoyable, but it expanded the experience to cement itself as the superior Pokemon game.

And better yet, when you reach the end of the game, you get to unlock the Kanto region from Red and Blue, which allows you to revisit all of the gyms and trai❀ners. Silver and Gold was a giant leap forward for the franchise, an▨d nothing has quite compared to it since. Pokemon Crystal then came swooping in as a shiny enhanced remake of Silver and Gold, and it's especially notable since it was the first ever Pokemon title that let you decide whether you want to play as a boy or a girl. Thankfully, this became a mainstay feature in every game that followed.

For more current Nintendo outings, head over to our lists of all the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:upcoming Switch 2 games and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Switch 2 games to play right now.

In a statement released on , it has been announced that Junichi Masuda will be joining the company as 'chief creative fellow' (CCF). Masuda has worked at Game Freak ever since 1989 where he co-founded the company, alongside Sat🐼oshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, and later worked as managing director. 

If you didn’t know, Game Freak is one of the main developers of the Pokemon video game series, including Pokemon Sword and Shield, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and the upcoming 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

During his career, Masuda has worked on countless Pokemon titles in various roles as a composer, advisor, producer, director, and more. His list of works includes Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl; 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Go, Pokemon X and Y; Pokemon Red, Green and Blue; and so many more. So it’s s🎃afe to say that Masuda is well versed with all thinℱgs Pokemon. 

What this means for the franchise's future isn't sure, but it's unlikely that anything significant will change as Masuda is still ♔playing a pivotal role in all things Pokemon.  In the same statement, The Pokemon Company says that: "Masuda will utilize his deep understanding of the Pokemon brand to develop new services and products at the P🌳okemon Company, tapping into his years of experience and creative thinking."

The pocket pal icon has alsoไ released a statement, where he says: "I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all Pokemon fans." Before going on to say: "Goi💜ng forward, I hope to transcend the boundaries of video games by trying to offer greater surprises, fun, and excitement to people all over the world while doing my utmost to connect people, expand the circle of 'play', and to help bring about a richer world for us to share."

Looking forward to the future of Pokemon? Find out how you can watch the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer that’s premiering today. 

Revealed by Japanese outlet , Game Freak said (via DeepL translator) its new optional four-day workweek scheme is targeted at full-time employees who have young children - of around elementary school age or younger - or those who need to care for or p👍rovide nursing for other family me♍mbers. 

Game Freak has explained that employees that fi🐼t that criteria can choose one day a week to take off as holiday for a slight pay reduction depending on how many they take off a month. Essentially mea𓆉suring out at eight hours a day, four days a week, meaning 32 hours worked a week rather than the usual 40. It’s not yet clear whether this option is also offered to full-time employees without family commitments or exclusive to those who meet the requirements listed above. 

In a press release, Game Freak says that it wants to give its employees more freedom and flexibility when it comes to the♛ir work, whether it's via home working, staggered work hours, or an additional day off in the week, and represents the developer’s desire to create a new way of working that allows staff to adjust things depending on their circumstances that week. Game Freak also says it plans to continue evolving its work culture so that its employees can realize their full potential.  

If you’re wondering what Game Freak is up to these days, hot off the development of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the Tokyo-based studio is now working on developing the next generation of Pokemon games with 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet which is due to release in "late 2022."

Wondering what Pokemon game you should play next? Take a look at our list of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Pokemon games for inspiration. 

"I wanted to see if I could start a #ThankYouGameFreak trend," said streamer and YouTuber . "#ThankYouGamefreak for creating the ga𝄹mes that got me through all the tough times in my childhood. 

"I know times are rough, but th𓄧ere are still fans that love what you do. Spread if you appreciate what Gamefreak does."

Since then, thousands of Pokemon fans have reached out a🐲cross social media to thank Game Freak for a lifetime of Poke✤mon-flavoured happiness.

"I don’t even know where I’d start... This franchise has been a part of my entire life, with no exaggeration," said YouTuber . "I love this game, I love my job and I’꧒ve loved every minute that I’ve dedicated to Pokemon. Roll on Sword & S🌼hield."

"#ThankYouGameFreak for so many wonderful games over the last (almost) 24 years," added . "The Pokémon franchise absolutely changed my life and has given me so many fantastic memories, and I can💙’t wait for even more next week with Sword & ♓Shield!"

"I said it directly last night, but #ThankYouGameFreak," said Sere🐼bii.net webmaster, . "You've created a franchise that tens of millions of people love and play every day. A franchise I love and have dedicated a large chunk of my life. We appreciate you."

In other news, a new video for Pokemon Sword and Shield details new features and items that will be included in the upcoming adventure in the Galar region. Nintendo has also revealed the date for the first Pokemon Sword and Shield online competition known as Galar ꦅBeginnings and confirmed the competition will kick off on December 6 and run ꦗfor just two days. 

After the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:latest overview trailer gave us a refresher on lots of features and new 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Gen 8 Pokemon we'll be encountering in Galar, Nintendo is keeping us firmly on the hype train ahꦫead of the game's🤡 release on November 15. Just five more sleeps!

Looking to get yourself a Switch to dive into Pokemon Sword and Shield? Check out these Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals 2019.

Little Town Hero is an upcoming RPG from Game Freak, the studio behind the Pokemon games, and its new trailer tells us a little bit about its characters and what they like to do. We also get a good look at some of the monsters and how battles will go down. Like the complete game, the trailer's soundtrack is an instant classic by Pokemon composer Hitomi Sato and Undertalꦅe developer Toby Fox.

The Little Town Hero character trailer first tells us about Axe, presumably the game's main protagonist, who's a "hot-headed young resident of thꩵe village who dreams of the world outside." Nelz is Axe's mischief-making best friend and partner-in-crime, and Ember is Axe's mom, "who raised him all on her own." Then there's the privileged Minnie, Axe's rival Matock, combat veteran Angard, the beloved King and Court Lady, the wise minister, and some random dude named Torren.

Here's what we know so far about Little Town Hero. It's a turn-based RPG by Game Freak releasing exclusively on Switch October 16, it's got a curious battle system that invo꧂lves "coming up with new ♌Ideas and strategies" and minimal grinding, and it's apparently designed in such a way that makes it easy for busy gamers to pick up and play in short intervals.

It's kind of surprising that Game Freak is releasing a brand new IP so close to the November 15 release of the next mainline entrie🏅s in the Pokemon series, Sword and Shield. It'll be interesting to see if Little Town Hero manages to shine through Pokemon's shadow and develop its own player base.

Here are 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:10 games like Pokemon while you wait for Little Town Hero.

Due to be released on Octobe🥀r 16, 2019, only snippets of the game h🍃ave been shown so far, but there’s already plenty of features that pique our interest. From who’s involved in making the upcoming RPG to how its combat works and much more, we’ve put together a list of features that should get you more excited about the prospect of meeting Axe and getting stuck into some small town heroics. 

1. It's being directed by a Pokemon series veteran

I've got to start with obvious one first. We can hardly wait for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Sword and Shield's upcoming release on November 15, 2019, but seeing a new original IP from Game Freak Inc is in and of itself exciting. Pokemon series veteran Masao Taya, who is the director for Little Town Hero, has worked as a programmer since the days of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, before working as a battle programmer for several Pokemon entries including 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Sun and Moon.  It'll b༒e interesti🤡ng to see how the battle system compares to the turn-based action we know so well in Pokemon. 

2. It features music from Undertale creator Toby Fox

Yes, it was a big night fꦯor Undertale creator Toby Fox. Not only did the internet lose their minds over Sans being added in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it was also revealed that Fox is bringing his musical talents to the world of Little Town Hero alongside Pokemon series comꩲposer Hitomi Sato, who most recently composed the music for Pokemon Sun and Moon. 

3. You use "Ideas" to take down monsters 

The combat is one of the most interesting features in Little Town Hero. It appears to be turned based, and will feature a challenging combat system, which "relies heavily on coming up with new Ideas and strategies." The ideas seem to be different battle commands you can combine to perform varying attacks. On Nintendo's pꦑage for the game, it also says you won't have to grind by taking out weak monsters along the way.

4. You can enlist the help of the townsfolk

During battles, you're able to move around the map to get help from the townsfolk around the village. When you land on a spot with a villager, it looks like they'll engage in the fight with you and use their own skills or Ideas to help you take down t𓆏he mysterious c𝔉reatures. 

5. It's made "with the busy gamer in mind" 

We really are spoilt for choice these days when it comes to deciding what to play, and as brilliant as some big titles are, we only have so much time in the day to get stuck into a len🍨gthy, time intensive adventure. On Nintendo's page 𓂃for Little Town Hero, it says that it has "compact story progression" which is made "with the busy gamer in mind." From the sounds of it, it'll be a great one to dip in and out of. Essentially it could be a commuter's dream. 

Catching up on the latest announcements from Nintendo? Here are 14 biggest Nintendo Direct announcements, from Animal Crossing to Xenoblade.

Nintendo has acknowledged a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:game-breaking glitch affecting some 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon X and Y players on its (via ). The glitch can occur when player🐎s save in the outer ring of Lumiose City's streets, causing the system to freeze whenever that save is loaded.

The Nin🌺tendo page advises players to avoid saving in the region outlined in blue below until the issue can be resolved. It recommends players save in the city's buildings instead--you might as well stick to the tradiﷺtion and save only in Pokemon Centers.

If you've already encountered the problem, all is not lost: Nintendo plans to release an update or other means of repairing the game over the eShop in the near future. Keep in mind that this information was on the Japanese site, so it may take a bit longer to hit the U.S. and💞 Europe.

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon X and Y sold more than 4 million units in the Americas, Europe, and Japan, Nintend༒o announced today. Thඣe two versions combined made for the fastest-selling Nintendo 3DS title ever.

Nintendo said direct comparisons to previous Pokemon launches are tricky, since X and Y had the first-ever simultaneous worldwide launch in the 17-year-old franchise's history. But when comparing regional figures, X and Y are ahead of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Black and White Version 2 by more than 70 percent at the same poin💫t in their launch.

More than 245 million Pokemon games have been sold globally. The best-selling Pokemon titles of all time are 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, with 17.63 million in global sales.

But with the holidays coming and the 3DS 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:reigning supreme in the U.S. and Japan ,🌃 X and Y s🦄tand a good chance of dethroning them.

The glitch reportedly occurs when users go to save in the outer streets of X and Y's largest city: any attempts to lꦯoad that s🅰aved game will result in the same frozen screen, a hard reset the only way to escape.

It doesn't seem to affect every player, but it still would not hurt to take pre✨cautions for now, and save outside the city or inside one of its many buildings. A Nintendo representative said the company is looking into the issue at the moment. We'll update this ✨article with any further information.

In the meantime, several users on ꧑state that removing their 3DS system's SD card before starting the game fixed the issue. It's worth a try if you have a physical copy of the game and have already encount🦂ered the bug.

The storage and transfer apps allow users to store up to 3,000 Pokemon online, and upload all of their scrappy monsters from Black and White 1 and 2 to the service in one easy sweep. The bundled apps come with a free month꧑-long trial if used before Jan. 31, 2014, but you'll have to pay an annual fee of $5 to use the service after that. Check for more details.

Looks like you'll have some time to get acquainted with your Ka🎐los Pokemon before the old guard can jo✅in them.

That 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:strange Game Freak teaser wasn't for a Pokemon crossover at all, but is instead the studio'෴s next 3DS eShop title. Soriti Horse is definitely a "surprise collaboration," but not of the franchise kind: it's a s🥃olitaire/horse racing game.

had the first report, helpfully translated by users. It explains that jockeys can improve their bond with horses by playing solitaire, then direct their ♎horse around the track with the touch screen.

Play switches back and forth between the two phases several times in a race as players balance performance with solitaire-derived endurance. After the competition, you can share your speediest 🐈steeds via QR codes--which is a lot easier than that whole messy breeding process.

Soriti Horse will release on July 31 in Japan for 500 yen ($5). Game Freak's last title, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Harmoknight, made it overseas, so with luck this one wi𒅌ll make it abr𝓰oad, too.

Above: If you were going to fake an unlicensed Pokemon game, you'd think you could at least fake something a bit newer

One-star ratings and disgruntled reviews grace the app's pages on various international storefronts – but the game's support page offers little assistance, manned as it is by neither Nintendo nor Game Freak but someone called . But you don't have to go that far for signs 🌼of the app's dubiousness. The credits the app to an outfit named Home of Anime, which in the same week released similarly dodgy-looking apps based on Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh (properties of Bandai and Konami respectively).

At time of writing, the Pokemon app's in the top 10 Paid App charts for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and New Zealand, all of whose stores display numerous 1-star ratings and comments demanding a refund for the non-working app. Qeab's page says the company's “working on a new build and we anticipate this will be completed soon, which should overcome the issue.” It doesn't mention the company's plans should Nintendo (who last year 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:said it had no plans to support iOS) get wind of the app...