The Pokémon Company has put out a lot of hit-or-miss games recently, especially regarding the games that have come out for the Nintendo Switch. For example, the massive criticism towards “Brilliant Diamond” and “Shining Pearl,” which was made in collaboration with the ILCA company, some fans say it’s forsaken games they were remakes of, and that they were expecting better. Pokémon “Scarlet” and “Violet,” the most recent games in the franchise, have also been put on the flame, with its frequent lagging, the game quitting unexpectedly, random yet hilarious glitches, and more.

However, one game I think Pokémon has put their best effort into is “Pokémon Unite.”
On July 21st, 2021, “Pokémon Unite” was released on the Switch, and was later released on Android and iOS devices two months later, remaining as a free-download across these platforms. “Pokémon Unite” shares a similar style to another popular game, “Super Smash Bros Ultimate,” by having battles between you and online players from all over the world. Unlike “Smash,” however, you don’t have to pay to play online.
Players can play “Pokémon Unite” by selecting their preferred Pokémon; from Cinderace to–as of recently–Darkrai, and by participating in matches, where teams are made up of five players each. The matches are usually ten minutes long if playing in casual mode, but if you’re looking to play a quick match, they’re only five minutes long. The goal of each match is to collect more points than the other team, which you can do by defeating wild Pokémon and the opposing team’s Pokémon. Wild Pokémon will have a counter above their heads that states how many points you’ll receive, while you’ll see an opponent’s point collection by their username.
In addition to matches, there’s also a ranking system, which means you can also play ranked matches. Personally, I try to steer clear of ranked matches, because I get too competitive and way too stressed about the outcome, but there’s also a lot of people who aren’t shy when it comes to the competitive scene. If you’re one of those people, you’ll definitely enjoy fighting to reach the top rank.
“Pokémon Unite” may not have every known Pokémon, most likely because there’s over a thousand by now, it does have quite a few staples. And each Pokémon are assigned roles, which is useful for when you want to take a different approach to a battle. Roles range from Attacker, Speedster, All-Rounder, Defender, and Supporter. I usually use All-Rounder the most, because most of my favorite Pokémon fall into that category.
In addition to just having different Pokémon and their combined roles to choose from, you can also choose what their battle wear, which is dubbed Holowear within the game. Holowear is usually introduced for specific Pokémon each season, or alongside a new Pokémon being announced, but sometimes they’re released without much reason.
If I have to say, I’m very much so invested in the game, with over 300 hours on the Switch version. I don’t have all of the playable Pokémon, so I don’t have much to show for the maybe jaw-dropping amount of time I’ve put into it. I do take lengthy breaks from the game at times, whether it’s because of school or I’ve found another game to be invested in until completion, but even when I come back the game is still in a very enjoyable state.
I usually main Mimikyu, an All-Rounder, mostly because it’s my favorite Pokémon, but also because the moveset Mimikyu has is very efficient and helpful while cornering an opponent when I’m on low health. Regarding ranks, though, I’ve never reached Master and I’m not too sure I ever will. The highest I’ve gotten is Veteran: Class 5, and currently I’m at Expert: Class 2. I really need to put in more work to validate that 340-hour playtime!
The only main complaint I have with the games is if you’re playing a match, and you suddenly get called to do something or someone needs help, you’re unable to pause it. In fact, inactivity for a certain period of time during a match results in some consequences that depend on if inactivity is frequent or not.
If you’re heavily into Pokémon and the competitive scene, but you’ve no idea how to play the TCG game, or if you just like online multiplayer games with those sweet fighting mechanics in general, “Pokémon Unite” may just be the game for you.