Pretty great Pokemon game. I never played Colosseum but as far as I can tell, this sequel improves upon the gameplay so vastly. If you’ve been searching for an official shakeup to the mainline formula, this is a fantastic option. It’s fun to have your team built around Pokémon that you snag from others. The game only having double battles is such a major boon for the strategic depth of this adventure, it genuinely makes me wish we’d get another game where the main story is all doubles.

One of the game’s biggest assets also happens to be one of its biggest flaws. The battle animations are enthralling, fun to watch, and full of life. However, without the option to turn them off, halfway through the playthrough they start to feel like they’re lasting waaaay too long and easily make up for a good chunk of the playtime.

I still give this my recommendation, but if you have the means to throttle the game speed, you’ll enjoy it even more.