The 10 best Legendary Pokémon

Here’s a list of the top ten Legendary Pokémon ever designed, ranked from worst to best.

The thing about Legendary Pokémon is… Well, they’re Legendary, aren’t they? That implies there’s something special about them, as if they’ve got some kind of unquantifiable X-factor that positions them a cut above bog standard ‘mons like Blitzle and Buizel, the latter of whom we actually liked before encountering 1,000 sub-two-feet-eight specimens in Legends: Arceus. Ahem.

Legendary Pokémon are generally pretty cool. You’ve got everything from spacefaring dragons to dogs with swords in their mouth, to undead horses and massive birds with suspiciously human hands. When Game Freak decides it’s time to design a new Legendary, it puts in a whole lot more effort than drawing up a pile of sludge or saying, “But what if your car keys — get this! — came to life?” Speaking of which, you should probably check out our list of the worst Pokémon ever designed. Some of them are oppressively bad.

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Back to the matter at hand: Not all Legendaries are created equal. While you’d be hard-pressed to find a Legendary Pokémon worse than a two-headed ice cream cone, some of them don’t quite reach the towering heights of especially well-designed regular ‘mons like Dragonite or Tyranitar. Some, however, are truly deserving of their title — they are, in every sense of the word, bona fide legends of this universe.

To celebrate that, we’ve collected the ten best Legendary Pokémon of all time and ranked them from worst to best. As always, our ranking is objectively correct.

The 7 worst Pokémon games of all time

Most Pokémon games are great, but that doesn’t mean the series hasn’t had its fair share of upsets.

Despite the impressive pedigree Pokémon has garnered over the years, it should come as no surprise that a franchise of this scale naturally includes its fair share of stinkers. Sure, titles like Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver — the best Pokémon games — are widely revered as top-tier RPGs.

That Pikachu racing game though? Definitely one of the worst Pokémon games we’ve ever been unfortunate enough to encounter. Note that we said “one of” — regrettably, it is not alone in the dregs beneath the PokéPantheon. 

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It has admittedly become pretty difficult of late to say just how many Pokémon games there are. Do Red & Blue count as one or two games? And what about the Japan-exclusive Pokémon Green? Are we including spin-offs for consideration? What about the very likely possibility that by the time we’ve successfully deliberated on the exact number of Pokémon games in current circulation, another five will have launched?

What’s significantly less difficult is quantifying how many Pokémon games are objectively bad. While opinions on this may vary, our view is that there are seven Pokémon games that categorically aren’t worth playing today. That’s not to say they were always awful — it’s just that in 2022, your time is probably best invested elsewhere.

Here are the seven worst Pokémon games of all time.

Zelda: Majora’s Mask is heading to Switch Online next week

If you found yourself pining for N64-era Zelda, Nintendo has a treat for you next week.

If you found yourself pining for N64-era Zelda when playing Breath of the Wild, Nintendo has a treat for you next week. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is launching on Switch Online

Majora’s Mask twists the usual Zelda formula up, asking you to prevent the end times as a clock ticks down. You have to learn the game inside out to pump the brakes on the apocalypse, and you have only three in-game days to do so.  

The N64 game will be added to Switch Online on Feb. 25. If you subscribe to Switch Online + Expansion Pack, it’ll be added to your account. This follows Paper Mario coming to the service back in December.

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Other games on the service include Banjo-Kazooie, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, and Super Mario 64, among others.

The Switch Online + Expansion Pack also gives you access to Sega Genesis games and some free DLC for existing Switch games. Among those DLC packs is the upcoming track pack for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Written by Kirk McKeand on behalf of GLHF.

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Nintendo fans are furious over the 3DS and Wii U eShop situation

(Not) very nice. Now, let’s look at the quote tweets.

Preserving classic video games will always be challenging, especially with companies like Nintendo shutting down the 3DS and Wii U eShops soon.

Digital storefronts like the eShop have loads of digital-only games, more than a thousand even according to VGC. So once Nintendo permanently closes the 3DS and Wii U eShops in March 2023, those games will be gone forever — or until your consoles die, anyway.

As you might expect, fans and industry professionals aren’t happy about Nintendo’s decision. Everyone knows mega-hit titles like Super Metroid, Xenoblade, or the entire Legend of Zelda series will always get re-releases on new consoles, but lesser-known games aren’t so lucky.

Below, you’ll find some of the more scathing (and funny) responses to Nintendo’s announcement. At least we always have memes!

Nintendo to cut support for 3DS and Wii U eShops in March 2023

Nintendo has announced that players will no longer be able to purchase games from the 3DS and Wii U eShops after March 2023.

Nintendo announced yesterday that it intends to shutter the stores of the 3DS and Wii U eShops in “late March 2023.”

While making the announcement on Twitter, the company shared a brief blog detailing why it made the decision to close the two digital storefronts. Fans have since expressed disappointment with the rationale presented here.

In the accompanying Q&A, under the question, “Why is this happening now?” the company said, “This is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.”

The rest of the Q&A is pretty nebulous, but a point worth noting is that the Q&A currently included at the bottom of the post is an amended version of the original.

According to Kotaku, which caught the announcement shortly after it was initially made, one question has been removed from the FAQ: “Doesn’t Nintendo have an obligation to preserve its classic games by continually making them available for purchase?”

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Nintendo’s now-deleted answer reads as follows:

“Across our Nintendo Switch Online membership plans, over 130 classic games are currently available in growing libraries for various legacy systems. The games are often enhanced with new features such as online play.

We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players. Within these libraries, new and longtime players can not only find games they remember or have heard about, but other fun games they might not have thought to seek out otherwise.

We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.”

The conscious removal of this part of the FAQ suggests that Nintendo recognized it had opened itself up to some justified flak. At the time of writing, a variety of beloved games are exclusive to the 3DS or Wii U, meaning there will be no legal way to acquire them after the eShops for these platforms are closed.

Written by Cian Maher on behalf of GLHF.

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Pokémon Legends: Arceus – Alpha Pokémon, explained

Curious about Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ introduction of bigger, stronger ‘mons? Here’s everything you need to know about Alpha Pokémon.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is arguably the most ambitious Pokémon game in years, implementing a variety of all-new ideas while cleverly experimenting with a formula that many fans believed had gone stale. Of all the concepts it has introduced, however, one of the more nebulous ones is Alpha Pokémon — giant, powerful Pokémon with glowing red eyes and a craving for misbehaving.

When you first encounter an Alpha Pokémon, you probably won’t have any idea what’s going on. This is normal, because the game unfortunately doesn’t do a whole lot to explain what happened to these ‘mons, nor does it give you a particularly concrete idea of how they relate to you.

Luckily, we’ve already put plenty of time into Legends: Arceus and have figured out what the deal is with these powerful Pokémon.

Whether you’re wondering if you can catch Alpha Pokémon, what level Alpha Pokémon are, or what happens when you beat an Alpha Pokémon, our handy guide has you covered.

What are Alpha Pokémon?

Alpha Mothim

Alpha Pokémon are just like regular Pokémon aside from the fact that they’re bigger, stronger, and more aggressive. They also have glowing red eyes, so you should be able to pick one out from a mile away.

Can you catch Alpha Pokémon?

Yes, but not easily. Alpha Pokémon are generally a lot stronger than the other Pokémon in the area around them, meaning that if you’ve just arrived in a new location, the Alpha Pokémon there are probably way too strong for your team, your Poké Balls, and your Galaxy Team rank. A good rule of thumb is that Alpha Pokémon in a certain place can be caught when you’ve progressed to three or even four ranks above what you were when you originally arrived there. For the Obsidian Fieldlands, for example, you’ll probably want to have already met and befriended Sneasler.

What level are Alpha Pokémon?

It depends! The thing to remember about Alpha Pokémon is that they’re always going to be stronger than the Pokémon around them, usually by around 15-20 levels — in some cases, even more than that.

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What happens when you beat an Alpha Pokémon?

Obviously you get a bunch of EXP from defeating an Alpha Pokémon, but you’ll usually get some decent, semi-rare items to boot. Just make sure to pick up the satchel upgrades from the Galaxy Team HQ so that you’ve got enough room to actually accept these rewards — it’s very easy to let your expedition satchel fill up with junk without even realising.

So, to be clear — Alpha Pokémon are powerful Pokémon that should only be reckoned with when you’re confident you’ve trained enough to take them on or, in certain circumstances, attempt to catch them. There’s no issue with just ignoring them though. If you’d rather keep your team in tip-top shape, call Wyrdeer — the Hisuian evolution of Stantler — and scoot on past them as if they’re not even there.

Want more advice? Be sure to check out our Pokémon Legends: Arceus tips and tricks guide.

Written by Cian Maher on behalf of GLHF.

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Pokémon Legends: Arceus – Every Pokémon in Obsidian Fieldlands

Here’s a list of every Pokémon you can catch in Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ Obsidian Fieldlands.

If you recently started playing Pokémon Legends: Arceus, you’ll probably already know that the Hisui region is divided into a variety of different areas, each of which has been designed to function as a sort of semi-open world. The first location you’ll visit on your odyssey across ancient Sinnoh is the Obsidian Fieldlands, which is conveniently home to some of the series’ most beloved Pokémon.

The thing is, all of these areas are built in such a way that only certain parts of them are accessible the first time you visit them. Legends: Arceus makes pretty liberal use of backtracking, meaning that while you might think you’ve already seen every Pokémon in the Obsidian Fieldlands, you’ve really only been privy to a select few. We went into a bit more detail on this in our Pokémon Legends: Arceus tips and tricks guide.

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Given that Obsidian Fieldlands is the first proper area you’re able to explore in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, we thought it would be worthwhile to put together a list of every single Pokémon who lives there.

Here’s a list of every Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus‘ Obsidian Fieldlands and where to find them. We’ll also provide information on each species’ disposition, which will directly influence the strategies you’ll need to devise to approach and catch them.

Every Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ Obsidian Fieldlands

pokemon-legends-arceus-starly

The following Pokémon are available the first time you visit

Bidoof: The first Pokémon you’ll see, this guy is chilling out right next to the camp. It is very comfortable around humans but will run away if you try and fail to catch it. 

Starly: Gen 4’s beloved bird hangs out in the next open area after Bidoof. It’s a bit of a scaredy-cat and will fly off the second it sees you.

Shinx: Shinx is just past Starly – in fact, all three of these ‘mons are all over this map. Unlike the other two, Shinx will charge at you headfirst and attempt to attack you. Not so cute now, eh? 

Buizel: The best place to find Buizel is in Horseshoe Plains – go west from the camp you start at and you’ll see it on the beach. Very aggressive. 

Wurmple: Wurmple is pretty much everywhere in the morning. It’s shy, and will run away if you try and fail to catch it.

Eevee – A very rare spawn in the Horseshoe Plains. It ran away from us here, but hit us when we encountered it in a space-time distortion, so who knows what this little lad is up to?

Ponyta – Horseshoe Plains during the day. You can even get a guaranteed shiny Ponyta, which is the only one in the game that doesn’t immediately run away after it spots you.

Alpha Rapidash – Also in the Horseshoe Plains. Steer clear until you’ve got a strong team. Extremely aggressive.

Mime Jr. – Instead of going west from spawn, go west and follow the river. It’s pretty chill.

Mr. Mime — Often hangs out with Mime Jr. Less chill, but it mostly seems to just put up barriers and stuff.

Abra – Abra is also here, although if you don’t sneak up on it, it will teleport away.

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Luxray – The same stretch as Abra and Mime Jr. Caution is advised for low-level trainers, because Luxray will attack on sight.

Luxio – The same place as Luxray, with the same disposition.

Staravia – Same again!

Alpha Snorlax – You guessed it – same again!

Burmy – Burmy can be found by having one of your Pokémon attack a shaking tree. This will automatically start a battle.

Kricketot – Pretty much everywhere. Also available on other maps – not rare in the slightest. Will try to run away if you try and fail to capture it.

Paras – Paras is like Kricketot, although it’s surprisingly aggressive, so make sure to sneak up on it.

Alpha Parasect – Can be found with groups of Paras. Highly aggressive. 

Zubat – Zubat is all over the place, but only at nighttime. Weirdly aggressive!

Drifloon – Same here, although Horseshoe Plains is filled to the brim with them. It can attack from quite a distance and will attempt to do so on sight, so be careful around this guy.

Golbat – There is often one Golbat with a group of Zubat. Obviously aggressive.

Geodude – Either attack a rock that’s shaking, or find them along the path up to Kleavor, the Hisuian evolution of Scyther. The former instance instigates a battle, while the latter will only see it make an attempt to attack you. It’s worth noting that Legends: Arceus allows you to obtain trade evolutions without trading, meaning catching a Geodude could net you a Golem down the line.

The following Pokémon are available after you are allowed to cross the bridge

Psyduck – Psyduck can be encountered in the area right before where you first meet Lian. Aggressive if you try to catch it but fail.

Buneary – Can be found in the same area as Psyduck. Timid, will run away if it sees you.

The following Pokémon are available after you defeat Kleavor by quelling its frenzy

Alpha Paras – Strangely, we found an Alpha Paras in the area after Kleavor, even though Alpha Parasect can be found earlier. Aggressive.

Bibarel – Can be found on most beaches. Usually it’s one Bibarel with a group of Bidoof. Pretty chill for the most part.

Alpha Bibarel – One of the beaches has an Alpha Bibarel, it’s fairly easy to see which one. Less chill, for sure.

Alpha Starly – This was a weird Pokémon we only encountered one time. We’re unsure if it was just in a very remote location or if all Pokémon have a chance of becoming Alpha on top of the static Alphas that are in the same position every time. This one tried to attack us, as all Alphas do.

The following Pokémon are available after you unlock Basculegion and can cross the sea further into the map

Chimchar – On an island that can only be reached by walking to the opposite end of the map from the base camp and swimming further on Basculegion. A shy guy who ran away from us on sight.

Alpha Infernape – In the same place, but caution is absolutely necessary. As in, you should be the one running away.

Drifblim – Also in the same place at nighttime, potentially during the evening too. Aggressive.

Alpha Golbat – There’s one Alpha Golbat flying around the upper level of this island. Also — you guessed it! – it’s aggressive. 

This information is based on our progress with the game so far. If we encounter more Pokémon in the Obsidian Fieldlands, we will update this guide accordingly. 

Written by Cian Maher on behalf of GLHF.

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Pokémon Legends: Arceus tips and tricks guide

Pokémon Legends: Arceus tips and tricks for newcomers to the series and veterans alike.

After months of anticipation, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has finally launched worldwide. While this naturally means that fans of the series can dive into the game, many people will likely be surprised by just how much the formula has changed this time around. Whether you can’t tell Pikachu from Palossand or you’ve been a veteran of the series since 1996, there’s a solid chance just about every aspiring trainer is going to need some tips and tricks ahead of their Hisuian adventure.

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. After spending hours exploring the vast plains of the Obsidian Fieldands and roaming the harsh wastes of the Crimson Mirelands, we’ve picked up a thing or two about how to play Legends: Arceus in a way that’s both efficient and enjoyable.

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Here are some handy Pokémon Legends: Arceus tips and tricks to get you started on your journey across ancient Sinnoh.

The best Pokémon Eeveelutions, ranked

Eeveelutions are some of the most beloved Pokémon of all time – here’s all eight of them, ranked.

One of the most polarising subjects in Pokémon discourse has to do with a lovable little fox named Eevee – specifically, the various forms it can possibly evolve into, which fans have affectionately dubbed as “Eeveelutions.” 

Now, 26 years after the original trio of Eeveelutions – Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon – took centre stage, we’ve decided it’s high time to definitively rank all eight Eeveelutions from worst to best. This, dear reader, is the one and only objectively correct determination of which Eevee evos are great, and which Eevee evos are… not… great…

Here’s every Pokémon Eeveelution, ranked.

The top ten Dark Pokémon, ranked

From Greninja to Umbreon, here are the top ten Dark Pokémon of all time, ranked from worst to best.

Ah, Dark Pokémon – the biggest edgelords to ever grace a Nintendo series. While Pikachu and Charizard are off doing meet-and-greets with toddlers, these little legends are sat in the dark listening to Fall Out Boy as they apply the sixth consecutive can of hairspray to their concrete fringe. We’re not saying that as if it’s a bad thing, by the way. We had concrete fringes, too.

You see, we’ve always been particularly fond of Dark Pokémon, which makes the herculean task of collecting and ranking the top ten ‘mons of this type… well, even more herculean! Fortunately, we’re experts in all things Pokémon and are professional enough to set personal biases and affinities aside in the name of plain, hard science. 

As is always the case with our Pokémon rankings, each evolutionary family can only be represented by a single Pokémon from it – if Greninja is here, Frogadier becomes illegal by default. To be honest, Frogadier wouldn’t come anywhere near the top ten anyway, but it’s still a good example to demonstrate what we mean. 

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Before we move on to the official top ten, let’s go through the usual round of honourable mentions. 

  • Zoroark.
  • Bisharp.
  • Grimmsnarl.
  • Galarian Moltres..
  • Cacturne.
  • Sharpedo.
  • Incineroar.
  • Crawdaunt.
  • Mega Gyarados.

And now for the real deal – here are the ten best Dark Pokémon of all time, ranked from worst to best.