I remember — and not in a fond way — the first time I tried playing Pokémon Scarlet & Violet on the original Nintendo Switch. A disaster, truly. I mean, sure, I’ve stumbled into worse-performing games, like those ones that crash every five minutes. But to have a game so amazing, yet crippled by how it ran? That stuck with me.
Back in 2022, when I reviewed it, I kinda went off. Called it a “super-effective new vision” for Pokémon but couldn’t get over its choppy performance. Seriously, those windmills? Might as well have been moving in stop-motion. And distant cliffs? Looked like they popped straight outta an old Nintendo 64 game. The game had so much going for it and yet… cursed by its own machinery.
Fast forward three years — bam, Switch 2 update comes in swinging. I’m gonna say it’s an absolute game-changer. If it was “super-effective” back then, now it feels like they plugged into a supercharger. I had a sneak peek, thanks to an invite from The Pokémon Company. Given how I trashed their performance before, it’s almost like they dared me to see the difference. And oh boy, it’s like night and day. Literally, if you still think frame rate doesn’t matter, try flipping between the new and old versions. You’ll get it.
Watching it run on Switch 2, crisp and smooth. I’m talking 60fps, most of the time anyway. The rollercoaster highs and lows of the original? Gone. Distant Pokémon and those windmills look normal now, finally!
But, it’s not just about the tech bragging rights. The whole vibe of playing is different. Back in the day, you’d be exploring and boom! Frame rate nosedives as soon as you turn your camera. The open world was more like a bumpy ride. Now, the stability really pulls you back into whatever grand Pokémon adventure you’re on.
Gameplay tweaks are gems too. More wild Pokémon appear, no more weird delays when they spawn or attack. Menus? Snappiest I’ve seen in a while. Those Pokémon Box sprite thingies? Pop to life instantly. It’s like a magic trick.
Of course, it’s not all rainbows. Detail settings still seem a bit in-your-face aggressive. You’re on your Poke-horse (because, why not?), racing through at glorious 60 frames, and bam! Flowers pop up out of nowhere. Kind of gets to you. And honestly, now that it works well, the art style feels like it could use a little polish. HDR is nice, though. Paldea looks vibrant.
Overall? Pretty freaking amazing. This was the Pokémon game Scarlet & Violet were destined to be. Perhaps the best in its series, technologically speaking. Playing at 60fps feels kinda naughty. But, hey, that’s how you need to experience these games now. And with good FPS being a thing for Pokémon, I’m psyched for what’s next. Bring it on, Pokémon Legends Z-A.
