10 Garbage Games Everybody Bought Anyway

Debuting on the Game Boy back in 1996, Pokemon has remained one of Nintendo's most consistent IPs.

Too bad 2022's Pokémon Scarlet/Violet put an end to that hot streak. Many qualities synonymous with the monster-catching saga, such as the exploration and battle mechanics, weren't up to standard in this Pokemon Gen 9 title. Due to rampant bugs, game-crashing glitches, poor performance, and shoddy online features, Scarlet/Violent wasn't just bad but amateur. Also, fans of Pokemon Legends: Arceus were disappointed to see many of its new features weren't included in this instalment.

For this reason, it was no surprise to learn the latest entry was the lowest-rated game in the mainline series. 

However, it was a surprise to see how successful it was. Despite the heavy criticism, Scarlet/Violet sold a whopping ten million copies... in three days. It was also the most pre-ordered Pokemon game ever and the best-selling game in Japan in 2022. It sold over 25 million copies (so far), making it the seventh best-selling Switch game, just behind its predecessor, Pokémon Sword/Shield.

Though the Pokemon brand has plenty of sway, it's still bizarre to see people going out of their way to experience the lowest point in the franchise.