Currently first impressions only based on 2 days of playtime but yeah it's pretty fun actually.

It's got some predatory schemes but they don't feel very necessary yet and the major stuff can still be bought using in-game currency.

Having a playstyle that differs from the same old LoL or DOTA formula is also nice where the minion kills actually matter.

If anything it will be a fun little game to do dailies for a while until I eventually fall off lol.

Now at first, I wasn't really interested in picking up this game. But seeing how it was just a mobile game and it was free on both Switch and mobile devices, I thought I'd try it out.

Now there's not much to this game since this is a mobile game. Basically, the game is you play as Pokemon against team matches, usually 5v5, and you're competing for points by shooting basketball-like scores by taking down wild Pokemon that spawn in the arena. Depending on who you play as, you start as your first form and level up in the match and eventually you evolve which increases your stats.

You can use up to two moves that are equipped and you get better moves as you level up. You also have this "Unity Move" which is basically similar to an Ultimate move from Overwatch. It can deal a terrific amount of damage and for some Pokemon, it gives you a boost.

And really, that's all there is to it. There really is no mode other than that. And to be honest, I think it's fine for what it is. I say this is one for when you want to pass the time.

Matchmaking from what I've had, seems fair. Though you can tell when some people are experienced and some are not because man I got my ass kicked a few times.

There's a good roster of Pokemon that you can play as like Pikachu, Charizard, Greninja, Lucario and many others. They all have specific classes like attacker, defender, speedster, supporter, and all-rounder. More to come as the game goes on. Gardevoir just recently came out which I might have to try out. Though there are some odd choices for base game like... Eldegoss and Cramorant? Are they really that popular? Okay then.

Now you only start with a few Pokemon with I believe Snorlax, Alolan Ninetales, and Zeraora along with three other Pokemon that switch out every day. You get more as rewards from different point systems. You can raise your Trainer level to unlock Slowbro and Venusaur along with many currencies and items.

Now this leads into what most, if not, all mobile games have and that is... microtransactions. You have many different currencies which are coins, tickets, and gems. These can be cashed in for Pokemon, clothes, and different skins for Pokemon, most of which are beach-themed.

Now getting coins and tickets are no problem. You just gotta grind in matches but the stuff they have is so expensive. Especially for the Pokemon. Some range from 6,000 coins like Pikachu and Talonflame to 10,000 coins like Lucario and Garchomp, pretty much HUGE fan favorites in the Pokemon universe.

The currency that you pretty much never get is the gems except for ONE way... Use ACTUAL money... Again, not a surprise for a mobile game. Make a free game just to trick people into using actually money to get stuff. So you better hope tomorrow gets you a skin because unless you pay them gems, you most likely ain't getting it.

So overall, it's alright. It's fun. There's just not much variety in the game. Like there's pretty much only one map which you might get easily tired of. And you might say the same for the battle system. You can't defend yourself and all you can do is spam moves and see which one of you dies first. You can try to run away but most of the characters move like molasses.

So if you want to give it a try, go ahead. It's free. You ain't spending anything. Just don't expect anything grand from it. It's just a simple Pokemon team match game.

I'll give Pokemon Unite a 7/10.

As a Pokémon fan who had never played a MOBA, Unite was a gentle introduction into a new genre with a familiar look and feel. The premise of leveling up and scoring goals is simple yet understandable. The progression and strategy of movesets is satisfying. However, one major flaw stands out - pay to win elements completely ruin this game.

It's predatory enough that I can't explain it in simple terms. The use of three currency types intentionally hides how shady this is, but essentially expect to open your wallet in order to upgrade items or buy new characters after the first weeks missions have ended. As you play, you'll eventually hit a wall where teams with maxed out stats demolish you and there's nothing you can do. Also, an endgame 'boss' is completely unbalanced and whichever team gets it is practically guaranteed the win.

This was fun for a few hours, but expect to pay in order to rank up with other players, or use your favorite Pokémon. Disappointing.

Nintendo's IP hitting the moba game, and doing a decent job of it out the gate. Obviously monetization/systems need tuning, and the content dripfeed needs to be established, but the base here is solid and addictive (and I don't mean the dumb energy gacha you should 100% ignore). I think I'll be playing this for a while, and I hope it lasts.

Only major concerns at the moment are character balance as more are added, how the item upgrade economy will settle after people grind out their maxed good held items, where most cosmetics land (direct store, gacha, or battlepass), and the battlepass needs to have premium currency inside it to buy the next one.

Standard queue, play as Eldegoss, follow one of the attack types into the bottom lane, heal them and soften up mobs for them to level them up quick. Kill Zapdos a few minutes later. You'll win a lot of games.

(though the killing of Zapdos is perhaps too vital of a step)

(oh and all of the external systems are real bad)