Pokemon Champions dropped on Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, and early reactions are already surfacing. Charles Harte shared his initial impressions of the new competitive Pokemon format just two days after launch, offering one of the first public takes on how the game actually plays.
What Charles Harte noticed first about Pokemon Champions
Harte discussed Pokemon Champions on a recent podcast episode hosted by Alex Van Aken, Kyle Hilliard, Charles Harte, and Marcus Stewart. The conversation focused on the game's competitive format, built specifically for the Switch 2 with mobile versions (iOS and Android) planned for later this year.
Pokemon Champions isn't a mainline RPG with a battle mode bolted on. This is a purpose-built competitive platform, and Harte's early assessment gives a sense of whether that approach is working. The Switch 2 launch positions it as Nintendo's answer to serious competitive Pokemon play, and the initial feedback suggests the format is landing with players who want that focus.
Zelda turns 40, and the crew has opinions
The same podcast episode also tackled The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary. The hosts spent a significant portion of the show debating their favorite entries across the franchise's four-decade run. The discussion ties into an upcoming magazine feature collecting industry perspectives on the series, which was teased during the episode.
Forty years means a lot of ground to cover. The series evolved from the original NES dungeon crawler to Breath of the Wild's open-world overhaul, and every generation has its loyalists. The segment reflects that range, with plenty of disagreement over which games define the franchise.
The rest of the episode: People of Note and Shadow Tactics
The episode also touched on a couple of other recent releases. People of Note, which launched April 7 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC, got a brief mention. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun came up as well, specifically its Switch 2 port that released March 18. The original PC version launched in December 2016, making this a long-awaited portable option for tactical stealth fans.
The episode breakdown runs from the Pokemon Champions discussion at 5:34, through People of Note at 24:30, Shadow Tactics at 28:54, and into the Zelda retrospective starting at 33:11.
For more Nintendo coverage and competitive gaming news, keep an eye on the latest gaming news as Pokemon Champions continues to build its player base ahead of the mobile launch.
