Should You Start Playing Pokemon?

Gamespot's Danny O'Dwyer has never played Pokemon. Apparently, he didn't grow up with Nintendo products (what a tragic, empty childhood) and now that Pokemon is back with X and Y he's determined to find out if it's worth picking up. "After all these years, is it worth me starting?" he muses. "This Pokemon [thing] looks really fun, and everyone else in the office seems to be loving it."

The verdict? Mixed. Some friends relish the gameplay and the nostalgia that comes with the franchise; others lament it as a repetitive turn-based game. It's also interesting to get an outsider's perspective on Pokemon. At one point, O'Dwyer asks, "How come Pikachu doesn't go in a Pokeball? It's the worst. It's like a cage. Is that not really messed up?" (Danny, you might be comforted by this artist's rendition of what the inside of a Pokeball looks like).

Check out the video to see his final conclusion. And if you need convincing yourself, here's a video review of the latest and greatest in the Pokemon series, X and Y: