In the newest generations of Pokémon, there have been side modes that allow players to interact with their Pokémon in a new way, by playing with them. The two most recent iterations of this mode were Pokémon Refresh, from Sun & Moon, and Pokémon Camp, from Sword & Shield. When it gets down to it, though, which version is superior to the other? Let’s find out.
10 Camping: The Pokémon Roam
Pokémon Camp and Refresh are very different in the sense that you’re playing with your entire team in the former, and a single Pokémon in the latter. This gives both a very different vibe, but seeing all of your Pokémon actually walk around and hang out in Camp just makes the entire mode feel a lot more real than Refresh does.
9 Refresh: Petting Pokémon
Giving your Pokémon little pats and rubs to confirm what good boys and girls they were was one of the best parts of Refresh, and the fact that this somehow didn’t come back for Camp is an absolute crime. Your Pokémon deserve to be pet, and Refresh really delivers in this area.
8 Camping: Pokémon Interaction
One fun part of Pokémon Camp is that the Pokémon will actually interact with one another, not just with you. This is another way that Camp feels more real than Refresh.
Seeing your Pokémon hang out with each other is fun, and gives players a reason to just sit there and… look at them if they want. When is that not just the best time ever? Vibing Pokémon are the best Pokémon.
7 Refresh: Grooming Pokémon
While petting your Pokémon is one thing, getting to groom your Pokémon is another. Want to comb them? Maybe give them a blowout? Well, in Pokémon Refresh, you can do just that. This is another small feature that might not feel like much in the grand scheme of the games, but overall goes a long way toward making the bond between you and your Pokémon feel much more real.
6 Camping: Curry
Of course, one of the most notable aspects of Pokémon Camp is the ability to hunker down and make curry with your Pokémon, because why not?
There is an absurd amount of different types of curry that you can make, and getting to see which one that you create can be fun. The little animation of you eating it with your Pokémon is cute, and the Pokémon gain experience from it, too. Everyone wins!
5 Refresh: Feeding Your Pokémon
Of course, why make curry when you can just shove a bean in your Pokémon’s mouth? This was another feature that was available to players in Pokémon Refresh. While it is obviously in no way as fleshed out as the curry aspect of Pokémon Camp, the little interactions that you could have with your Pokémon while feeding them were quite cute.
4 Camping: Playing With Pokémon
The ability to play with your Pokémon was another great feature of Camp. Watching them chase after balls or get mad at you for using a feather on them was always a ton of fun.
This can also lead to some pretty funny interactions between the Pokémon themselves. Or lead to hours of you staring at the slower Pokémon as they make their way to and from the ball. It’s a treat either way. Getting to see Snom crawl to and from the ball is just fantastic all around.
3 Refresh: Cure Statuses
One of the more practical uses of Pokémon Refresh was if your Pokémon received a status ailment during the last fight they were in, you could actually heal them in Refresh if you so chose to. This could be perceived as making the game too easy to some, but overall all that this feature does is replace items that heal statuses with getting a chance to heal them yourselves, bonding with your Pokémon in the process. What could be better than that? You smack that touchscreen to heal your Pokémon, right now.
2 Camping: The Stat Benefits
After you cook curry in Pokémon Camp, a few different things can happen. The Pokémon’s sociability, HP, PP, or EXP can go up. All of these are incredibly useful. While the routes really aren’t all that arduous in Sword & Shield, Pokémon Camp can still act as a sort of pseudo-Pokémon Center if need be, and that EXP from curry can come in handy in a pinch.
1 Refresh: The Little Things
All of the little things that Pokémon Refresh does are so cute. The detailed animations, the fact that your hand gets burned or shocked depending on how you touch certain Pokémon, opening Refresh up and seeing your Pokémon sleeping or turned around, every little bit of it is so adorable. While Pokémon Camp is a ton of fun, Pokémon Refresh allows you to bond with your Pokémon in a different way. In a way that just makes you feel a lot closer to them than Camp does.
NEXT: Pokémon: 10 Amazing Pieces Of Electric-Type Fan Art That Will Make You Nostalgic
