For over 20 years, Pokémon has found a way to reinvent itself for each generation of audience. Players both new to the series and Pokémon masters are captivated by these cute (and sometimes scary) little monsters. Maybe it’s the drive to catch ’em all that keeps players coming back. Or perhaps it’s how adorable these little pocket monsters can be. Whatever the reason, players continue to return to or exploring the Pokémon franchise.
Each game has a pretty consistent feel to it. Each game follows the one before it, but builds a little more into the Pokémon world. With every new iteration of Pokémon, new features and Pokémon are brought to the table. Even though Pokémon veterans may find each game familiar to the last, each game holds a slightly new and immersive way of bringing players into the world of Pokémon. This franchise definitely knows how to keep players coming back for more!
1. Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal (Gen 2)
Starters: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile
Pokémon Gold and Silver added 100 Pokémon to the original 151, including arguably the best trio of starters Pokémon has seen. Beyond adding to the Pokédex, generation two made great strides in multiple areas over the original. For starters, you now had to think about the time of day when trying to catch new Pokémon, as the day/night cycle smartly added a layer of depth to your time spent in the long grass.
Adding to the systems seen in Pokémon Yellow, generation two leaned into dual-types, allowing you to make a more varied and strategically diverse team to bring into battle. The Johto region happens to be our favorite to explore as well and has the best legendary birds (Lugia and Ho-Oh).
We’d be remiss not to mention HeartGold and SoulSilver, the enhanced DS remakes of Gold and Silver. HeartGold and SoulSilver added the Kanto region to the map, connecting Johto with the landmass that started the phenomenon. With 16 gym leaders to best, HeartGold and SoulSilver remain the deepest, lengthiest Pokémon games ever created. If we could only play one Pokémon game for the rest of our lives, it’d be HeartGold or SoulSilver. Though the originals were some of the best Game Boy Color Games of all time.
2. Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow (Gen 1)
Starters (Blue/Red): Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur
Starter (Yellow): Pikachu
Sure, some of the deeper mechanics the series is known for now aren’t present in the original games, but there’s something about their streamlined identity that still brings a smile to our faces. Pokémon Yellow brought the series to full color, and having Pikachu by our side made us truly feel like we were Ash on a journey to catch ’em all. Generation one will always hold a special place in our hearts. It’s magical.
3. Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald (Gen 3)
Starters: Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip
Generation three is when Pokémon games really started to lean into natures, EV systems, and IV systems, emphasizing not only the species but the specific member of that species in your party. The power of the best Game Boy Advance games made each model of the now 386 Pokémon more vibrant.
While we think the 135 new Pokémon as a group didn’t compare to the 100 added in gen two, Ruby and Sapphire had one of the neater regions. The Hoenn island region felt larger than previous regions and was generally a more interesting area to explore. A pair of stellar gen three remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, are available on Nintendo 3DS.
4. Pokémon Sword and Shield (Gen 8)
Starters: Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble
With 400 Pokémon to catch and the addition of the Dynamax system to power up your monsters, Pokémon Sword and Shield can keep you busy for hours. However, the removal of longtime monsters from the game, including Psyduck and Squirtle, does mean you can’t catch ’em all this time. Fortunately, with the arrival of the game’s Isle of Armor DLC and Crown Tundra DLC, you’ll have a chance to see new environments in the Galar region, catch new Pokémon, and battle new foes.
5. Pokémon Ultra Sun/Moon ( Gen 7)
Starters: Rowlet, Litten, Popplio
Sun and Moon and the enhanced Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon switched up the standard Pokémon progression a bit. Set across the islands of Alola, Sun and Moon introduced players to Team Skull and the Aether Foundation, a group dedicated to protecting Pokémon. Rather than progressing through various towns’ gyms, you had to complete island trials, which typically included a small dungeon and a battle with a powerful Pokémon. Afterward, you’d be able to battle the island’s Kahuna.
The 80 new Pokémon were some of the most interesting to be added since the early games, and the Alolan versions of original Pokémon felt inspired. Z-Moves, Ultra Beasts, and an expanded take on Mega Evolutions added welcome mechanics into the fold. There was even a Pokémon Snap style mini-game, making this one of the best 3DS games you can buy.
6. Pokémon X/Y (Gen 6)
Starters: Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie
Pokémon X and Y marked the series’ first truly 3D experience. The camera perspective switched from top-down to a closer, behind-the-body angle, which gave the world of Pokémon a sense of scope it hadn’t seen before. The France-inspired Kalos region had flair and style, and featured one of the largest mega-cities we’d seen thus far.
Though X and Y only introduced 72 new Pokémon, it did mark the beginning of Mega Evolutions. The storyline somewhat disappoints, but the higher fidelity presentation provided by the Nintendo 3DS hardware made Pokémon models truly pop during battle sequences, allowing for crisper fighting animations.
7. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum (Gen 4)
Starters: Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup
Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum served an important role in the evolution of Pokémon. They looked markedly better than gen three Pokémon, thanks to the Nintendo DS, but they mainly showed where the franchise would eventually go. Generation four brought a very important feature: Online trading and battling. This made filling out the Pokédex, which then neared 500 with the help of the new 107 pocket monsters, more of a global effort.
You didn’t have to know people with copies of the game to trade. Instead, you could just hop online and make a trade for what you needed. Online battling lets you really see who was the best trainer for the first time in series history. Generation four is great because of its technological innovations, but it’s one of the more forgettable Pokémon time periods overall.
8. Pokémon White/Black and White/Black 2 (Gen 5)
Starters: Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott
Generation five was an oddity. It was the first in the series to get a direct sequel, with Black 2 and White 2 releasing a year after the originals. The sequels did retread familiar territory, but told a new story and featured some new areas and new Pokémon. Generation five also holds the record for the most Pokémon, with 156 new Pokémon to catch.
Even more so than Diamond and Pearl, though, gen five, especially the sequels, felt like a stopgap for the series’ next evolution. While we regard generation five as the “worst,” we still think it’s pretty darn good. It didn’t introduce much new at all, but the true sequel concept was intriguing nonetheless.
Best Pokémon spinoff games
Outside of the mainline games, there are dozens upon dozens of Pokémon experiences. Some of them diverge slightly from the core formula, and others are entirely different. Make no mistake about it, the Pokémon franchise has produced a lot of duds that felt like cash grabs. ( Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, anyone?) But some Pokémon spinoffs work quite well. Here are our favorites.
1. Pokémon Snap
An on-rails shooter about taking candid shots of Pokémon in their natural habits for Professor Oak? Sign us up. Pokémon Snap as a Nintendo 64 game focused more on the beauty of these magical creatures rather than their deft combat skills. We loved every moment of it, especially when we captured an absolutely perfect photo of a fire breathing Charizard.
2. Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium brought our friends to 3D long before the mainline series when it launched on Nintendo 64. The game used the standard turn-based battling system, rendering all of your favorites from the original 151 in the glory they deserved.
Working our way through the stadium cups and playing multiplayer against friends was a blast. The best part about Stadium, though, was the Transfer Pak. The N64 controller attachment lets you insert your copy of Pokémon Red, Blue, or Yellow to use your personal collection in the game’s exciting 3v3 battles.
3. Pokémon Conquest
Pokémon Conquest for Nintendo DS spun the Pokémon formula into a wonderful tactics experience. Set in the new Ransei region, it told a wholly original story filled with warlords and waging factions. While the turn-based tactics gameplay wasn’t as deep or challenging as games like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics, it was a perfect introduction to the genre and contained all of Pokémon’s patented charm.
4. Pokémon TCG Online
Pokémon began its life as a series of video games, but the trading card game has taken on a life of its own. Published in the West by none other than Wizards of the Coast – the same company behind what might be the most popular trading card game in the world, Magic: the Gathering – Pokémon’s physical spinoff is simple to understand but rife with depth. Pokémon TCG Online is a free, online version of the tabletop game, fit with the latest expansions and a sleek interface. Even better, each pack of physical cards comes with a redemption code, allowing you to double down digitally.
5. Pokémon Go
is the most successful Pokémon game of all time in terms of player count. The mobile sensation lets you be a real-life Pokémon trainer anywhere in the world. Using AR technology, Pokémon pop up whether you’re walking down the sidewalk or hanging out in your own backyard.
6. Pokémon: Let’s Go
Pokémon: Let’s Go for Nintendo Switch is incredibly close to being considered a mainline Pokémon game. After all, it’s a largely faithful remake of Pokémon Yellow rendered in beautiful 3D visuals, complete with battling, the gym badge progression, and the Elite Four. Where Let’s Go differs is the act of catching Pokémon.
Using Pokémon Go as an influence, a simplistic catch mini-game commences when running into a wild Pokémon. Let’s Go also depicts wild Pokémon roaming the overworld, so you always know what you’re getting into beforehand. Pokémon: Let’s Go is a wonderful melding of two types of Pokémon games.
7. Pokémon Puzzle League
Pokémon Puzzle League is essentially just Tetris Attack with a different coat of paint, but it’s still one of the most entertaining Pokémon games outside of the main series. The game is simple: the player’s board is on one side of the screen with the opponent’s on the other.
Both boards will fill up with tiles and players must rearrange the tiles to create lines of three or more in a row. Doing so will clear the tiles from your board and send blocks to your opponent’s, which they’ll have to clear out. The game is straightforward but challenging, and is particularly fun to play against another person. The presence of various characters from Pokémon also gives it a warm feeling of nostalgia.
8. Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Pinball for the Game Boy Color is a surprisingly addictive for a game with only two tables. Hitting certain objects on the table would cause a Pokémon to appear, and players could then catch them by hitting them with the ball multiple times before the time limit ran out.
Though it was a basic game, there were some interesting aspects to it. It had a misshapen game cartridge that contained a battery-powered “rumble” feature to add some haptic feedback. This was a unique novelty for a Game Boy game at the time.
9. Pokémon Café Mix
Pokémon Café Mix is a free-to-play game that requires you to complete puzzles. The game stars you and an Eevee, who are owners of a café where Pokémon come and order Pokémon-themed food and drinks. To fulfill each order, you have to complete a puzzle to prepare the corresponding item. You’ll need to clear Pokémon icons on-screen by linking them together in a ring. When you finish a level, you’re able to upgrade your café with customized floors and designs that draw in different Pokémon. After a while, these Pokémon will also become part of your staff.
This game is similar to a lot of mobile games on the market. First time players who try it out will get the hang of it fairly quickly. It’s a fun and cute game for players on the go to try out. You can play the game on both the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, but the game is only supported in the Switch’s hand-held mode. Pokémon Café Mix isn’t an innovative game that will garner special awards, but it’s a fun game for Pokémon fans to play.
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