Best Pokemon Games: Catch Them All

Who hasn't heard of Pokemon? You probably already heard of it, even if you don't play video games. You wouldn't be on this website if you weren't a gamer. The greatest Pokemon video games may be found here, and you can play them in 2023.

Since the franchise's inception more than 25 years ago, hundreds of Pokémon games have been developed, with the main series leading the way and countless spin-offs offering a new perspective on everyone's favorite Pocket Monsters. Which Pokémon games, however, are the best made? We have come up with 25 amazing pokemon games for you. 

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Even though Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl speed up some of the more tedious parts of the original games and have a bigger Pokédex thanks to The Grand Underground, the new art style and a few minor mistakes make them feel like a rehash of Generation 4. If the goal of these remakes was to be true to the original Generation 4 duo, then we wish they would have kept the pixelated art style. While some fans appreciate the faithfulness to the original design, there isn't much of an incentive to play Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl instead of the DS originals. Only by adding The Grand Underground and making it easier to connect to later games in the series are real improvements.

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu, and Let's Go, Eevee!

These gorgeous remakes of an old favorite make the game more accessible to a new audience while retaining the same enchantment gamers felt when it was initially released 20 years ago. However, the motion control mechanism is entertaining yet problematic, requiring you to switch between play styles for the best outcome. Nonetheless, the game does a great job of balancing being an accessible entry point for newcomers with providing enough post-game challenge and competitive play elements (and nostalgia, of course) to please series veterans so that these new titles genuinely do offer something for everyone, which isn't always the case with the mainline Pokémon entries. If you're a lover of Pokémon and haven't tried these yet, we recommend doing so.

Pokémon Sword and Shield

Even though it could be better, Pokémon Sword and Shield bring in some new ideas. What works well works well, but some parts look and feel like they were taken straight out of a design paper from the early 2000s. This makes the whole thing less fun. From the pure awe and delight of witnessing a brand-new Pokémon in front of a stadium full of adoring fans to the tedious and drawn-out dialogue we just wanted to skip, it's an experience full of ups and downs. Discovering the Wild Area and all its mysteries feels like a natural progression for the series. Overall, Pokémon Sword and Shield was a great start to the HD generation of Pokémon games, even though there was still room for improvement.

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

The 3DS had previously seen some great Pokémon games with X/Y and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, but Pokémon Sun & Moon seemed like a fresh start for those who had lost interest in the RPG collecting craze. Fans of the series and people who don't remember much about the first 151 pocket monsters were excited to see fan-favorite Gen I pocket monsters return in new Alola forms with better character models, more customization options, and powerful Z-moves. 

These variations of Ultra are the most "complete" because they have more shapes, movements, and things to do. This is the pinnacle of classic-style Pokémon on the 3DS, and while it's a shame we couldn't have seen our favorite monsters in 3D, it's still a great game.

Pokémon Sun and Moon

Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are Game Freak's most impressive efforts in the Pokémon video game franchise. The experience is nothing but pure joy from the beginning to the end. This includes Poké Pelago, the different side missions, and the genuinely surprising way the story is told. Game Freak was able to add new game elements while keeping a good balance not to turn off its most loyal customers completely. It has stuff spilling out of its ears, a story significantly more engaging than some of the earlier efforts. It also encourages exploration that no other game in the series had up until that point. This game should be in the collection of everyone who likes Pokémon, no matter how long they've been fans.

Pokémon Diamond & Pearl

Trying not to quote Prince, what can we say about Pokémon Diamond and Pearl? The basic gameplay is still as fun as it was when the games first came out, making them some of the best in the series. Video games are popular enough to spawn a seemingly endless stream of sequels that are doomed to have their entries eventually buried by those who came after them. These "fossils" are fascinating to look at and remember, but are they entertaining to play with now that they've been updated many times? That's a tough one, and we suppose it's the cost of success and growth, but even though Diamond and Pearl lack the polish we're used to, they're still fantastic Pokémon games that should be pulled out every once in a while and played. They will make you a joyful little boy or girl.

Pokémon X & Y

With Pokémon X and Y, Game Freak has once again accomplished its goal of creating a fun and challenging game. It evolved the core series with its unique polygonal 3D environments and masterful camera angles, adding a few technical adjustments and a brand new Pokémon type to the original formula we are all familiar with and adore. This game is a beautiful combination of excitement and nostalgia. It's not exactly a revolution, and it's a little hampered by the meager use of its host platform's glasses-free 3D capabilities, but X and Y make a pretty lovely couple.

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Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire

With the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the series moved into its third generation. It also moved away from the reliable 8-bit Game Boy hardware to the more capable and bigger Game Boy Advance platform. Fans of Pokémon were sad when the night-day cycle was taken away. Still, Generation III added many new features, like two-on-two battles and a nature mechanic that gave Pokémon trainers a whole new rabbit hole full of stars to explore. 

Some franchise fans didn't like that the cycle of night and day was taken away. The widescreen display of the Game Boy Advance (GBA) made the battle screens look better, and compared to Kanto and Johto, the whole area of Hoenn seemed much lighter.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Even though they are remakes, the narrative and the places you explore in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire feel incredibly new and different. Even though the two games appear to be very similar to Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. They are not; there are significant improvements from their counterparts on the 3DS. Still, any Pokémon fan who has played one of the series remakes in the past is aware that they should not anticipate significant alterations. Even though these games might be better than X and Y because they have new features like the ability to fly, they should still be considered additions to those games.

Pokémon Red and Blue

Pokémon Red and Blue may be older games that have hiccups now and then, but that doesn't make them any fewer fun ways to waste your time. Even though the gameplay may seem simple compared to newer games, there is a lot of depth and complexity to be found if you want to bring your team to the top of pixel-powered brilliance. You could be forgiven for believing these games were brand new if you dumped them into a fancy new 3D engine, which you cannot say about many Games. Even though some of the series' kinks were smoothed out in later games, the thrill of collecting all 151 original Pocket Monsters remains. Even though Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee upgraded these games for the Switch generation, the originals are still compelling to play on actual hardware, thanks to their depth. You'll need a partner and a connection cable to catch them all. Oh, hold on a second. That can't be right.

Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition

The best thing about this updated version of the original games is that Pikachu follows you outside of his Pokeball and can't be traded or evolved because the anime is so popular. Several sprites and parts of the world were changed to fit the brand better as it had grown since Red & Blue came out. For example, Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys were put in place of the other nurses and police officers in Kanto. This was not a full Game Boy Color game, but the western release of Pokémon Yellow did receive a little palette upgrade that made it look and feel better on a GBC system. The updates offer some extra charm (the surfing Pikachu minigame is a lot of fun), but the core Pokémon games are still delightful no matter which version you play. Even though they look simple and don't have many extra features compared to modern games, they are still entertaining.

Pokémon Black and White

Although Pokémon Black and White might not have the same nostalgic appeal as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, they are among the most impressive series. They make up for what they lack in connections to the past by replicating the thrill of discovery that one has when setting out on their first Pokémon adventure. Black and White are the only games in the series (so far) that have direct numbered sequels in the same place. This could hurt their reputation, even though they will go to new places. Even though these introductions to Generation V have been pushed to the back of the queue from some people's perspective, they are still beautiful games worth playing again.

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Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Pokémon Red and Blue, the first Pokémon games, were changed into Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the Game Boy Advance. For some reason, Japan's initial Game Boy consoles were Red and Green. Are there any Pokémon games that can top this one? That's up for debate, but there's no denying that the 32-bit update brought much better graphics, the ability to connect to other Pokémon games, and the chance to collect more than 350 Pokémon.

This was the first (of many) options for longtime fans of the Kanto games to relive their youth and catch all 151 Pokémon. No one can say no to that. 

Pokémon Black and White 2

The critics who wrote off Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 as being more of the same were grossly misguided. The main ideas of Pokémon Red and Blue were done so well and were so fun to play that they have been used as the basis for all games since. Even if the series' rate of change is a little slower than some would like, it has come a long way from its drab, monochrome beginnings, thanks to adding more on the outside and some tweaks under the hood.

Some might say that these games were mistreated because they had boring names, were the first "direct" sequels in the series, and didn't come out on Nintendo's new 3DS at the time. Yet, there can be no doubt that these are two of the series' most acceptable entries.

Pokémon Crystal

The release of Pokémon Crystal, the last game in the series for the Game Boy Color, marks the end of what many fans consider the best generation of Pokémon games. It provided many welcome new features over the base games, including playing as a chance character for the first time. It also included more things to do, improved graphics and the user interface, and increased difficulty. At the same time, Pokémon Crystal took what Pokémon Gold and Silver did so magnificently and made it worthwhile to explore Johto once more – and Kanto for the umpteenth time, for that matter. The Crystal also made it possible to trade Pokémon between Johto and Kanto. It proves that fond memories are not the only thing that makes a game worth playing again.

Pokémon Gold and Silver

Even though it's been more than a decade since Pokémon Gold and Silver came out for the first time, they are still great games. These games have always been considered among the series' most memorable moments. These games feel just as fantastic as they did when they were first released all those years ago, which may indicate the series' slow-and-steady iterative approach.

The excellent gameplay of these classic video games will bring a smile to anyone who participated in them all those years ago. People who love the Pokémon series have said that the second generation was the best. This is because Gen II improved upon the original by adding a gorgeous splash of color on GBC, adding 100 new Pocket Monsters, and throwing in the entire Kanto region for good measure (thanks, Satoru Iwata).

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Game Freak has designated Pokémon Legends: Arceus as a mainline entry in the series. It feels like the result of the developers' learning lessons for the past 25 years, refining the formula, and finally taking the franchise in a fascinating new direction. Game Freak has made this designation. With a focus on enriching exploration, addictive catching mechanics, a fine roster of Pokémon, and a genuine sense of scale that is unlike anything else in the series, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is, in our opinion, one of the best Pokémon games ever made, despite having some technical issues in certain areas.

Pokémon Emerald

It should be no surprise that Pokémon Emerald, the updated version of Ruby and Sapphire, is more of an evolution than a revolution. Emerald is the upgraded version of Ruby and Sapphire. 

It lets you catch more Pokémon than its predecessors, and it added the Battle Frontier, a competition island where you can earn badges, buy items, and learn new moves to teach your Pokémon after beating the Elite Four. Additionally, it included some new story elements that took place in the Hoenn region. Even though it might not have had the same "wow" factor for Pokémon fans who had followed the franchise since the beginning, Pokémon Emerald was an excellent addition to the Pokémon series.

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Pokémon Platinum

In 2009, Pokémon Platinum had a lot of content for what it cost, thanks to adding new characters, expanding the Battle Frontier, and improving the online part of the game. Instead of taking the easy way out and just adding a few small things, Game Freak went out of its way to add a ton of good things that made it worth buying even if you had already been to Sinnoh in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, which came out two years before this version of the game. 

Even if you had already been to Sinnoh in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, these new features were enough to make it worth buying. If you are only going to play one game from the Generation IV series, make it this one.

Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver

Fans of Pocket Monsters all over the world remember the first Pokémon Gold and Silver games with a lot of fondness, and for a good reason. These games improved on the original Game by adding things like breeding, an in-game clock, and color, which have since become staples of the series—adding fan-favorite monsters to these remakes made sure they would be liked from the start.

Some people would say it has never been better than in these DS remakes, where you can roam the land and search far and wide. This is true even though later games added more quality of life features and other improvements. In this day and age, it may be hard to go back to playing the original Games, but Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver find the perfect balance between reflective elements and the catch-em-all gameplay the series is known for.

Pokemon Puzzle League

The video game "Pokemon Puzzle League" combines elements from "Pokemon" and "Tetris Attack." The game's objective is to build blocks of different colors on top of each other in rows and columns of at least three. In this version of the Pokemon League, Ash Ketchum competes in the Pokemon Puzzle League instead of the traditional Pokemon League. 

He fights Kanto gym leaders, Team Rocket, and other opponents by blocking their moves. The video game "Pokemon Puzzle League" was especially popular with anime fans because it used remixed versions of anime music and voice actors from the dub.

Several reviews used by Metacritic said that the game was better than "Tetris Attack" because it was unique and exciting. According to Hot Games, the fact that there are multiple ways to play the game, including a two-player versus mode and a timed play option, as well as hidden characters that can be unlocked, ensures that the game is never dull. 

People who struggled with the game could adjust the difficulty level to make it more challenging or Use the game's selectable difficulty levels. However, Hers believed the game was not worth purchasing for anyone who already owned "Tetris Attack."

Pokemon Go

Even now, "Pokemon Go" is one of the most well-known and easily accessible video games in the Pokemon franchise. People who have always desired to find Pokémon in the wild and battle in gyms like in the games made their dreams come true by playing the ARG title. 

It was just a matter of time until it became a global phenomenon, inspiring people worldwide to go outside to play the game and form relationships with one another over Pokemon. Even people who didn't particularly enjoy the game would have difficulty denying that it provided them with some experiences they couldn't get from playing other games.

But even with this, virtual reality can only take you so far. It was extremely aggravating for players to lose Pokemon amid a battle, but they also ran the risk of becoming disconnected while doing anything else.

Even if "Pokemon Go" only has a score of 69 on Metacritic, its popularity can't be denied, given the number of people still playing the game and interested in hearing about it. Since then, the game's developer, Niantic, has fixed many of the broken parts of the game and added new, exciting features that not only make the game better as a whole but also keep bringing in new players.

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Pokemon Snap

The game "Pokemon Snap" was the first of its kind to be an on-rails shooter. Instead of a fight where players just shot enemies as they appeared around the course, they had to watch scenes that looked like they were from a safari. They used cameras as their weapons of choice rather than guns. Players must take pictures of Pokemon and solve puzzles to move forward in the game. 

So, the player might start to play with things that are not only funny but also often interesting. It also meant that there would be many opportunities for mischief, such as hitting Pokémon over the head with apples or capturing them with pestering balls to get the best shot.

Critics gave "Pokemon Snap" a good review. It can be finished in about twenty hours. Players don't have to play levels over and over again. However, players can enhance their quality by repeatedly taking pictures of the same scenes to better center their shots and obtain large images.

Because "Pokemon Snap" was such a cherished classic, Nintendo ultimately decided to develop a follow-up game that was very different from the first installment in the series. It's possible that this version of the game isn't as popular as the most recent one, but it still deserves praise for its unique concept and the charming way the Pokemon interact with one another.

Detective Pikachu

Did you know that the "Detective Pikachu" franchise started as a video game before it became a movie? It follows the same plot. Tim Goodman is searching for his absent father when he comes across a sarcastic, talking Pikachu that behaves like an older man. While the two of them work together to collect clues, Tim is a translator for Detective Pikachu. Pikachu speaks to Pokemon and then relays the information to Tim. Some people might find it weird that Pikachu flirts with the female supporting characters.

The story of "Detective Pikachu" is cute and a little different from how a trainer and their Pokemon usually interact. IGN lauded "Detective Pikachu" for focusing on the relationships between people and Pokemon in contexts other than gym battles. 

The article also said that the puzzles were easy enough for younger players to understand without getting boring for more experienced players. The fact that the Pokémon Company has approved it to be made into a movie starring Ryan Reynolds should be reason enough to look at this precious gem again.

Pokemon Conquest

The spinoff game "Pokemon Conquest" combined two ideas that, at first glance, appeared to have no connection to one another. The players don't collect gym badges or Pokemon. Instead, they fight against Japanese warlords in a turn-based way. 

This game is a crossover between "Pokemon" and "Nobunaga's Ambition," a strategy role-playing game series in feudal Japan. The gameplay loop from that series is used in this game. Before beginning work on "Conquest," the game's producer, Osamu Maeda, had previously contributed to the "Nobunaga's Ambition" series of video games. 

The game does an excellent job of including strategic elements, allowing players to level up their Pokemon, relax in a hidden base, and engage in other traditional RPG activities. 

In a nutshell, it was more like a role-playing strategy game with a "Pokemon" veneer applied to it, as opposed to something that was developed from the bottom up as a recognizable "Pokemon" game. Putting aside its bizarre combination of concepts, those who have tried it must admit that it has a pleasant gameplay experience.

Conclusion

Based on every Pokémon video game released, we've put together our list of the best Pokémon games. Naturally, there will be many classics and some true hidden gems; although this quality is frequently disregarded, one of Pokémon's greatest strengths is its capacity for surprise. Thank you very much for reading this!