The best Pokémon games, ranked from best to worst
09.05.2024 - 21:59
/ digitaltrends.com
/ Nintendo
For more than 25 years, developer Game Freak has found a way to reinvent the Pokémon franchise for each new generation of gamers. Both brand-new Pokémon trainers and seasoned 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 start exploring the Pokémon franchise.
Between new main series titles that bring new regions and Pokémon into the mix — likePokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokémon Scarlet andViolet, remakes, and spinoffs — there’s a massive library of Pokémon games to choose from. Everyone has their favorites, but some are arguably better than others (just like Nintendo’s long-running Metroid and Legend of Zelda series). We divided every Pokémon game into a couple of categories and ranked them accordingly.
Where do you think the next main series game will rank when it releases? And where will Pokémon Sleep rank among spin-offs?
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All main series titles ranked
1. Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal (generation 2)
Starter Pokémon: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile
Pokémon Gold andSilver 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.
Gold andSilver added the Kanto region to the map, connecting Johto with the landmass that started the phenomenon. With 16 gym leaders to best, Gold andSilver remain the deepest, lengthiest Pokémon games ever created.
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). This installment also added the three legendary dog Pokémon — Raikou, Suicune, and Entei — which could be found roaming throughout Johto after an initial static encounter.
We’d be remiss not to mention HeartGold and SoulSilver, the enhanced DS remakes of Gold andSilver, but we’ll get to that in our remake-specific section below.
2. Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow (gen 1)
Starter Pokémon (Blue/Red): Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur
Starter