What is the best Pokémon game? It’s a question that the community has been wrestling with since 1996 when Pokémon Red and Blue came out. With every new release, players either find a new best Pokémon game or another reason an older one is better. That will continue as long as the franchise is around, which is likely forever.
Top 10 Pokémon Games – Best Pokémon Game in 2023
At this point, there are nine generations of mainline games, several remakes and a couple of other games like the Let’s Go! series or Legends: Arceus. Naturally, there can be a range of quality in the games. Here’s which ones are the best Pokémon games of all time.
10. Pokémon: Sword and Shield
Sword and Shield wasn’t all that popular when they came out, but they’re still actively being played today despite there being good options also active. That says a lot about a game to have that kind of longevity in this franchise. It was the first Pokémon game on arguably its best console ever, the Nintendo Switch. The Galar region was fun and full of great new Pokémon. It was also the second time a region had regional variants of existing Pokémon.
While this comes from the DLC to the game, it had excellent Legendaries (including both Zacian and Zamazenta). Truth be told, this placement on this list could solely be due to the Galarian Birds, which somehow managed to take three of the most iconic and longstanding Legendary Pokémon and make them even better.
9. Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl
Diamond and Pearl is a classic, evidenced by the amount of people who flocked to the remake, Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. It has arguably the most iconic antagonist in the entire franchise with Cynthia and her Garchomp. The difficulty level on those battles was something else, and it has certainly made this game a huge favorite for many players.
The remakes weren’t as popular as the originals, though. This is largely because the originals were just that good and the remakes didn’t add much to them. Players felt like they were just playing a slightly altered version of a classic, which doesn’t help. The originals hold up today and they are set in one of the best regions with an iconic pair of Legendary Pokémon in Palkia and Dialga.
8. Pokémon: Sun and Moon
Pokémon: Sun and Moon was one of the most revolutionary Pokémon games of all time. It was the first time any region had regional forms for Pokémon and that aspect of the game quickly became a mainstay as both the entries following it adopted the same mechanic. Additionally, the Alola region is beautiful and many players loved it for the beach vibes it carried.
Solgaleo and Lunala were excellent Legendaries, as were all of the Tapus. The side quests, the layout of the region and everything was done to perfection. The only reason this isn’t higher on the list is because there are just so many excellent Pokémon games out there.
7. Pokémon: Black and White
Pokémon: Black and White did an excellent job reminding people why these games are fun. It’s not necessarily as nostalgic as the others, but it recaptures the childlike wonder of exploring a region for the first time. Many players felt as excited as they did when Red and Blue first came out. The game was so good that the Pokémon Company decided to release a direct sequel. No other game in the franchise has done that yet.
The sequels were great, but they also just reminded players how good the original was.
6. Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet
Despite their being technical issues with the game, there are a ton of reasons to love Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet. If the game was smoother and ran without glitches, it has a case for being the best game in the franchise. Nevertheless, in 25 years when the franchise is twice as old, this game will be looked back upon as one of the most important. It is the first truly open world game in the series and the first mainline game to adopt that feature in any capacity.
It also introduces a ton of excellent Pokémon to the national Pokédex and adds more regional forms to fan favorites. It’s also arguably the most in-depth game to date as there are three full storylines to complete that require quite a bit of attention. The storyline is also rather unique compared to other games, which makes it a breath of fresh air as well as just an excellent game.
Top 5 Pokémon Games Ranked
5. Pokémon GO
Name a Pokémon game that had millions of people playing it at the same time when it came out that’s not GO. It’s tough to do, because when Pokémon GO released in 2016, everyone on planet earth was playing it. Everyone was walking around their cities with their heads glued to their phones trying desperately to find a Snorlax or a Weedle. Even now, nearly seven years after it was released, so many players play it every single day.
It’s arguably better than it was then, too, as there are so many more Pokémon available, there are raids, shiny Pokémon and more to do that wasn’t there in the beginning. Most players don’t even think of this when thinking of Pokémon games, but it is easily one of the best Pokémon games of all time.
4. Pokémon: Platinum
Is Pokémon: Platinum one of the best Pokémon games of all time?
Platinum was an excellent addition to the franchise. It added wonderful new characters and trainers as well as a lot of fan favorite creatures. It introduced a few new mechanics, including some online capabilities. This was a rehash of the Diamond and Pearl region Sinnoh, but it did it arguably much better than its predecessor.
Generation IV has become one that trainers keep going back to and while the originals and remakes are good, many players find themselves itching to replay Platinum before any of the rest of them.
3. Pokémon: Emerald
The updated version of Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon: Emerald is easily one of the best Pokémon games of all time. In fact, many would argue that it is the best. Hoenn is one of the most popular regions and holds one of the most iconic Legendary duos in Kyogre and Groudon. Ruby and Sapphire were great, but Emerald arguably upgraded everything about those games and made it one excellent package. It also included a lot of features that are now commonplace, so it was a big entry for this franchise.
2. Pokémon: Red and Blue
Despite it being the oldest release in the franchise, Pokémon: Red and Blue is still one of the top Pokémon games. Even though the technology and the graphics have gotten better over the years, it’s hard to forget the original. Players loved this game when it came out because it was totally revolutionary. It also deserves credit for essentially spawning one of the biggest brands in video games.
There’s a reason many players still believe Generation I was the best one. The Pokémon first discovered in Kanto are excellent. Most of the more popular characters from Mewtwo to Charizard and Eevee to Pikachu are found there. The Legendaries and Mythical Pokémon are iconic and it just hasn’t gotten all that much better since this was released.
1. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Legends: Arceus – The Best Pokémon Game
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is easily the best game in the franchise to date. It features all the aspects that good Pokémon games have: open world (sort of), good shiny rates, noticeable shinies, excellent gameplay and a fun story. It also has the benefit of not forcing players to tediously enter battles to catch Pokémon. Trainers can do anything from the comfort of a crouch behind a tree.
While it’s unclear whether or not the franchise will continue to do the Legends series, it’s clear that fans loved it. Despite it not being a mainline game and it being very different from any other release in the franchise, it instantly became very popular. There was almost nothing not to like about it. It revolutionized the franchise and changed the future for it. Plus, it’s just an absolutely excellent game with plenty to do.
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