Best Pokemon games of all time, ranked

Today, we’re going over the best Pokemon games of all time – more specifically, the top 10 main series Pokemon games. Spin-offs don’t count for this particular list, but there are definitely plenty of those that are more than worth playing in the modern day.

The Pokemon series is, in a way, difficult to write about. At present, the series isn’t quite in a lull, per se, but it’s also most certainly not at its peak. Developing games is difficult, and for a never-ending media franchise like Pokemon, deadlines can be tough to meet. Over the past few years, titles like Sword and Shield and especially Scarlet and Violet have drawn criticism for several reasons. Though the design quality of individual Pokemon has remained strong, things like the graphics, performance, and postgame content have become somewhat inconsistent. This leads us to ask: what do you think are the best Pokemon games of all time? We’ve made our own list, so be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

10. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

In many ways, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet sort of dropped the ball. Their main weakness relate to graphics and performance. Though the art style and visual direction are solid, Paldea itself is rather barren and the visuals are often quite plain as a result of the game’s open-world nature. Still, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are a step in the right direction in many other ways. For one, this is a Pokemon game with ambition. Open world isn’t really something that Pokemon has done before, and the fact that it was attempted at all shows the developers did want this to be something special – even if their deadline was too tight to fully realize it. The real step in the right direction, however, is the story. Pokemon Sun and Moon are difficult to replay because of their heavy emphasis on story – more specifically, the long, drawn-out cutscenes that are impossible to skip even on repeat playthroughs. Pokemon Sword and Shield, as we’ve covered, have a highly-criticized storyline that often makes no sense at all. Scarlet and Violet, on the other hand, start off with a rather slow story. When you make it to the final portion of the game, however, it really gets going and arguably becomes one of the greatest moments the series has ever seen. The DLC campaigns also focus on building up characters, both human and Pokemon. Fun fact – Ogerpon always has a Lonely nature, so it’s more like you’re catching a character than a random Legendary Pokemon with no personality traits. Scarlet and Violet give a lot of care to its character designs, Pokemon designs, and story, but not in a way that’s terribly intrusive to the player. Add that to a competitively versatile gimmick in Terastallization and you know that, while Pokemon might not be as good as it used to be, it still has fuel in the tank.

9. Pokemon X and Y

In terms of story, Pokemon X and Y are pretty basic. Still, it can’t be overstated that these games moved the series forward in many ways. A fully-3D Pokemon game had never been done before, and the models and animation were newly-introduced and very impressive at the time. These models are still used today, which some players resent, but Scarlet and Violet at least have added detailed texture work to them plus entirely new models for Pokemon like Ho-Oh, Lugia, Charizard, Mewtwo, and more. The point is, Pokemon X and Y set a solid foundation for the series for years to come – not to mention its excellent multiplayer. The Player Search System is the easiest method of communication we’ve had in a Pokemon game. It makes it easy to trade and battle other players, and even includes voice chat as an option throughout. The titles also made competitive battling much easier, with an emphasis on easier access to EV training, IV breeding, and even hunting for Shiny Pokemon (which still wasn’t easy, but the odds were halved to 1 in 4096). Pokemon X and Y certainly aren’t the best Pokemon games of all time, but they’re definitely in the conversation for most influential.

8. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Before we start this one, it should be noted that Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon do not fully outclass the original Sun and Moon. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the story has been altered a bit to make Lusamine less of a villain and Necrozma more of a plot point. Some fans think that this disrupts the flow of the original story, which is certainly a fair point. Despite that change being arguably for the worst, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are solid entries – maybe not the best Pokemon games, but they’re up there. There’s a lot of content on offer here, including a revised progression system that doesn’t include Gym Leaders, a newly-introduced postgame focusing on Team Rainbow Rocket, one of the toughest in-game battles in Ultra Necrozma, and the ability to travel through Ultra Space to catch and even Shiny hunt tons of returning Legendary Pokemon. The lengthy cutscenes do make this entry very difficult to replay, plus the fact that Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon released a year after their originals at full price. Still, if you manage to get a hold of them in the modern day, they remain very good games.

7. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

At the time of writing, these are some of the best Pokemon remakes in the series. They added a huge amount of content to the Hoenn region, including the entire post-game Delta Episode – not to mention cool extra features like the DexNav, the retention of Pokemon X and Y’s Player Search System (one of the best multiplayer connection systems in the franchise), and the inclusion of returning Legendary Pokemon. That last one isn’t as impressive now, admittedly, because Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Sword and Shield, and Scarlet and Violet all went on to do the same thing. Still, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are still a great way to experience the Hoenn region. That said, some problems the modern Pokemon franchise faces right now sort of got their start here. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire placed a huge focus on Mega Evolution from X and Y, which further cemented the modern philosophy that every new Pokemon game needs a battle gimmick. Furthermore, while the game is well-made, you do see a slight bit of corner-cutting here and there – namely that teaser for the Battle Frontier that says “the Battle Frontier project has started development”. This seemed to imply DLC at the time, but it never wound up happening.

6. Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Pokemon Legends: Arceus may not be the most loved Pokemon game of all time, but it’s absolutely a lock for the strongest Pokemon title on Switch. This game brought the series forward in ways that no other title has. Moving around in the overworld and then engaging and battling Pokemon is mostly seamless, and you can throw Poke Balls at your targets from miles away to gather a whole bunch all at once. The soundtrack is excellent, and the story concept is unique even if they could’ve fleshed out Hisui with additional areas and routes to explore. The art style is cool, too – Legends Arceus does have some graphical oddities here and there, so it certainly isn’t perfect. Still, Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a step in the right direction. The problem is, that’s all it was. Things like seamless Pokemon catching and even the Linking Cable (to remove the need for trade evolutions) were immediately removed in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but that’s not the fault of Legends Arceus. Even if the game was more of a glimpse at how Pokemon could work with a modernized formula rather than a step in the right direction, it’s still a solid entry in the series that’s worth your time to this day.

5. Pokemon Emerald

This is one of the most beloved and best Pokemon games out there. It’s an updated version of Pokemon Ruby Sapphire, and it’s almost certainly the strongest entry on the Game Boy Advance. There’s tons of content here, from an updated main storyline to the infamously-difficult Battle Frontier and more. Though the Battle Frontier did go on to appear in Pokemon Platinum and HeartGold and SoulSilver, it got its start here and provides tons of replay value on the go. Each playthrough offers a solid amount of variety in the modern day, with plenty of potential Pokemon to choose for your team. Some of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members pose a real challenge, too.

4. Pokemon Black and White

When they were first released, Pokemon Black and White weren’t terribly popular among fans. In a sense, the games were something of a soft reboot for the series. The original Black and White are set in the Unova region, and only new Pokemon are available to use in the game until the very end. This polarized some players at first, and the backlash that resulted may be why we see nostalgia pandering starting with X and Y (lots of new forms for Kanto Pokemon, Mega Evolutions, and the like). Still, if you can get past that, Black and White are like a breath of fresh air we never see in the series anymore. Many of the new Unova designs are solid and memorable, and going through a new game with a team of brand-new Pokemon is an experience that hasn’t been fully matched to this day. Their art style and sprite work are also heavily refined and easy to look at, which was carried over to their sequels as well.

3. Pokemon Platinum

Even after the release of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pokemon Platinum remains the definitive way to experience the Sinnoh region. In comparison, the original Diamond and Pearl are a little bit undercooked compared to Platinum, which adds a ton of new and quality-of-life features. The flow of the story is considerably changed, which generally winds up beneficial. More importantly, however, is the expansion of the Sinnoh Pokedex. In Diamond and Pearl (and its remakes), there are very few Fire-type Pokemon available in Sinnoh – in fact, if you didn’t choose Chimchar, your only option is Ponyta. Pokemon Platinum adds Flareon, Magby, and Houndour to the lineup, greatly increasing the variety of team compositions. Platinum adds many other Pokemon to the Sinnoh Dex as well.  Then you’ve got the Distortion World, a cool setpiece that never appears in any other game, and a wealth of neat Mythical Pokemon events. Pokemon Platinum is definitely up there with the best Pokemon games of all time.

2. Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver

It’s no secret that HeartGold and SoulSilver are some of the best Pokemon games ever made. They’re not just Johto region remakes – they go above and beyond to pack as much content into the game as possible. It’s also one of (if not the) longest games in the franchise. HeartGold and SoulSilver not only include a full-sized campaign with eight Gym Leaders in Johto, but a follow-up postgame campaign in Kanto with another eight to face. Pair that with tough post-game battles, following partner Pokemon, tons of Legendary Pokemon, GB Sounds, and a solid soundtrack, and you’ve got an absolutely incredible main series game. There’s just one thing keeping HeartGold and SoulSilver from the top spot, though – the level curve. In these games especially, wild Pokemon tend to be of a much lower level than the trainers that challenge you. This means you’ll often have to spend lots of extra time grinding levels on non-starter team members. In turn, it’s also more likely that your starter Pokemon winds up at a high level while all of your other team members lag behind. Still, these are great entries that we’d love to revisit today.

1. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 have topped our list of the best Pokemon games ever. Whether Unova is your favorite region or not, it’s tough to argue that these games weren’t made with real effort and a focus on lots of content. Whereas the original Pokemon Black and White focused almost solely on new Pokemon, Black 2 and White 2 take a different approach that blends the new Unova Pokemon with returning creatures, too. This creates a lot of potential team variety, which makes repeat playthroughs more interesting. Though you do have to unlock them through convoluted means, the fact that there’s an Easy Mode and especially a Challenge Mode adds an extra layer of customization to new playthroughs of the games. Then you have things like Pokestar Studios, the Pokemon World Championships, Medals, returning Legendary Pokemon, and much more on top of a brand-new storyline.

Ranking the best Pokemon games of all time in an objective manner is definitely impossible, but that’s our big list of opinions. What do you think are the 10 best main series Pokemon games out there? Feel free to share your ranking and thoughts with us in the comments below.

The most recent main series Pokemon game at the time of writing, Scarlet and Violet, are available now. You can check out the official site here.