The very best Pokémon games stand tall above the others as a shining example of everything the Pokémon fantasy can be. While it can be difficult to determine exactly what makes the strongest Pokémon titles, we at TRG have sussed out which entries in the series are the best (like no one ever was).
While the Pokémon games amount to some of the best RPGs and best JRPGs ever made, it's no secret that they vary somewhat when it comes to quality. While newer games often offer welcome quality-of-life improvements and additional features, barebones stories and performance issues can frustrate the efforts of even the most determined would-be Pokémon master.
Even scientists struggle to agree as to which game is best, but we've taken a balanced look across the entire series, weighing up all the pros and cons so as to deliver you a definitive ranking of the best Pokémon games ever made. At their best, Pokémon games capture a childlike wonder, presenting a world full of adventure, friendship, and possibilities. It's clear, however, that some titles capture this dream better than others.
Best Pokémon games
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No list of the best Pokémon games is complete without Sun and Moon, which introduced the Alola region. Alola offered a definite departure from the series' earlier environments, complete with region-specific Pokémon forms and challenges. Gone were gyms – replaced instead by island trials, and Totem Pokémon and themed challenges surrounding them. Even HMs disappeared. The novelty was certainly refreshing.
However, Sun and Moon's innovations were somewhat limited in many respects. Sun This generation took Generation 5’s attempt to craft a more involving story and Generation 6’s attempt to be more of a traditional RPG, and brought them together in a way that brought the series forward, but not quite enough to give Pokémon the rejuvenation it sorely needed at the time.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon continued what Sun and Moon started, but rather than simply rehashing the same story in the kind of director's cut, they were more of an attempt to recreate the sequel structure we first saw with Black and White 2 in Generation 5. There was brand new story involving dimensional wormholes, brand new legendary Pokemon, and an attempt to continue the tale of Sun and Moons rather than re-tell it.
But Sun and Moon weren't the only Pokémon games in Generation 7, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee fall under the same generation. Pokémon Let's Go is a hybrid that blends the best of the franchise's hit mobile game, Pokémon Go, with game mechanics from Sun and Moon. The resulting mix elicited different responses from different gamers. Some were put off by the lack of competitiveness of the entry while others enjoyed the simplicity of the new direction.
The idea behind the games was to streamline everything and reduce the parts of the game that frustrated audiences. Personally, we hated using a valuable move slot for a worthless HM like Cut or Flash. In Pokémon Let's Go, HMs no longer existed. We hated walking through caves just to be bombarded by Zubats. Again, that just wasn't a problem in Pokémon Let's Go as random encounters were gone and you could see where the Pokémon were on the map. Sure, that took away some of the joy of running into a rare Pokémon like Pinsir out in the Safari Zone, but it also means less of the tedious grinding that wasted precious hours of our lives in the '90s.
Generation 7 certainly tried something new. Sun and Moon were the biggest departure for Pokémon games in years, but didn't stick the landing in quite the same way as Pokémon Sword and Shield, nor did it match the lofty ambitions of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was a double-edged sword, brimming with ambition in its attempt to rehabilitate Pokémon as an open-world game. The title enjoys three main storylines which players can complete at their own pace while exploring the expansive world of Paldea.
Battles occur in the open world, and Pokémon exhibit animalistic behaviors in the wild. On paper, it's a Pokémon fan's dream. However, the game was held back by shoddy execution. A wide range of bugs keeps the game from realizing its lofty goals, constantly reminding you of the foibles and limitations of the Nintendo Switch.
That said, the games aren't without their charms. The cast of characters is memorable and endearing, offering stories sufficiently stirring that they brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion.
However, the games feel half-finished, indicative, perhaps, of what Pokémon could be if it were given enough room to grow.
Pokémon Sword and Shield were the first mainline Pokémon games to be released on the Nintendo Switch. Expectations were high from the initial announcement. But, despite the furor, the eighth generation seemed to weather the storm and both titles have gone on to have great critical and commercial success. Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Galar region, inspired by the United Kingdom, is charming and generally well-liked, and its wild areas added a much-requested open-world feature to the series.
There are a few issues that keep Sword and Shield from being the very best, however. As with Scarlet and Violet the lack of voice acting is especially conspicuous in the current generation. The plot does little to excite, remaining in traditional Pokémon territory. That said, the graphics and quality-of-life changes introduced in Generation 8 were a welcome addition, making the game an enjoyable ride overall.
Pokémon Legends Arceus later expanded upon Sword and Shield, freeing players in search of a simpler experience and offering arguably the best storytelling of the series to date. It was a breath of fresh air and we were glad to see GameFreak experimenting with its long-running series, particularly in how it reimagined how we battle and capture Pokémon – it was this experimentation that earned it its place on our best Nintendo Switch games list. But, for some, Arceus was far too relaxed held back as it was by the Nintendo Switch's aging hardware.
Generation 8 also included Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes of Generation 4's Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo Switch. Now, these remakes aren’t the work of Game Freak (they’re by the studio ILCA) but they’re pretty damn faithful. They’re not the most ambitious remakes in the Pokémon series but a lot of affection for the originals clearly went into them and that does wonders for the nostalgia factor.
Generation 8 certainly brought Pokémon into the modern era with experimental features and gameplay but not all of them were executed as effectively as would have been ideal.
Pokémon X and Y were a visual revolution for the Pokémon franchise, being the first games to be released on the 3DS console with truly 3D graphics.
Graphics in X and Y were absolutely gorgeous, and we think we’ll always remember our first-ever time in Lumiose City. Additionally, we got a new type (Fairy), Mega Evolution, Pokémon-Amie, and new character customization settings to go along with them.
X and Y's move toward RPG territory brought the games' story under more scrutiny, however, exposing how barebones it was compared to other entries in the genre.
It's the release of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, remakes of Generation 3's Ruby and Sapphire that were the real standout entries of this generation. These remakes were great, not because they drastically changed the story, but because they graciously added new features and quality of life improvements to the mix, introduced as they were in X and Y. Plus, seeing the Hoenn region in 3D was inspiring. When you play these remakes, you get a better sense of why Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald were such indispensable additions to the series back in the day.
Generation 5 brought a bolder sort of storytelling to Pokémon, having the characters in Black and White question the very premise of the game.
The Pokémon games aren’t exactly known for their storytelling, but Black and White and their sequels did a laudable job of offering something novel and exciting.
In this generation, we went well over 600 Pokémon and, as a result, some of the new additions here are pretty perplexing in terms of design. These games also made the controversial change of making it possible to use TMs more than once. This was a change that, while not universally unwelcome, did cause some consternation amongst more hardcore fans.
Black and White 2 took the time to follow on from its predecessors, offering a kind of sequential worldbuilding that we hadn't seen since Pokémon Gold and Silver.
Continuing from Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Ruby and Sapphire gave us better animations, double battles, contests, secret bases, and (to the relief of everyone) the ability to run.
Generation 3 marked the first time that Pokémon released for a new console. The GameBoy Advance was a far more impressive machine than its predecessor, allowing for meaningful graphical improvements. Ruby and Sapphire were full of vibrant colors which gave the game a vivacity of which its predecessors could only dream.
While Generation 3 did have its issues, it brought us Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, remakes of Pokémon Red and Blue that added new features and improved visuals – though they’re not the easiest games to get your hands on for a decent price in 2023. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are the definitive versions of the original Pokémon experience and would likely rank higher on our list if they were more accessible.
Generation 1 invented the Pokémon formula, providing a generation of childhoods with hours of fond memories of adventure, mystery and friendship. While there will always be an element of nostalgia involved when it comes to the first Pokémon generation, there's a lot to be said for Red and Blue's simple and intuitive systems, not to mention the iconic design of the original 150 Pokémon.
Pokémon Red and Blue arrived in the US and Australia in 1998 before making its way to Europe in 1999. In an era before online games, the GameBoy's Link Cable allowed for the next best thing. Pokémon Red and Blue was as cemented in trading and community as it was in single-player fun. The intersection of different people's Pokémon experiences allowed for the games to take on a life of their own, feeling bigger than any one player.
In essence, this is the magic of Pokémon. It's why Pokémon Go enjoyed its own surge of popularity in 2016 and why the franchise remains so popular to this day.
Though Pokémon Red and Blue are sparse, bare-bones affairs by modern standards, they established Pokémon's identity, both in terms of their narrative and mechanical elements, but also when it came to their emphasis on community building. In many respects, Pokémon is a multiplayer game, and it was Red and Blue that first allowed Pokémon to transcend the limits of RPGs, laying the foundations for what would one day be a global community.
Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum were subtle but rewarding affairs, gently iterating on Ruby and Sapphire's improvements to the series without departing too far from what makes Pokémon great.
Gen 4 also included some great designs. Piplup, Chimchar, and Turtwig rank among some of the most adorable starters in Pokémon history. The games also doubled down on the series' flirtations with mythology, adding Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus as new legendaries.
However, the greatest feather in Gen 4's cap was the remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver: HeartGold and SoulSilver. These took the greatest games in the series and gave them a welcome lick of paint, alongside welcome quality of life improvements. This also came before Pokémon's ambitious, but somewhat awkward move to 3D. Lavish, colorful sprites populated HeartGold and SoulSilver's iconic locations, imbuing them with all the zest and flair of Gen 3 and Gen 4.
For many, HeartGold and SoulSilver are the definitive Pokémon experience, but, as you'll see below, it was their original incarnations that brought out the very best in the series.
Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal set the benchmark for what can be achieved in a Pokémon adventure. Rather than abandoning the previous game as many of its sequels elected to do, Gold, Silver, and Crystal meaningfully built on Gen 1, attaching the Johto region to Kanto and allowing the player to adventure through both.
Gold, Silver, and Crystal's new Pokémon served to compliment the original 150, offering new evolutions for existing creatures as well as brand new evolutionary lines which mirrored the originals.
In contrast to modern Pokémon, Gold, Silver, and Crystal didn't sweep previous versions under the rug, instead embracing them and using them to tie together a coherent Pokémon universe. Koga's daughter takes over Fusica City's gym, while her dad steps up to the Elite Four. Lance, Pokémon champion, returns too, taking an active role in the story which serves to make the climactic battle against him all the more meaningful.
To top it all off, the game's final battle takes place against Red, the protagonist of the original Red and Blue, tying together both stories in a beautiful culmination.
Pokémon works best when it presents us with an immersive world, in which we can get lost. Gold, Silver, and Crystal doubled down on this immersion, by building on their existing setting, fleshing out the world of Pokémon in a way that resonated with fans. If Red and Blue built the Pokemon community, it was Gold, Silver, and Crystal, that gave this community a sense of permanency and shared narrative – an achievement upon which the Pokémon franchise trades to this day.
Best Pokémon games: FAQs
What's the best Pokémon game for Switch?
The best Pokémon game for Switch is easily Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Though occasionally stymied by performance issues, Scarlet and Violet does justice to the Pokémon fantasy, offering a charming open-world, and three main stories which, in contrast to many other titles in the series, offer a range of memorable characters and moving moments.
It's the best Pokémon game in years and, though we criticized it in our review for its shoddy performance, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offers an adventure you won't soon forget.
What's the best Pokémon game to nuzlocke?
The best Pokémon game to nuzlocke is Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. For those not in the know, a "nuzlocke run" is when you release any Pokémon in your party that faints, adding a brutally satisfying permadeath element to the game.
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver has a gentler difficulty curve, allowing you to come to terms with the difficulties of a nuzlocke run. The sheer length of the game serves to keep things fresh, ensuring that a new challenge is just around the corner.
How we made our Best Pokémon games guide
Any ranking of the best Pokémon games is going to be divisive, so rather than attempt to assess which of the series' generations might be "the best", we instead focused on their contribution to the Pokémon saga and their ability to capture the fantasy and childlike wonder at the heart of the entire franchise.
Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal are at the top of our list because they meaningfully built on the world of Pokémon, without taking down what came before them. This approach allowed the Pokémon fantasy to grow and mature, while simultaneously staying true to its roots – a difficult line to walk, and a challenge that Game Freak struggles to address to this day.
