The Pokémon franchise went from a duo of basic turn-based RPGs on an already old handheld system to the biggest multimedia entity on the planet. It spans movies, TV shows, merchandise, a popular trading card game, and an ever-growing roster of video games, some of which are better than others.
This isn’t to say that the Pokémon franchise has produced nothing but classics, far from it, but there are plenty of incredible entries that helped bring in millions of fans. These are games that take stat blocks and small pixel drawings of monsters and turn them into beloved classics recognized worldwide.
Pokémon Red & Blue Started It All
Pokémon Red & Blue are the reason this list exists. If it weren’t for Red, the Kanto region, and the original 151 monsters that resided within it, there wouldn’t be a Pokémon franchise. Instead, fans would live in a dimension where Beyblade or Digimon were the dominant Japanese anime/video game franchises.
Gen 1 of Pokémon lacks many of the quality of life features found in modern games, butKanto feels alive in a way that many modern games could never hope to achieve. The story of Red’s journey is basic, but it resonated with fans, and it’s still fun to boot up the game and wake up at Mom’s house, ready for a new adventure.
Pokémon Sword & Shield Let the Giants Loose with Dynamax
It’s a shame that the Pokémon franchise’s mainline debut on a console was marred by the controversy of Dexit, with the National Dex being absent for the first time. Pokémon Sword & Shield are among the best entries in the franchise’s history, with Galar standing out with its rich history and expansive Wild Areas.
The Dynamax/Gigantamax mechanic was also an amazing addition to the series, adding a truly epic feel to the battles that was needed, thanks to Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves not making the cut. Sure, Hop might be the worst Rival in the series, but fans who don’t mind whacking the A button as soon as his face appears will be able to get through the story just fine.
Pokémon X & Y Brought Mega Evolution to the Series
Pokémon X & Y marked the series’ jump to full 3D, but that wasn’t the only reason people were excited to enter the Kalos region. The Nintendo 3DS had much better wireless capabilities than previous systems, making it easier than ever to play with others online.
The biggest reason people remember Pokémon X & Y is due to the debut of Mega Evolution, where existing Pokémon could temporarily gain a new form in battle. It not only added to the spectacle but also drastically changed team composition and strategies. The Kalos region was also a joy to explore and resulted in one of the prettiest settings in the whole franchise.
Pokémon Emerald Topped Every Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Game Before It
Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire were massive technical and mechanical jumps for the franchise, ones no longer hindered by the ancient hardware of the original Game Boy. There was still room for improvement, and Pokémon Emerald did just that, adding an extensive post-game, while tying the stories of the villainous teams together, giving the player the best of both worlds during their trip through the Hoenn region.
Sure, Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire received remakes on the Nintendo 3DS, which added Mega Evolutions, but they suffered from a distinct lack of enemy trainer variety and the removal of most of the post-game. Those who want the best Hoenn experience need to go back to the Game Boy Advance for their trip, or maybe wait for the game to be brought to the Nintendo Switch.
Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen Brought Kanto to the GBA
It wasn’t just the Hoenn region that was explorable on the Game Boy Advance, as Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen returned to Kanto. Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen not only improved the visuals and music of the Generation I games, but added the new mechanics introduced in later games, like Abilities, and the Dark/Steel-types, which were used as a counter against the dominant Psychic-types.
Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen also added an expansive post-game, something the original Gen 1 titles badly needed. Now, players can explore the Sevii Islands and find creatures introduced in the later games. Those who want to visit the upgraded Kanto region can do so without breaking the bank, as Game Freak finally put them on the Nintendo Switch in 2026, making it easier than ever to go back home.
Pokémon Platinum Showed the Dark Side of Sinnoh
Pokémon Diamond & Pearl are excellent games, but they have a few problems, the biggest of which is the tortuously slow battle speed. The difficulty curve was also extremely punishing, especially when the player reached the Elite Four, who are notorious for chewing up unprepared trainers and forcing a ton of grinding.
Platinum fixed pretty much all the issues with its predecessors, speeding up the battle system and tweaking the enemy trainer levels. It also added a ton of content to the villainous team’s storyline, tying them to Giratina, and giving them one of the darkest subplots in the series, one that involved traveling to a dimension of madness and facing a Lovecraftian Legendary Pokémon at the end.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Is the Sinnoh Prequel Everyone Wanted
Pokémon fans have dreamed of a prequel since day one, with a story that shows the world before it became the near-utopia seen in Pokémon Red & Blue. Pokémon Legends: Arceus finally made that wish come true, sending the protagonist back in time to an ancient version of the Sinnoh region, where wild Pokémon rule the land.
Legends: Arceus took the series in more of an action/stealth direction, with the player needing to use the environment to hide from powerful foes and use sneak attacks to take down the nastier foes. It makes for an electrifying gameplay loop, with a setting that is extremely tense and exciting to explore, making it easily the best entry on the Nintendo Switch.
Pokémon Black 2 & White 2 Are Perfect Sequels
Pokémon Black & White were decent entries on their own merits, but they played things a little too safe. Enter Pokémon Black 2 & White 2, the first numbered sequels to mainline entries, set a few years after the originals, with a brand-new protagonist and rival.
Possibly the best aspect of Pokémon Black 2 & White 2 is the wide variety of wild Pokémon the player can encounter, making them possibly the best games for multiple playthroughs or Nuzlocke challenges. There’s just so much variety that each journey through the Unova region feels distinct, which is more than can be said for many Pokémon titles, especially the earlier ones.
Pokémon Pokopia Puts the Mainline Games to Shame
The Kanto region makes its third appearance on this list, but this time it’s emptier than it has ever been. Pokémon Pokopia is the story of a Ditto that wakes up one day and takes human form, finding themselves in a region with no people, only Pokémon. It’s up to them to befriend and unite the Pokémon and, hopefully, rebuild the land that has been left to decay.
Pokémon Pokopia is a building game that involves teaming up with Pokémon and creating a society for them, including building habitats and exploring the world’s ruins. It allows players to make little cities for their favorite ‘Mons, while giving retro fans a look at a world they loved so much as kids. Pokémon Pokopia might be the best game of 2026 and is easily the top Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive released so far.
Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Are Peak Pokémon Experiences
Pokémon Gold & Silver were incredible games, held back by the limitations of the Game Boy Color hardware. The return to the Kanto region in the post-game was amazing, but it was much emptier than fans had hoped, while many of the new Johto Pokémon were far too difficult to catch, often being put in areas encountered late in the game.
HeartGold & SoulSilver on the Nintendo DS offered the ultimate Johto experience, fleshing out both regions, improving the visuals, and adding even more content than before. To this day, they’re the best Pokémon games ever made, and it’s criminal that the series hasn’t gone back to the Johto region since.
