There are few franchises as big and beloved as Pokemon. The series has had a rough ride at times, of course, and taken some flak from the fanbase along the way, but the reach of the series is beyond question. The original games made their debut in Japan in 1996, starting off a globe-consuming odyssey that would leave few humans on Earth not knowing what a Pikachu is. Along the way, dozens of games have been released, between mainline entries and a range of spin-offs. Some series titles are still 10/10 classics.
10 Best Pokemon Games For Exploration, Ranked
Pokemon fans who enjoy their games with a hefty side of exploration won’t be disappointed by the following titles.
Of course, there are always strong feelings about which games in the series are the very best. Everyone has their favorites. In determining the all-time greatest, then, we’ll consider various factors, including how influential the title was, how far it took the series, and how well regarded it is by fans and critics via OpenCritic’s rating system.
10
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Broadening The Scope, Despite Technical Difficulties
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s 2022 launch for the Nintendo Switch wasn’t what you might call a roaring success. Its technical performance really put a damper on the experience, with its wide world being something of a chore to traverse because the game ran so terribly in the original format (undoubtedly contributing to OpenCritic’s Top Critic Average rating of 71). On Nintendo Switch 2, fortunately, it’s much improved in this regard, and the scale of what Game Freak really wanted to achieve here is more evident.
This was the game that attempted to expand on the Wild Area of Pokemon Sword & Shield and bring players what they’ve been crying out for these long years: An open-world Pokemon title that didn’t simply funnel them down the gym-to-gym route. Your goals in the region are threefold: Not only to beat the league as usual, but also to defeat the Titan Pokemon and take down the bosses of Team Star in their hideouts. Each plays out rather differently, with a storyline of curious characters exclusive to each that makes them worth pursuing. It’s true that the open world of Paldea lacks the wide range of sidequests, activities, and towns that titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 offer, but it was a huge step by the series’ standards, and one that can finally be enjoyed as intended with the performance boost of Switch 2 (not that it should have been necessary). If the upcoming Pokemon Wind & Waves can further increase the scope of the world and range of activities to do within it, while introducing a lot of creative new Pokemon, it’ll be a huge triumph.
9
Pokemon Red & Blue
The Games That Started It All
Two years after it hit Japan, the first generation of Pokemon arrived in the West. Many bought into the hype through word of mouth, not quite understanding just how big this series already was or would become. Choosing between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in Professor Oak’s Lab was a life-defining gaming moment, and the accessibility of its mechanics, coupled with a difficulty curve that ensured quite a gentle journey throughout, made for an excellent first RPG for millions of newcomers. Not to mention, of course, the huge appeal of catching the first generation of critters and crafting your team of six from them.
Needless to say, times have changed in almost three decades, and returning to Kanto in the original game makes it clear how limited the titles were in hindsight. Nine generations of quality of life improvements have thrown the likes of the frustrating inventory system, the type distribution and the broken nature of Wrap (as it was) into sharp relief. Still, Red, Blue, and Yellow are still beloved, rightfully so, and they will always be the games that introduced the phenomenon, as well as the most enduring popular crop of Pokemon to date.
8
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
One Giant Leap For Competitive Play
Game Freak has taken certain steps to appeal to competitive battlers over the years, and perhaps the most significant came with Pokemon Diamond & Pearl (which arrived first on Japanese Nintendo DS systems in 2006). It’s important to make a variety of Pokemon viable to use, in order for an interesting meta to form, and so the mechanic that divided damaging moves by physical or special (rather than having specific types being either physical or special as before) allowed many to make much better use of their more effective stats.
Every Pokemon Game For The Nintendo DS, Ranked
The Nintendo DS was an amazing console for Pokemon games, and these great titles prove it. But which among them is most beloved by fans and critics?
This may sound simple, but it was an absolutely transformative addition. So, too, were online battling and trading, via Union Rooms and the Global Trade System. It’s not just about these sorts of mechanics, though. Taken at face value as an RPG, Diamond & Pearl sports fantastic visuals for the system, with a wonderful soundtrack and some unforgettable locations. All the time, the Pokétch made effective yet relatively unobtrusive use of the second screen of the system, with a range of simple, helpful features like a step counter to assist with egg hatching.
7
Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver
Reimagining A Classic
With Red & Blue giving the Pokemon series a barnstorming start, Generation 2, Gold & Silver, followed shortly afterwards. It expanded on everything the first game achieved, with new Pokemon, a new-similarly-beloved Johto region, new types to mix up the type chart, and another nefarious plot from Team Rocket. To emphasize the title’s ambition, the post-game allowed a return to Kanto and rematches against the region’s gyms.
Underscoring the enduring popularity of Generation II, 2009’s Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver reinvented them with the addition of certain mechanics that had been added to the series since the originals. Like Diamond & Pearl, it also implemented that second screen and the touchscreen technology in fun yet not overly gimmicky ways (while also experimenting with curious features like the Pokewalker). At the time, this refined version of a legendary game was one of the best Pokemon titles yet, though of course there would be much more to see from the series afterwards.
6
Pokemon Stadium 2
Building On Pokemon’s 3D Debut
There aren’t many more significant moments in the history of a long-running series than its first foray from 2D into 3D. For this particular series, that game was Pokemon Stadium. Released in the West in 2000, this was not a mainline series entry, but rather a battle simulator and minigame compilation featuring those Pokemon you’ve caught in the first generation games. An early demonstrator of Nintendo’s penchant for connectivity between its handheld systems and home consoles (as also seen with the Game Boy Advance and GameCube), it was almost inexpressibly exciting to see Pokemon battle in 3D for the first time. The next year, follow-up Pokemon Stadium 2 launched, also for the N64, adding compatibility with 100 new Johto Pokemon and some surprisingly tense new minigames.
Those of us with fond memories of the likes of Clear Cut Challenge and Rampage Rollout will know how simple yet incredibly competitive these minigames can be. Races in the latter, against like-minded players, could absolutely approach the mayhem and friendship-questioning nature of a Mario Kart session, and these minigames served as an excellent palette cleanser after battles as well as a way for those who weren’t strategically-inclined to join in the fun. At the same time, battles had added depths as second-gen mechanics were introduced (and some Pokemon were all but essential picks for any Pokemon Stadium 2 team). At the time, this was probably the best way to battle Pokemon.
5
Pokemon Sword & Shield
An Unforgettable Adventure
Pokemon Sword & Shield was the Nintendo Switch’s first big mainline series entry, and as noted, it had to continue to prove that the series still has what it takes eight generations in. Spectacle was the name of the game, at least, by Pokemon’s rather play-it-safe standards, with the brilliantly absurd Dynamax mechanic and the extensive Wild Area. The series’ first tentative step on the road to open-world adventuring, the Wild Area is something akin to a fenceless Safari Zone, with the Pokemon visibly roaming on the map rather than simply emerging for random battles. There were also specific points where Max Raid battles could be fought, and defeating Pokemon this way to catch them (potentially with their Hidden Abilities to boot) felt like Pokemon battling on a whole new scale.
Sword & Shield received a Top Critic Average of 80 and a Player Rating of 70 on OpenCritic. After the addition of the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra expansion, the lore of the Galar region had expanded significantly, and further new mechanics added more story for casual players to engage with as well as streamlining the process of EV training Pokemon for those in the competitive scene. Scarlet & Violet, perhaps, was rather more ambitious, but at the time of its original release, technical defects held it back from its true potential. Generation 8’s core titles were safer, while evolving the formula just enough for the games that followed to carry the torch further.
4
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
One Of The Series’ Greatest Spin-Offs To Date
Pokemon has largely done well with spin-offs over the years. With the likes of the Mystery Dungeon and Snap games, there have been some offshoot series that have sprouted and blossomed as eagerly as an Oddish. Few have been as beloved by fans as Pokemon Legends: Arceus, though. Where Pokemon Sword & Shield was more limited with its freedom to explore, Arceus was the closest the series had yet come to allowing the player to roam and catch critters in a living, breathing world.
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The Nintendo Switch 2’s latest update improves several older games when played on its system, and Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the biggest winner.
OpenCritic awards the game an 83 Top Critic Average and Player Rating of 80, and it’s not hard to see why. A fresh take on the Pokemon experience, it sees the protagonist exploring Hisui, having been dispatched there through time by Arceus. Their goal, unsurprisingly, is to work on their Pokedex, but being set far in the past, some equipment such as Pokeballs and the dex itself are prototype, experimental versions. The game’s plot, too, is a departure from the norm, seeing the Galaxy Expedition Team’s time in the region complicated by a rift in time and space, Noble Pokemon, and the trials of the Lake Trio. It all culminates in encounters with new and terrifying forms of Palkia and Dialga, as well as Arceus Themself. In the midst of all of that, though, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a bit of a dream for completionists, offering a new catching and battling style accompanied by tons of mini-missions to complete for each Pokemon (such as catching them while they aren’t looking). It pulls off the smaller details and the wider picture so well.
3
Pokemon X & Y
Mega Evolution Makes Its Big Debut
Over the years, the Pokemon series has introduced a wide array of battle gimmicks. Arguably, though, none of them have had quite the same impact as Mega Evolution. This phenomenon was introduced in Pokemon X & Y in 2013, and though it’s been absent for several titles since, continues to rear its head (as the mixed reception to certain new Mega forms’ Abilities in Pokemon Champions amply demonstrates). This is a huge part of Generation six’s legacy, and those who were present at the height of Mega Kangaskhan’s reign of terror will remember it well. Introducing this enormous, paradigm-shifting new battle mechanic isn’t all that makes X & Y such a masterpiece of a series entry, however.
It’s certainly true that players have mixed feelings about the trainer quartet of Tierno, Serena/Calem, Trevor, and Shauna (not to mention the numerous tutorials they drag you along for), but the plot still hits some satisfying beats and takes us to some excellent-looking locales to boot. It’s among the best stories in Pokemon games. This world really feels alive, with the colorful characters therein being a huge part of that, and the music is as fantastic as ever. The new 3D visuals might not have the most appeal to lovers of the classic Pokemon sprites (which is so many fans), but it was an enormous step nonetheless. This was a transformative title in several different ways, and OpenCritic’s rating of an 86 Top Critic Average is a testament to that. Very few series titles to date have topped that.
2
Pokemon Sun & Moon
The Joyful Region Of Alola
The Pokemon games, at times, explore some very heavy themes, such as the sad tale of AZ and his beloved Floette. This is necessary, sometimes, in order for a storyline to have its desired impact. Even so, they try not to lose sight of what the series is really about: The bonds between human and Pokemon and the happy times they share. Alola, perhaps, is one of the regions that characterizes this concept the best. Pokemon Sun & Moon has an OpenCritic Top Critic Average rating of 87, making it one of the most celebrated games in series history (Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon is actually slightly lower, with a Top Critic Average of 83 from OpenCritic), and it’s about much more than just the happy Hawaii-inspired vibes.
The presentation is indeed bright and beautiful, and the region is diverse and fun to explore thanks to the four-island system. The Island Challenge that ties the journey together, too, is a new kind of quest even for those very experienced with the series. It’s not just the same old affair with a different name, either, with the Trials changing up the gameplay a little from conventional gym challenges. They can be silly things from spot the difference Alolan Marowak dances to a Pokemon Snap-esque photography session to flush out a Ghost-type. Along the way, powered-up and enormous Totem Pokemon are fought and Z-Crystals collected, which grant access to different Z-moves. These enhanced moves are the generation’s battle gimmick, and it’s less intrusive than some have been, with that particular attack only able to be used once per battle. Add the Alolan forms into the mix, and this entry was a great blend of new mechanics and additions with refinements to what has come before.
1
Pokemon Pokopia
An Unusual, Yet Beloved, Pokemon Adventure
Of course, Pokemon Pokopia is not a mainline entry, and it could certainly be controversial to place it in the top spot here. According to OpenCritic, though, that’s exactly where Pokopia stands: At the top of the pile as its top-rated Pokemon game to date. With a Top Critic Average rating of 90 and a maximum Player Rating of 100, it seems this was a title that lived up to all the hype surrounding its release. It was a little difficult to know what to make of this Ditto-centric life sim and build-athon when it was first unveiled, but many who dove in on release found it as difficult to extricate themselves from it as from similar titles like Dragon Quest Builders (another of the developer’s creations).
The sheer scale of Pokopia is quite incredible. It’s an if you can see it, you can get to it sort of game for the most part, and if you’re one of those Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans who spent hundreds of hours terraforming every inch of your island, be prepared to do much the same here (albeit in more of a Minecraft sort of way). One of the best things about Pokopia is that, though it gives you a huge variety of different things to build and habitats to make in order to attract Pokemon, it’s gentle enough and gradual enough in introducing them that it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Series fans will also surely appreciate that the creatures themselves aren’t simply window dressing: Not only do they frequently teach you new abilities, but relationship building with them is a lot of fun. Their interactions with the player and their fellow Pokemon alike are priceless. Hopefully future DLC will add even more to do.
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