Having been around for almost 30 years now, Pokemon games have seen their fair share of ups and downs. It’s no secret that the series which used to consistently turn out hit after hit has had quite a few stumbles in recent years. And for that reason, we’re looking back at each mainline game to see which one is the very best of the poké-bunch. So here’s our definitive ranking of every mainline Pokemon game, from worst to best.
Every Mainline Pokemon Game Ranked Worst to Best
Before we dive into our ranking on all the mainline Pokemon games below, a quick note: I’ve chosen to ignore any and all remakes in this list, including the Let’s Go games, as I see them more as iterations on existing titles rather than mainline games themselves. Additionally, I’ll be lumping any generational third entry/expansion/DLC in with the generation’s base pair of games rather than ranking them on their own merit.
And on the topic of Pokemon Legends: Arceus: The title is hotly debated amongst fans as to whether or not it’s considered a mainline Pokemon game. I’m firmly of the mind that Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a spinoff, especially considering a new Legends game is in the works to follow its lead. But I also have to acknowledge that Legends: Arceus treats itself more in line with a mainline Pokemon entry by daring to add new Pokemon to the franchise and iterating on classic Pokemon mechanics. I can’t ignore the fact that Legends: Arceus will likely have a huge impact on new mainline Pokemon games to come, and for that reason, I’ve chosen to include it here amongst the mainline titles.
Now with that said, let’s get ranking.
10. Scarlet & Violet
Many fans love the latest Gen 9 games as the first truly open-world Pokemon games, and I love that people can find some new fun in a franchise that has long been criticized for doing the same boring old thing over and over. But I have to be honest here: Scarlet & Violet are the first and only Pokemon games that I genuinely feel are outright bad and poorly made. At least prior entries in the nearly 30-year-old franchise were (mostly) well-put together — even the ones lacking in content and design.
Putting aside the horrendous technical performances that make the pair of games nearly unplayable and hard to look at, Scarlet & Violet are plagued with a long laundry list of issues. From its lack of art direction to its nonuniform and inconsistent soundtrack, there are few redeeming qualities found here. And worst of all is its region, Paldea.
While an open-world Pokemon game is a nice, novel idea, Paldea is a bland, empty mess offering little to do or see other than catching Pokemon that awkwardly walk around unaware of their surroundings as they jarringly grow and shrink into and out of existence in the overworld. There are few NPCs to talk to, little in the way of history and lore to learn, no buildings to walk into — it’s all just so drab. And for a game that’s trying to do something fresh in a franchise that’s grown a bit stale, it oddly falls back on old designs that feel awfully outdated when compared to its immediate contemporary, Legends: Arceus.
Scarlet & Violet are a hollow experience that feel like only a skeleton of an idea rather than a complete, worthwhile game. By far the worst Pokemon games, throw them in the trash.
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9. Sword & Shield
Sword & Shield were supposed to be the franchise’s showcase of what a Pokemon game broken free of its handheld constraints could look like, and it mostly missed the mark. Refusing to grow up and instead firmly stick to old designs that it knows and does well, we’ve ended up with a middling entry that’s neither bad nor good — it’s just an overall dull experience.
Sword & Shield continue the trend of 3D Pokemon games lacking in the way of interesting content, with a shallow, forgettable story and one of the most sparse regions in the franchise. Linearity comes to a head here, making everything feel all so small as you loop around a path that’s little more than a couple of oblong track fields placed vertically on top of one another. Its more-open Wild Area at least attempts to break the mold by teasing the concept of a much more open, grander Pokemon game, but, being so empty and boring, it falls flat and is perhaps the game’s weakest feature.
Still, there’s some stuff to appreciate here. Sword & Shield’s approach to Pokemon battling as a sport is sensical and engaging, even if a touch bland. Gyms, presented here as large sports stadiums, have never made more sense, and they offer a fun, unique sense of excitement and scale. The pair of games also have some incredible creature designs that are some of the most thoughtful and best-suited for its region.
8. X & Y
Our introduction to 3D Pokemon games, X & Y give us a half-baked experience that ultimately feels unfinished. The move to 3D has had significant ramifications on the franchise and, I strongly suspect, is likely responsible for the diminishing quality of games since. Rigging 3D models is a much more time-consuming and expensive process than drawing a sprite, after all, and with the sheer amount of creatures that have to be included in a Pokemon game, I imagine the bulk of development time is dedicated to this, leaving a lot of would-be content lost or cut for the sake of time and money.
And in X & Y, this definitely shows, as the games are extremely front-loaded, missing endgame content and features found in previous titles. The loose plot thread exploring the concept of Mega Evolution largely goes unresolved and is seemingly dropped partway through the games. And their primary plot point revolving around a group of fascist fashionistas is just … odd, to say the least — one of the worst stories Pokemon has attempted to tell.
However, despite their inconsistencies, X & Y are rather noteworthy for introducing some series staples, including character customization and the much-needed Fairy type. They also ushered in the era of gimmicks (for better or worse), featured some rather interesting war-centric lore (even if only touched on briefly), and have some truly wonderful creature designs (I don’t care what you say, Klefki is smartly designed and charming as heck). One can only hope the upcoming Legends: Z-A can redeem the sixth generation of Pokemon games by expanding on them in a meaningful way.
7. Diamond & Pearl / Platinum
This is likely a controversial take for many, but I wholeheartedly believe that among all the classic 2D Pokemon games, Diamond & Pearl are by far the weakest. Of course, there’s tons to love here — it’s classic Pokemon in all its 2D glory, and the Sinnoh region is fun to explore, with its mountain-centric summits and winding cave systems. But the games are a bit unbalanced and lack diversity in their regional Pokedex, having only two options for Fire-type Pokemon (one of which is a starter Pokemon), and the amount of HMs you need to dedicate to your Pokemon team is simply ridiculous and unmanageable (thank God we’ve since moved away from HMs).
Diamond & Pearl also have an incredibly weak story that doesn’t actually see much occur (although the lore is some of the best and most fascinating in the series), and the amount of content is a bit lacking. The definitive third edition, Platinum, rectified many of these issues by including more Fire-type Pokemon, the endgame Battle Frontier, and the ever-fascinating Distortion World, but the whole experience is still a bit mired and dry in comparison to other 2D Pokemon games. Plus, Diamond & Pearl gave us many of the ugliest Pokemon in the franchise, including the horrendous Ambipom, which is unforgivable.
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6. Red & Blue / Green / Yellow
The original games that started it all, Pokemon Red & Blue were a rave hit that obviously had a very strong premise, core conceit, and iconic monsters. But it was extremely unbalanced and future games went on to take the basic principle introduced here and perfect it, shaping it into the complex behemoth it is today.
But while Red & Blue are a bit unrefined, they do still offer an incredibly fun time, benefitted by their clean simplicity and well-paced journey. As the first games in the franchise, they’re not bogged down by the gimmicks and unnecessary fluff plaguing some of the later titles, especially in the 3D era of games. Yellow also introduced the concept of “follow Pokemon” to mirror how Pikachu won’t stay inside its Poke Ball in the anime, and while it’s not a feature that’s been used often in the game series, it’s still a beloved one all the same. Plus, the Kanto region and all its characters and creatures are absolutely iconic at this point.
5. Sun & Moon / Ultra Sun & Moon
Sun & Moon are certainly the most underrated of all mainline Pokemon games. It feels as if they are often unfairly derided even though Sun & Moon have so much to love. Admittedly, they also have their fair share of problems: Yes, the 3D graphics are weak, and the Alola region is overly linear and sorely lacking in history and lore. But they were also the first to break away from long-standing conventions, replacing traditional Gyms with Totem Pokemon, introducing exciting regional variants of old Pokemon, and expanding the universe with concepts of otherworldly Pokemon beyond space and time.
Sun & Moon also feature the best story you’ll find in any Pokemon game (yes, better than Scarlet & Violet’s frankly flat, undercooked narrative). Its omnipresent themes of abuse and neglect permeate the entire game (including through NPC interactions) that still resonate today and have led to perhaps the most memorable villain alongside Giovanni and N, the most effectively sympathetic (and humorous) gang, and the most memorable characters in general with full, complete character arcs that feel meaningful and deserved. And included alongside all that are some of Pokemon’s best creature designs, with the best starter Pokemon trio, excellent regional variants, and iconic iterations such as Mimikyu.
4. Legends: Arceus
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a rather interesting entry when it comes to mainline Pokemon games, not least because it’s not really a mainline game. It didn’t start a new generation nor does it include many franchise staples like Gyms or even towns. Instead, Legends: Arceus gives us large wildlife areas to explore as it attempts to rethink what modern Pokemon can look like as a console experience. As such, I’m confident it will have huge ramifications on what future mainline Pokemon games will become … or at least I’m hopeful.
Legends: Arceus isn’t perfect. It’s held back by technical issues, a largely empty region that doesn’t have much going for it visually (aside from its lovely watercolor-inspired cel shading), and not everything it attempts to reimagine, such as Battle Styles, works. But it also provides the most dynamic Pokemon battling and catching found in any game (mainline or otherwise), some much-needed quality-of-life improvements, and a degree of difficulty sorely missing from other games. It also managed to make wild Pokemon actually feel imposing, terrifying, and dangerous to encounter, making wildlife encounters feel truly unique and exciting. Highly experimental and wholly transformative, Legends: Arceus is by far the best and most memorable 3D Pokemon game to date, even if it doesn’t manage to get everything right.
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3. Black & White / Black & White 2
As the final entry point for 2D Pokemon games, Black & White proved to be the end of an era. And what a pair of games for an era to go out on. Black & White took all that came before them and meticulously refined it, not necessarily adding much to the franchise as a whole but instead providing a quality experience to represent Pokemon in, perhaps, its purest, most complete form. The games aren’t quite perfect, but boy do they try.
Black & White are Pokemon’s first recognizable attempt at a real, meaningful narrative, ambitiously trying to tackle what has always been an identifiable and hefty problem for the Pokemon series: animal abuse. It’s an honorable attempt at explaining away the series’ most controversial topic, though it doesn’t quite stick the landing.
The pair of games are also the beginning of Pokemon‘s attempts to recognizably connect to the real world beyond Japan, creating a meaningful bridge to world culture through its themed settings. And the regional Pokedex that contains only new Pokemon helps to make the region feel distinct and separate from the games that came before (It’s a shame that this was immediately rolled back in Black & White 2). Additionally, the region’s season mechanic is one of the most fascinating features in a Pokemon game, providing a shifting landscape that keeps the region fresh and interesting as you return to the games over time.
Not everything in Black & White quite works, but there are so many interesting things going on, and the pair of games do so much so well that they’ve more than earned their place among the top three Pokemon games.
2. Ruby & Sapphire / Emerald
Coming off the heels of the much-beloved Gold & Silver, Ruby & Sapphire had some big shoes to fill as the third entry in the Pokemon series. And they absolutely nailed it, adding in dynamism and further complexity that have shaped the game series into what we recognize it as now. Ruby & Sapphire were the ones to introduce incredibly important franchise staples such as Natures, Abilities, double battles, and weather. Without them, Pokemon’s metagame would look nothing like it does today and probably wouldn’t have the strong showing and popularity that it does now.
But beyond all that, Ruby & Sapphire are just fantastic games that are difficult to find fault with. Sure, there can be a bit too much water (as IGN rightfully pointed out in its much-memed 7.8 review of the 3DS remakes), and the pair really toe the line on the “too many HMs” problem plaguing the 2D games. But aside from that, Ruby & Sapphire are Pokemon at its most gorgeous with lush, vibrant pixel art, and they boast the best and most intricate region in any Pokemon game to date. From wading through ash-filled fields near a volcano or the blistering sand storms of the desert to diving beneath the waves to explore the ocean floor, Pokemon has never had another region quite as dynamic and exciting to explore.
1. Gold & Silver / Crystal
President of the Pokemon Company Tsunekazu Ishihara has spoken before about how Pokemon Gold & Silver were intended to be the last games in the series, and with that assumption, they were made to be the ultimate, definitive Pokemon games. Even now, you can still feel that mindset permeating Gold & Silver.
The second generation of Pokemon games established and laid the foundation as the blueprint of the franchise by improving on the first game with balances and additions that are still core to the series to this day. Some of those additions include shiny Pokemon, Pokemon breeding, the time system, the friendship mechanic (in mass form), gender, the Pokerus virus, held items, the split in the “Special” stat, and so much more — all of which the franchise would be worse off without (though Scarlet & Violet have already removed Pokerus from the games, which is a darn shame).
Furthermore, Gold & Silver are the largest Pokemon games made. Their connected regions are the standout feature, hinting at a much larger world by connecting the Johto region to the first generation’s Kanto region and making both fully explorable. And many of the new locations added with Johto are rich in environmental storytelling with brief glimpses of unique and interesting lore, such as the Ruins of Alph and the Tin Tower.
A true masterpiece of the creature-collecting genre that competitors still can’t even come close to matching (including other Pokemon games), Gold & Silver are the best Pokemon games in the franchise’s long history.
Published: Aug 18, 2024 11:43 pm