10 Pokémon Video Games That Are Pretty Much Perfect

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Pokemon

Being one of the highest-grossing video game franchises, Pokémon has had an incredible resume of video games over the years. Without these games, the franchise would not be what it is today, having spawned one of the most popular animes (and anime movies) of all time and loads of other massively successful outings in other mediums. It's popular all across the age range of the general populous.

While pretty much every Pokémon game has found a lot of success and got mostly all-around positive reviews, some are obviously better than others. The discussion of which games are the best of the best is an ongoing one, but there are a few that are commonly known as the greatest there is. Whether it's the game's story or the gameplay, there is a lot to love in these iconic video games.

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Ash Ketchum, his yellow pet Pikachu, and his human friends explore a world of powerful creatures.

Release Date April 1, 1997

Creator

Finale Year November 30, 2022

Cast Rica Matsumoto , Mayumi Iizuka , Yūji Ueda , Tomokazu Seki , Kaori Suzuki , Fushigi Yamada , Megumi Toyoguchi

Seasons 25

Character(s) Pikachu (voice) , Satoshi (voice) , Aipom (voice) , Pichu Younger Brother (voice) , Self , Pichu Older Brother (voice) , Kasumi (voice) , Gou (voice) , Narrator (voice) , Serena (voice) , Haruka (voice) , Shigeru Oak (voice) , Dent (voice) , Citron (voice) , Eureka (voice) , Iris (voice) , Hikari (voice) , Maamame (voice) , Mao (voice) , Suiren (voice) , Kaki (voice) , Wanpachi (voice)

Producers Takemoto Mori , Tsunekazu Ishihara , Keisuke Iwata

Studio OLM

Creator(s) Naoko Takeuchi

Writers Takeshi Shudo , Junki Takegami , Atsuhiro Tomioka , Aya Matsui , Shoji Yonemura , Dai Saito

Network TV Tokyo , TV Osaka , TV Aichi , TVh , TVQ , TSC

Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Netflix

Franchise(s) Pokemon

Directors Kunihiko Yuyama , Daiki Tomiyasu , Jun Owada , Saori Den

Based On Game

MyAnimeList Score 7.40

10 'Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness'

Release Date: August 4th, 2005

While the mainline Pokémon games are the most well-known and well-received, there are plenty of spinoff projects that have found love from fans. This is mostly due because it changes up the formula all-across the board and brings a refreshing taste to the franchise that they can't find in the mainline games.

It kept the best RPG elements of the originals while still bringing forth a new tone that was much more gritty and dark than the others.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is one of the most popular side projects in the overarching series. The game is one of the first 3D outings in the series, arriving on the always beloved Gamecube. It kept the best RPG elements of the originals while still bringing forth a new tone that was much more gritty and dark than the others. It also felt more dystopian than the more modern-day outings.

9 'Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky'

Release Date: April 18th, 2009

Another widely successful side franchise in the Pokémon world is that of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. Taking on the formula of a dungeon crawler and, for the first time, giving the player the ability to take control of a Pokémon, rather than a trainer. It's a unique idea and are also very story-driven games.

The best of the series, however, is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. The story at play is adorable and very compelling, making it a very fun ride. While the dungeon crawler format is unlike anything seen in the series before, that's actually what makes it such a fun ride. Not to mention, one finally gets to play as a Pokémon and form their own team of heroes, made up of other different Pokémon.

8 'Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire'

Release Date: November 21st, 2014

Much like Disney, The Pokemon Company has had a tendency to remake old games. However, unlike Disney, these remakes are typically really dang good. While the original Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire games are great fun, the remakes, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, take everything that was astounding about the originals and enhance them.

Not only is the story brought back to life in stellar 3D, but the gameplay is enhanced, as well. This is one of the best examples of bringing 2D into 3D through a remake. It also allowed the new generation of Pokémon fans to experience the Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire games that older fans loved so much in a modern fashion. Also, it was able to bring classic fans back to the years of their youth, when they played the initial games.

7 'Pokémon X and Y'

Release Date: October 12th, 2013

The Pokémon X and Y video game duology was The Pokémon Company's first outing in full 3D, thanks to the power of the Nintendo 3DS. Given that, this was a monumental game and had a lot riding on its shoulders upon release. After the mass success of the previous generation of games, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, there was going to be a huge mountain to climb with this project's release.

The Pokémon X and Y video game duology was The Pokémon Company's first outing in full 3D, thanks to the power of the Nintendo 3DS.

Thankfully, fans absolutely adored Pokémon X and Y and while they weren't going to pass up the previous games, the two releases found mass praise and success. The new generation showed fans that Pokémon could and was going to work in the third dimension and that the 3DS was not to be trifled with.

Release Date: January 28th, 2022

One of the most recent Pokémon spinoff titles, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, became one of the most successful games in the series and prompted The Pokémon Company to announce they were continuing the series with the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Taking an approach similar to the explosive success, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and transporting audiences to the distant past of the Pokémon world and showing where the likes of Pokeballs and other items came from.

The new gameplay style was received very well, given the fact that the game it took inspiration from was beloved by fans everywhere. The combination of the two franchises gameplay-wise worked very well. Alongside this, the story was super compelling and engaging. It was very interesting and looked at the world of Pokémon and the creatures themselves through a whole new lens.

5 'Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen'

Release Date: January 29th, 2004

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen promo image

Pokémon Red and Green were the games that started it all back in 1996. So, of course, The Pokémon Company was going to re-release them with the new technology made since the originals' release on the Game Boy. 2004 was the year of the Game Boy Advance, which had astounding new technology in comparison to the first Game Boy.

2004 was the year of the Game Boy Advance, which had astounding new technology in comparison to the first Game Boy.

The first games were released with no color, meaning when they were adapted for the Game Boy Advance, they were brought to life in the handheld's vibrant colors. It introduced concepts from Generation 3 to the game and was a perfect homage to the earlier projects, which made longtime fans of the franchise very happy. Pokémon Red and Green were already amazing games, so Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen found themselves to be even better.

4 'Pokémon Emerald'

Release Date: September 16th, 2004

While Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and the remakes, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, are beautiful games, Pokémon has always had a tendency to release a "quintessential" edition of the two games after their release. The case of Generation 3 is the release of Pokémon Emerald two years after the first two. While the remakes enhance everything about Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon Emerald is the perfect edition of the two.

While the remakes enhance everything about Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon Emerald is the perfect edition of the two.

It may not be using the advanced technology found in the Nintendo 3DS, but Pokémon Emerald is known all across the fanbase as the best rendition of Generation 3. It's a simply gorgeous game, both visually and gameplay-wise. People continue to play and love the game to this very day, with an entire Subreddit existing to do so. Pokémon Emerald's impact is undeniable.

3 'Pokémon Platinum'

Release Date: September 13, 2008

Another game that acts as the perfect iteration of the two that came before is Pokémon Platinum. Bringing the best of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl together into one game, the third installment in Generation 4. However, Pokémon Platinum does something pretty interesting in comparison to other games like this.

Pokémon Platinum actually expands upon the story told in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. It tells the same story in the first bit of the game, but then greatly expands upon it. It adds entirely new scenes, plot points, more story layers and a larger focus on the badass Legendary Pokémon, Giratina and the Distortion World.

2 'Pokémon Black 2 and White 2'

Release Date: June 23rd, 2012

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are two more games that do something that no other games have done in the core Pokémon franchise. The games are the first time the main series has had a direct sequel. The first games, Pokémon Black and White, were praised all over the world for the story they brought forth, so they decided to continue said story in a sequel. It's not like Pokémon Platinum, in which it tells the first game's story and added more; it is a whole new story as a continuation.

The beloved "N", the major antagonist of the first game, comes back in the sequel. His plot line is the best part of the original games' stories, so his addition and focus in the second games was well-received. While the story of Pokémon Black and White was good, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 blew it out of the water. If The Pokémon Company decided to continue making Pokémon live-action movies, this one would be a perfect adaption.

1 'Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver'

Release Date: September 12th, 2009

If one does any sort of research online, they'd quickly discover that among the fanbase and critics, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are considered examples of "perfect" Pokémon games. The story is phenomenal (while light), the region is expansive and engaging, it has a second half of the game that brings players back to the Kanto region (making it one of the longest "post-games" ever) and has a total of 493 catchable Pokémon.

The massive list of Pokémon someone can catch includes all of the Pokémon from Generation 1 to Generation 4, which is one of the biggest Pokédexes in the franchise.

To this very day, it is considered the most enjoyable and fun Pokémon games one can play. The massive list of Pokémon someone can catch includes all of the Pokémon from Generation 1 to Generation 4, which is one of the biggest Pokédexes in the franchise. It's safe to say that The Pokémon Company isn't going to beat Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver anytime soon.

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