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Pokémon Games
Pokémon is, without a doubt, one of (if not the most) famous franchises in the world. It started off as an 8-bit video game for the retro consoles and has since evolved (pun intended) into an extremely popular television series, hundreds of video games, and even physical souvenirs and merchandise. The Pokémon video games are perhaps the most popular, but many people wonder how many of these video games there actually are. In this article, we’re going to show you every single one of the main games in the series, as well as a few spinoffs.
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Pokémon Red & Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version were the first-ever Pokémon games released outside of Japan, and they were made available in North America on September 28th, 1998. About a month later, they became available in New Zealand and Australia, and they eventually became available in Europe. Unlike later games in the series, Red and Blue were not the same as their Japanese counterparts, Red and Green. Other than the distribution of Pokémon, the aspects of Red and Blue (script, graphics, and sprites) were based on Pokémon Blue.
Pokémon Gold & Silver
Gold and Silver were the first core Pokémon games in Generation II that were released for the GameBoy Color. Unlike some of the earlier games, Gold and Silver are set in the Johto region, which is West of Kanto, the region that the previous games are set in. The player can travel to Kanto later in these games. In Gold and Silver, the player starts their journey in New Bark Town by performing a task for Professor Elm, and the adventure starts from there.
Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire are the first pair of core series games that take place in the Hoenn region. In these games, the player begins their adventure in Littleroot Town, where their family has just moved from Johto after Norman, the player’s father, became the Petalburg Gym leader. The player is riding in a moving van that stops in the town. After they exit, their mother explains that they have just arrived at their new home. After the player introduces themselves to Professor Birch, the story picks up.
Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
FireRed and LeafGreen were the first-ever remakes in the Pokémon franchise, and the games revisit the original two games. FireRed and LeafGreen feature plot elements, characters, and challenges from the originals, as well as a number of updates that were introduced in Generation III. The plot for these games is quite similar to that of the originals, with the player starting out in Pallet Town. They meet Professor Oak while they try to leave for Route 1, and the adventure begins.
Pokémon Diamond & Pearl
Diamond and Pearl are Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS, and they are the first games in the core series for Generation IV. The game starts with the player watching a news broadcast about a red Gyrados sighting in the Lake of Rage in the Johto region. They head to the lake with their best friend, Barry, and notice that Professor Rowan is there with his assistant. He notices the player and quickly leaves, but his briefcase is left behind. Just as Barry is approaching the briefcase, two wild Starly attack, and the adventure begins.
Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver
HeartGold and SoulSilver are a pair of remakes in Generation IV of their Generation II counterparts. Similar to how FireRed and LeafGreen revitalized the story of their Generation I counterparts, these games retell the Johto region’s story. The player starts in New Bark Town, just like the original. There are some key expansions in certain areas, but the general plot remains the same. The player is performing a task for Professor Elm, going to Mr. Pokémon’s house to learn what he was so excited about.
Pokémon Black & White
Pokémon Black and White are the first core series games of Generation V. They follow much the same trends that were set by the previous games in the series, but unlike the previous games, it is not possible to obtain any Pokémon before Generation V until after you complete the main story by defeating Team Plasma. In these games, the player starts in Nuvema Town, in their room with their childhood friend, Cheren. Professor Juniper leaves them a box, and the adventure begins once the box is opened.
Pokémon Black 2 & White 2
As you may have already guessed, Black 2 and White 2 are the sequels to Pokémon Black and White. These games feature two new Kyurem forms that are the mascots for the games. Black Kyurem is Black 2’s mascot, while White Kyurem is White 2’s mascot. The games are set two years after the original Black and White games. Unova has experienced many changes during this time - there are new locations, and some previous locations are now off-limits until later in the game.
Pokémon X & Y
Pokémon X and Y are the main paired games for Generation VI. They are set in the Kalos region and start with the player waking up in their bedroom in their hometown. They are encouraged by their mother to talk to their neighbor, and they learn that Professor Sycamore has requested five children. In order to meet this request, the player chooses a starting Pokémon, and the adventure begins from there. They will travel along the routes, capture Pokémon, and defeat Gym Leaders on their way.
Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are Generation VI remakes of the Generation III games Ruby and Sapphire. The player begins in Littleroot Town, much like the original games. The family has just moved to town after the player’s father, Norman, earned the title of Gym Leader for Petalburg Gym. After the family exits their van and begins moving into their new home, the player’s mother suggests that they visit Professor Birch, and the story picks up from there.
Pokémon Sun & Moon
Sun and Moon are the main paired installments for Generation VII, and these games take place in the Alola region. Unlike any of the other games in the core series, these games start with a video call that Professor Kukui makes to the player. He helps create a Trainer Passport for the player before they move with their mother to Alola from Kanto. At about the same time, a young girl is seen escaping from a laboratory with an unknown Pokémon in her bag.
Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Let’s Go, Eevee!
These two games are the third and last pair for Generation VII. they are remakes of Pokémon Yellow, a Generation I game. These games are set in the Kanto region, with Pikachu and Eevee being available as starters in their respective games. The player has an encounter with Team Rocket and is able to meet two completely new Pokémon by using the Pokémon GO! app. While they are looking for Professor Oak after they are called to his lab, the player attempts to leave town, only for Oak to catch up to them. The adventure starts from there.
Pokémon Sword & Shield
Sword and Shield are the main paired installments in Generation VIII. In them, the player is a small child living with their mother in Postwick, a town in the Galar region. Their friend, Hop, invites them to meet Leon, Hop’s older brother, who is also the Champion of the Galar League. This is so that they can both choose their starting Pokémon from Leon. After they choose their starters, Hop and the player follow a Wooloo into the Slumbering Weald, where the story picks up.
Pokémon Blue
Pokémon Blue is the third main series game for the GameBoy that was released exclusively for CoroCoro Comic subscribers. In this game, the player follows the plot of the two games that came before it, Red and Green. They start in Pallet Town, a town in the Kanto region. They receive a starting Pokémon from Professor Oak, and like the previous games, the player is able to choose between Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Like all Rivals, the player’s Rival chooses a starter that is effective against the player’s starter.
Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition
This special version of Pokémon, which is often simply called Pokémon Yellow, is a standalone version of Pokémon Blue and Red. This game’s plot is quite similar to the plot of the Japanese versions of Red and Green. The player starts the game in Pallet Town, which as you already know, is a town in the Kanto region. While searching for Professor Oak, who had called the player and their rival to his lab, the player tries to leave Pallet Town, only to be stopped by the professor. It is here that the adventure begins.
Pokémon Crystal
Pokémon Crystal is the third and last core series game in Generation II for the GameBoy Color. It is a standalone version of Gold and Silver, featuring a number of new additions and fixes. The most notable addition was the option to play as a girl. Like Gold and Silver, Crystal is set in the Johto region, and access to the Kanto region is available later in the game. The player starts in New Bark Town, where they are called to Professor Elm’s lab to do a chore. There, they are able to choose their starter, and the adventure begins.
Pokémon Emerald
Pokémon Emerald is a standalone version of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, and it is the fifth and last installment in the core game series for Generation III. Like Pokémon Crystal, the game before it, Emerald added a number of features that were not available in earlier, paired installments. The player has just moved to Littleroot Town from the Johto region after their father became a gym leader for Petalburg Gym. You already know how this goes.
Pokémon Platinum
Pokémon Platinum is the standalone version of Diamond and Pearl, and it is the third installment in the core series for Generation IV. The game starts with the player watching a news broadcast about Professor Rowan returning to Sinnog. The player’s friend enters, and they both make their way to Route 201 to receive a Pokémon from Professor Rowan. Rowan allows them to choose a starting Pokémon, with their choices being Piplup, Turtwig, or Chimchar.
Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the second paired games for the 7th generation, and their storyline differs from that of Sun and Moon. At the start of the game, Professor Kukui makes a video call to the player to help them make their Trainer Passport before they move to Alola from Kanto with their mother. Meanwhile, a young girl is seen leaving a lab with an unknown Pokémon in her bag. She is confronted by lab workers, as well as strange humanoids in foreign uniforms.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team
These games are a matched pair, with Red Rescue Team available for the GameBoy Advance, and Blue Rescue Team available for the Nintendo DS. They are the first two games in the series of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, and they are an adaptation of the Mystery Dungeon television series. They have two modes of gameplay, but battle mode and dungeon mode are not distinct. They are turn-based games, meaning that each attack, step, or item used is counted as one turn.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
Explorers of Darkness and Explorers of Time - which we will discuss in the next entry - are a pair of Mystery Dungeon games for the Nintendo DS. They make up the second pair in the series, and they include new Pokémon from Generation IV. They boast some Wi-Fi features and some dual-screen features. There is also an anime adaptation for both of these games, and each game features 491 Pokémon.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
The story of these games starts with a cutscene in which the player is unconscious on a beach as a result of an accident involving time travel, which causes them to turn into a Pokémon. Meanwhile, their partner is anxious about joining a local exploration club known as the Wigglytuff’s Guild, so they give up. The partner finds the player while they are walking on the beach and tells the player that they have been turned into a Pokémon. The story starts here.
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
Super Mystery Dungeon is a game for the Nintendo 3DS, and it is an installment in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. Like the other Mystery Dungeon installments, it is an adaptation of the Mystery Dungeon games, featuring Pokémon characters and the player who is a human that has been turned into a child Pokémon. The player has appeared in a world that is only inhabited by Pokémon and lost all memories of being a human.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
This installment in the Mystery Dungeon series is available for the Nintendo Switch. It is the first remake of the Mystery Dungeon series, and it is a remake of the Red and Blue Rescue Team games. Like the other games in the series, it is an adaptation of the Mystery Dungeon games. It is a dungeon-crawling adventure in which you are able to meet and recruit Pokémon within their world.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
In Gates to Infinity, the game starts with the player having a strange dream. They hear a Pokémon cry out for help, and they have a vision of Hydreigon chasing Munna. The player realizes that they have been turned into a Pokémon, and they are taken to the Pokémon world. When they arrive, they meet their partner Pokémon, who wants to know where the player came from. The adventure begins at this point.
