Pokemon is now thirty years old, as the original two games, Pokemon Red and Green, launched on the Game Boy in 1996 in Japan. Anyone who grew up in this era must have played a Pokemon game by now, but it’s also not surprising if someone has avoided the franchise like the plague.
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The 2020s have seen a mix of new and remade Pokemon games. From open-world adventure to puzzling cafe games, these games stood out this decade.
That said, for this momentous anniversary, and because the franchise is seemingly never going to stop, reluctant players may want to finally jump into a Pokemon game for the first time. From core experiences like Pokemon Legends: Z-A to odder spin-offs like Detective Pikachu, there is a Pokemon game for every type of player out there.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
A Good Modern Game
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is the latest main-style game in the series, featuring character customization and the ability to choose one of three Pokemon to be their starting partner. After that, players can explore Lumiose City, which expands over time as players progress through the story. At night, players will fight other Pokemon Trainers to level up their rank, which will lead to big battles to continue the story.
There are also nature areas where players can catch wild Pokemon or fight them to grind for EXP. The combat system is technically turn-based, although there are some more action elements too. Legends: Z-A is a good constrained Pokemon game within one city to give newbies a taste test of what a typical Pokemon adventure is like.
Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
A Top-Down Classic
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are DS remakes of the Generation 2 games. They aren’t easy to find and play nowadays, but players who want to experience a classic entry in the mainline series will want to check one of these games out. The franchise’s core gameplay loop has players start in a small town and then travel across the region, in this case, Johto, to collect Pokemon, fight other Trainers, and collect eight Gym Badges in the major cities.
Once all eight are collected, players can then challenge the Elite Four to become the Pokemon Champion of that region, but that’s not all. There is a second campaign that will return players to Kanto, the original region, so it’s like getting two games in one. For that reason and more, like the more limited roster of Pokemon, Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver are still primo turn-based RPGs.
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Pokemon Pokopia
A Cozy Life-Sim
Pokemon Pokopia is a bizarre spin-off that can best be described as a life-sim experience with a dash of Minecraft. Players can customize their Ditto character, who will take on the form of a human, and then travel across a ruined version of Kanto. All humans have disappeared, and all that remains are a few Pokemon.
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Players can build habitats for them out of materials, which will draw Pokemon out. They can then be used to help build bigger areas, or get Ditto to learn new mechanics like using water to help plants grow or learning to glide. As dark as the overall theme is, Pokemon Pokopia is a very cozy life-sim that even non-fans can get into.
Pokemon Conquest
Uniting Japan
Pokemon Conquest is a tactical grid-based RPG for players who find most mainline RPGs to be a bit too easy. While Pokemon Conquest is nowhere near the hardest tactical RPG around, it will certainly take some strategy to win matches. The game is a mashup of the Nobunaga’s Ambition 4X series, which brings players back to ancient Japan.
With their hero character, players can gather a team of Pokemon to fight famous generals across Japan, like Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide, to take it over. Pokemon Conquest is a hidden gem among the DS system’s many RPGs, and as long as players need to find HeartGold or SoulSilver, they may as well pick this up too.
Detective Pikachu
Who Wants Some Coffee?
Some players may be curious about Pokemon, but have no interest in more intense games, even a cozy life-sim. For fans of adventure games like Ace Attorney or anything from Telltale, they may enjoy Detective Pikachu on the 3DS. The game gives a greater look at how Pokemon and their Trainers live among cities, but the real focus is Tim Goodman, son of a famous detective who arrived in Ryme City to find him.
In his stead, Tim finds a Pikachu who can talk, rather deeply for a Pokemon, who also has a constant craving for coffee. Together, they will go around solving mini-mysteries, all hopefully leading up to Tim finding his father. Detective Pikachu is lighthearted, and it will give adventure game fans enough information to be acquainted with the Pokemon universe.
Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Bouncing Pokeballs
Fans of pinball games will enjoy Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, which goes beyond normal video games. Players can choose a table from either universe and play seemingly normal rounds of pinball involving bouncing a Pokeball around. By getting bonuses, players summon Pokemon to the table to then catch them and move on to a new game using the same table.
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It’s a bit confusing to explain, but some mini-games transport players to new areas to attack and defeat Pokemon like Kecleon. There is a real Pokemon pinball game in the works, but finding a copy of Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire for the GBA will probably be less expensive.
Pokken Tournament DX
Tekken’s Hidden Spinoff
Fighting game fans may like to check out Pokken Tournament DX, especially if Super Smash Bros. Ultimate didn’t provide them with enough Pokemon action to really get a feel for the series. Matches are fairly standard as players choose one Pokemon and then duke it out to see who is the victor, although players can also choose a Pokemon for an assist bonus.
While many of the Pokemon are Fighting-Types, there is plenty of variety too, including Mewtwo, Pikachu, Lucario, and Machamp. Pokemon will move around 3D arenas, and each one has a variety of moves to unleash with combos. Pokken Tournament DX was designed by the Tekken team at Bandai Namco, which gives this spinoff more clout as a real fighting game.
New Pokemon Snap
An On-Rails Passive Adventure
New Pokemon Snap is a passive experience and only the second game in the series, following the N64 original game. As a Pokemon explorer, players will go into new regions on a cart that will take them through Pokemon safaris on rails. All players can do is move the camera around, literally, as they can take photos of Pokemon that appear.
Nailing perfect shots will get players points, which can then lead to opening up new areas and other bonuses. Of the many Pokemon games on the list, this is the one meant for video game fans who just want a taste of the universe with the least amount of effort. By playing New Pokemon Snap, players can at least learn some Pokemon names.
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