The Pokémon series is nearly three decades old, initially captivating global audiences when Pokémon Red and Green were launched for the original Game Boy in Japan back in 1996. Today, this franchise stands as the largest and most profitable media empire worldwide, surpassing icons like Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and even Call of Duty.
Over the course of its 29-year legacy, the Pokémon franchise has released more than 20 core titles along with numerous side quests, each offering something special. However, certain entries stand out above the rest due to various factors like gameplay mechanics and storylines. To help you navigate through them, here’s our ranking of every Pokémon game from least favorite to top pick.
These rankings rely on critic scores from Metacritic for recent games and GameRankings for earlier ones. We’ve chosen to concentrate on the initial primary entries within each console generation and have left out remakes as well as enhanced “third version” releases such as Pokémon Crystal, Emerald, and Platinum.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Red and Blue have emerged as the latest entries in the Pokémon franchise, yet they've faced significant challenges since release. While these titles boasted innovative concepts, their implementation fell short, resulting in glitchy, aesthetically unappealing, and poorly performing experiences. Fans often remark that Red and Blue could easily become top-tier games within the series if not hindered by numerous flaws. The developers took an ambitious leap in both gameplay mechanics and storytelling, marking a fresh departure from the conventional format after many years; however, technical glitches severely impede this potential—hindering progress significantly.
Metacritic score: 72
Pokémon Sword and Shield
The Sword and Shield editions fall short in numerous aspects. The primary storyline is oddly inconsistent, the paths through routes and caves are typically straightforward without much content, and overall they lack challenge. However, these issues were significantly mitigated by the addition of two downloadable content packs, which notably enhanced gameplay, particularly towards the endgame sections.
Metacritic score: 80
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Generation 3 offers practically every feature one might desire. Both Ruby and Sapphire stand out as top-notch foundational titles within the franchise, featuring an audacious storyline set in an entirely novel setting. However, Game Freak didn’t stop there; they further enhanced things with Emerald—arguably the largest, most extensive, and thrilling “third installment” until Sword and Shield were released. Additionally, the era was enriched by stellar spin-offs such as Mystery Dungeon, Ranger, Colosseum, XD: Gale of Darkness, and yes, even Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire. Notably included among these highlights is also FireRed and LeafGreen, providing what many consider the finest rendition of Kanto yet experienced. Each component from Generation 3 shines brightly, particularly starting off with Ruby and Sapphire, which revitalized the entire series with innovative energy.
Metacritic score: 82
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
The true standout of Pokémon’s eighth generation was undoubtedly Legends: Arceus. This game served as an experimental venture, revisiting the Sinnoh region with fresh twists and significant alterations across nearly all facets of the Pokémon gameplay. While not every modification hit the mark, it marked the most substantial shift for the franchise so far, swiftly gaining popularity among fans. Hopefully, Game Freak will draw inspiration from the highlights of Scarlet, Violet, and Legends to shape the tenth generation.
Metacritic score: 83
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
Diamond and Pearl introduced one of the most significant overhauls to the franchise’s battling mechanics with the physical/special divide, yet this was not what elevated them above others. These titles are chiefly celebrated for their atmosphere—a beautiful world creation, an engaging narrative, a fantastic roster of new monsters, and exceptional soundtracks. They also emphasized cooperative gameplay greatly due to features like first-time online functionality, the innovative underground segment, among other elements, allowing players to enjoy various collaborative experiences with friends.
Metacritic score: 85
Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White laid the groundwork for the narrative emphasis that became a hallmark in subsequent iterations of the series. Many enthusiasts often concur that Black and White—as well as their follow-up titles, Black 2 and White 2—boast some of the finest storylines across all games within the franchise. These entries are celebrated for their exquisite writing, exceptional character development, and truly unexpected plot developments. By featuring exclusively new Pokémon species until after the credits played, Black and White made a daring choice. Furthermore, Black and White 2 continued this trend by becoming genuine continuations of previous installments, thereby enhancing and expanding upon the remarkable foundation established by their predecessors.
Metacritic score: 87
Pokémon X and Y
The main issue with Pokémon X and Y isn’t their quality; rather, they fell short by being overly cautious when they could have pushed boundaries even more. Despite this, these titles remain among the highest-rated within the franchise. As the inaugural entries entirely rendered in three dimensions, both X and Y marked significant progress for the series. They also brought forth the widely embraced concept of Mega Evolutions, granting familiar creatures formidable new appearances. Although Mega Evolution didn’t endure over time, it left an indelible mark as the pioneering and most acclaimed feature specific to those generations.
Metacritic score: 87
Pokémon Sun and Moon
You may find it surprising to see Sun and Moon ranked so highly, considering the strong backlash they received from fans initially. However, this doesn’t mean the critics were off-base; over time, these games have been reassessed positively within the gaming community. They’re now cherished for their visual appeal, an engaging narrative centered around parallel universes and familial conflicts, as well as introducing some of the most captivating Pokémon species yet. While parts of the gameplay can drag slightly, overall, it’s still considered a fantastic experience.
Metacritic score: 87
Pokémon Red and Blue
There’s no shock that Pokémon Red and Blue —the inaugural titles in the lineup—receive such high praise. The beauty of these games lies in their straightforwardness. While they introduced nothing revolutionary, every aspect was executed excellently. These two versions laid the foundation for the entire phenomenon and propelled Pokémon toward claiming the title of the most lucrative media franchise ever.
GameRankings score: 88%
Pokémon Gold and Silver
Certainly, if Pokémon Red and Blue hold the second spot, then Gold and Silver must take the top position. The follow-up titles improve upon their predecessors in numerous ways—more Pokémon varieties, an expanded area to discover, access to the entire initial region after completing the main storyline, among many other enhancements. Despite some issues such as poorly implemented level scaling towards the end of the primary quest to accommodate extensive post-game content, one cannot overlook the significant influence these games exerted over both the franchise and global pop culture at large.
GameRankings score: 90%
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