The 10 Best Pokemon Video Games of All Time - IGN Latin America (2023)

Dozens of Pokémon games have been released since the franchise debuted over 25 years ago, with the main series leading the way and numerous spinoffs offering a fresh take on everyone's favorite pocket monsters. But which Pokemon games are the best as if there was never a game?

IGN's team of resident Pokémaniacs battled (in our words) and settled into this list of the top 10 Pokémon games of all time.

You can also jump into our coverage of the latest games in the series,Scarlet PokemonYViolet.

10. Pokémon-Legend: Arceus

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the newest game in the series, and early returns suggest that its new approach to collecting monsters will resonate with fans. Like Pokémon Go, Pokémon Legends: Arceus places more emphasis on collecting than battling, returning to the "Gotta Catch 'Em All" ethos that propelled the series in its heyday.

In our reviewWe have raised concerns about the graphics and open world of Pokémon Legends: Arceus not being up to par with its innovation. But by defining how we play Pokémon, the game boldly evolves. As we explore, capture and fight, it all becomes one impressively smooth and addictive experience. With that, it deserves to be ranked among the best Pokemon games.

9. New Pokemon Snap

Back then, the original Pokémon Snap was a weird and wonderful little experience that was way ahead of its time. And now, New Pokémon Snap offers a great new take on the joy of Pokémon photography. The sequel features more Pokémon, areas, puzzles, and photo opportunities than the original game could have dreamed of.

Lovable and alive, the creatures in the new Pokémon Snap interact with each other, with the world, and with the player in increasingly enjoyable ways. It keeps drawing players to embark on another expedition to solve the mysteries of how to get each rare and beautiful shot. And the new DLC makes it worth checking out again.New Pokemon Snapit was the ideal extension to one of the most imaginative spin-offs of all time, and that's saying something.

8. Pokémon Sword and Shield

pokemon sword and shieldbrought with it an impressive array of quality-of-life improvements for casual fitness badge buyers and competitive fighters alike. Not bad for a game that lacks a full national Pokédex. Random encounters are largely replaced by Pokémon frolicking in the overworld like the innovative new wild area, making exploring and tracking fluid and easy. Pokemon moves can be changed at will at any Pokemon Center, so choosing a new one isn't an agonizing decision overshadowed by consequences. and with the introduction of new items like Nature Mints and other breeding mechanics, battle-ready Pokémon have a much more realistic scope.

By removing these longstanding barriers, Sword and Shield allowed for experimentation, creativity, and fun like never before.

7. Pokémon-Puzzle-Liga

Pokemon Puzzle League is quietly one of the best-lookingGames on the Nintendo 64. Oh really. It draws heavily on the look of 1990s anime, incorporating clips, voice acting, and other flourishes more commonly found on record-based systems of the time. It takes a bland puzzle game and positively infuses it with Pokemon, recreating the gym battles from the original games and featuring duels with Team Rocket.

At its core, Pokémon Puzzle League is effectively a remake of Panel de Pon, a prominent Super NES puzzle game in which blocks are removed by arranging colors in horizontal or vertical lines. Combined with the familiar look of the anime, it makes for a highly entertaining and competitive puzzle game that can take entire afternoons to complete. Popular with Pokemon fans and puzzle enthusiasts alike, it deserves to be remembered as an excellent Pokemon game in its own right.

6. Pokémon Is

In 2016, The Pokémon Company partnered with augmented reality game developer Niantic to create Pokémon Go, the mobile game that took the world by storm. We all remember that magical summer where it seemed like almost everyone was on their own personal Pokémon adventure. What started with the simple premise of finding Pokémon to catch in the real world has grown into a massive mobile game that includes more than just pocket monsters.

Everything from PvP battles to Team Rocket has been added.Pokémon isan impressively robust game. And it shows no signs of slowing down thanks to numerous updates adding new Pokémon, special spawn events, and even Pokémon Go Fest, where trainers from around the world come together to play together, making Pokémon Go unique. endlessly entertaining experience.

5. Pokémon Esmeralda

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were worthy successors to Gold and Silver, introducing dual combat, abilities, and natures, but that's about it.Pokémon Esmeraldathat took everything that was great about those games and really polished it into something legendary. Perhaps the most mature "third" version in franchise history brought with it several worthwhile changes, the pinnacle of which was Battle Frontier, which became the most comprehensive and rewarding post-game content in the series.

With seven different Frontier Brain trainers to challenge across the seven different facilities, it presented a serious challenge for trainers that has arguably not been met since. It's a testament to its enduring quality that two decades after its release, Pokémon Emerald is still considered one of the best Pokémon games of all time.

4. Pokemon Conquest

pokemon conquestis a unique and must-have Pokemon game. Yes, this combination of Pokémon and strategy game Nobunaga's Ambition came totally out of nowhere, but it works so amazingly well that it's among the best Pokémon spin-off titles around. Pokemon Conquest exists in its own fantastical world with its own rules, where warriors bond with Pokemon instead of catching them, and grow and "evolve" alongside them.

Collecting sets of animated characters (occasionally drawn from the story) and cool Pokémon adds a new twist to catching them all. On the battlefield, environmental obstacles and positioning added an extra layer of strategy to Pokémon's familiar element-based combat system. As a strategy RPG, Pokemon Conquest has its own unique twist that comes from both sources, making the combination twice as sweet.

3. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Sure, Pokémon Red and Blue (or Green) are the games that started it all, and they deserve credit for establishing the worldwide monster-catching phenomenon in the first place. But Game Freak proved with FireRed and LeafGreen that nostalgia isn't everything and even the pink originals can be improved.

FireRed and LeafGreen are amazing remakes that introduce a ton of new features such as a recap of past activities, a first attempt at wireless trading and fighting, a whole new area on the Sevii Islands, and all the massive improvements to tapping, fighting, and player moves. Pokemon. that had been added over generations. Red and Blue may hold a warm place in our hearts all these years later, but the best way to relive the magnificent Kanto region is throughFeuerrotYgreen leaf.

2. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2

Gen 5 was a revolutionary era for the Pokémon franchise and the first direct sequels.pokemon black 2 and white 2sums up everything that made it so great. The original Black and White games laid a solid foundation by introducing the Unova region full of new Pokémon, an engaging story with an all-time great rival (N), and music that completely smashed, and then the sequels left it all in the Dream. to new heights. The massive Pokédex features creative monster designs and unique typing, and above all mixes old Pokémon that make early-game team building that much more exciting. The story builds on the events of the first few games and offers an epic, hard-earned payoff to the entire narrative. And visually, Black 2 and White 2 take full advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware to deliver stunning 3D vistas, dense cities, cinematic bridge crossings, and intricate detail. Not to mention,The sequels to Black 2 and White 2It's awesome: capture numerous legendaries, hone your fighting skills in Black Tower or White Tree Hole, and try your luck in Battle Subway or Pokémon World Tournament. These games offer the ultimate Pokémon experience.

1. Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver

just put,Pokémon HeartGold y SoulSilverthey are as good as they get. After all, the original Pokémon Gold and Silver were almost perfect sequels. They expanded thefirst generation pokédex, added two new types that significantly balanced the Weakness/Resistance table, and included the entire Kanto region as a bonus for players who beat Johto's Elite Four. Crystal then took those games, added an option to play as a male or female trainer, animated Pokemon sprites, and expanded the story with a focus on Suicune.

So Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver took those original games and made themEven betterupdated the visuals in pretty much every way imaginable, including various basic and quality-of-life changes from the Gen 4 games, creating an experience that we can definitely call the best Pokémon ever made. Nothing in Pokemon, and we mean nothing, has been as exciting, challenging, or downright rewarding as battling red and making everything you've got the best it's ever been like no one has ever been.

And that's our list of the top 10 Pokemon games of all time. Thanks for watching! Now that we're done, head over to the comments and let us know your thoughts and opinions on the list. We know you have them. And tell us YOUR favorite games in the Pokémon franchise! You can take a look at thosebest pokemon moviesor our guide topokemon games in order. Until next time, on IGN!