The Pokemon franchise made its claim to fame on the main games. Catching a myriad of cool creatures and raising them for intense battles is a formula that remains engaging to this day. If you've played the games, you probably know why it's one of the biggest game franchises of all time.
However, Pokemon has dabbled in a lot more than just RPGs! There have been fighting games, dungeon crawlers, and even pinball titles. We've seen Pokemon take many different forms, so let's take a look at the best of the best when it comes to Pokemon spin-offs.
Updated January 19th, 2023, by Jeremy Hanna: The Pokemon series has had a plethora of spin-off titles throughout its decades of existence. While they haven't all gotten the same attention or reception as the mainline games, there are absolutely some brilliant diamonds in the rough that are sure to catch the eye of even the most casual of fans. These games range from battle simulators to mobile games to instructional art guides. Pokemon has a lot to offer, and the cream of the crop can be found right here. This is especially true in recent years with the release of Pokemon Unite, Pokemon Masters EX, and New Pokemon Snap, to name a few.
11 🐻 Pokemon Stadiu💙m 1 And 2
While Pokemon Stad🦩ium 1 and 2 may seem like they lack content nowadays, they were a massive deal when they released. Not𝔉 only was this the first time Pokemon were seen battling on a home console, but every Pokemon had full animations and felt so much more alive.
There was a variety of different tournaments and challenges you could conquer as well as a collection of mini-games that remain close to the heart of 90's kids everywhere. Both Pokemon Stadium games may be bare bones, but they set the standard for what Pokemon battling should look like in the future.
10 Pokemon Picross ꦚ ꦬ
Picross is a fun & artsy puzzle game where you fill in squares based on numbers on the left and top parts of the overall frame. It takes a second to learn, especially when multiple colors get introduced, but it is a loౠt of fun when you get the hang of it.
Pokemon Picross takes advantage of the already awesome pixel art found in the series and applies them to these puzzles. What separates Pokemon Picross even further is that you can bring different Pokemon with you in order to help fill in sections of the board for you. It's a relaxing time that is fun for all ages.
9 🧔 Pokemon XD: Gale Of Darkness
Before the Nintendo Switch, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness was the closest we ever got to a proper home console Pokemon game. In this game, players had to hunt and catch shadow Pokemon that were corrupted creatures used by evil traine▨rs. The more of these Pokemon they caught, the stronger they could make their team.
All the core battle mechanics were intact, and finding shadow Pokemon was a pure treat. It also helped that the game culminated with a final battle against the Shadow Lugia, which had most people interested in the game. This was arguably the best Pokemon 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:game on the GameCube.
8 💦 ꦡ Pokemon Unite
Despite having an official competitive format, Pokemon is still seen as a game for children. Often citing that it's just complicated Rock-Paper-Scissors and everyone pretty much uses the exact same Pokemon, some people really wanted a Pokemon game that required skill and real-time planning. Enter 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon Unite.
Pokemon Unite brings our favorite Pocket Monsters into the MOBA genre. You and four other people will try and carry points to your opponents' hoops in order to destroy their territory and declare ultimate victory. If you have a decent internet connection and friends who want to play with you, Pokemon Unite is a great way to experience Pokemon in a new way.
7 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky 💧 ღ
The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series was easily one of the best spin-offs for the franchise. Players took control of a Pokemon and went through numerous dungeons, befriending new Pokemon and trying to save the world from disaster. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky ꧙is by far the bes𝓀t in the series.
It p▨erfected just about every mechanic that came before itไ, included every single Pokemon at the time, and had an excellent story full of well-written, engaging characters. Combining aspects of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, Explorers of Sky is the version to get if you want to give this series a shot.
6 🔯 𒅌 Pokemon Art Academy
With so many character designs, Pokemon is a franchise ripe for fan art. People have been drawing their favorite Pokemon for yea🌺rs, and now that desire has been put into video game form with Pokemon Ar𝔉t Academy.
The difference is that the game helps you learn how to create stunning works of art featuring your favorite Pokemon. There's just a wonderful freedom and creativity to a game like this. The fact that it exists alone shows that the Pokemon Company is aware of its fanbase, and that's an encouraging thought.
5 Pokken ﷽Tournament DX
Because the core mechanic of Pokemon was battling, a fighting game involving these characters seemed like a brilliant idea. The core games were never going to be able to portray the intense battles the same way that the anime would. With Pokken 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Tournament DX, that dream has become a reality.
Pokken Tournament has a hꦕealthy roster of Pokemon to choose from, and even more added in the DX version, players can reenact those intense battles that they grew up watching as children. With the developers of Tekken behind the project, Pokken Tournament also has solid fi🍌ghting mechanics that make it different from other games in the genre.
4 🥀 Pokemon Masters EX ♉
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon Masters EX is a fun mobile game where you can make teamsꩵ of three trainers, participate in tournaments, and battle tꦺhe evil Team Break in the Pasio region. Battling is simplified, but the art and sound design is top-notch.
The best thing that Pokemon Masters brings is more development for characters we already know and love as well as characters we don't know enough about. Even though the stories work kind of like Pokemon fan fiction, they give us glimpses into who these master trainers really are.
3 ﷺ 🏅 Pokemon Conquest
Near the end of the DS's life cycle, there was a game released called Pokemon Conquest. This was a strategy game in which players would control their Pokemon on a board and use their unique abilities to defeat their opponents.
It was a fascinating twist on classic Pokemon. It was also a crossover with another game franchise, but that wasn't as interesting to most people. The draw was that people were interacting with Pokemon in a new way, and the results were quite good. Unfortunately, it's not likely that we'll see any other games in the Pokemon Conquest series.
2 Pokemon Snap & New Pokemon Snap 🐈
The first Pokemon spin-off game on the N64, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon Snap caught everyone by surprise. Gone was battling other trainers and catching Pokemon in Pokeballs. Instead, you'd capture them on film as Todd Snap. It was a surprising hit and became a classic for every Pokemaniac out there.
Fans clamored for a sequel for a long time, and after 22 years, the Switch finally got New Pokemon Snap. The graphics were better, the Pokemon more varied, and the locales were even more imaginative than before. Both games are wonderful ways to casually experience Pokemon and see what they're actually like in the wild.