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The 18 Best Pokemon Games of All Time

By YPB Team

Thirty years of monster-catching, from two Game Boy cartridges to open-world Switch releases. Every mainline generation is here — vote for the one you would hand a newcomer.

  1. Pokemon Red and Blue — ranked #11
    Pokemon Red and Blue
    The 1996 Game Boy pair that started the franchise and sold the idea of trading monsters over a link cable.
  2. Pokemon Yellow — ranked #22
    Pokemon Yellow
    The 1998 Game Boy revision that put Pikachu behind you and followed the anime.
  3. Pokemon Gold and Silver — ranked #33
    Pokemon Gold and Silver
    The 1999 sequel that added a second region, breeding and a day-night clock.
  4. Pokemon Crystal — ranked #44
    Pokemon Crystal
    The 2000 third version that animated sprites and introduced a playable female lead.
  5. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire — ranked #55
    Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
    The 2002 Game Boy Advance entry that rebuilt the series with abilities and double battles.
  6. Pokemon Emerald — ranked #66
    Pokemon Emerald
    The 2004 Hoenn definitive edition, remembered for the Battle Frontier.
  7. Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen — ranked #77
    Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
    The 2004 remake that rebuilt Kanto for the Game Boy Advance.
  8. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl — ranked #88
    Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
    The 2006 DS debut that split physical and special moves and put battles online.
  9. Pokemon Platinum — ranked #99
    Pokemon Platinum
    The 2008 Sinnoh revision with a faster pace and the Distortion World.
  10. Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver — ranked #1010
    Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
    The 2009 Johto remakes that let any Pokemon walk behind the player.
  11. Pokemon Black and White — ranked #1111
    Pokemon Black and White
    The 2010 reboot that used an all-new roster for the entire main story.
  12. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 — ranked #1212
    Pokemon Black 2 and White 2
    The 2012 direct sequel, still the only numbered follow-up in the series.
  13. Pokemon X and Y — ranked #1313
    Pokemon X and Y
    The 2013 3DS entry that moved the series to 3D and introduced Mega Evolution.
  14. Pokemon Sun and Moon — ranked #1414
    Pokemon Sun and Moon
    The 2016 Alola games that dropped gyms for island trials.
  15. Pokemon Sword and Shield — ranked #1515
    Pokemon Sword and Shield
    The 2019 Switch debut with the Wild Area and Dynamax battles.
  16. Pokemon Legends: Arceus — ranked #1616
    Pokemon Legends: Arceus
    The 2022 open-field experiment set in ancient Hisui.
  17. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet — ranked #1717
    Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
    The 2022 fully open-world pair with three parallel story paths.
  18. Pokemon Legends: Z-A — ranked #1818
    Pokemon Legends: Z-A
    The 2025 Lumiose City entry that brought back Mega Evolution and sold 12.79 million copies by March 2026.
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Comments 1

Pick a starter, cross a region, beat eight leaders. Eighteen mainline releases in thirty years, all built on that same structure: https://youpick.best/articles/pokemon-ranked-many-ways

YP
ypb-teamAug 21
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