Summary
- Original Pokemon games were a Trojan horse for RPGs.
- Pokemon spinoffs may take time to get fully engrossed in.
- Pokemon Rumble World exceeded expectations as a free-to-play game.
Most people alive in 1998, especially if they were children at the time, can remember the feeling of either getting Pokemon Red or Pokemon Blue for themselves or watching someone else play it. It was one of the wildest Game Boy games ever to exist, and it was blatantly an RPG, a genre that not many kids had ever tried before.
Pokémon: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Original Red And Blue Games
There are so many aspects to Pokémon that even hardcore fans can’t know everything about every single facet of the massive franchise.
It was a Trojan horse for RPGs for sure, and now the genre has gotten even bigger. Going back to the original games today, they can be a bit slow mechanically, as the series has undergone many quality-of-life changes over the years. That said, it’s easy to get into any mainline Pokemon game, but what about the spinoffs? These Pokemon games may take a long time to get fully engrossed in, but the payoff is worth it.
Pokemon Trading Card Game
Gotta Card ‘Em All
Pokemon Trading Card Game
- Released
- April 10, 2000
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game, Strategy
The first run of Pokemon Game Boy games, the anime, and the cards kept fans happy for years. Strangely, the latter phenomenon was turned into a Game Boy Color game simply titled Pokemon Trading Card Game.
It was a bit baffling to buy, as it didn’t have the same appeal as adventuring across a giant world and capturing Pokemon. Players who bought it probably didn’t get into it right away for those reasons, but after winning at least one badge and going through a handful of other card players, they soon discovered it was a sleeper hit.
Pokemon Ruby/Pokemon Sapphire
The Roughest Generation
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
- Released
- March 19, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire were part of the third generation of Pokemon games, which were released for the GBA. Compared to Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver, there weren’t a lot of new features, the roster of new Pokemon wasn’t as exciting, and the world was more limited.
Also, these games started incredibly slow for a Pokemon entry, with the pace not picking up for a good dozen hours. They are still classic Pokemon games, meaning they weren’t bad, but they just didn’t dig in those addictive hooks like the previous titles right away.
Pokemon Conquest
A Brilliant One-Off
Pokemon Conquest
- Released
- June 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, RPG
Pokemon Conquest is one of the best Pokemon spinoffs made for the DS, but admittedly, it does take a bit of time to get used to. The game is a crossover between Pokemon and Nobunaga’s Ambition, a series of strategy games that are best played on PC hardware.
7 Best Pokemon Games To Play For Months, Ranked
These Pokemon games can keep players hooked for months.
As a samurai Pokemon Trainer, the goal is to unite feudal Japan one province at a time. Build a team, take Pokemon into battle, and then progress through tactical gameplay. Building a diverse team takes time, making the early hours challenging and not as fun, but players should keep at it.
Detective Pikachu
Pikachu Loves Coffee
Detective Pikachu
- Released
- February 18, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Detective Pikachu is an adventure game for the 3DS that starts with Tim returning to his father’s detective agency. His father has gone missing, and the only clue Tim has is his father’s Pikachu, who can now talk. Together, they’ll search high and low for clues and help NPCs and Pokemon along the way.
As a story-based adventure game, it goes without saying that the pacing can be slow. There are a lot of text prompts and cutscenes without a lot of gameplay in between, but the game is worth pushing through to see Tim and Pikachu interact.
Pokemon Rumble World
Toy Time
Pokemon Rumble World
- Released
- November 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
The Pokemon Rumble series can best be described as toy-like Musou games. Dungeons have simple layouts, enemy Pokemon swarm in the dozens, and the roster starts slowly. The nice thing about Pokemon Rumble World on the 3DS was that it was a free-to-play game before getting an official retail release a year later.
Players can discover over 700 Pokemon in the game and catch many of them to play as. It’s a monotonous action gameplay loop, and some may jump off quickly, but for a free game, it was definitely better than it needed to be.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
An Isekai Roguelike
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
- Released
- September 17, 2015
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Spike Chunsoft
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike
The Pokemon Mystery Dungeo n series all play relatively the same as easy-to-pick-up and play roguelikes. Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is the best and last entry to hit the 3DS, which simplified some gameplay mechanics but complicated others.
Pokemon: The 10 Biggest Differences Between The Anime & The Games
While the Pokemon anime might take plenty of its inspiration from the games, they have plenty of differences. These are among the most noticeable.
Still, it was hard to get into because the story took a long time to ease players in. Their character was a reincarnated human trapped in a Pokemon's body. Bizarre doesn’t begin to explain it, but once the dialogue-heavy scenes can be skipped through and the Pokemon team grows, dungeons will become more delightful as players can tackle them in their own way.
Pokken Tournament
More Complicated Than Smash
Pokkén Tournament
- Released
- September 22, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Fighting, Action
The first time players could control a Pokemon in a fighting game, like Pikachu, was on the N64 in Super Smash Bros. In 1999. Decades later, Pokemon would be put into their own fighting game with Pokken Tournament on the Wii U, which was expanded later on the Switch with Pokken Tournament DX.
It was not as easy to pick up as a Super Smash Bros. Game, and the Pokemon moves were more involved and complex. Even fighting game experts had trouble getting their heads around it at first, but with practice, it became an enjoyable and brutal fighting game spinoff.
New Pokemon Snap
A Long-Awaited Sequel
New Pokémon Snap
- Released
- April 30, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
Pokemon Snap was a big hit on the N64, and fans waited decades to get a sequel. Finally, their prayers were answered with New Pokemon Snap, released for the Switch in 2021.
At its core, it was the same on-rails experience of snapping photos of Pokemon with a camera. However, there were additional features, tutorials, and story elements that didn’t make the gameplay loop quite as snappy. It will take hours before it seems like the game is easing up on the restraints, and when that happens, fans will get those warm and fuzzy N64 feelings again.
8 Best RPGs To Play If You Are Tired Of RPGs
These RPGs offer short, creative bursts of life in an otherwise long list of epic campaigns, perfect for those suffering from RPG fatigue.