You probably think you know the list of pokemon games like the back of your hand. Red, Blue, Yellow—the classics. Then Gold, Silver, Crystal. Maybe you’re one of the millions who jumped back in for Scarlet and Violet, despite the frame rate drops that turned the Great Crater of Paldea into a slideshow. But here is the thing: if you try to sit down and actually map out every single title Game Freak, Nintendo, and The Pokémon Company have ever released, you are going to hit a wall faster than a Sudowoodo blocking a path.
It's messy.
Truly. Most people forget that the franchise isn't just a straight line from 1996 to now. It’s a sprawling, chaotic web of spin-offs, sequels, and weird "third versions" that sometimes change everything and sometimes change absolutely nothing. Honestly, if you’re looking for a definitive list, you have to decide what counts. Do we include the Sega Pico titles? What about the e-Reader levels for Ruby and Sapphire? For most of us, though, it comes down to the "Core Series." That’s where the meat is. That’s where the childhood memories live.
The Core Series: Where Every List of Pokemon Games Starts
Let's get the big ones out of the way. You have the "Generations." This is how the fandom organizes time itself.
Generation I was the Wild West. We had Pokémon Red and Green in Japan, which were notoriously buggy—seriously, look up the sprites for Mew in the original Green version if you want a laugh—and then Red and Blue for the rest of the world. Yellow came later because Pikachu became a global icon. That was the blueprint. Since then, the list of pokemon games has followed a rhythmic, almost predictable pattern: two primary versions, followed by a refined third version (usually), and eventually, a remake years later.
But then Game Freak got bored of that.
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With Generation V, they gave us Black 2 and White 2 instead of a "Pokémon Grey." It was a gutsy move. It’s still one of the few times we’ve seen a direct narrative sequel in the main series. Then, by the time we hit the Switch era with Sword and Shield, they ditched the "third version" concept entirely for DLC. If you are keeping a tally, the core list looks something like this:
- Kanto: Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee.
- Johto: Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, SoulSilver.
- Hoenn: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire.
- Sinnoh: Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and the outlier, Legends: Arceus.
- Unova: Black, White, Black 2, White 2.
- Kalos: X and Y (the only ones without a follow-up!).
- Alola: Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon.
- Galar: Sword and Shield.
- Paldea: Scarlet and Violet.
Wait. Where does Pokémon Legends: Arceus fit? This is where the debate gets spicy. Nintendo officially considers it a "Core Series" game, but the gameplay is so radically different—no gym leaders, no real competitive scene—that a lot of old-school fans treat it as its own thing. It’s essentially the Breath of the Wild moment for the franchise. It proved that catching Pokémon could be more than just a menu-based interaction; it could be a survival mechanic.
The Spin-Offs Nobody Remembers (But Should)
If you only stick to the main titles, you’re missing half the story. The list of pokemon games is littered with weird experiments. Some were brilliant. Others? Well, we don’t talk about Pokémon Dash.
Remember Pokémon Snap? People begged for a sequel for twenty years before we finally got one on the Switch. It’s literally just a rail-shooter where you take pictures, yet it’s one of the most beloved entries in the whole IP. Then there’s the Mystery Dungeon series. Developed by Spike Chunsoft, these games have stories that—kinda shockingly—are way darker and more emotional than the main games. If you haven't cried at the end of Explorers of Sky, do you even have a heart?
Then we have the tech demos that became full games. Pokémon Stadium and Colosseum were the only way to see your monsters in 3D for a long time. Colosseum and Gale of Darkness on the GameCube are particularly fascinating because they were developed by Genius Sonority, not Game Freak. They had a grittier, "desert-punk" vibe that the series has never really touched since.
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Why the Ranking Always Changes
Go to any forum and ask for a "best to worst" list of pokemon games. You will start a war.
Usually, the consensus lands on HeartGold and SoulSilver as the peak. Why? Because they gave us two whole regions. You beat the Johto Elite Four, and then the game basically says, "Hey, remember Kanto? Go beat that too." It felt infinite. It felt like the developers actually liked the players.
On the flip side, you have the recent controversies. Scarlet and Violet are arguably the best-designed games in terms of freedom and mechanics, but they launched in a state that was, frankly, embarrassing. Floating NPCs, clipping through the floor, and a draw distance that made everything look like it was made of cardboard. Yet, people love them. The "Tera" mechanic is a competitive masterpiece compared to the "Dynamax" era, which felt a bit like a "who can click the 'I win' button first" contest.
The reality is that your favorite Pokémon game is usually the one you played when you were ten. That is the "nostalgia tax" we all pay.
The Forgotten Mobile and Arcade History
Most "complete" lists ignore the arcade machines and the early mobile attempts. Before Pokémon GO changed the world in 2016, we had things like Pokémon Say It! and various "Poké-walk" devices. Even now, the list of pokemon games on your phone is massive: Masters EX, Unite, Sleep (which is literally a game where you win by napping), and Cafe ReMix.
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It’s easy to dismiss these as "not real games," but Pokémon Unite has a massive competitive scene in Asia. Pokémon GO still makes billions. If we are being honest, more people probably play the mobile titles on their morning commute than sit down with a Switch to grind the Battle Tower.
The Complexity of Version Differences
One thing that makes the list of pokemon games so bloated is the version split. Since the beginning, Satoshi Tajiri wanted to encourage trading. This meant if you bought Blue, you couldn't get Arcanine. You had to find a friend with Red.
This marketing genius—or frustration, depending on how many friends you had—means that for every "game" on the list, there are technically two or three variations. Usually, the differences are just which monsters show up in the tall grass. But sometimes, it's bigger. In Pokémon Black and White, an entire city changes appearance based on your version. Black City is high-tech and urban; White Forest is lush and natural.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Franchise
If you are looking to dive back in or complete your collection, don't just buy the first thing you see. The market for these games is insane right now.
- Check for Fakes: If you’re hunting for physical copies of the DS games (Platinum, HeartGold, Black/White), be extremely careful. eBay is flooded with high-quality reproductions that don't allow you to transfer Pokémon to newer generations. Real cartridges have specific serial numbers and, in the case of HGSS/BW, an infrared-transparent black plastic that glows red under a flashlight.
- Start with the Switch: If you’re a newcomer, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the most modern experience, while Let’s Go Pikachu is the perfect bridge for those who haven't played since the 90s.
- Use the Pokémon Home App: If you want to keep your monsters across the entire list of pokemon games, you need Home. It’s the cloud storage system that links almost everything from the 3DS era onward. It’s a subscription service, which is annoying, but it’s the only way to keep your 20-year-old Blaziken alive.
- Embrace the Spin-offs: Don't sleep on New Pokémon Snap or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX. Often, these titles have more polish than the annual core releases because the developers aren't under the same "holiday rush" pressure.
The list is always growing. With Gen 10 on the horizon, we are likely looking at a new region, a new gimmick, and another hundred monsters to memorize. Whether you're a "Genwunner" who thinks everything after 151 is a mistake or a new fan who loves the open-world chaos of Paldea, the sheer volume of titles means there is always something you haven't played yet. Just make sure you have enough Pokéballs before you go into the tall grass.
Next Steps for Collectors:
Verify the authenticity of any pre-owned DS or GBA cartridges by checking the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) lettering just above the gold pins. Authentic Nintendo boards will always have a specific "NINTENDO" font and a model number that matches the sticker on the front. Avoid "too good to be true" prices on sites like AliExpress, as these are invariably ROM-hacks or non-functional replicas that will crash during your Elite Four run.