Nintendo Consoles With The Most Pokemon Games

Unlike most Nintendo franchises, Pokemon began on portables. The first run of games was released on the Game Boy in 1996 in Japan via Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green. Two years later, the franchise exploded in North America with Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue not to mention toys and anime tie-ins.

There have probably been more spinoffs than mainline entries at this point but here is something harder to think about. What system has had the most Pokemon games? It took a while to figure out considering there are many still trapped in Japan. It’s time to reveal some unique trivia about the series. No apps like the Pokemon Bank or Pokedex will be reviewed.

5

Wii (8 Original Games)

Taking Care Of Pokemon Back At The Old Ranch

• Pokemon Battle Revolution
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Advance! Fire Adventure Team
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Go! Storm Adventure Team
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Aim! Light Adventure Team, Japan only
• Pokemon Rumble
• PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure
• PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond
• My Pokemon Ranch

There were no mainline Pokemon games on the Wii but there were certainly a slurry of spinoffs. Pokemon Battle Revolution was a battle-focused entry, continuing the tradition from Pokemon Stadium on the N64.Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Advance! Fire Adventure Team, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Go! Storm Adventure Team, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Aim! Light Adventure Team were three downloadable roguelikes that are still exclusive to Japan.

Pokemon Rumble was a simplistic action RPG that made the Pokemon look like toys. PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure and PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond were mini-game collections primarily although they did have stories and semi-large worlds to explore for Wii games and a decent cast of Pokemon to control. Finally, there was the sim game, My Pokemon Ranch.

4

Game Boy (11 Original Games)

Back To Where It All Began

• Pokemon Red
• Pokemon Green
• Pokemon Blue
• Pokemon Yellow
• Pokemon Gold
• Pokemon Silver
• Pokemon Crystal
• Pokemon Trading Card Game
• Pokemon Card GB2: Here Comes Team Great Rocket, Japan
• Pokemon Pinball

Pokemon Puzzle Challenge

If every version of the mainline Pokemon games count as separate entries then there are 11 games on the Game Boy otherwise there are only 8. For example, should Pokemon Red, Pokemon Green, and Pokemon Blue all count as one game? Technically since they all feature separate content, from here on out all entries count as single entries as they are all important to the overall franchise.

Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Silver, and Pokemon Crystal round out the rest of the main entries on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color which will count as one all-encompassing platform. For the spinoffs, there was Pokemon Trading Card Game along with the Japan-exclusive, Pokemon Card GB2: Here Comes Team Great Rocket. There was also Pokemon Pinball which combined pinball games and the monster-catching concept well enough along with a simple Tetris-like puzzle game called Pokemon Puzzle Challenge.

3

Switch (16 Original Games)

The Legends Are True

• Pokemon Sword
• Pokemon Shield
• Pokemon Scarlet
• Pokemon Violet
• Pokemon Legends: Arceus
• Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!
• Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
• Pokemon Brilliant Diamond
• Pokemon Shining Pearl
• New Pokemon Snap
• Pokken Tournament DX
• Detective Pikachu Returns
• Pokemon Cafe Mix
• Pokemon Quest
• Pokemon Unite

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

Pokemon Sword, Pokemon Shield, Pokemon Scarlet, and Pokemon Violet are four main entries encompassing two generations of the series. There was also Pokemon Legends: Arceus which pushed the franchise forward by allowing players the ability to catch Pokemon without battling in a big open-world area. Besides new entries, the Switch also got some good remakes including Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, Pokemon Shining Pearl, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX.

After decades of waiting from the N64 days, fans of Pokemon Snap were finally treated to a new game via New Pokemon Snap. Pokken Tournament DX was an enhanced port of the Wii U fighting game from the Tekken team Detective Pikachu Returns continued the adventure game aspect of the 3DS predecessor. Pokemon Cafe Mix and Pokemon Quest were two puzzle-based games with sim-adjacent gameplay. Finally, Pokemon Unite is an ongoing MOBA.

2

3DS (16 Original Games)

Detecting A Split In The Franchise

• Pokemon X
• Pokemon Y
• Pokemon Sun
• Pokemon Moon
• Pokemon Ultra Sun
• Pokemon Ultra Moon
• Pokemon Omega Ruby
• Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
• Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
• Detective Pikachu
• Pokemon Rumble Blast
• Pokemon Rumble Rush
• Pokemon Battle Trozei
• Pokemon Shuffle
• Pokemon Picross

Pokemon Art Academy

Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, Pokemon Sun, Pokemon Moon, Pokemon Ultra Sun, and Pokemon Ultra Moon are all mainline games based on two generations of Pokemon. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire were remakes of the two GBA mainline entries. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity and Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon were new entries in the Pokemon roguelike series.

Pokemon Rumble Blast and Pokemon Rumble Rush were very similar to the Wii game except with more Pokemon to control. Pokemon Battle Trozei, Pokemon Shuffle, and Pokemon Picross were good puzzle games in their respective sub-genres, and Pokemon Art Academy gave fans a fun way to learn how to draw. The big spinoff standout was Detective Pikachu though which Hollywood saw fit to make a live-action movie from.

1

DS (20 Original Games)

Too Many Generations And Spinoffs To Count

• Pokemon Diamond
• Pokemon Pearl
• Pokemon Platinum
• Pokemon Black
• Pokemon White
• Pokemon Black 2
• Pokemon White 2
• Pokemon HeartGold
• Pokemon SoulSilver
• Pokemon Conquest
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
• Pokemon Ranger
• Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
• Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
• Pokemon Trozei
• Pokemon Dash
• Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure
• Pokemon Card Game: How To Play DS

Pokemon Diamond, Pokemon Pearl, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Black, Pokemon White, Pokemon Black 2, and Pokemon White 2 gave the DS a whopping seven mainline entries across two generations. The DS Pokemon entries were significant because it was the first time a generation got direct sequels instead of enhanced ports. Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 were more substantial games than Pokemon Platinum was to Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl.

Generational importance aside there was also Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver which were remakes from the first round of games on the Game Boy. Pokemon Conquest was a funky but phenomenal spinoff that combined the strategy series, Nobunaga’s Ambition, with Pokemon to create a tactical RPG. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky were more entries in the roguelike games which were and still are great beginner entries for those new to the genre.

Pokemon Ranger was a new series that started on the DS and focused on touch-based gameplay to wrangle Pokemon for conservation purposes. There was also Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs. Pokemon Trozei was a puzzle game and Pokemon Dash was ultimately a racing game although there were some other mini-games involved. Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure was an educational game that came bundled with a keyboard and it was exclusive to Japan and Europe. Finally, there was the Japan-exclusive educational game Pokemon Card Game: How To Play DS which taught players how to get into the physical card game.