Pokemon has spanned numerous titles other than the mainline series, with spin-off games created for a variety of different genres. From fighting games to adaptations of the trading card game, and even addictive dungeon crawlers, Pokemon seems to have almost done it all.
Among the many spin-off titles out there though, several choices reign supreme as some of the best out of the bunch. Feeling tired of the mainline Pokemon formula, but still want the joy of playing something with all of your favorite monsters? These ten games are some of the best options when it comes to spin-offs.
12. Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire (Game Boy Advance)
Pokemon Pinball may not be the first title that comes to mind for everyone when given the topic of must-play Pokemon spin-offs. However, the Pokemon Pinball series, while simple on the surface, is rather engaging and addictive once you dive into things.
The series kicked off with Pokemon Pinball on the GBC, which was a blast mechanically. Essentially, you play pinball to capture different Pokemon, and the pinball machine even loads different locations and special bonus stages featuring key Pokemon. While the original entry is iconic in itself, Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire absolutely shines. That same formula remains intact, but the graphics gain a huge upgrade with the step to the GBA.
The pixel art is absolutely lovely, with a vibrant machine and lively little Hoenn-native Pokemon decorating every corner. Plus, the soundtrack is absolutely killer – it really does make you feel like you’re going on a Pokemon adventure, and all through a pinball machine. It’s the perfect Pokemon game when you’re looking to just relax, have fun, and kill some time.
11. Pokemon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color)
Let’s be real, even non-Pokemon fans know the hype of the Pokemon TCG, and remember the craze of the cards when the WoTC sets were first released. Well, based on the TCG, a Pokemon game was released back on Game Boy Color. As you’d assume, in this title, instead of battling other trainers with Pokemon, you battle others with a deck of Pokemon cards, using rules from the physical game.
Pokemon TCG on Game Boy was an absolute blast, even featuring 8-bit pixel renditions of some of the original card artworks. It’s a single-player adventure that is a bit shorter to complete than the mainline games, but offers a fresh, fun spin on things. Plus, as the very first video game based on the TCG, it’s a worthy spin-off that every Pokemon fan should play once.
10. Pokemon TCG Pocket (iOS, Android)
Keeping on the topic of TCG-inspired Pokemon games, Pokemon TCG Pocket is more modern approach. While booster packs may not be affordable or a neccisity to every fan these days, this game offers the joy of ripping virtual packs and collecting digital cards all from your mobile device.
Players can also trade cards with one another and create small decks to battle AI or other players with simplified TCG rules. Of course, TCG Pocket isn’t as in-depth as the likes of Pokemon TCG Live, which utilizes the full TCG ruleset and gameplay approach, but the accessibility and frequent live-service updates of this one has made it one of the best Pokemon spin-offs, particularly when it comes to mobile entries.
9. Pokemon UNITE (Switch, iOS, Android)
Pokemon UNITE is the Pokemon take on a classic MOBA game, offerign 5v5 topdown matches with various lanes, items, and movesets. Players can jump into a random match or team up with their friends to battle it out and secure victory.
Playing the Pokemon themselves is very fun, and the roster has expanded quite significantly since release. However, the game does suffer from its fair share of issues, particularly with the meta/balancing of certain monsters. Despite this, if you go into the game looking to just hang out and have some fun without making things overly competitive for yourself, it can be a blast.
8. Pokken Tournament DX (Nintendo Switch)
Pokken Tournament is the Pokemon take on a classic fighting game, with DX being the enhanced version with new gameplay modes and playable Pokemon. Many fans wish for a more Pokemon games where you get to play as the monsters themselves, and Pokken Tournament DX is one of the limited options available. On a visual point, the game has quite a nice style, adding textures such as furs and scales to the monsters to make them feel more tangible and lively.
While the story is somewhat lackluster, combat itself is fun and engaging, particularly when taking on your friends in local or online play. Pokken was a pleasant surprise that I found much more addictive than I had anticipated, with the game keeping me hooked for months on end, and then returning on a semi-regular basis following that. Is it the best fighting game in the world? Probably not, but It’s an absolute blast to go head-to-head in a real ‘Pokemon battle’, so to speak.
7. Pokemon GO (iOS, Android)
Pokemon GO took the world by storm when it released back in 2016, with hardcore Pokemon fans and complete newbies to the franchise coming together all around the world to enjoy the magic. It had brilliant accessibility being a mobile game, and it genuinely got players out and about exploring their city and neighborhoods, working together to track down rare spawns, and helping their selected team take over Gyms, and going up against Raids with friends.
Ten years later, and Pokemon GO is still going much stronger than many would have expected. There’s still frequent live-service updates with new seasons, evens, and additions to the game happing, and the game has an incredibly dedicated community of players remaining, despite a drop off from the initial craze. It’s easy to say for sure that Pokemon GO is one of the most-played and well-known spin-offs to date, and a solid one at that, thus earning a respectable place on this list.
6. New Pokemon Snap (Nintendo Switch)
Pokemon Snap is a spin-off in which you play the role of a Pokemon photographer, documenting species in their natural habitat as you drive through different environments. New Pokemon Snap is the Nintendo Switch remake of this classic spin-off, utilizing modernized graphics and enhanced gameplay features while keeping that same formula that made the original so special.
New Pokemon Snap is the absolute perfect Pokemon spin-off if you’re looking for an option that has relaxing, cozy vibes. It feels genuinely magical watching Pokemon interact with one another in their natural habitats, as this is something you don’t really get to experience in the mainline games. There are different tracks and new things to discover upon replaying each map multiple times, too, so you can get a good 60-70 hours in this game before you run out of new discoveries and things to do.
5. Pokemon Stadium 2 (Nintendo 64)
The Pokemon Stadium games are an absolute blast, taking a focus on Pokemon battles without the need to worry about going around and catching different monsters. Pokemon Stadium 2 builds on the formula with additional Pokemon from the Johto Region, as well as several fun minigames, which are an absolute blast. Stadium enables you to battle against AI/NPC Trainers, or even take on your friends in local multiplayer battles.
It’s the type of game friends and siblings can play for hours on end with high enjoyment. The animations at the time were superb, reimaging battles in 3D format with lively moves and attacks. While the rental Pokemon system could be a little harsh in difficulty/AI manipulation, it proved to be a brutal, but satisfying challenge to work your way through. Plus, the series mechanics and animations went on to inspire later games such as Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness.
4. Pokemon Colosseum (GameCube)
Pokemon Colosseum is an absolute gem for many fans, and for good reason. In this title, you play Wes, a Pokemon Trainer who sets out to rescue Pokemon whose hearts have been corrupted by darkness. Unlike the usual starter formula, Wes utilizes a dynamic partner Pokemon duo of Espeon and Umbreon, which is a nice touch. They’re something different, while still being familiar and popular choices.
The storyline is fun, the gameplay is satisfying, and the battle animations were rather impressive at the time – not to mention double battles themselves being an absolute blast! From idle animations to attack animations and even faint animations, they really do make the battles feel that much more real and the monsters more lively. The game had solid difficulty, too, which many players have praised. All around, Pokemon Colosseum was pretty darn amazing for a Pokemon game during this era.
3. Pokemon Conquest (Nintendo DS)
Pokemon Conquest is the only title in this spin-off series, and to many fans, that is an absolute tragedy. Pokemon Conquest is a tactical, turn-based strategy RPG with a fun, fresh storyline, a new concept that took Pokemon to a unique place, and a lovely art style.
The music? Absolutely phenomenal. Track after track of absolute bangers. The Pokemon sprites and environments looked brilliant, the character designs were awesome and made each new encounter very intriguing, and the way the game played just felt as if it truly was a perfect title for the DS.
Sadly, Pokemon Conquest has become increasingly overlooked and forgotten over the years, with no signs of a sequel ever coming. Still, Conquest will forever be one of the best Pokemon spin-offs of all time, so if you’re yet to play it…Do yourself a favor and dive in!
2. Pokemon Ranger (Nintendo DS)
Pokemon Ranger (and the sequels) is perhaps the most unique spin-off game to have ever released on the DS within the entire Pokemon franchise. Most significantly, the game perfectly utilized the DS hardware by having players use the stylus to draw rapid circles around Pokemon to tame them, just as how Pokemon Rangers were shown using their capture devices in the anime.
Puzzles and map obstacles utilize the abilities of Pokemon you capture to progress further, which is a simple, yet fun feature. Again, this felt just like the anime where Rangers temporarily capture Pokemon for assistance to help other species or people, rather than as long-term companions. It was such a fun option having a game (and later, a series of games) that explored a different role in the universe, other than your standard Trainer.
The game had a surprising level of difficulty at some stages, too, which some fans have found frustrating, but others have thoroughly enjoyed. I was personally on the latter side. I can remember drawing endless loops until I finally got past the legendary captures as a kid, and the satisfaction of finally doing so made it feel as if it was all worth it.
1. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness (Nintendo DS)
And finally, perhaps the best Pokemon spin-off of all time is Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness. The Myster Dungeon series features some really fun mechanics that just don’t appear anywhere else in the franchise, and Explorers of Time & Darkness really is the best the PMD spin-off series has to offer. In these games, you take a personality quiz to determine what Pokemon you become/play, as well as your new explorer partner Pokemon.
Dungeons feature roguelike appeal with randomized floors, items, and layouts each time you enter, and you have the ability to recruit and build a team of up to four Pokemon to adventure with you. The story, while slow, is one of the best narratives in a Pokemon game to date, managing to have a deep emotional impact on me even in my youth.
There’s also really strong replayability thanks to the randomly-generated dungeons, solid post-game story and content, and even the ability to post rescue codes online if you go down in a dungeon, and have other players and their team revive you – a multiplayer mechanic that felt absolutely incredible at the time of the DS era, and has continued to feature in further PMD titles, bringing the community together.
If you’ve not played Explorers of Time and Darkness, please do yourself the favor. It’s a Pokemon experience fans are sure to never forget.
That’s it for the best Pokemon spin-off games of all-time. Which titles are your favorites? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!