Pokemon is one of the largest properties in all of entertainment so it shouldn’t come to any surprise that it has a large variety of spin-off titles that accompany the mainline games. From mobile titles to strategy games to fighting games, and more, Pokemon has a style of game that should fit the needs of almost any fan. In this list we’ll be covering the top 11 best spin-off titles that have graced the Pokemon franchise.
#11 Pokemon Masters EX
Pokemon Masters EX is a mobile battling game. You’ll be able to face off against trainers from throughout the Pokemon series in 3v3 match ups. Rather than being turn based like the mainline games, the battles take place in real time. This means the team that you use is really important and making a mistake could cost you the entire match. Masters EX also has a co-op mode where you and two other trainers can team up to fight battles with one Pokemon on the field at a time. The game does utilize gacha mechanics so building the team of your dreams might take some time, but you’re likely to meet a lot of other Pokemon friends along the way.
#10 Pokemon Tournament DX
Where most Pokemon games aren’t action focused, Pokemon Tournament DX certainly is. A 1v1 fighting game. There are more than twenty different Pokemon for you to play as in either CPU battles or online matches with other players. With different attacks inspired by iconic moves from the Pokemon games in both close range and far range combat. Each character has their own unique moveset and playing style so players can experiment to find the Pokemon that best suits them.
#9 Detective Pikachu
Detective Pikachu is a massive departure from the Pokemon series but it works in a lot of really great ways. Rather than function as a RPG, Detective Pikachu is a detective/mystery style game. You play as a kid named Tim Goodman who partners with titular Detective Pikachu in hopes of discovering what has happened to his father. If it sounds at all familiar to the live action movie of the same name, well it should. The movie is based off of the events of the Detective Pikachu video game, so that would offer you an idea of the zany and witty story that takes place, and the kind of investigating that you would be doing.
#8 Pokemon GO
Pokemon GO is the world wide phenomenon that took the community by storm when it first released. A mobile game that involves moving about the world in order to catch pokemon, train them, and complete raids. The game has grown in many ways since it first launched. Going from only having the first generation of Pokemon to nearly every Pokemon known today. There’s also trading now, better raid system, trainer battles, and anything else an aspiring trainer could want.
#7 Pokemon Snap Series
Pokemon Snap is a series of photography based puzzle games. You ride a cart through a Pokemon habitat while snapping pictures of the critters who roam there. You are scored on the quality of the pictures, any poses that the Pokemon make, and other various criteria. The puzzle aspect comes from doing different actions to get other Pokemon to appear. In order to unlock more maps you’ll have to reach a certain score, and tricking the hidden Pokemon will help boost your scores and fill your Pokedex!
#6 Pokemon XD Series
In Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness your goal is to capture the mysterious “shadow pokemon” and then purify them of the shadows. It features a unique story mode where you get to explore the Orre region. The Team Cipher group has created a Shadow Lugia in their attempt to take over the region. As the hero your goal is to stop them, and by capturing other shadow Pokemon and purifying them you’ll receive a variety of unique special movies that are only seen in this series. For fans of the mainline games, the combat here will be very similar to what you’re used to, if you’ve played at least a few generations back.
#5 Pokemon Unite
In Pokemon Unite you’ll have an extra dose of strategy mixed in with your usual Pokemon flair. It’s part of the MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genre, so in a way it’s kind of like if League of Legends and Pokemon had a child. You’ll be working with a team of other players to hold objectives and score the most amount of points in each round. Different Pokemon have different roles and abilities so a big part of the game is making sure you have a well balanced team to counter your opposition.
#4 Pokemon Colosseum
Pokemon Colosseum is the first game set in the Orre region and takes place five years before Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. It uses the same snag system for catching pokemon where you can snatch them from other trainers rather than by doing random encounters. This is the first story about Team Cipher and their insatiable hunger for power and your goal is the same.To stop Team Cipher and purify what Shadow Pokemon you can along the way. Overall, I placed Colosseum higher than XD due to a generally more polished story and it functions better as a starting point for this subset of Pokemon games.
#3 Pokemon Stadium Series
Pokemon Stadium is a unique entry in the historic franchise. Before online gaming was a standard and your Pokemon could follow you anywhere, Pokemon Stadium used the transfer Pak accessory for the N64 to allow players to transfer their Pokemon from some of the early mainline games into the Stadium titles. Then players would progress through series of 3v3 battles in an attempt to win each of the different “Cups”, and over 80 battles in total. While it doesn’t have a story to go alongside it, it is the perfect game for people who want to experience a lot of challenging trainer battles without all the filler in between,
#2 Pokemon Conquest
Fans of tactical RPGs should keep an eye on Pokemon Conquest. One of the most underrated Pokemon properties to date that combines a great story premise with awesome top down strategy based combat. If you enjoy games like Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Tactics, or Triangle Strategy and you love Pokemon then Conquest was made for you. In the game you wil;l travel across the Ransei Region to conquer the Warlords who reside there and unite the region together.It might be a departure from the rest of the series in terms of gameplay but the charm is still there and collecting your favorite Pokemon is as fun as ever.
#1 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Series
The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is the largest and most successful of the Pokemon spin-off series and for good reason. It takes what everyone loves about the Pokemon franchise and expands on it in truly wonderful ways. It is a roguelike RPG series where you play as an actual Pokemon. There are real stories where you get to see the different Pokemon communicate with one another and work together to solve the mysteries plaquing each game. You have a bunch of different Pokemon to choose from at the start of each game from beloved starters to other popular unevolved Pokemon. They have different personalities, different abilities, and the roguelike nature of the games makes it so that each playthrough of the game feels a bit fresh in comparison to those that came before it.
