pokemon Not only is it one of the most popular video game franchises in the world, it is also one of the biggest entertainment franchises, period. In addition to games, the series has spawned a trading card game, a long-running anime, a lot of merchandise, and even a few movies. no matter how you like to get your pokemon Well, chances are there’s something out there for everyone.
While the series has come a long way from its humble game origins, it is the same games that form the foundation of the entire franchise. Without great games, everything else would fall apart. Despite being one of the longest running series in gaming, pokemon With over 440 million the latest games garnering huge worldwide viewership and consistently scoring well in reviews pokemon Games sold worldwide since 1996.
Here are the most popular Pokémon games of all time, ranked by sales number.
10) pokemon brilliant diamond And shining pearl – 14.65 million sales
Image via The Pokemon Company
pokemon brilliant diamond And shining pearl The most recent main-series are pokemon games, although they are about to be eclipsed by pokemon scarlet And purple Come November. this remake of pokemon diamond And Pearl It met with mixed reviews from critics, but did extremely well in sales and inspired players who debuted with Generation IV to retake the series. Even though the difficulty of these remakes was significantly reduced from the original, Cynthia’s last fight will never be a rage-inducing tough one.
9) pokemon black And White – 15.64 million sales
ScreenGrab via Nintendo
pokemon black And White Remembered by many players for his excellent story, which is rare pokemon Chain. While most of the other games on this list are just about catching them all and becoming the best that no one ever was, black And White Players questioned whether the Pokémon itself wanted to be captured or used in combat. These two titles also marked the last of the sprite-based pokemon Games moved the series to full 3D since the jump to the 3DS. Now that Generation IV has been remade for the Switch, some players are asking when Generation V will get the remake treatment it deserves.
8) pokemon ruby And sapphire – 16.22 million sales
ScreenGrab via Nintendo
pokemon ruby And sapphire The series were the first main series Pokémon titles to appear on the Game Boy Advance, which prompted a major graphical leap forward for the series. While much has been made of IGN’s famous “too much water” criticism of the Hoen field and the nonsensical assumptions of Team Magma and Team Aqua, ruby And sapphire were impressive enough to get a better third title, pokemon emerald, many years later. some of his banned remakes, pokemon omega ruby And alpha sapphire, Not nearly as many original titles sold.
7) pokemon sun And Moon – 16.27 million sales
ScreenGrab via Nintendo
pokemon sun And Moon took the series in a new, somewhat controversial direction. He shunned the gym altogether, a series staple, and spread the player’s adventure across four islands in the Alola region. Although not all of these changes were universally liked, Sunday And Moon He was lauded for his willingness to try something new, even though his tutorial was too long and some of his characters got on the annoying side. These were the first games to receive two direct sequels: pokemon ultra sun And ultra moon, who was the last main-series pokemon Games to grace the 3DS.
6) pokemon x And You – 16.58 million sales
Image via The Pokemon Company
On the opposite end of the 3DS timeline, pokemon x And You The first main-series. Were pokemon The game to appear on the 3DS. Although he was heavily criticized by fans for several reasons – a boring story, uninteresting areas and clunky 3D graphics – he made it onto the bestseller list simply because fans wanted to see what happened. pokemon What it will look like in true 3D. recently pokemon Headings have embraced the 3D effect much better, but we’re indebted to it x And You to start the trend.
5) pokemon diamond And Pearl – 17.67 million sales
ScreenGrab via Nintendo
pokemon diamond And Pearl There are some of the most loved games in the franchise, so it makes sense that they would make the top five in terms of sales numbers. After branching out a bit with ruby And sapphire Team Magma and Aqua, developer brought to Game Freak Diamond And Pearl A little closer to Team Rocket, the original bad guys from the Team Galactic series. The Sinnoh arena was large and varied, the battles were challenging, and a decently long postgame that kept fans playing long after the credits rolled. If You Want to Experience the Best of Generation IV, It’s Best to Skip brilliant diamond And shining pearl Play completely and just original.
4) pokemon gold And silver – 23.73 million sales
ScreenGrab via Nintendo
pokemon gold And silver followed the explosive success of red, Blue, And green, The first three Pokemon games. Sleep And silver some are the biggest pokemon Games to date: After exploring the Zoho region and defeating its champion, players can go back to the changed Kanto and defeat their leaders again, culminating in a dramatic battle at the top of Mount Silver. These games introduced mechanics that would become series staples, including Pokémon breeding, a day-night cycle, and postgame content. They still exist today, although their remakes pokemon heartgold And soul Silver Arguably worth playing for even more.
3) pokemon sword And shield – 24.27 million sales
Image via Nintendo
pokemon sword And shieldThe placement can be surprising for hardcore Pokémon fans. The first main-series game to appear on consoles instead of handhelds, sword And shield The UK-inspired Galar had players traveling through the area and introduced the Wild Area, a place where players could team up to fight raid battles against giant Pokémon. While Superfans banned these games for their lack of a full national Pokedex, no true co-op games, and rough-looking graphics, sword And shield Still has done exceptionally well in sales.
2) pokemon red, blue, And green – 31.05 million sales
ScreenGrab via Nintendo
These were the games that started it all. pokemon red And Blue, Thanks to series creator Satoshi Tajiri’s passion project, his 151 catchable pocket monsters, multiplayer trading and battles, and a world full of secrets to explore. Even today, these games are among the most recognizable in the Pokémon series that were first introduced. (do they have any Not there slapped Pikachu yet?) at 31.05 million sales numbers. includes sales of pokemon green, Japan-exclusive game that was renamed pokemon blue For its US version. whereas red, BlueAnd green doesn’t hold up very well today, many of their remakes and remasters still have that touch pokemon Magic.
1) pokemon go – Over 1 billion downloads
Niantic. image via
astonished? You shouldn’t be. pokemon go When it was released it took over the world, and quickly gathered millions of daily players. Fans were enamored with the idea of being able to take their Pokémon with them, capture them all in real-world locations, and face off with friends in raid battles. While the game has settled down since its launch, developer Niantic still hosts a real-world pokemon go Fest, where players come to catch Pokemon and meet other fans. If you think about it, that’s exactly what the series is about.
most popular non-Go Spin-Off Game: Pokemon Stadium – 5.46 million sales
Image via The Pokemon Company
pokemon has spawned a myriad of spin-offs covering every genre from puzzle to strategy to roguelike. The most popular of these byproducts is pokemon stadium, An N64 title that allowed players to import their own pokemon From red And Blue and fight in 3D. long before x And You brought pokemon Main-series games in the realm of 3D, fans were freaking it out of stadium Arenas with your favorite ‘mons’. whereas stadium The first game in its series to be released in the US was actually the last. stadium Title that was only released in Japan.
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