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The Pokemon franchise is one of the best selling franchises of all time and has been going strong since 1998. The appeal and popularity of the series mainly come from the main series of games such as Pokemon Red, Blue, and its many successors.
22 years on, Pokemon is still releasing many games for almost every Nintendo console that has released so far. But the main series games are not the only good games in the Pokemon series. There have been several spin-off games that have released since then and some of them are even unheard of.
In this list, we're going to rate 5 best Pokemon spin-off games of all time.
#5. Hey You, Pikachu!
Initial Release Date: 12 December 1998 (Japan)
Platform: Nintendo 64
Hey You, Pikachu! was a game that was well ahead of its time. It was one of the earliest known Pokemon spin-off games. The game features a voice recognition device that allowed you to command Pikachu to do as you wish. There is a limit of about 256 commands which Pikachu will listen to.
There are different days that affect the moods that the Pikachu will have. The objective is to simply earn its trust to live in your house. This may not sound like much of a game but the task is a lot harder than it looks and the game is quite rewarding to finish.
#4. Pokemon Stadium
Initial Release Date: 30 April 1999 (Japan)
Platform: Nintendo 64
Pokemon Stadium was one of the best N64 games released and one of the best Pokemon spin-off games. It featured a 3D world where you could battle Pokemon with each other in the same turn-based style that the regular Pokemon games have.
It was at the time, a bigger and more enhanced version of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow minus traveling the Kanto region. The game features the original 151 Pokemon. There was also a possibility to transfer Pokemon from your copy of Red, Blue or Yellow to Pokemon Stadium so you could use your own Pokemon to fight.
#3. Pokemon Colosseum
Initial Release Date: 21 November 2003 (Japan)
Platform: Nintendo Gamecube
Pokemon Colosseum is from the same series as Pokemon Stadium. The gameplay style is upgraded from Pokemon Stadium but follows the same turn-based 3D world battling formula. In Pokemon Colosseum, you control a player who can travel between different locations.
You can earn Pokedollars and buy items from Poke Marts much like the original game series. All the battles are "double battles" where two Pokemon at a time will battle it out. Pokemon from Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen are available in Colosseum. It also features a rich storyline combined with good action which makes it one of the best Pokemon spin-off games.
#2. Pokemon GO
Initial Release Date: 6 July 2016
Platform: iOS, Android
Pokemon GO has been one of the most popular mobile games of all time and one of the most anticipated titles. Pokemon GO features the true rich use of AR technology where the map of the real world is overlain with a fictional Pokemon map.
The gameplay is a lot harder than the main series of games. Catching multiple of the same Pokemon is encouraged. It is also a game that shares a strong social aspect and encourages people to go out and walk in the real world.
Pokemon GO has also had a very engaging community. There are many events and meetups for the game and it has become significantly better since its original release date.
#1. Pokemon Mystery Dungeons: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
Initial Release Date: 17 November 2005 (Japan)
Platform: Gameboy Advance (Red Rescue Team), Nintendo DS (Blue Rescue Team)
The best Pokemon spin-off game of all time goes to the original Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. The games were so well done and so popular that they will be getting a full remake for the Nintendo Switch later in 2020.
In the game, you answer a few questions before starting the game. Based on your answers, your "nature" will be determined and you will be assigned one of 16 starter Pokemon who you will play with for the rest of the game. You are a human who has transformed into a Pokemon who is teleported into a small Pokemon town.
In the Pokemon town, you can interact with other Pokemon, give gifts, get mail, complete missions, and much more. You also have to go through various dungeons to level up and find items and beat bosses. You can partner up with many other Pokemon who will help you in all these missions.
Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team are by far one of the most addictive Pokemon games made and they are better than a lot of the main series games too. The thoughtfulness, creativity, and higher difficulty of the games makes them the best Pokemon spin-off games of all time.
