The 10 best Pokémon video games of all time

April 30, 2026 - 16:58

Since it debuted three whole decades ago, dozens of Pokemon games have arrived on Nintendo consoles. The main series has led the charge, but those generations have inspired numerous spin-offs, sub-series, and one-shots. That means there are multiple fresh takes on everyone's favorite Pocket Monsters to enjoy. But which Pokemon games are the very best, like no game ever was? Do the original Game Boy classics still reign supreme? Have the modern, Switch-based Legends games superseded the likes of Gold and Silver? Or could a strange strategy crossover game like Pokemon Conquest steal the crown?

To answer that question, a team of resident Pokemaniacs battled it out with words, not monsters, to determine the very best Pokemon games. They judged them all based on how well they use the Pokemon setting, their innovations to the monster-battling formula, and their overall enduring quality. Only the games that excel in all these areas can make the list. Here is the group they decided are the top 10 Pokemon games of all time.