Summary
Since 1996,Game Freakhas been single-handedly responsible for the development ofall the mainlinePokemongames, which, despite the occasional controversy, have been a critical and commercial success. This finally changed in 2021, when the studio known as ILCA was chosen to makePokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
This break in tradition has led many fans to reminisce about all the previousPokemongames that were not developed by Game Freak, all of which are spin-offs. Nevertheless, they still are among some of the best and most popular games in the entire franchise, to the point that they even surpass the mainline entries in quality. ThesePokemontitles are the perfect examples of how the IP can still thrive without Game Freak’s involvement.
Pokemon Gocame out back in 2016, and ittook the entire world by storm. At the time, the main gimmick of this augmented reality mobile game was incredibly unique since it allowed smartphone users to find and catch Pokemon in the real world, depending on their geographical location. Needless to say, it quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, and it even inspired an entire genre of similar AR titles.
This was all possible thanks toNiantic, an American company that had previous experience working on similar AR mobile games. While there’s a lot aboutPokemon Goand Niantic’s handling of its updates and monetization that can be easily criticized today, it can’t be denied that this is a solid title that proved how thePokemonformula can be perfectly translated to other formats (outside the traditional handheld releases), not to mention that it still has a surprisingly high player base in 2025.
Pokemonhas had many different spin-offs throughout the years that earned a spot in the hearts of many fans, and one of the most prominent ones isthePokemon Rangerseries. Originally released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS, the first game was quite an innovative RPG that felt like nothing that fans had experienced before.
InPokemon Ranger, players have to explore the Fiore region across 10 different missions, all while temporarily capturing Pokemon that will assist them with their distinct abilities. This fresh new take on the classic monster-taming franchise was developed by none other thanHAL Laboratory, the same studio responsible for almost every game in theKirbyfranchise. The success ofPokemon Rangerhas led to the creation of two solid sequels, but the series has sadly remained dormant for 15 years.
ThePokemonseries made its debut on the original Game Boy and was synonymous with handheld gaming for many years, but it was inevitable for Nintendo to eventually take it to one of their home consoles. This is what led to the creation ofPokemon Stadiumand, while the first game was certainly quite good, there’s no denying thatPokemon Stadium 2is themain reason fans fondly remember this series, even to this day.
Developed by the prestigiousNintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development,Pokemon Stadium 2lets trainers transfer their own Pokemon teams from the Generation One and Two games in order to make them partake in exciting 3D battles with excellent animation. This was especially necessary at the time, considering that the Nintendo 64 obviously had better graphics than the Game Boy Color. But what cemented this game as an absolute classic was its collection of fun, creative, and adorable mini-games that were reminiscent of theMario Partyfranchise.
With its vast collection of over 1000 different creatures, thePokemonfranchise always seemed like the perfect fit for a unique fighting game, similar toSuper Smash BrosorDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, and fans were begging for this idea to become a reality for decades. This finally happened in 2015,whenBandai Namco StudiosreleasedPokken Tournamentin Japanese arcades, which was ported over to consoles a year later.
It is no surprise this was made by Bandai Namco, considering that it’s a 3D arena fighter heavily based on the classicTekkenfranchise. Thanks to its dynamic but accessible combat system, and its expansive roster that includes both beloved icons like Pikachu or Charizard and unconventional choices like Chandelure or Braixen,Pokken Tournament(and its subsequent Nintendo Switch port) quickly became a surprise hit that was played in numerous competitive fighting game tournaments.
Originally released for the Nintendo 64,Pokemon Snapwas one of the first-ever games in the franchise made exclusively for a home console. It immediately surprised fans due to the fact that it had nothing to do with traditional battles but was actually a photography/simulation game that allowed players to traverse the world in a new and unique way while interacting with the Pokemon and taking fun photographs of them. To no one’s surprise, this brilliant take on the franchise was developed byHAL Laboratory, a studio famous for its creative endeavors.
Pokemon Snapquickly became a cult classic among fans, who begged Nintendo and The Pokemon Company for a sequel for many years. This finally came to fruition in 2021,whenNew Pokemon Snapcame out, which was developed by the studio behindPokken Tournament,Bandai Namco Studios. This long-awaited sequel was everything fans had been hoping for and even more, thanks to its beautiful modern graphics, solid soundtrack, and a collection of over 200 species of Pokemon that can be photographed and interacted with.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeonis arguably the biggest and most popular subseries of spin-offs in thePokemonfranchise. All of these games were developed by the legendary Japanese studioSpike Chunsoft, so there are a lot of excellent entries to choose from, but most fans agree that the 2009 releasePokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Skyisthe best one in the entire series so far.
Like in all of its predecessors, playing as a Pokemon who explores big dungeons with their own enemies and loot is always a lot of fun, butExplorers of Skyelevated this concept by having better mechanics and graphics, not to mention that it features an excellent and emotional story that is often considered one of the best narratives in the entirePokemonfranchise. Any fan who wants to give thePokemon Mystery Dungeonseries a try but doesn’t know where to start should pick upExplorers of Sky.
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are very protective of thePokemonIP, meaning that it’s not common for the franchise to take part in a crossover with another gaming icon. There are a few exceptions, like theSuper Smash BrosandPokken Tournament, but, surprisingly enough,Pokemonalso crossed over with the classic strategy RPG series,Nobunaga’s Ambition,with the release of 2012’sPokemon Conquest.
SinceNobunaga’s Ambitionwas created by Koei Tecmo, the famous Japanese developer was also in charge of this game, and, needless to say, they did an amazing job with it.Pokemon Conquestis one of the best turn-based strategy RPGs on the market, and it even features a cast of historical figures who all have their own signature Pokemon: It’s fun, engaging, challenging, addictive, and is overall one of the most satisfying experiences in the franchise. Koei Tecmo should definitely come back to make aPokemon Conquestsequel for the Nintendo Switch 2 in the near future.
WhilePokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearlwere the first two mainline entries developed by a studio other than Game Freak, this didn’t surprise fans very much because, technically speaking, they were not the first 3DPokemonRPGs with traditional gameplay in the franchise. That honor goes toPokemon Colosseum,an excellent Nintendo GameCube title from 2004that was developed byGenius Sonority, a Nintendo affiliate that worked on multiplePokemonspin-offs.
This was the studio’s first game, and it was a massive success, due to the fact that it finally allowed longtime fans to experience a classic RPG experience on their home consoles. Nevertheless,Colosseumdid have a few key features that differentiated it from the mainline Pokemon entries at the time, like the presence of Shadow Pokemon that had to be snagged from other trainers and purified. But that was not all, because one year later Genius Sonority delivered an even better sequel titledPokemon XD: Gale Of Darkness, which had even better graphics, polished mechanics, and a more ambitious story. While all mainlinePokemongames are in full 3D now, the fan base is so fond ofColosseumandXDthat many are hoping Genius Sonority will get to work on a third entry someday.
