Best Pokemon Games Where You Play As A Pokemon

The Pokemon series is set in a wonderfully imaginative world filled with amazing creatures that have extraordinary abilities. Interestingly, despite the franchise being named after them, the core games only let you play as a human trainer who catches, trains, and commands these Pokemon.

However, there are some well-known games that offer a different experience, which is fantastic for players who want to play as the Pokemon directly. These include official side games released by Nintendo, as well as popular fan-made games and modifications. The following Pokemon games are ideal for anyone who wants to control a Pokemon instead of a typical human character.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

A Faithful Remake Of The Game That Kick-Started One Of The Most Beloved Spin-Off Series

If you’re looking for Pokemon games where you play as a Pokemon, the Mystery Dungeon series is what most fans think of first. A great place to begin is with the very first games, Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team. Although the original versions from 2005 still hold up, the 2020 remake, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, is simply better in every aspect.

When I start up this game, the first thing I do is take a personality quiz – it figures out which Pokemon I’ll be playing as! And there are sixteen different Pokemon to choose from, so it’s really varied. After that, I get to meet all sorts of talking Pokemon, make friends with them, and then we explore dungeons using turn-based combat. Rescue Team DX isn’t just prettier than the original, it also has all those awesome quality-of-life improvements and features from more recent Pokemon games, like Mega Evolution.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky

Its Excellent Story Has Turned It Into One Of The Most Popular Games In The Series

The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is consistently good, but many fans consider Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky to be the best installment – and it hasn’t been surpassed since. It’s an improved version of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, much like how Pokemon Emerald or Pokemon Platinum enhanced their respective games.

Although Explorers of Sky has a lot to offer and plays better than previous games in the series, people love it most for its captivating (and often surprisingly touching) story, which many consider to be among the very best in all of Pokemon. The game starts with a personality test, just like before, to determine which Pokemon you’ll play as-but this time, there are twenty-two different possibilities. Then, you’re ready to dive into one of the most detailed and well-developed Pokemon adventures ever created.

PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure

A Free-Roaming Action-Adventure Title That Lets Players Take Control Of Pikachu

Pokemon enthusiasts really enjoy spin-off games where they can play as Pokemon themselves, without needing a human trainer. The huge success of PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure is a great example of this. It’s an action-adventure game where you play as Pikachu, who must explore PokePark and make friends with other Pokemon along the way.

What makes PokePark Wii different from the Mystery Dungeon games is its fully 3D environment and closer camera angle, creating a much more immersive and personal feeling. In terms of how it plays, this is a genuinely enjoyable and laid-back game clearly designed for a younger audience, with a strong emphasis on simple, fast-paced mini-games. While it’s not a particularly challenging game, the experience of exploring a large 3D world as Pikachu is wonderful, and it’s something you won’t find in many other Pokemon games.

PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond

A Great Sequel With A Bigger Focus On Real-Time Action Gameplay

PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure did reasonably well, so it wasn’t surprising that a sequel was made just over a year later: PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond. As you’d expect from a good follow-up, this game boasts improved graphics, a larger and more ambitious world, and a host of new mini-games. It also includes several Pokémon from the Fifth Generation, which had been recently introduced just a few months prior to the game’s release.

As a big fan of the PokePark games, I have to say that PokePark 2 really switched things up in a couple of key ways. First, they let you play as more than just Pikachu! You could choose Snivy, Tepig, or Oshawott – the starter Pokemon from the Unova region. And second, while the first PokePark was all about lighthearted mini-games, this sequel really leaned into the action. It has more complicated gameplay and a ton of really challenging boss battles. Both games are awesome if you want to *be* a Pokemon, but PokePark 2 definitely offers something unique that most other Pokemon spin-offs just don’t quite deliver. It’s a must-play!

Pokemon Unite

The Pokemon MOBA That Took The World By Storm

The Pokemon franchise is incredibly adaptable and works well with many different types of video games. That’s why it makes sense that The Pokemon Company teamed up with Tencent to create Pokemon Unite, which is the first-ever Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game in the Pokemon series. MOBAs are particularly popular with professional eSports players.

The game feels similar to popular MOBAs such as League of Legends and DOTA 2. Players each control a single Pokemon and compete in a large arena, defeating opponents, learning new abilities, and evolving to become more powerful. The goal is to earn points against the other team before the timer reaches zero. This core gameplay is incredibly engaging and rewarding, particularly for quick play sessions, which is why Pokemon Unite maintains a large and global player community. Currently, the game features over seventy different playable Pokemon – each with unique playstyles and moves – and the developers are consistently adding even more.

Pokken Tournament

A Fast-Paced 3D Arena Fighter With A Roster Of Powerful Pokemon

For many years, fans had hoped for a fighting game featuring only Pokemon, ever since several Pokemon became playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series. Luckily, their wish came true when Nintendo and The Pokemon Company launched Pokken Tournament in 2015. It’s important to note that this isn’t just any fighting game; it was created in partnership with Bandai Namco and the Tekken team, which is why the gameplay is so refined and strategically deep.

Pokken Tournament is a quick and exciting 3D arena fighting game featuring impressive special moves and exaggerated animations. The first version, released for the Nintendo Wii U, let players choose from sixteen different Pokémon, including popular characters like Pikachu, Lucario, Charizard, Gardevoir, and Mewtwo. However, the upgraded Nintendo Switch version, Pokken Tournament DX, expanded the roster with even more fighters, such as Blastoise, Scizor, Decidueye, and Aegislash.

Pokemon: Close Combat

A Fan-Made Traditional 2D Fighter With A Beautiful Art Style

While Pokken Tournament is enjoyable, some fighting game fans might prefer a classic 2D fighting experience. If that sounds appealing, they should explore the large and diverse world of free Pokemon fan games, where they’ll discover Pokemon: Close Combat. This is a highly popular fan-made project, and with good reason.

This is a 2D fighting game featuring a deep and rewarding combat system, making it a great pick for genre enthusiasts, particularly when playing with friends. However, the biggest highlight of Pokemon: Close Combat is its huge selection of playable Pokemon. You’ll find familiar favorites like Blaziken and Primeape, as well as some unusual choices – Pokemon like Falinks or Slither Wing that you’d probably never see in an official fighting game. Plus, the developers are consistently adding even more fighters! All of these Pokemon are brought to life with a stunning, hand-painted art style, which really helps this impressive fan game shine.

Pokemon Evolve Eevee

A Turn-Based ROM Hack, Starring Eevee And Its Evolutionary Family

Pokemon is primarily known as a turn-based role-playing game series. However, surprisingly few RPGs – official or created by fans – allow players to take on the role of the Pokemon themselves. There’s one well-known exception, a popular, free modification of the original game called Pokemon Evolve Eevee.

In this game, you play as an Eevee and work to become stronger, battling the eight different Eeveelutions to demonstrate that it’s the strongest of all its evolutionary forms. The way you explore the world and fight is similar to the classic 2D Pokemon games – you can even catch and team up with other Pokemon – but playing as Eevee itself is a surprisingly enjoyable and unique idea. This has made Pokemon Evolve Eevee a very popular ROM hack among fans.

2025-10-05 09:36