Nintendo Consoles With The Most Pokemon Games

Nintendo Consoles With The Most Pokemon Games

As someone who grew up with a Game Boy and a DS, I can attest to the sheer joy and excitement that the Pokemon series brought into my life, especially on these two devices. The DS era was particularly special, with an impressive lineup of 20 original Pokemon games! From the mainline entries like Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Black 2 to spinoffs like Detective Pikachu and the Mystery Dungeon series, there was always something new and exciting to play.


Instead of starting on consoles like many other Nintendo series, the Pokemon phenomenon initially debuted on handheld devices, specifically the Game Boy, in Japan in 1996 with titles such as “Pocket Monsters Red” and “Pocket Monsters Green”. In 1998, the franchise gained immense popularity in North America through games like “Pokemon Red” and “Pokemon Blue”, accompanied by merchandise and anime adaptations.

In terms of the number of traditional Pokémon games, which includes both spinoffs and mainline entries, what system has hosted the highest count? It’s been challenging to determine due to the numerous games that have yet to be released outside Japan. Here’s an interesting piece of trivia about this beloved series – let’s exclude digital apps such as Pokémon Bank or Pokedex from our discussion.

5 Wii (8 Original Games)

Taking Care Of Pokemon Back At The Old Ranch

  • Pokemon Battle Revolution
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Advance! Fire Adventure Team
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Go! Storm Adventure Team
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Aim! Light Adventure Team, Japan only
  • Pokemon Rumble
  • PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure
  • PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond
  • My Pokemon Ranch

On the Wii, there weren’t any primary Pokemon games, however, there was a variety of spin-offs. For instance, Pokemon Battle Revolution was a game centered around battles, following in the footsteps of Pokemon Stadium on the N64. Additionally, there were three downloadable roguelikes, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Advance! Fire Adventure Team, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Go! Storm Adventure Team, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Aim! Light Adventure Team, which are still only available in Japan.

The game Pokemon Rumble offered an easy-to-play action role-playing experience where the Pokemon characters appeared as toys. On the other hand, PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure and its sequel, PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond, were primarily mini-game collections with stories and expansive environments to explore, though they were for the Nintendo Wii console. Lastly, there was the farm simulator game, My Pokemon Ranch.

4 Game Boy (11 Original Games)

Back To Where It All Began

  • Pokemon Red
  • Pokemon Green
  • Pokemon Blue
  • Pokemon Yellow
  • Pokemon Gold
  • Pokemon Silver
  • Pokemon Crystal
  • Pokemon Trading Card Game
  • Pokemon Card GB2: Here Comes Team Great Rocket, Japan
  • Pokemon Pinball

Pokemon Puzzle Challenge

If each distinct variation of the primary Pokemon games is considered individually, we have 11 games for the Game Boy system. This includes treating games like Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue as separate entities because, despite their similarities, they offer unique content. However, from now on, every entry in the Pokemon series will be regarded as a standalone game due to their individual importance within the franchise’s larger narrative.

In addition to Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue, games like Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Silver, and Pokemon Crystal were the main releases for Game Boy and Game Boy Color. When it comes to spin-offs, there was Pokemon Trading Card Game, a Japan-exclusive titled Pokemon Card GB2: Here Comes Team Great Rocket, and the well-blended pinball and monster-catching game known as Pokemon Pinball. Also, there was a simple puzzle game similar to Tetris called Pokemon Puzzle Challenge.

3 Switch (16 Original Games)

The Legends Are True

  • Pokemon Sword
  • Pokemon Shield
  • Pokemon Scarlet
  • Pokemon Violet
  • Pokemon Legends: Arceus
  • Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!
  • Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
  • Pokemon Brilliant Diamond
  • Pokemon Shining Pearl
  • New Pokemon Snap
  • Pokken Tournament DX
  • Detective Pikachu Returns
  • Pokemon Cafe Mix
  • Pokemon Quest
  • Pokemon Unite

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

Arceus was introduced as a unique addition to the franchise, offering players the chance to catch Pokemon without engaging in battles within an expansive open-world setting. On Nintendo Switch, not only have we seen new entries, but also some excellent remakes such as Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, along with Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, Pokemon Shining Pearl, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX.

Following decades of anticipation dating back to the N64 era, enthusiasts of the game Pokemon Snap were eventually rewarded with a new edition titled New Pokemon Snap. On the other hand, Pokken Tournament DX represents an upgraded version of the fighting game originally released for the Wii U by the Tekken team, which was later known as Detective Pikachu Returns. The adventure aspect from the 3DS predecessor was carried forward in this sequel. Additionally, there are two puzzle-style games that incorporate elements of simulation gameplay: Pokemon Cafe Mix and Pokemon Quest. Lastly, Pokemon Unite is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) that remains in development.

2 3DS (16 Original Games)

Detecting A Split In The Franchise

  • Pokemon X
  • Pokemon Y
  • Pokemon Sun
  • Pokemon Moon
  • Pokemon Ultra Sun
  • Pokemon Ultra Moon
  • Pokemon Omega Ruby
  • Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
  • Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
  • Detective Pikachu
  • Pokemon Rumble Blast
  • Pokemon Rumble Rush
  • Pokemon Battle Trozei
  • Pokemon Shuffle
  • Pokemon Picross

Pokemon Art Academy

The games, including Pokemon X, Y, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, belong to the main series of Pokemon, spanning over two generations. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes of the two primary entries from Game Boy Advance era. Lastly, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity and Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon are fresh installments in the Pokemon roguelike game series.

Pokemon Rumble Blast and Pokemon Rumble Rush are alike the Wii game, but with even more Pokemon to manage. Meanwhile, Pokemon Battle Trozei, Pokemon Shuffle, and Pokemon Picross were impressive puzzle games within their specific categories. Lastly, Pokemon Art Academy provided an entertaining way for fans to learn drawing. However, Detective Pikachu truly stood out as the exceptional spinoff, leading to a live-action movie adaptation by Hollywood.

1 DS (20 Original Games)

Too Many Generations And Spinoffs To Count

  • Pokemon Diamond
  • Pokemon Pearl
  • Pokemon Platinum
  • Pokemon Black
  • Pokemon White
  • Pokemon Black 2
  • Pokemon White 2
  • Pokemon HeartGold
  • Pokemon SoulSilver
  • Pokemon Conquest
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
  • Pokemon Ranger
  • Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
  • Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
  • Pokemon Trozei
  • Pokemon Dash
  • Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure
  • Pokemon Card Game: How To Play DS

The Nintendo DS boasted seven primary installments of the Pokémon series over two generations, with Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl, Pokémon Platinum, Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, and Pokémon White 2. This was a remarkable milestone because it marked the first time a generation received direct sequels instead of improved versions. Compared to how Pokémon Platinum expanded upon its predecessors, Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 were more extensive games.

Moving beyond the question of generation, there were also the remakes known as Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver, originally from the first round of Game Boy games. The unique spinoff game, Pokemon Conquest, combined the strategy series, Nobunaga’s Ambition, with Pokemon to create a captivating tactical RPG. Additionally, there are several installments in the roguelike genre: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. These games have always been excellent starting points for beginners to the roguelike genre.

Shadows of Almia” and “Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs”. Different from these, “Pokemon Trozei” was a puzzle game, while “Pokemon Dash” was primarily a racing game, although it had some other mini-games. An educational game called “Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure” came with a keyboard and was exclusive to Japan and Europe. Lastly, there was the Japan-exclusive educational game “Pokemon Card Game: How To Play DS”, which taught players about the physical card game.

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2024-09-16 14:34