The Nintendo Switch has become a famous home for Pokemon games which offers a range of exciting titles for fans of all ages. There is something for everyone, from classic adventures to new and latest gameplay.
Practically every Nintendo system has been impacted by the Pokemon series from the Game Boy to the 3DS, and the Nintendo Switch is no exception.
You can immerse yourself in various main series and spin-off games on the Switch, so you’re never truly lacking in Pokemon material.
The choice of which games are worthwhile to spend your time on arises when you have so many options.
Choosing which Pokemon game to play next can be challenging, depending on whether you’re an experienced trainer or a newbie to the world of battles.
It also depends on whether you’re looking for the traditional Pokemon adventure or something different.
10. Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Released Date: January 28, 2022
The Pokemon formula needed some adjustments for a while by the time Pokemon Legends: Arceus launched.
Legends: Arceus, fortunately, succeeded in this regard and appears to have revolutionized the franchise. You can travel over expansive regions and observe Pokemon in their native environments.
In this game, you play as Arceus, a legendary Pokemon, sends you back in time to the Hisui area, which existed before Sinnoh.
All you have on your back when you get there are your jammies. Other than catching every Pokemon imaginable, what else can be done? Legends: Arceus stands apart from the previous Pokemon games in the series and with good reason.
9. Pokemon Sword & Shield
Released Date: November 15, 2019
Inspired by Great Britain, Pokemon Sword & Shield transported us to the eighth generation and introduced us to the region of Galar.
Among the more than eighty new Pokemon to encounter were the eerily endearing Poltergeist and the quasi-legendary Dragapult.
Max Raid conflict, in which players can team up with NPCs or other players to destroy and capture Dynamaxed Pokemon in the Wild Area, was also introduced in the games.
Even though Sword & Shield’s graphics fell short of those of other Switch first-party titles, it was still an enjoyable exploration into a new area with engaging multiplayer elements.
8. Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee & Let’s Go Pikachu
Release Date: November 16, 2018
It makes logical that Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee & Let’s Go Pikachu, remakes of the classic Kanto area that incorporate features from the wildly successful Pokemon Go, were the first mainline Pokemon games to be released on the Nintendo Switch.
Whichever game you choose—Let’s Go Pikachu or Let’s Go Eevee—you may tack on a charming accessory to go along with your particular Eevee or Pikachu companion for the journey.
In these games, Pokemon also make an appearance in the overworld; this series began when the games were initially released.
The Let’s Go games are an excellent way to get to know Kanto, regardless of how many times you’ve been there previously.
7. Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Release Date: November 18, 2022
The first serious entry in the open-world genre for the Pokemon series is Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. You can pursue three distinct narratives in the Paldea region and decide where to travel at any time.
There are a tonne of new and returning Pokemon to find, which makes it even more imperative that you thoroughly explore the area.
Despite this, the games have graphical issues that cause errors and malfunctions that detract from the overall enjoyment.
Maybe Pokemon had too much to aim for and not enough time to evolve. Scarlet and Violet may have been the best Pokemon games ever made with a little more polish, but sadly that isn’t the case.
6. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX
Release Date: 6 March 2020
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX offers the adventure. If you were unable to play Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team when they were released in the early 2000s on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS.
Reimagined with a high-definition, watercolor-like art style that is equally as attractive as the original, it is a recreation of the two games together.
In the game, you create your rescue squad and be transformed into a Pokemon. As the name suggests, you explore strange tunnels that can alter every time you enter them.
5. New Pokemon Snap
Released Date: April 30, 2021
New Pokemon Snap is a sequel to the popular 1999 game Pokemon Snap that mostly stays true to its original tone. Instead of merely in the long grass, discover Pokemon in their natural environments and take pictures of them.
Still, you’ll need to take pictures of various Pokemon behaviors to advance.
You can view Pokemon in a way that you’ve never seen them before thanks to the features of New Pokemon Snap.
The game is endearing enough to play on its own, but it becomes even more captivating when you can take pictures of legendary Pokemon like Mew.
4. Pokemon Unite
Released Date: July 21, 2021
Pokemon Unite is a free-to-play game where your team of five players competes against another team of five players to earn the most points by eliminating wild Pokemon, leveling up your own Pokemon, and eliminating opponents’ Pokemon.
As you’ll need to collaborate with the other four players on your team, which is essentially a first for the Pokemon franchise as a whole, teamwork is essential in this game.
To add even more customization to your play, you may dress up your Pokemon in holographic attire known as Holowear.
3. Pokken Tournament DX
Release Date: September 22, 2017
Pokken Tournament DX is the first-ever Pokemon game on the Switch. It is an arcade-style fighting game that draws inspiration from the Tekken series, in case the title didn’t give it away.
Despite being a transfer of a Wii U game, Darkrai and Scizor were among the additional Pokemon you could battle like in the Switch edition.
Other than the somewhat sharper graphics and the ability to play the game anywhere without having to carry the bulky Wii U gamepad around, the Switch version didn’t really contribute anything.
2. Detective Pikachu Returns
Release Date: October 6, 2023
Detective Pikachu gained even more popularity with the 2019 film, while already being well-liked on the 3DS.
In Detective Pikachu Returns, everyone’s favorite detective returned to the Nintendo Switch in 2023 with a brand-new case to crack and secrets to discover.
Although Pikachu remains a delightful and humorous figure, the game’s simplistic gameplay and poor graphics fall short of the original.
Detective Pikachu Returns is nevertheless entertaining despite this, particularly if you’re searching for a casual, enjoyable Pokemon adventure that’s different from your typical mainline game.
1. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Release Date: 19 November 2021
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, which were remade in 2006, were eagerly anticipated by fans of the Sinnoh area.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, like many remakes, shrunk Dawn, Lucas, and many other beloved Sinnoh characters into chibi size and replaced the original’s conventional pixel art style with 3D visuals.
The Grand Underground sections where you can encounter different Pokemon are among the additional elements that Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl added, even if the majority of the original journey was still there.
But it begs the issue of why the Pokemon Company chose not to incorporate the enhancements seen in Pokemon Platinum, given that some of the questionable decisions made in the original games were retained for the remakes.
