A new mainlinePokemongame is released every few years, even though it feels like there has always been a Pokemon game that has either just been released or is about to come out. The Pokemon Company has managed to cement the series' relevance in gaming by releasing many spinoff games.
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Over the years there have been a number of Pokemon games likeDetective Pikachu,Pokemon Unite, orPokemon Go, that are a departure from the gameplay of the main series. Not all of these games are one-offs either, with some spawning sequels likePokemon Snap. But, you might be surprised to find out that some of these spinoff series haven’t had a new entry in years.
10Pokemon Pinball
It’s a little hard to believe that we haven’t had a new Pokemon Pinball game in 20 years, especially since it’s a seemingly simple concept. You would use the pinball flippers to hit Poke Balls onto Pokemon to catch them while increasing your score.
There were also boss fights to capture some ofthe Legendary Pokemon. The last entry in the Pokemon Pinball series was Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, which was released on theGame Boy Advancein 2003.
Although the aforementioned Ruby & Sapphire was available on theWii UVirtual Console. TheNintendo Switchwould be a perfect platform for an entry, so maybe it’s time for a new one or at least some newGame Boyadditions to Nintendo Switch Online.
9PokePark
There were two PokePark games that were released for theWii, PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure and PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond which were released in 2010 and 2011 respectively. In PokePark you would play as Pikachu, going around different biomes and meeting different Pokemon while playing mini-games.
There were elements of other spinoff games in PokePark, like the ability to take photos, similar to Pokemon Snap. The gameplay was quite simple, and it was the perfect entry point for younger Pokemon fans looking for more adventures with their favorite creatures.
Both games were released tomixed reception, soNintendomight not be eager to return to this series any time soon.
8Pokemon Ranger
The Pokemon Ranger series was similar to the mainline games, in that there was a story involving your character catching Pokemon. But, instead of catching them as a trainer, you were a Pokemon Ranger who used the stylus to capture them.
Your character would use Pokemon to solve environmental issues, like using a Water-type Pokemon to put out a fire.
The last entry in the series, Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs, was released on the Nintendo DS in 2010. All three entries in the series did come to the now-defunct virtual console but were all originally released for theNintendo DS.
Because the gameplay was stylus-based, it seems unlikely that a port of the series would be coming to the Nintendo Switch.
7Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Arguably the most popular Pokemon spinoff series,Pokemon Mystery Dungeonis a spinoff of Mystery Dungeon, with Pokemon characters. The last main title was Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon, which was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2015.
The premise of the series is that you played as a human who turned into a Pokemon and ventured into different dungeons, usually to rescue other Pokemon or complete quests for them.
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Technically there has been a recent entry on the Nintendo Switch with the release of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX in 2020, but it’s a remake of the first title in the series. It’s still been quite a while since we’ve had a brand-new entry.
6Pokemon Stadium
You probably think ofPokemon Stadiumas a series that had two games, but would you be surprised to find out that there have been three? The first title was released in Japan, with the more well-known Pokemon Stadium being the second entry in the series.
Pokemon Stadium 2 was the last entry, and it was released in 2001. You could transfer your Generation I and II Pokemon into the games, which were on the Nintendo 64, to battle in 3D.
There were alsoover a dozen mini-gamesfor you to try out. If you want to know what the game plays like you can load up Pokemon Stadium on the Nintendo Switch using the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
5Pokemon Dash
While technically not a series, Pokemon Dash, which was released in 2005 for the Nintendo DS, had series potential. But, it was not well received, and maybe for good reason.
The gameplay was fast-paced, as you would swipe your stylus to run around courses and attempt to beat your opponents.
The original game is rough, there is no arguing that. But, a Switch sequel to the game could expand on what the original game developed.
Maybe next time you could play as a character other than Pikachu. Surely Rapidash might be a little quicker.
4Pokemon Colosseum
Pokemon Colosseum and its sequel, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, were released on theGameCube. The Colosseum games were the spiritual successors to the Pokemon Stadium games, as battle-based 3D RPGs.
Both games were set in the Orre region and followed different protagonists in their quest against the evil group, Cipher.
Pokemon Colosseum was the first game to introduce Shadow Pokemon, which is a concept that was then reused nearly 20 years later in Pokemon Go. The mainline games are now similar enough to this style of gameplay, that a new entry might feel redundant.
But, we could always use a spinoff series that took a step in the right direction.
3Pokemon Trozei/Link
One of the spinoff series least like the original was Pokemon Trozei, which was also known as Pokemon Link in Europe. The puzzle game found its home on the Nintendo DS family, and the last entry, Pokemon Battle Trozei or Pokemon Link: Battle, was released in 2014.
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The gameplay was fairly simple, all you had to do was match up the same type of Pokemon in a grid, almost like Puzzle Quest. It’s definitely not the same, but if you wanted to play something similar on the Nintendo Switch you can try out Pokemon Cafe ReMix, as it has similar gameplay.
2Hey You, Pikachu
Is there anything more doomed than a spinoff with a peripheral? Hey You, Pikachu onthe Nintendo 64came with the Voice Recognition Unit, which was a microphone that picked up commands for your Pikachu in the game.
A spiritual successor to the game was released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. Pokemon Channel differed slightly from Hey You, Pikachu in that instead of tagging along with Pikachu’s adventures, you watched television with him.
In a bit of a twist, the Pokemon had their anime voices, rather than the cries from the main game.
1Pokemon Battle Revolution
A spinoff series consisting of just one game, Pokemon Battle Revolution was released on the Nintendo Wii. Battle Revolution is similar to both the Colosseum and Stadium games, with large-scale 3D battles, but it allowed you to battle with Generation IV Pokemon.
The game received poor reviews, hitting a53 on Metacritic. With no other games of this type releasing since Pokemon Battle Revolution, it seems like a mix of redundancy and poor reception prevented the development of a sequel.
Although it wouldn’t be surprising to see the title make a comeback on whatever the successor to the Nintendo Switch is.
