Summary
Pokemonis currently on its ninth generation of main series games after more than two decades of being one of the biggest video game franchises in the world. ThePokemonseries has maintained relevance by making each new generation feel unique, whether through the new Pokemon, innovations to the formula, or the various gimmicks that bring curious fans back for more every time.
Many gamers have played at least onePokemongame in their lifetime, but for those who haven’t, it can be nice to know which generations stand above the rest as some of the best ever created. ThevariousPokemonside gamesfrom throughout the years can make things a little muddy and complicated, so the main focus will be on the core games, both new and remakes, that each generation has received up to this point.
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S Tier
Generation 4:The Sinnoh region and its games have lovers and detractors, but the vast majority of the fanbase can at least agree that these are solid introductions forPokemonto the Nintendo DS. Sinnoh itself may be one of the best regions ever designed for a game andPokemonPlatinum’s Reverse Worldis a highly revered dungeon.HeartGold and SoulSilver, are considered by much of the fanbase to be the best remakes and just generally some of the bestPokemongames ever created.
A Tier
Generation 5:The Unova games have undergone something of a reputation resurgence among thePokemonfanbase in recent years. Initially, bothPokemonBlack and Whiteand its sequel gameswere panned by many as some of the worst in the series, and a sign of an ailing franchise at a time whenPokemonsales were steadily declining. The fans who did enjoy this generation were heavily defensive, though, and eventually, many others came around to see that Generation 5 is one of the most content-rich of any in the franchise.
Generation 3:The Game Boy Advance era ofPokemongames marks a lot of important changes for the series. On the surface, it may seem as though it has too many downgrades for its own good, like the removal of the day and night cycle along with the ability to transfer Pokemon from earlier games that were both staples of Gen 2. Where Gen 3 has superficial downgrades, though, it has an equal number of overhauls to things like the battle system that laid the foundations forthePokemoncompetitive scene todaywith additions like abilities, double battles, and natures.FireRedandLeafGreenare also the first remakes that gave the GBA crowd access to many of the Pokemon that were missing inRuby,Sapphire, andEmerald, along with making a lot of fantastic quality-of-life improvements to the Gen 1 originals.
B Tier
Generation 2:Pokemon Gold and Silverexpand on the ideas from the first generation in so many unique and innovative ways that remain staples of the series to this day, like differentPokemon appearing depending on the time of day, and the addition of Dark and Steel types. Like the original generations, though, there are certain qualities that have become dated. This is also maybe the only generation where the additional version,Pokemon Crystal, can actually feel like a downgrade from its predecessors, with 10 Pokemon that were previously obtainable now absent for some strange reason.
Generation 1:Some earlyPokemonpurists may consider it blasphemy to even consider putting the generation that started it all below any of the other games in the series. The reality is, whileRed, Blue, and Yellowdeserve all the credit in the world for being the foundations of everything that isPokemon, going back to play the original games now feels fairly dated. They’re certainly still fun games with a lot to offer, but much of what followed improved and refined the things that this generation laid the groundwork for.
Generation 6:This was the first generation to make the jump from 2D to 3D.X and Yare commendable for some strong additions like Mega Evolutions and Fairy-types.Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphireare also solid Gen 3 remakes, even if not quite as impressive as the Gen 2 remakes. This generation does mark Game Freak taking the franchise’s difficulty down to a level of ease never before seen, though.X and Y’s lack of content, particularly post-game content, paired with the fact that the player needs to go far out of their way to make the game even remotely challenging, sadly brings the whole experience down a notch.
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C Tier
Generation 7:There were a number of things done toSun and Moonand their sequels that added much-needed variation to things that were considered staples of thePokemonformula up to that point, like the replacements for HMs and gym leaders. Alola is also a very creative and fun-to-explore region. This generation begins to suffer tremendously beyond those compliments, though, with the hand-holding nature of the series pushed to an egregious level, Z-Moves failing to be a gimmick that lives even remotely up to the excitement generated by Gen 6’s Mega Evolutions, andLet’s Go Pikachuand Eeveebeing considered lacklusterremakes by most.
D Tier
Generation 9:It’s not quite fair to put this generation anywhere just yet as it’s still ongoing, and what’s coming in the future could change opinions. As of right now, though, Gen 9 is off to a very controversial start. What it attempts is commendable between the open world, various traversal methods, and oddly fun ideas like Paradox Pokemon. Those ideas have as many flaws as they do strengths, though, andthe broken state ofPokemonScarlet and Violetat launch, something that still hasn’t been adequately patched, is not something that most can just ignore.
Generation 8:The first main seriesPokemongames to leave the handheld world behindshould have been a step forward. Instead,Pokemon Sword and Shieldin many ways feels regressive between its absence of a National Dex and weak animations that are too similar to the 3D models from previous generations to justify the jump. There are certainly positives, like the adventurous Wild Area and critically-acclaimedLegends: Arceuswhich feels like the most innovative step the franchise has taken in some time, but much of Gen 8 left some fans concerned for the future ofPokemon.
