Pokémon Go, Pokémon adventures have been a staple of deep and engaging gaming on the go. But every generation of home console since the Nintendo 64 has had Pokémon games as well, and while few live up to their portable brethren, at least until the next game fulfills its home console potential, there are some definite diamonds in the tall grass.
Pokémon is a worldwide phenomenon with dozens of games, anime series, and movies (including one of the better videogame movies, Detective Pikachu). The appeal of hunting through a wide and wonderful world of colorful monsters, catching and battling them against other adventurers, has universal appeal. It seemed odd that Nintendo would wait until the Switch to finally release Pokémon: Sword & Shield, a true entry in the handheld Pokémon tradition, though some of the spin-offs are quite special.
Pokémon games on home consoles have been pretty hit or miss since the days of the Nintendo 64, but the games on this list are undoubtedly the best of the best. From humble beginnings to engaging adventures and amazing spin-offs, Pokémon console games have certainly run the full gamut from excellent to barely playable. Below only the very best console Pokémon games will get their chance in the sun... or moon.
Pokémon Snap (N64)
Pokémon Snap feels like it shouldn't work, but after the first moments where the player cruises by the beach, tossing apples and panning the camera around to capture awesome 3D renders of fan-favorite Pokémon, most people were hooked. It helps that Pokémon Snap had some interesting puzzles to work out and that the camera mechanics actually allowed players to take and save some amazing shots. There's a lot of hype surrounding the sequel New Pokémon Snap, which includes online play, and Pokémon Snap's enduring excellence makes it easy to see why.
Pokémon Stadium (N64)
With all 150 Pokémon wonderfully rendered, complete with a variety of move effects, a story mode, amazing mini-games, and the ability to plug in a Game Boy cartridge to play on the big screen, Pokémon Stadium was the perfect companion for young gamers sinking their teeth into Pokémon in the late '90s. It's made such an impact on players, that one even took 20 years to track down their Pokémon Sword & Shield is pretty telling, and Pokémon Stadium wins out with its amazing multiplayer. Ratata Race anyone?
Pokémon Puzzle League (N64)
A hidden gem if there ever was one in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Puzzle League takes Nintendo's addictive Puzzle League gameplay and paints a shiny Pokémon coat overtop - but the amount of love poured into the game's design is evident from the opening animated cutscene.
With classic voice clips and music from the anime, a full story mode, and a variety of extras, Pokémon Puzzle League was way better than it had any right to be.
Pokémon Colosseum (GameCube)
One of the first attempts to make a fully fleshed out Pokémon RPG on a console, Pokémon Colosseum fits right in between standard Pokémon gameplay and more traditional JRPG fare. Players are tasked with rescuing shadow Pokémon by defeating bad guys and training the evil out of them. All the villains had wonderfully fun personalities and the colosseum battles were suitably epic. The game even included some pretty intense secrets, like two ultra rare shiny Pokémon. With no random encounters, Pokémon Colosseum might not have felt like a true Pokémon game, but there was enough energy and good gameplay here to make it stand out as a worthwhile adventure.
There might not be many excellent Pokémon games on the consoles, but those that capture the spirit and energy of Pokémon managed to deliver something awesome. While there seems to be no shortage of Pokémon games on the horizon for Nintendo Switch, it's never too late to return to a favorite. Just be sure to avoid Hey You! Pikachu like the plague.
