The Complete List of Pokemon Games in Chronological and Release Order: Gotta Catch ‘Em All!

After intially launching in Japan as Pocket Monsters in 1996, Pokemon would make its way to the West in 1998 and establish what would eventually become one of the most profitable franchises in all of entertainment. At the core of the Pokemon IP are the games themselves, with more than 30 mainline entries spanning 9 different eras, or "Generations", of titles across several iterations of Nintendo hardware. From humble beginnings on the Game Boy to more recent entries on the Switch and Switch 2 that continue to redefine the series' 3D era, Pokemon games may change how they look and some of their rosters of collectible monsters, but they're each breezy and fun role-playing games at their core.

• Release Date — February 27, 1996 (JP); September 28, 1998 (NA)
• Generation — First Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy

The very first Pokemon games established the series' trend of releasing two connected entries at once, with Pokemon Red and Green originally launching as Pocket Monsters Red and Green in Japan in 1996. While it would take two years for Pokemon Red to make its way to the West, it's largely the same game as its Japanese counterpart.

• Release Date — February 27, 1996
• Generation — First Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy

While Western players got Pokemon Blue as the counterpart to Pokemon Red, the original Japanese release consisted of Pokemon Red and Green. Featuring an iconic image of Bulbasaur on its cover art, Pokemon Green would change slightly in its localization as Pokemon Blue, and the Japanese Pokemon Blue is a special edition of the game similar to the Western Pokemon Blue that makes some changes Western players would see in Pokemon Yellow.

• Release Date — September 28, 1998
• Generation — First Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy

The counterpart to Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue was originally released in the West in September 1998 and would mark the beginning of Pokemon's First Generation. While Red and Blue feature similar gameplay, they have different Pokemon rosters as well as some subtle differences when it comes to their item placements.

• Release Date — October 19, 1999
• Generation — First Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy

The final game in Pokemon's First Generation is Pokemon Yellow, which is both a special edition of the original two Pokemon games and a title meant to capitalize on the Pokemon animated series' breakout star: Pikachu. Notably, Japanese players would get a special First Generation Pokemon game in Pokemon Blue, making Pokemon Yellow a Western-exclusive title until its remake as Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee.

• Release Date — October 15, 2000
• Generation — Second Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy Color

For many players, the Second Generation of Pokemon games remain the best titles in the series, with Pokemon Gold and its counterpart making large strides to evolve the series' then-new formula. And, for the first time, players got to experience the world of Pokemon in vibrant display thanks to the titles' new home on the Game Boy Color.

• Release Date — October 15, 2000
• Generation — Second Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — Game Boy Color

The counterpart to Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Silver is largely considered to be the best of the early Pokemon games and is the only title in the entire franchise to receive a review aggregate score of over 90%. The biggest difference between Silver and its Gold counterpart are the games' roster of collectible monsters, of which Silver has one of the best in the series.

• Release Date — July 29, 2001
• Generation — Second Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy Color

The final game in Pokemon's Second Generation is the excellent Pokemon Crystal, which, while not as well-received as Gold or Silver, remains a fan favorite thanks to its introduction of several much-loved Pokemon. Principal among these new monsters is the Legendary Pokemon Suicune, who graces Pokemon Crystal's cover.

• Release Date — March 19, 2003
• Generation — Third Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy Advance

The wait for Pokemon's Third Generation was somewhat long in comparison to the gaps between previous entries, but it was a wait that paid off with the excellent Pokemon Ruby and its Sapphire counterpart. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire have long remained fan-favorites right alongside Gold and Silver, resulting in them eventually getting next-gen remakes a decade later.

• Release Date — March 19, 2003
• Generation — Third Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy Advance

While Pokemon Sapphire is largely the same game as Pokemon Ruby, it does have one advantage in its signature Legendary Pokemon: Groudon. Arguably one of the best Water-Type Pokemon in the entire series, Groudon makes its debut in Pokemon Sapphire, making it an unmissable game for players who have an affinity for Water-Type monsters.

• Release Date — September 9, 2004
• Generation — Third Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy Advance

To close out Pokemon's Third Generation, Nintendo and Game Freak would deliver a one-two punch of the series' first two remakes and a remixed version of the two most recent mainline entries. The first of these to arrive was the remake of Pokemon Red, Pokemon FireRed, which reimagines the series' iconic debut title on the Game Boy Advance.

• Release Date — September 9, 2004
• Generation — Third Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy Advance

The counterpart to Pokemon FireRed, Pokemon LeafGreen is a remake of Pokemon Green that remains more faithful to the Japanese original than the Pokemon Blue localization, making it an important entry in the series' Western release history.

• Release Date — May 1, 2005
• Generation — Third Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 76% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Game Boy Advance

The release of Pokemon Emerald is almost as important to the franchise's history as FireRed and LeafGreen, as it marks the first time GameFreak would develop a remixed and improved version of the two most recent mainline entries. Pokemon Emerald is an enhanced and revised version of Ruby and Sapphire that features improvements to its visuals and audio, new areas, new challenges, and more.

• Release Date — April 22, 2007
• Generation — Fourth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

Kicking off the series' Fourth Generation and its long tenure on the Nintendo DS is Pokemon Diamond. In addition to being one of the series' best-selling games, Pokemon Diamond and its counterpart, Pokemon Pearl, introduced new gameplay features like WiFi connectivity for online play and a whopping 107 new Pokemon.

• Release Date — April 22, 2007
• Generation — Fourth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

The counterpart to Pokemon Diamond, Pokemon Pearl would also end up being one of the series' best-selling games. Together, Diamond and Pearl would move an impressive 16 million units, outselling all of the Game Boy Advance-era titles from Pokemon's Third Generation.

• Release Date — March 22, 2009
• Generation — Fourth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

Similar to games like Pokemon Yellow or Emerald, Pokemon Platinum is another third-generation entry that remixes elements of the Fourth Generation's two main titles: Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. While the core gameplay remains largely the same as the other Fourth Generation titles, Platinum does make some adjustments to the availability and evolutions of certain Pokemon.

• Release Date — March 14, 2010
• Generation — Fourth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

For the two final games in the series' Fourth Generation, Nintendo and Game Freak would remake the classic Pokemon Gold and Silver using the engine for Diamond and Pearl. Dubbed Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, these titles introduce several new features over the original Gold and Silver, including new gameplay mechanics that were later introduced in Pokemon Crystal.

• Release Date — March 14, 2010
• Generation — Fourth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

The counterpart to Pokemon HeartGold, Pokemon SoulSilver is the Fourth Generation remake of one of the series' most beloved titles, Pokemon Silver. Like HeartGold, SoulSilver reimagines the classic Second Generation Pokemon game using the engine and visual style of Diamond and Pearl and also includes all of those games' features, including WiFi trading.

• Release Date — March 6, 2011
• Generation — Fifth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS would end up being the first Nintendo platform to get two complete generations of Pokemon titles, with the series' Fifth Generation games also marking a unique turning point for the franchise. Pokemon Black and White are the first titles in the series to take place in an urban setting, making them incredibly popular among players.

• Release Date — March 6, 2011
• Generation — Fifth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

Like its Pokemon Black counterpart, Pokemon White is one half of the series' Fifth Generation debut and would end up becoming one of the best-selling games both in the series and on the Nintendo DS. Together, Pokemon Black and White would sell a combined 15.64 million units, making them the 6th best-selling games on the Nintendo DS.

• Release Date — October 7, 2012
• Generation — Fifth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

Rather than deliver a remake or a remix of the Fifth Generation's mainline Pokemon games, Pokemon Black and White are the first (and, as of now, only) games in the franchise to receive direct sequels as part of their Generation. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are the only direct sequels in the series and the last two first-party titles to release for the Nintendo DS.

• Release Date — October 7, 2012
• Generation — Fifth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

Like Black 2, Pokemon White 2 is a direct sequel to its Fifth Generation predecessor and takes place 2 years after the events of Black and White. While the gameplay of these titles remains largely the same as their predecessors, Black 2 and White 2 do introduce a total of 300 new Pokemon that were not available in Black and White.

• Release Date — October 12, 2013
• Generation — Sixth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

The start of Pokemon's Sixth Generation also marks the series' transition to the 3DS, which would be another platform where the series had a long and successful tenure. The two mainline games of this Generation, Pokemon X and Y, would mark the point where the series made its transition into 3D.

• Release Date — October 12, 2013
• Generation — Sixth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

The counterpart to Pokemon X, Pokemon Y is one of the two games kicking off the series' Sixth Generation and the first title in the series to use 3D visuals. Notably, X and Y would also end up being the first titles in the series to have a simultaneous worldwide release, where previous entries has initially arrived in Japan before Western localizations.

• Release Date — November 21, 2014
• Generation — Sixth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

To close out Pokemon's Sixth Generation, the series would deliver yet another pair of remakes in the form of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. As their names suggest, these Nintendo 3DS titles are Sixth Generation remakes of the classic Third Generation Pokemon games Ruby and Sapphire made using the engine from Pokemon X and Y.

• Release Date — November 21, 2014
• Generation — Sixth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

Together with its Omega Ruby counterpart, Alpha Sapphire is a remake of the Third Generation Pokemon games for the Game Boy Advance made using Pokemon X and Y's engine and featuring elements of those titles' Third Generation remix, Pokemon Emerald. Both of these titles would eventually go on to become the fourth-best-selling games on the Nintendo 3DS.

• Release Date — November 18, 2016
• Generation — Seventh Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

Like the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo 3DS would be another platform to receive two generations of Pokemon titles in a single hardware iteration, with the Sixth and Seventh Generations of Pokemon games calling the 3DS home. The Seventh Generation includes Pokemon Sun and Moon, which transport the series to the tropical island region of Alola.

• Release Date — November 18, 2016
• Generation — Seventh Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

Like its Sun counterpart, Pokemon Moon is a mainline Seventh Generation Pokemon game that takes place in the new Alola region and features a host of both new and returning Pokemon to collect. Together, Sun and Moon would end up being the third-best-selling games on the Nintendo 3DS, beaten out only by their Pokemon X and Y predecessors.

• Release Date — November 17, 2017
• Generation — Seventh Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

The Seventh Generation of Pokemon is unique in that, rather than following up the mainline entries with remakes or sequels, Nintendo and Game Freak instead delivered enhanced versions of the mainline titles. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are slightly enhanced, remixed versions of Sun and Moon that remain largely the same in terms of their gameplay but introduce new Ultra Beast Pokemon and new forms of Sun and Moon's Legendary Pokemon, Necrozma.

• Release Date — November 17, 2017
• Generation — Seventh Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo 3DS

Much like its Ultra Sun counterpart, Ultra Moon is a slightly enhanced version of the mainline Seventh Generation Pokemon game Pokemon Moon that introduces some new Pokemon, collectibles, and traversal options for making your way around the islands of the Alola region. And, together, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon would become the ninth-best-selling games on the Nintendo 3DS.

• Release Date — November 16, 2018
• Generation — Seventh Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

The Seventh Generation of Pokemon would be the first to receive releases across generations of Nintendo hardware, with the series' final Seventh Generation titles arriving on the then-new Nintendo Switch. Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee are Seventh Generation remakes of Pokemon Yellow that feature an entirely new battle system built around motion controls.

• Release Date — November 16, 2018
• Generation — Seventh Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

Like its Let's Go, Pikachu! counterpart, Let's Go, Eevee is a restructured remake of Pokemon Yellow in which players do battle with wild Pokemon by using the Nintendo Switch's Joy Cons to "throw" Pokeballs.

• Release Date — November 15, 2019
• Generation — Eighth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

The Eighth Generation of Pokemon would begin shortly after the release of Let's Go, Pikachu! and Eevee with the arrival of Pokemon Sword and Shield. Sword and its Shield counterpart introduce several new mechanics to the series, including the title's unique Gigantamax evolutions, and feature semi-open world zones in which to catch wild Pokemon.

• Release Date — November 15, 2019
• Generation — Eighth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

Along with Pokemon Sword, Pokemon Shield is one of the mainline games in the Pokemon series to mark the beginning of the franchise's Eighth Generation. While it features gameplay identical to Sword, Pokemon Shield does have a unique Legendary Pokemon, and both games include the new ability to transfer over Pokemon from previous games in the series not normally included in the Pokedex.

• Release Date — November 19, 2021
• Generation — Eighth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 73% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

The Eighth Generaiton of Pokemon would also end up including a pair of remakes and a new game type for the series. The remakes of the Eigth Generation reimagine the classic Nintendo DS entries Diamond and Pearl using a brand-new game engine for the Nintendo Switch. The remake of Diamond, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, is a faithful reimagining that, as a result, received mixed reviews for its lack of newer features.

• Release Date — November 19, 2021
• Generation — Eighth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 73% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

A remake of the best-selling Nintendo DS title Pokemon Pearl, Pokemon Shining Pearl is the counterpart to Briliant Diamond and is a faithful reimagining of the series' Fourth Generation game. However, both Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are unique among Pokemon remakes in that they mostly only feature visual upgrades and don't include changes and features from subsequent games in the series.

• Release Date — January 28, 2022
• Generation — Eighth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

One of the most original and exciting Pokemon games in years, Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes player into the series' past and explores a time far removed from the rest of the mainline Pokemon games and acts as a prequel to Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (and their Nintendo Switch remakes). Arceus would end up being a critical and commercial success thanks to its changes to the long-running series formula, helping it earn a follow-up years later.

• Release Date — November 18, 2022
• Generation — Ninth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 72% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

The two mainline games for Pokemon's Ninth Generation, Scarlet and Violet, mark the series' transition into being fully open-world, with somewhat mixed results. While Scarlet and Violet do make some notable improvements over Sword and Shield, their technical performance at launch left a lot to be desired, requiring Nintendo and Game Freak to make regular patches to bring the titles into a more playable state.

• Release Date — November 18, 2022
• Generation — Ninth Generation
• Review Aggregate Score — 71% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

Like its Ninth Generation counterpart, Scarlet, Pokemon Violet is the series' first foray into true open-world gameplay and takes place in the new Paldea region of the franchise's world. While its gameplay is largely identical to Scarlet, Violet does include a unique Legendary Pokemon, Miraidon, which acts as the player's main mode of transportation around the map.

• Release Date — TBA 2025 (Estimated Q4)
• Generation — Ninth Generation
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch, Switch 2

The presumed final game in the Pokemon series' Ninth Generation is set to launch at some point later this year, with Pokemon Legends: Z-A acting as a follow-up to the excellent Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Like Arceus, Z-A reportedly takes players back to a different time in the Pokemon universe and features some subtle changes to the series' signature gameplay. Notably, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will also be the first game in the series to arrive on the Switch 2.