10 Best Pokémon Spin-Off Games You MUST Play

Pokémon is one of the most successful franchises of all time, and while there’s been seven generations of main series games (soon to be eight with Sword and Shield), there are several spin-off games too.

There’s been some ropey ones in the mix, with sub par games having Pikachu’s cuddly face slapped on to boost sales. That said, there’s been some fantastic ones too, where it’s clear that the developers have a genuine affection for the world of Pokémon.

There’s a surprisingly large amount of Pokemon spin-offs, so it’s probably best to lay out some ground rules. Remakes for new systems like HeartGold don’t count as they’re not spin offs, despite adding new features. Also, it’s one game per series, rather than just sequels to one great idea.

Finally, non-Pokémon games where Pokémon feature (like Smash) don’t count, as they’re not really spin offs from the Pokémon franchise. That still leaves a helluva a lot of games to choose from though, all of which show off how rich and engaging the Pokémon franchise can be.

Some people would argue that Pokémon Let’s GO! isn't a spin off at all, but instead a remake of Pokémon Yellow in the style of Pokémon FireRed remaking Pokémon Red. However, with the lack of wild battles, the candies and the implementation of various Pokémon GO features meant a lot of players consider it a spin off, so putting it at the bottom of the list seems like the fairest place for it.

Whether you pick up the Eevee or Pikachu version, both games follow the familiar Kanto storyline, with the addition of Red, Blue and Green in the mix.

Using the joy-cons to actually catch the Pokémon you encounter was a great feature that brought you closer to the true trainer experience. Dressing up Pikachu and Eevee gave it an added cutesy factor too.

Whether the Let’s GO! series will spawn sequels remains to be seen. It sold incredibly well, but it would be naive to discount Kanto’s nostalgic pull as a huge factor in sales figures.

However, Psychic gym leader Sabrina does remark that it’ll be three years before she meets another trainer as strong as you, which might be a nod to a Johto follow up.