10 Video Game Franchises With The BEST Spin-Offs
2. Pokémon
When it comes to spin-offs, Pokémon's efforts may not be the very best like no one ever was. But what it has released is still more than enough to secure it a place on this list!
First up are the Pokémon Snap games. The original N64 title nailed the "Pokémon on Safari" concept first time round, and sequel New Pokémon Snap proved to be worth the 22 year wait with a revamped scoring system, hugely increased Pokédex and visuals so good you'll wonder why the Switch's mainline Pokémon games look like cursed PS2 titles.
Thinking back on it, the N64 era provided an abundance of great Pokémon games (let's just forget about Hey You, Pikachu!). Pokémon Puzzle League was a cracking puzzle game, made even better for fans of the Pokémon anime by the numerous cameos and voice-clips scattered throughout; the Stadium games were the best way to battle your friends at home; and the Game Boy Color had Pokémon Trading Card Game, an excellent handheld RPG based on the eponymous card game.
Which brings us to Pokémon's lucrative foray into the world of mobile gaming. The app version of the Pokémon trading card game was released last year, to great success, and Pokémon Go conquered the world on its release back in 2016 (oh for those halcyon days of buzzing around a park, phone eagerly held out, after a nearby stranger shouted "THERE'S A RHYDON BY THAT TREE!").