4 Pokémon Spin-Off Games Worth Playing (And 4 To AVOID)

Pokémon is a franchise that continues to go from strength to strength. Whilst it will likely never ascend to the ubiquitous heights of its mainstream heyday at the turn of the Millennium, it continues to be one of Nintendo’s most successful and lucrative properties, with the strength of the games backed by the ongoing anime show, trading card game and countless merchandise ranges.

The last five pairs of games in the series (Ruby & Sapphire, Diamond & Pearl, Black & White, X&Y and Sun & Moon) have each consistently sold between 16 and 18 million copies worldwide, not including remakes such as Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, or ‘third’ titles such as Emerald and Platinum that added even more to these totals.

The recently announced Sword & Shield will kick off the eighth generation of the series, and they will most likely be just as successful, with their release complemented by a selection of spin-offs.

Throughout the years, such spin-offs have been a mixed bag, quality-wise.

Some have been incredible gameplay experiences, others have been cheap cash-ins that would’ve quickly become bargain bin fodder were it not for the strength of the brand. Here we’ll look at four of the best and four of the worst.

For many years, Pokemon fans have been clamouring for a proper home console take on the series’ traditional formula, allowing them to explore huge lush worlds and catch every Pokemon in full 3D. Sword & Shield will be released on the Switch, but it is expected that they will be similar to style to the seven handheld pairs that came before them rather than something huge and Skyrim-esque.

There have been several home console releases in the franchise, but only a handful of them worth shelling out for. Pokemon XD: Gale Of Darkness was certainly not one of them, largely recycling content (including almost all of the game world) from Pokemon Colosseum. The number of available ‘Shadow Pokemon’ that could be snagged was almost doubled (83 vs Colosseum’s 48), but the lack of new features made it feel more like an expansion pack than a standalone game in its own right.

There were some redeeming qualities – combat in 3D is always a joy to behold, particularly the endeavour of 100 gradually more difficult fights at Mt. Battle, whilst the opportunity to trade exclusive Pokemon to handhelds was always a plus for those wanting to complete their Pokedex.

However, given how many of Nintendo’s other franchises had some of their greatest outings on the GameCube (a hugely underrated console), however, it is disappointing that neither of the Pokemon games that were made for it are worth remembering.