9 Best Nintendo Spin-Off Video Games - Ranked

Creating a spin-off is tricky when developers have to balance the enjoyment of the original series with the new creation.

Many try to stuff their games with as many references and mechanics from the old games to minimize the risk, but that simply makes the new game stale. It's a careful dichotomy; the name recognition that will move initial sales, and the originality that keeps a game standing on its own merits.

Pokemon Ranger does just that.

Introduced in a Pokemon anime, Rangers don't capture Pokemon and battle, they ally with Pokemon and protect them with tools called Stylers. They befriend Pokemon by twirling the DS stylus on the screen, dodging projectiles and obstacles. The gameplay is simplistic, but the more puzzle based nature of the games combined with a variety of methods to acquire Pokemon partners, it has enough familiarity to draw fans in, and the originality to keep them interested.