The Pokémon franchise dates back to its debut in 1996. There has been 8 Pokémon generations in the past 24 years which have distinct differences/additions. I have personally played all 8 of them and in celebration of the current generation having an expansion release, I have ranked each generation from worst to best. Note that this is just opinion based and will only cover the mainline of games (Don’t expect remakes, Pokémon GO, or other spinoff titles to be covered)

Generation II (Gold, Silver, & Crystal)

Releasing 3 years after the franchise debut games, the Generation II games had a lot to live up to. I cannot begin to describe Pokémon craze of the 1990s because it was an elusive time of Pokémon which I was not in the world for. However, I have seen the controversies, the merchandise, and other products of the time. I can say that the hardware the Generation II games were on, Game Boy Color, was an in between handheld console for Nintendo while the more impressive Game Boy Advanced was in the works. Although my criticism is more on the hardware the games were on, I feel that the inclusion of the Kanto region, where the first games were based in, was lazy and took away the charm of Generation II’s Johto region. Of course, people can disagree with me and say that the inclusion of 2 regions was to demonstrate the power of the new cartridges/hardware and it gave players more content. I think that the later generations innovated more and had lasting impact in comparison.

Generation VI (Pokémon X & Y)

Of course, with new Nintendo handhelds must come with another set of Pokémon games. The 3DS had a rough start with sales and reception which didn’t help Generation VI of Pokémon. What the 3DS did to help Pokémon was it had improved WiFi capabilities over the previous handheld, the DS. Online play was popularized by the DS’ capabilities during Generations IV and V but it had room for improvement. The new hardware allowed Generation VI to have a focus on online play with the bottom screen being used to easily access online functions. It’s also important to note that prior to Generation VI, the mainline games used 2D sprites and manipulation to replicate 3D. Generation VI was the first generation to heavily utilize 3D models. Despite the emphasis on online and improved graphics, Generation VI has a criticized, linear story and gameplay. To me, all the generation had to offer was innovation and additions and lacked the core components of a Pokémon game: engaging gameplay and a compelling story.

Generation I ( Pokémon Red, Green [JPN], Blue, & Yellow)

Generation I is considered by many a timeless classic which supplied the basis for future games to come. Honestly, I only consider the second part to be right. To simply put it, Generation I hasn’t aged well. Mechanics players take for granted nowadays weren’t implemented until later generations would add them such as breeding, day/night cycle, and certain status conditions. In addition to the bare bones nature of the games, Generation I is considered to be the most bugged/glitchy set of games of the franchise. I respect the games for starting the franchise but I have to place the generation somewhere on this list.

Generation VII (Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon)

Where Generation VI did right, Generation VII did better. Where Generation VI went wrong, Generation VII improved. The graphics and online play were greatly improved while sharing the same hardware. The games of Generation VII took a different approach with a typical Pokémon game’s structure. Rather than having gyms, the games had trials which challenged players based on certain mechanics and themes. The games were able to innovate where they did while retaining a compelling story throughout.

Generation VIII (Sword, Shield)

My placement of Generation VII might be a surprise to veterans of the franchise but what can I say? While this current generation has been heavily criticized by the Pokémon community, I actually like the games and have very little to criticize it on. Although I can agree with those who are frustrated about content behind an paid DLC wall, the base game gave me enough satisfaction. The DLC is just a little extra enjoyment I can access if I wanted to. The biggest piece of criticism that I’ve seen the game receive is that not every Pokémon is accessible/transferable, which was a given in previous games. I personally was not upset by this because it allows me to appreciate the Pokémon that Generation VIII has to offer. The new battle mechanics and heavy emphasis on gym battles was welcomed after the lack of gyms in the previous generation.

Generation III (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald), IV (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum), & V (Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

With these last three Generations, I cannot rank them over one another because they held a special place in my childhood. With diehard Pokémon fans, there is at least one generation that they’re attached to. Their reason either being that they played it during childhood or appreciate certain aspects of the generation which set it aside from the rest. The three generations came out during the time I was absolutely obsessed with the franchise. To be fair with all three, I cannot say which one is the best.

If you ever played Pokémon, do you have a favorite generation? If not, do you have a favorite game out of a franchise you feel passionate about? I don’t know if it’s just me but I find it hard to describe why I pick favorite games. With this post, I tried to challenge myself to list my opinions/reasoning but as I moved up to games I liked I had trouble collecting my thoughts. Perhaps I have an easier time with criticizing rather than explaining why I enjoy things.