For more than 20 years, the Pokémon series has transcended media and come in all forms. With millions of units sold and more than a dozen titles on Nintendo Switch alone, the franchise doesn’t seem like it’s about to stop. As usual, there are many different titles and they are not suitable for everyone. Be aware, however, that although the characters and the Pokémon universe are suitable for children, the vast majority of games require you to know how to read.
Pokémon are pocket monsters (> Pokémon) with the appearance of fantastic animals.
The links to buy the games are Amazon Affiliates links. Shared Screen receives a commission when you purchase a game after clicking on the corresponding link.
Note that the games in this article are sorted alphabetically.
Table of Contents
Pokémon Café Remix (formerly Café Mix)
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
New Pokémon Snap
Contemplative game where you automatically advance in a vehicle and take pictures of the Pokémon present in each environment.
Needs to know how to read. Suitable for everyone.
For one player.
Price: $79.99 + taxes
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (cartridge)
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (digital code for download)
Pokémon Café Remix (formerly Café Mix)
This is a puzzle game. It is a free-to-play, so a free game to download and play but with microtransactions (purchases with real money, in the game).
The principle of the game is to connect Pokémon icons together to make them disappear. It is then necessary to make the largest combinations, sometimes in limited time, sometimes a certain number of combinations to succeed in the levels and progress in the game.
The game is only playable in portable mode of the Nintendo Switch, and only with the touch screen.
Careful! The game has microtransactions and aggressive monetization! That is, many schemes are used in the game, to entice the player to spend real money to improve his gaming experience.
Available only on the Nintendo eShop digital store.
Requires to know how to read
For one player.
Price: Free
Pokémon Legends Arceus
Great 3D adventure game featuring a hero or heroine with the task of capturing Pokémon. The player explores vast environments with the aim of analyzing and capturing Pokémon. He will be able to create the first Pokédex, the digital encyclopedia containing all the information about pocket monsters. This game is therefore a genesis of the series and a reinvention of it.
Very good game, very long (22 hours on average, 71 hours if you want to do everything)
Requires knowing how to read and manipulate the camera at the same time as the character’s movements.
For a player
Price: $79.99 + taxes
Generation VIII
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (cartridge)
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (digital code for download)
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
A 2D role-playing game where the main character is transformed into Pokémon and can suddenly talk to all the other Pokémon (whereas in the rest of the games, pokémon don’t speak).
This game is a compilation and update of the games Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team (2005, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance).
The player must complete missions such as story-related events, save other Pokémon, deliver items, and accompany customers. The more missions the player completes, the more the level of his rescue team increases and improves.
Missions take place in randomly generated dungeons.
A demo is available is the Nintendo eShop to get an idea.
Needs to know how to read.
For a player.
Price: $79.99 + taxes
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (cartridge)
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (digital code for download)
Pokémon Quest
This is an adventure game where the Pokémon you choose go to face other Pokémon in multiple environments.
It is a free-to-play, so a free game to download and play but with microtransactions (purchases with real money, in the game).
The principle of the game is the choice of Pokémon, their skills, and how to customize them so that they are powerful enough to pass the levels. Pokémon automatically move during the exploration phases and will themselves head to wild Pokémon in the environment to attack them… Excuse me… attack. The player can choose between 2 attacks to launch for each Pokémon of his team of 3, at any time.
At first, the progression is very easy, pleasant, and easy, and the more you play, the slower the progression is and the player then has to wait for a certain amount of arbitrary time to continue, or… pay.
The game is playable on the TV or in nintendo Switch handheld mode, with the touchscreen or controllers.
Careful! The game has microtransactions and aggressive monetization! That is, many schemes are used in the game, to entice the player to spend real money to improve his gaming experience.
Available only on the Nintendo eShop digital store.
Requires to know how to read
For one player.
Price: Free
Pokémon TV
An application for the Nintendo Switch that allows you to watch some cartoons, animated series and Pokémon movies.
A bit like a free Netflix dedicated to Pokémon.
Price: Free
Pokémon Unite
A multiplayer arena fighting game (MOBA). Each of the 5 players chooses a different Pokémon and makes up a team that will face an opposing team located on the other side of the arena.
Other similar games are League of Legends, DOTA 2 and Heroes of the Storm.
Fortunately Pokémon Unite is much more affordable and easy to learn than the 3 games mentioned, and the games last only 10 minutes instead of 30 to 45 minutes. It involves scoring points by eliminating the opposing Pokémon and then counting them by validating them in the opposing goals.
The game would be very good if it didn’t encourage players to spend real money to buy additional Pokémon and upgrades that allow them to have an advantage over other players. In short, the more you pay, the more you are advantaged over opponents. This is the definition of a “pay-to-win” game.
Careful! The game has microtransactions and aggressive monetization! That is, many schemes are used in the game, to entice the player to spend real money to improve his gaming experience.
Playable exclusively online.
Available only on the Nintendo eShop digital store.
For one player.
Price: Free
Pokken Tournament DX
A fighting game featuring about twenty Pokémon in real-time battles in 1 against 1. The game is well made and enjoyable to play BUT it constantly oscillates between perspective changes between 2D and 3D and makes the game difficult to play. Especially since the possible actions are then different between 2D and 3D.
For 1 or 2 players.
Price: $79.99 + taxes
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (cartridge)
Buy the game on Amazon.ca (digital code for download)
Which game to choose?
The rest of the games are special editions.
Want an adventure game that’s different from the main series? Pokemon Legends Arceus
Want a Pokémon photography game? New Pokémon Snap!
A fighting game? Pokken Tournament DX!
Attention as indicated above, Pokémon Unite and Pokémon Café Mix offer in-game purchases. Tell your child how it works, tell them how much they are allowed to spend if they have the right to do so, or block access to the credit card in the most extreme cases.
