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Like its predecessors, the Nintendo Switch is home to several Pokémon titles including both mainline games and spin-offs. Now that it’s officially the longest-running Nintendo console ever, that number only continues to grow: in fact, the Switch has the largest number of Pokémon games in its library compared to any other console in history.
With even more games on the horizon — the highly anticipated Pokémon Legends: Z-A is slated for a 2025 release — it can be difficult to figure out which Pokémon games available on Switch are worth one’s time. Complicating matters, the mainline RPGs and the spin-offs can vary vastly in quality, making it even more difficult for would-be players to discern which games to purchase.
The Switch offers a variety of Pokémon games for a variety of Pokémon trainers. Not every game can be a winner but with multiple titles to choose from, you’re bound to find something you enjoy. Whether you want to catch them all, battle it out with your faves, or enjoy a leisurely photo-taking journey, these are the seven best Pokémon games the Switch has to offer.
7. Pokken Tournament DX
If you’ve ever thought a Pokémon fighting game à la Tekken sounds like a blast, give Pokkén Tournament DX a try. Originally released on Wii U as a collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Bandai Namco, home of the Tekken series, the version released on the Switch is essentially the same game but with extra features like online play and daily challenges. Pokkén Tournament DX allows players to fight as over 20 different Pokémon and is both competitive for skilled players and accessible for those newer to the genre.
While Pokkén Tournament DX is a fun game, it does have its problems: Multiplayer runs poorly on the Switch and the game’s story mode isn’t very satisfying — a common complaint with fighting games but worth a mention nonetheless. Still, it’s worth a try if you’re a fan of either franchise or just love battle games.
6. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
It might be a controversial opinion, but I love a good Pokémon remake. In my ideal world, I would be able to play every mainline Pokémon game on my console of choice. The originals almost always win out but if a game was good the first time, it doesn’t require much tinkering to capture my attention a second time.
As someone who wasn’t able to play Diamond and Pearl the first time around — though I’m happy to report I have since — Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl offer a chance to experience one of the best mainline games. Aesthetic changes aside (some players took umbrage at the “chibi” player avatars), much of the game remains the same. Unfortunately that extends to the game’s missteps as well, like the fact players are extremely limited by the amount of Pokémon available in the game. If you can get past the game’s problems though, this is a good way to experience Diamond and Pearl without a DS.
5. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet undeniably pushed the franchise forward but are also rife with technical problems. This is a Pokémon adventure set in a truly open world — players are free to traverse Paldea and its challenges in any order they please — but that world feels unfinished and lacks the character of previous games.
Character customization is lacking compared to recent games and as a player who looks forward to NPC interactions and visiting new towns and cities, I was disappointed with how empty Paldea felt. There are dozens of cool storefronts to visit but entering a shop only amounts to opening a generic menu where players can purchase items. Beautiful buildings line the city streets but unlike previous mainline games, you can’t enter them. Maybe the citizens of Paldea enjoy home security more than those of previous games, or more likely, the game was rushed to meet its release date.
Factor in the numerous issues players encountered when the game was first released — ranging from minor glitches to deleted save data — and it’s hard to see why I’d recommend this game. When Scarlet and Violet get it right, they really get it right: There are great Pokémon to discover (Clodsire became a personal fave), wonderful trainers to battle, and an interesting story to complete. Stick it out through the game’s (many) rough spots and you’ll still have a good time.
4. New Pokémon Snap
Two decades after the original Pokémon Snap was released on Nintendo 64, a sequel was released on the Switch and dare I say, it’s even better this time around. New Pokémon Snap is a cozy rail-shooter where players are tasked to take photos of Pokémon in their natural habitats. It’s a different way to “catch them all” but a change of pace is welcome in a franchise often criticized for rarely straying from its roots. The graphics are beautiful and I love how the Pokémon you encounter emote and interact with their environment.
While New Pokémon Snap is a great game, I hesitate to place it higher. I’m an RPG lover at heart and after several hours taking photos of cute Pokémon, I crave violence. Your mileage may vary, especially if you loved the first Pokémon Snap.
3. Pokémon Lets Go, Pikachu! and Lets Go, Eevee!
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! combine game mechanics from Pokémon Go with Pokémon Yellow for a fun adventure in Kanto. This time around, you can either have a partner Pikachu or Eevee who happily follow you around the map or sit on your character’s shoulder. I love that you can interact with any of your Pokémon — not just your partner — when they’re following behind you and that you can ride, surf, and fly with your own party. Surfing on my own Gyarodos made me feel like a kid again and I want this to be the standard in new games going forward.
The game isn’t perfect — throwing Poké Balls at Pokémon á la Pokémon Go in lieu of actually battling them is interesting in concept but awkward in execution — but it’s fun. Sure, it’s often less of a challenge than I’d like it to be (especially with how insanely powerful my Eevee became) but it perfectly captures the essence of playing Pokémon for the first time as a child. I can’t be mad at that.
2. Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shield has its detractors but I’d argue the game gets more right than it does wrong. From the beginning, Galar is beautiful to explore: there are hillsides filled with frolicking Wooloo, a luminescent forest town where Galarian Ponyta play, and urban centers with buildings you can actually enter! (Imagine that.) Pokémon are visible in the overworld so you don’t have to fight countless Zubat when you’d rather not, a welcome improvement compared to previous games.
Critics complain the game is too short and that may be true. But even without the DLC, I enjoyed my time in Galar and found myself returning to the Wild Area to look for new Pokémon often enough that I still felt satisfied with the game’s content. If you’re a more competitive player, you might find Sword and Shield lacking but I found it more enjoyable than I expected.
1. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon Legends: Arceus felt like a breath of fresh air when it was released in 2022. Despite suffering from problems similar to Scarlet and Violet — the frame-rate dips at times and the world feels too empty — Arceus is just plain fun. It’s the first time a Pokémon game treats Pokémon like the dangerous creatures they are and catching them requires players to plan their encounters carefully lest they get tackled by a wild Chansey. Because of this, Arceus feels challenging compared to other mainline games.
I didn’t love that there’s essentially only one village in the entire game but everything else was so fun, I didn’t mind as much as I thought I would. I’m sad Scarlet and Violet didn’t adapt much of what made Arceus fun (imagine if it had kept the side quests and the catching mechanic), but I’m hopeful Pokémon Legends: Z-A will improve on what’s already a winning formula.