The Nintendo Switch has seen quite a few Pokémon games over the years, and most of them have been quite good. Nintendo has been very successful with this console, but what is the best Pokémon game on Switch? There are plenty to choose from, especially if you subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online membership.
As of now, there are 17 Pokémon games on Switch. Eventually, Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be out on both this platform and the Nintendo Switch 2, but for now, there are 17. That includes some that are tied to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription (and expansion pack), but they’re all available in some way. Here’s how they rank.
Pokémon Quest is a free-to-play game for the Switch, but it doesn’t offer much to entice players beyond that. Trainers take their blocky Pokémon on adventures throughout the world to discover loot. It’s an attempt at a fresh take on the franchise and an attempt to do something different, but it doesn’t really hit the mark. It’s easy enough to play and it’s not terrible but it’s not something most Pokémon fans are itching to play.
Pokémon Café ReMix isn’t a bad game, it’s just not all that interesting. This puzzle-based game tries to put Pokémon into a new arena and it works for the most part. It’s just that this particular arena isn’t all that fun. Unfortunately, this game has largely been skipped even though it is entirely free.
The Pokémon Dungeon line of games was pretty fun for players back in the day, but it has long gone by the wayside. Nintendo’s attempt at revitalizing it didn’t work too well, either. For players looking for a different way of playing the franchise, this is a fine option. However, at the price of a new game, it’s probably not worth looking into.
Image Credit: Amazon
Pokémon Puzzle League is on Nintendo Switch Online. It’s a pretty simple game, as it allows players to solve puzzles instead of capturing, training, and battling with Pokémon. It stands apart since it’s not a mainline game or even close to it, but it’s not revolutionary or timeless enough to warrant much higher of a ranking. It’s a casual, fun little game, but it’s not much more than that.
When players find Pokémon in a couple of other entries on this list (Scarlet and Violet, Legends Arceus), they might want to take a picture with them or of them. This is especially true of something rare or shiny. That mechanic has been a welcome addition to the franchise, but as a whole game it’s fairly underwhelming. It’s also not worth the price of a full game, which doesn’t help it.
Image Credit: Nintendo
The sequel to the hit game is another one that only recently came out on Nintendo Switch. It’s very different from a mainline game, but that’s what makes it so interesting. The movie was well received, and the original game remains a classic. Tim’s father has gone missing again, and it’s up to Pikachu (you) to find him. It’s very similar in gameplay to the original, but it does have new puzzles and new investigations to get to the heart of the mystery.
The Let’s Go era of the Pokémon franchise was an interesting one. These games are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, they’re just rather simple. For players new to the games, this is a good and very easy starting point. It also introduced a few new mechanics, such as the Auto-Battle feature, that make it worth trying. It just doesn’t have all that much to offer beyond that.
As far as remakes go, Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are fine remakes, but they’re not special. They don’t do much to expound on or add to the originals. The originals are great, but these remakes just seem to be a reanimated version of them. That’s fine for Switch players, but for those who remember playing the originals, these remakes will just make them long for those days again.
Sword and Shield is more or less a straightforward entry to the franchise. It’s nothing special and it doesn’t do much in terms of advancing or redefining the franchise. However, it’s still a fun game. There’s nothing wrong with it and every Pokémon game is pretty fun. It may not be one of the most exciting games in the vast franchise, it is one of the best Switch Pokémon games available. The DLC, however, is excellent. The Crown Tundra playthrough and the Isle of Armor download make the game that much stronger. The Legendaries added in this game, such as Glastrier and Spectrier, are great.
Thanks to Nintendo Switch Online, the original Pokémon SNAP is on the console as well. It’s part of the expansion pack, which means it costs more, but it’s arguably enough alone to get players to sign up. Taking pictures of Pokémon is a fantastic pastime, and this game has a way of getting players obsessed. It’s hard to find the perfect picture every time, but players will grind endlessly until they do.
Super Smash Bros. has plenty of Pokémon characters, but fans of the franchise would be lying if they said they didn’t want Smash with just Pokémon available. That’s more or less what Pokkén Tournament DX is. It pits players in fights against each other with their chosen creature. There’s a lot of variety and a lot of different ways to fight. There are even mechanics that Smash and other fighting games don’t implement, so Pokkén Tournament DX is one of the best games on Switch. Pokémon fight each other ordinarily, so why not make a game solely about that? This was an excellent idea and it makes for one of the best Pokémon games for Switch.
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Pokémon UNITE gift codes can redeem rewards
UNITE is such a good game because it takes the standard Pokémon game that has existed almost entirely in one genre and moves it to another. MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) is a very popular game genre and Pokémon UNITE staked its claim on it. Paired with a plethora of Pokémon UNITE events going on monthly, and a very loyal player base makes this one of the best Pokémon games on Switch. This seems to be the one game that the Pokémon Company intends on updating without end, so that makes it a safe pick for anyone looking for a good game.
What was fantastic about these games is that it allowed players to play against each other. That was revolutionary and it allowed them to put their hard work in previous mainline entries to work. It’s unclear how that will work with the Nintendo Switch Online versions of these Pokemon games, but they were still excellent games back in the day, so it stands to reason that they’ll convince players to sign up for the expansion on their own. Many gamers long for the day when Switch Online adds Pokémon Red, Crystal or other classic games. For now, they’ll have Pokémon to settle for the duo of Pokémon Stadium games, but they’re still some of the strongest Pokémon Switch games.
Pokémon Trading Cards are awesome. They’re a fantastic way to expand the franchise and give collectors a way to engage. Now, Game Freak has merged the two worlds of Pokémon. There is now, on Nintendo Switch Online, a Pokémon Trading Card Game you can play. It simulates opening packs and collecting rare, beautiful cards. It’s not quite the same as getting that card in a physical pack, but it’s a much more accessible and simple way to do it. It’s one of the most fun games on the Switch. There is a new version of this game now, but this is the original that came out on the GameBoy.
The original is usually better and that’s true for Pokémon Stadium. It doesn’t do a lot different, but it’s just a really good game. Many players love the challenging aspect of the games and that’s pretty much all these games are. Still, they’re worth checking out. They do require the Expansion pack, but it’s more than worth it when games like this are involved. That’s not to mention other classic Nintendo hits that are involved.
If the games weren’t so buggy and if Nintendo had polished the game to their best ability, it’s very possible this would be the best game on the Switch and perhaps the best Pokémon game from the entire franchise. They didn’t, but it’s still excellent. Scarlet and Violet introduce a genuine open world and give players tons to do within it. It’s the most vast game of the franchise and it brought in an entirely new group of players. to think so. With the upcoming DLC, there’s reason to believe the game will get even stronger. Regardless, there aren’t many better Pokémon Switch games out there.
Not only is this the best Pokémon game on Switch, it’s controversial the best Pokémon game period. It was a revolutionary game that helped the Pokémon Company learn what they could do with the franchise. While Arceus may not be as open world as Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet is, it paved the way and didn’t have the massive glitches. It introduced a game mechanic that many trainers were sad to see tossed out the window for the next release(s) with the ability to catch outside of battle.
It had a fantastic storyline, excellent Pokémon and vibrant graphics. The shiny rates are better than in any other game and it has plenty to do. If looking for a Pokémon Switch game, it is very hard to find better than Legends Arceus. There may be other Legends games in this style and with this story coming in the future, but it’ll be hard for them to top this one no matter what they do.
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