I’ve been a massive fan of Pokémon ever since I picked up Pokémon Silver for the Gameboy. I was a little late to the party, but have fallen in love with the franchise. Ever since then I’ve played every mainline game and even a few spin-offs, including the Mystery Dungeon and Pokémon Ranger series. What better way to show my love and appreciation for the series by making a big list of every generation of Pokemon ranked from worst to best?
Before I start, I’d like to let you know the rules which I set myself whilst writing this article. Since I’ve only played a handful of the spin-off titles, the quality of the main games will determine this list. I’m aware each generation has some excellent side games, but I haven’t played enough for them to affect my decisions. Also, whilst not as outwardly controversial as my Zelda ranking, I’d also like to politely ask people to keep it civil in the comments section if you disagree with any of the placements. Without further ado, let’s talk about my least favourite generation in the franchise!
8. Generation 8
Pokémon Sword and Shield may still be ongoing, but the lacklustre start to Generation 8 is disappointing. With a controversial pre-release, the game was always going to struggle to win over doubters. Cutting up the Pokédex and selling the missing monsters back as DLC was a move that didn’t particularly affect sales, but still irritated long-time fans. The pre-release of Sword and Shield was dominated by the news that you might not be able to battle with your favourite Pokémon. There were interesting changes made to the standard Pokémon format, but they were all overshadowed by one dominating feature.
Sword and Shield introduced the Wild Area, a massive expanse of space in which you could catch freely roaming Pokémon. It was an attempt to find a middle ground between the standard Pokémon games and the additional features introduced in Pokémon: Let’s Go. Unfortunately, all the Wild Area did was plop a massive amount of barren, uninteresting land between you and your objectives. It was Sword and Shield’s entire gimmick, yet it only felt boring and worthless. The game’s atrocious pop-in and draw distance didn’t help matters either.
In the end, Pokémon’s second ever game on the Switch is the most disappointing in the series so far. The story was mediocre and made no sense, the designs were goofy or not memorable, and a sizeable amount of my favourite Pokémon were ripped out for DLC. It was a decent game, but nowhere near the quality we expect from Nintendo.
7. Generation 7
Pokémon Sun and Moon definitely have a place in my heart.
This is the only entry that I can potentially see people disagreeing with. However, most of my problems with Generation 7 stem from Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon rather than the initial games. Whilst Sun and Moon are enjoyable yet flawed adventures in a wonderfully creative world, Ultra Sun and Moon expands the story and adds so much unnecessary fluff that the games became tedious. People don’t buy Pokémon games for gripping narratives, yet Ultra Sun and Moon had so many plot threads and stoppages the game stops you every five minutes for a bit of plot or to introduce you to a new character.
Then there’re the trials themselves. In Pokémon Sun and Moon they’re fun and challenging, but in the ultra versions each trial is irritatingly tough. I like a challenge, but don’t when I feel like it’s unfair. Most trial Pokémon will inflict you with status effects or hold items which gives the AI a significant advantage. They feel like a matter of luck whereas trials in Sun and Moon provide a fair challenge.
I could go on for hours about how much I loathe Ultra Sun and Moon. I didn’t even get into the “call for help” system that made catching Pokémon needlessly difficult. Generation 8 might be my least favourite, but Ultra Sun and Moon are my least favourite games by a landslide. The quality of the original games just about saves Generation 7 from languishing at the bottom of this list.
6. Generation 6
Mega Evolution was a fun and interesting concept
My favourite thing about Generation 6 has to be Mega Evolution. If there was one gimmick I could bring back for the next Pokémon game, that would be it. The idea gave so many rejected Pokémon a new form to make them viable in battles once again. There are a few Pokémon that probably don’t deserve Mega Evolutions, but I love the concept and there were so many interesting designs. It was a genuine display of creativity from Game Freak, it’s just a shame that the creativity didn’t really expand into the games themselves.
Pokémon X and Y were games that reeked of Game Freak resting on their laurels. The amazing work done in Gen 5 was undone by reverting to the painfully worn out formula of previous generations. Team Flare lacked any kind of personality despite there being an amazing amount of potential in a fashion obsessed group of criminals. X and Y felt like Game Freak was going through the motions. The introduction of Mega Evolutions and a large amount of creative Pokémon designs weren’t enough to stop the game from feeling stale.
However, I found the remakes of Sapphire and Ruby very enjoyable. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire took an already brilliant game and only made slight tweaks, some better than others. Adding a Mega Evolution to one of my favourite starters ever (Blaziken) only added to my enjoyment. Experiencing one of my childhood games in glorious 3D, that allowed me to fly above Hoenn on the back of a legendary Pokémon, is a major factor into my enjoyment. I would be lying if I said that nostalgia wasn’t a part of my decision making.
5. Generation 1
When I was putting together the list of every generation of Pokemon ranked, I was unsure of what to do with Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu and Eevee. I ran a Twitter poll and concluded that despite releasing on the Switch, these games are actually more of a retread of Generation 1 rather than Generation 8. Although it’s a controversial opinion, I loved Pokémon Let’s Go and thought they were fantastic recreations of the original games. They bridge the gap between Pokémon Go and the main series nicely.
When talking about Gen 1 though, my heart will always belong to Fire Red and Leaf Green. After Pokémon Silver, these games dominated my childhood and I still enjoy them to this day. I love the open level design that allows you to take gyms in whatever order you like. I also still think Generation 1 has the most creative designs out of all the games up to the present day. However, the games have some problems, especially trainer battles, and the story is very lacking when you compare it to modern titles. It would be very unfair to rank Generation 1 any higher due to nostalgia. They aren’t bad games, in fact they’re great, but they haven’t withstood the test of time as well as I’d like.
4. Generation 5
Black and White were probably the games with the best story.
I think like many people, my interest in Pokémon started to wane a little before Generation 5. Pokémon Black and White never really grabbed my attention, and it was only until recently that I actually played them. Surprisingly, I found that Black and White had the best story out of all the other games I’ve played. Both of your rivals have unique characteristics and aren’t the standard “irritating rival” stereotype. Bianca and Cheren were worthy rivals and made the game more of a challenge with the inclusion of two rivals instead of just one.
Gym Leaders played a pivotal role in the story, and the visuals were the best I’d ever seen at the time. Generation 5 was also the only one to have direct sequels leading on from the first games. Black and White 2 was an attempt to make Pokémon much more story-driven, and Game Freak succeeded mostly.
But there is a reason this generation is only taking fourth spot. Black and White and their sequels didn’t have the greatest Pokémon designs and are the weakest of all the games in this area. Casting my mind back, I can only name four or five Pokémon I like, and that’s with playing the games recently. Also, the legendary designs are too busy and are a prime example of too much detail being a bad thing. In conclusion, Generation 5 is a noble attempt at a couple of story-driven Pokémon games, but the weak designs somewhat spoil it.
3. Generation 2
Pokémon Silver will always be my favourite.
As I alluded previously, Pokémon Gold and Silver were a massive part of my childhood. They were the first games I played in the franchise, which consequently introduced me to gaming. It’s now over fifteen years later and I’m still playing the games today. If it wasn’t for these games, I might not be right here writing the words you’re reading. Even distancing myself from how much of an effect the games had on me as a kid, Pokémon Gold and Silver still hold up surprisingly well today.
If you can get past the over twenty-year-old graphics, it’s still a very enjoyable game. Even though the game’s setting is an entirely new region, Game Freak attempted to take aspects of the first and transfer them to a sequel. Characters would bring up story events from the first game, and the final fight with Red is such a momentous occasion. Travelling from one region to another was a great way to extend the game’s life, but also something amazing for fans of the older games. Generation 2 was also the introduction of Ampharos, and he’s my favourite Pokémon ever.
2. Generation 3
Rayquaza is the best legendary without a doubt.
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire may beat them in graphical prowess, but a remake almost never beats the charm and personality of the originals. Many people consider Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald as the pinnacle of the Pokémon franchise, and you could easily make that argument. Hoenn is my favourite setting for a Pokémon game and the graphics amazing for a game on the Gameboy Advance. Whenever there’s a discussion about games that have aged well, Pokémon Emerald has to be on that list for me.
Generation 3 also has arguably the best trio of starters. Every time I play the games I’m always torn between the three. Swampert and Sceptile are both incredible Pokémon, and they always make me think about picking them before I eventually end up choosing Blaziken. The same goes for pretty much all the designs. Some of my favourite Pokémon from the entire franchise started out in Generation 3. Breloom, Swellow, Ludicolo, Sharpedo, and Aggron are all top tier Pokémon and you can’t change my mind.
However, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald take second place because of one thing. Whilst most of the game is excellently paced, the games lose steam in the last quarter. They’re also the worst games for making you teach your Pokémon HM’s. The addition of Dive and Waterfall made the final parts a chore to get through. If there’s anything I’m glad the modern games got rid of, it’s the mandatory use of HM’s.
1. Generation 4
Generation 4 is the pinnacle of Pokémon
The general consensus amongst fans is that Generation 4 is the best, and I have to agree. Between 2006 and 2010 was Pokémon’s golden era, having 3 main games and 2 side games released within four years. Not only that, these games were brilliant, cementing themselves as childhood favourites for a generation of gamers. But we’re here to talk about mainline Pokémon games. Many, current company included, consider Pokémon Platinum to be the best game in the series. The game is paced perfectly, has fantastic designs, a great story and provides a challenge for veteran players. Just the name “Garchomp” is enough to send shivers down spines.
But not content with a blockbuster like Pokémon Platinum, Game Freak released my favourite Pokémon game just one year later. I won’t go too much into SoulSilver and HeartGold too much as I’ve just talked about why I like Generation 2 so much. However, Game Freak took a cherished game from my childhood and made it better, something which so many developers try and fail to do.
And that’s my list of every generation of Pokemon ranked! It’s important sometimes to take a step back and appreciate the effort Game Freak has put into its games over the past two decades. Of course they can be criticised, but the vitriol they receive when games aren’t perfect is unfair. They’re capable of so much more than what they’re producing at the moment, and I share in that frustration. But before you type that nasty comment on Twitter, think back to when they made games like Platinum and SoulSilver and think of how much they’ve done for the gaming industry.
Thanks for two great decades Game Freak, and here’s to another two!
Abigail
I don’t know if I can pick just one generation to be my favorite. But I must say, in my opinion there are definitely generations that were better than others. I feel like from Gen 6 on, Pokemon had lost what made it special. A part of me feels that it was due to the graphics changing from the pixelated form it had on the DS for so long, however that could just be nostalgia talking. Additionally, although Gen 6’s plot was decent, it was not as good as its predecessors, and the games from then on seemed to be extremely simplified to the point where it offered no challenges to the player.Pokemon designs had gotten lazy, with some pokemon just looking like inanimate objects with faces on them. And this is just a personal preference, but I preferred the setting of the games to be where the first four generations took place, which were modeled off of the four main islands in Japan because it keeps the root of Pokemon in the game. I agree with Josh in that Pokemon peaked around Generation 4, as the games, anime, and manga were at their best in all ways.
WhileGen 4 definitely is in my top 3 favorite games, but I think what takes first place for me is Gen 5. I may be a little biased considering that was the first pokemon game I played as a child, but as mentioned above it had the best storyline out of all the games. I actually thought the designs of the new pokemon in that generation were fantastic, and the scenery and graphics were top notch.The game was challenging, but beatable, and offered a ton of side quests for the trainer to do after the main storyline was completed. I vividly remember running around all of Unova trying to find all seven of Ghetsis’s sages, and discovering new places on the map while I was at it. Oshawott was and is the best starter pokemon of all time in my opinion. He was my first ever pokemon, and my first to raise to level 100. The soundtrack on Gen 5 was amazing. To this day, I will still look up the soundtracks for iconic cities like castelia and driftveil, as well as the ominous chargestone cave soundtrack.
In conclusion, I feel like pokemon has gone off course from what it is supposed to be, and it needs to go back to its roots to return to its former glory. First, I think Pokemon should bring back a major Japanese influence and setting in the games like it once did. Second, refrain from using inanimate objects as pokemon designs, and try not to simplify the cartoons into doodles, it looks God awful. Third, beef up the story line and actually put time, effort and creativity into it. I would rather wait six years for a game with a detailed plot structure than wait two years for some subpar work that turned out to be Gens 7 and 8. Fourth, although the game is directed at kids, I would hope that they try to put some more complex thematic events in the plot line, as a lot of the fan base are 20 and 30 year olds. Fifth, make the games more challenging. I cannot stress this enough. Sword and Shield was painfully easy to complete, and it took me only about 20 hours to complete. Exp candy should be found and given sparingly in the game, and when facing gym leaders, their pokemon should be 7-10 levels higher than the players’ when they are encountered the first time in the gym. I shouldn’t be able to waltz into a gym and defeat the gym leader the first time around, unless I spent hours in some tall grass fighting pokemon who were 5 levels lower than mine over and over again to beef up my own.
That’s all I have to say for now. If anyone actually reads this, let me know what you think!
Alexamder
Honestly, I believe that Gen 6 is the best Gen. I do agree that Gen 8 is disappointing. I just hope that Gen 9 will be good.
Pokemon6
My thoughts are that gen 4 and 5 are literally trash. They are probably the most boring in my eyes. Gen 7 and 8 are actually all right considering how everything has changed. IDK why they get so much hate. I think that gen 6 is probably the best and that gen 1 is probably 2. This leaves gen 2 and 3. I think that they should go into the middle of the line since they are not bad but they aren’t great either.
ruru13
gen 7 and gen 6 suck
Nobel
what Kallo fox said is right
Nobel
that is so not true
KalloFox34
Gen 8 is far better than Gens 6 and 7, undoubtedly.
Of those games, ORAS are the only real standouts and made Hoenn memorable. XY are alright, but Gen 7 is straight trash (especially LGPE).
Klaus Gaming
I liked the list, but there’s at least one inconsistency I can’t help but mention.
If you consider HeartGold/SoulSilver to be G4, then you should consider FireRed/LeafGreen to be G3.
Klaus Gaming
If that was the case, G1 would lose some points, but maybe not enough to be overtaken by G6.
Likewise, G3 would gain points, but maybe not enough to overtake G4 as the best generation.
Which means, in the end I think this ranking is very solid and reflects my opinion as well.
reallycool
generation 8 is really not that bad and i feel like people only shit on it at this point just because that’s what everyone else does. while i think it does have noticeable flaws its easily the game i would feel most inclined to revisit simply because of how convenient it is to play. no irritating hm moves that add pretty much nothing to the game. no looking around the entire region looking for that one NPC who lets me relearn a move i accidently deleted, only to realise that I have to find a heart scale. and while the game is quite easy as a result of some of these changes, many are not forced on you. exp candy is available if you want it, and personally i love their addition. if you ever want to swap out a pokemon on your team you dont have to spend hours grinding on wild pokemon for crumb amounts of exp, you can simply use a candy. from a purely gameplay perspective, i enjoyed SwSh the most. competitive play in gen 8 is complete garbage however because Zacian is so broken. A lot of gen 8 pokemon also feel pretty uninspired in terms of their designs, and bear too strong of a resemblance to existing pokemon for my liking. Exhibit A, corviknight, is very similar to Skarmory. both have the same typing as well as having very similar roles due to their very similar stats. the starters are among the worst in the series in my opinion, although the scorbunny line has really grown on me. finally i think the game looks pretty good for the most part. obviously it is not on par with games like BOTW and Odyssey but still, i really like how this game looks. yes some trees look like they belong on the n64 but i love how cities and towns actually have noticeably varied heights, and their layouts just seem so much less rigid. the wild area does get a lot of hate for being just an open area with wild pokemon roaming freely but that is literally all it was ever intended to be, nothing more. it really does not need anything more either. that is what the rest of the region is for. nobody complained about the safari zones in past games. this is literally just the galarian equivalent. The evil team is pretty much just a joke though, but at least game freak acknowledges that, and i respect how it is different from other evil teams which take themselves way too seriously, despite having a really dumb motive. G-max and dynamax is a pretty bad gimmick though and are pretty much just a less interesting version of mega evolution. however occasionally i think the spectacle of it all is quite cool. having a gmax duradulon stare down at you with its terrifying gaze was pretty awe-inspiring.
I just want to clarify that i do not think this game is the best in the series, in fact i think its far from it. but to say it is worse than sun and moon and XY, is borderline insulting. Sun and Moon had starters which were pretty much just as bad as swsh, an equally forgettable plot, and i would say a worse evil team. none of the characters introduced particularly stuck out, and honestly i completely forgot pretty much all of them until i revisited the game recently, aside from gladion because of his great battle theme, and lusamine because of all the rule 34. the ultra beast focused post game did not feel fleshed out in the base games (i dont really know about us/um since i have not played those) because they had little to no lore or backstory, and the tiny bit that their pokedex entry talked about was never shown in game. the legendaries have little to no plot relevance either. at least zacian and zamazenta, as cheesy as their appearances were, had a fair chunk of screen time and plot presence, rather than just being a way to enter ultra space. X and Y pretty much suffer from the same issues as Sun/Moon.
also Hop, while i did not like him at first, grew to be one of my favourite rivals in the series because he actually has an impactful character arc. during my playthrough, i was genuinely thinking “man i really am crushing everyone’s dreams of being the champion” and honestly i was pleasantly surprised to see that gamefreak actually showed this in Hop after you beat the game.
also the gen 4 games are amazing dont get me wrong but platinum at least had some really noticable flaws (i.e the whole team galactic thing on mount coronet being a giant pain in the ass if you are running low on items and are incredibly underleveled, because you have to make the whole trek all the way up the mountain and through the distortion world only to get sent straight back to where you came from because of cyrus’s broken gyarados). and while i did like the challenge of the elite four (honestly the only e4 where i felt inclined to use various status moves and screens outside of pvp) i still think these flaws should be considered and noted before you just mindlessly gush about the ones that have been voted as the most popular without actually providing any substance or analysis of the games at all.
the best game in the series is soul silver dont @ me
the best non-remake is bw/bw2 as they have by far the best stories in the series, and as a result the best evil team. the most memorable villains in the form of ghetsis and N, some pretty good but not the best starters, and the Pokemon World Tournament is a great post game which gives me nostalgia trips every time. also the abundance of legendaries to find (in an actually interesting manner unlike oras) and dungeons to explore such as the abyssal ruins and the relic castle make it so enjoyable to play through. also it has the best part of sinnoh (the champion) as a post game event which is quite cool
the worst in the series aside from lets go because i dont know if that counts as a main series game or not is x/y because of how stale and easy it all is, with a sort of but not really interesting plot, 1 good starter line being the froakie line (frogadier is my favourite pokemon btw) and some mediocre box legendaries which i personally think are more interesting than solgaleo or lunala but pale in comparison to pokemon like kyogre and groudon, or dialga and palkia.
Jonathan
Of course the generation I missed out on is the best generation 😑
tom
This guy gets it, a perfect list. (Honorable mention being tracks from B/W for best music…)
I know you didn’t factor in “spin-off” games but the Mystery Dungeon games released during generation4 boast the best storytelling and immersion of any Pokemon game ever made.
pkmn trainer
yes, sinnoh is a good region, but one thing that I would bring up as to why hoenn is a better region is because the legendaries are all very good on their own ways. In sinnoh, there are a few legendary/ mythical pokemon that are kinda lame like mesprit, heatran, shaymin, and phione, like they aren’t very impressive pokemon. Now before you say “well the regis all suck and they have bad attack stats” let me remind you they all have one stat that is extremely good, whereas the sinnoh legendaries/mythicals I mentioned earlier don’t have a really good single stat. Mesprit, shaymin and especially phione are great examples of this (middle of the road pokemon are never very impressive as it is, even if they are balanced), and heatran just is not the best legendary even though it has a fair attack stat, it’s just regarded by the community as being lame and uninteresting. Also to add another thing the hoenn staters have overall better stats.
That’s my argument. It’s just my opinion btw
Erectorz
I have no idea how you consider heatran a weak pokemon. Since gen 4 heatran has been one of the best pokemon in competitive battles. It’s not on the level of say mewtwo or Rayquaza but its better than most legendaries in the entire series. And you mention that the hoenn starters have better stats than those legendaries which if you are going by base totals isn’t true(except for phione) and if going by distribution is arguable since only swampert has seen serious competitive play (not including speed boost or mega blaziken). A lot of legendaries are duds but heatran is simply not one of them. You don’t get to the top of the overused leaderboards by being a mediocre pokemon.
reallycool
heatran has literally been a staple of OU since it released what do you mean it is weak. Shaymin may not be that great but in the TCG it literally got banned because it was too useful. aside from the box legendaries most of the other legendaries and mythicalsin hoenn kinda suck. like yeah there is deoxys and the latis, but the regis, while really mysterious and interesting, are garbage. regice and regirock being in PU and registeel being in RU is a pretty clear indication of that. cresselia is also a prominent wall due to its good defensive stats and good typing. the regis on the other hand, while they have phenominal stats, what use is that when (in regice and regirock’s cases) you have two of the worst defensive typings in the game and all three of them have really lacklustre movepools. they have no recovery, no hazard removal and very little utility and really dont bring anything to a team. Heatran on the other hand brings a ton of defensive use, as well as being an offensive threat and providing a ton of utility, in stealth rock and taunt. coupled with magma storm and good all around stats makes it super useful on a ton of teams.
not to mention darkrai who is really good in everything except ubers which is the only format he is allowed in…
Dakota west
Generation 6 was the best the days of xy
Rabbit12
What makes no sense about Gen 8th’s Story?
I found it understandable enough and found it’s story okay but not great. And could you honestly explain what makes no sense about the plot.
reallycool
it makes perfect sense its just bad lol. although i think the community in general is way too harsh on gen 8 and its actually alright.
Galaxysinger
“When talking about Gen 1 though, my heart will always belong to Fire Red and Leaf Green.”
Opinion aside – FireRed/LeafGreen are third generation, the Let’s Go games seventh (arguably eighth). Generations are NOT regions.
Brovahkiin
exactly! I think the list is well put together and all but this stood out as a really bad oversight
gen 1 in it’s truest form, namely red, blue and yellow (green too to be fair) can be seen as a prototype to gen 2, I wouldn’t have placed the gen itself much differently but one should really have played the actual games of the gen not substitute games that already benefitted from all the reworked mechanics
objectively speaking gen1 technically is the worst pokemon game just because it lacks variety in gameplay, gen 2 already feels like doubling the possibilities (breeding, day/night cycle, weekly events, “lategame” after beating the league etc.)
I can only speak for up to gen 5 but comparing gen 1 to more recent games is like comparing fifa 2020 to fifa 2004