Pokémon Detective Pikachu is out in cinemas now, so it’s time to take a look back over the last 23 years. Pokémon has delivered 7 generations of games, with Generation 8 set to land late this year in the form of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. So here is a quick overview and ranking of which Generations are the best. But before we get started, please note that there isn’t a single perfect Pokémon game. Each one adds new elements while removing others, and each one has their own personality, charm, and Pokémon to fall in love with.
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Gen VII
Year: 2016
Region: Alola
Games: Sun and Moon
Enhancement: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
The last generation released, back in 2016, certainly upped the game in many respects, but also took many steps back. It’s one of the slowest starting games, with cutscenes and tutorials galore. This is extra frustrating for Pokemon fans, who know exactly how these mechanics work. It also doesn’t help that your player character has zero facial expressions throughout cutscenes, just a hollow blank smile. The sense of adventure is also lessened by having recurring characters constantly interrupting your adventure. The days of 10 year olds being sent out into the world alone are long gone, and the lack of variety for the landscapes, mostly being tropical, meant that the world seemed smaller. The number of plot convenient roadblocks, restricting exploration, also prevented a free flowing feel. HMs (mandatory moves needed to advance the story) are gone, which is a massive plus to long time fans, but in their place are Ride Pokemon. Pokemon you can summon at any point. You don’t feel a bond with any of these Pokemon, and the choice to ride a bike instead of a rampaging Beast would have been nice. The new Pokemon are delightful, with some of the franchise’s best designs. The music is also stunning. Unfortunately, the removal of Triple Battles and Rotation Battles, means there’s less to do, especially as the Battle Royals (pitting 4 trainers against each other simultaneously) are a tricky beast to master. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon add more content, such as the Battle Agency and Mantine Surfing, as well as a bit more story, but it isn’t enough to elevate these games into the higher tier of Pokemon adventures.
Gen I
Year: 1996
Region: Kanto
Games: Red and Blue, Green (Japan only)
Enhancement: Yellow
Of course the first generation is filled with a lot of nostalgia. However, upon reflection, these games are also incredibly buggy and unbalanced. Dragon and Psychic Pokemon are simply too strong, and the legendary Missingno glitch is game breaking. These were also the days when Pokemon stats were split between Attack and Defense, before they were divided into Attack, Special Attack, Defense, and Special Defense. Returning to the game after all these years does add a substantial challenge as later ease of life amendments had yet to be implemented. TMs (moves you can teach to Pokemon) can only be used once, making sure you put some consideration into when to use them, and poison affects your Pokemon outside of battles. There’s also a reduction in random healing spots, meaning potions and revives are actually a necessity.The lack of any kind of post game, outside of catching Mewtwo, means you’ll be rematching against the Elite Four ad nauseum. Managing your Pokemon is also a pain, as you have to manually change your storage box before it becomes full, or else risk being unable to catch that monster you’ve been after. Still, those iconic designs, unforgettable tunes, and memories for long term players cement its classic status.
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Gen II
Year: 1999
Region: Johto
Games: Gold and Silver
Enhancement: Crystal
Generation II was a massive upgrade from the originals. It gave us colour, avoided some of those bizarre ugly sprites, implemented a day and night cycle, gave us a phone to call for rematches, and also gave us breeding. The addition of colour not only helped to bring the world alive, but also introduced shiny Pokemon, super rare colour variations. Breeding resulted in starters and other rarer Pokemon being easier to obtain, and the day and night cycle added to the whole experience. It was also a continuation of Gen I, and gave us the brilliant post game of returning to Kanto, the only game so far to have allowed us to visit more than one region. This culminates in battling your player character from the first game, giving both gens a sense of connectivity and progression. Outside of the expanded story, Pokemon could now hold items in battle, creating more dynamic battles, as well as two new typings (Dark and Steel) balancing out some of the previous generation’s unbalanced gameplay. As the new Pokemon were the first batch of new Pokemon, it was exciting to see them revealed, especially being drip fed through the first Pokemon movie and the anime series. Gen II was also when Pokemon really started exploring different mythologies. Sadly, this is the last time we would experience having a jackass rival, as these made way for friendly rivalries. The enhanced Crystal version also allowed players to play as a female trainer for the first time.
Gen III
Year: 2002
Region: Hoenn
Games: Ruby and Sapphire
Enhancement: Emerald
Gen III saw Pokemon evolve onto a new system. The Gameboy Advance allowed for better framerates for animations, and more vibrant colours. This translated into Pokemon sprites looking gorgeous and very close to their animated equivalents. However, Gen III committed an unforgivable sin, and that was not allowing transfers from previous generations. This is something that has never been repeated, and with good cause, as players form attachments to their pocket monsters. Pokemon became more individual with natures and abilities, allowing for even more in depth fighting tactics; certain Pokemon may be immune to flinching or can absorb attacks and use it to replenish health. Double battles also made their first appearance, opening the door for new battles, and changing the way competitive battles were fought. 135 new Pokemon joined the series including a lot of fan favourites such as Blaziken, Absol, and Banette. Powered along by an interesting story that shifted focus from thieving gangs to environmental terrorists, the two versions, although very similar, give a strangely powerful view of Team Magma and Team Aqua, showing how people can be villains or heroes depending on perspective. Despite some moanings, there was never “too much water”, and the more island based exploration also lead to three legendaries who were very complex to obtain, but all the more rewarding for it. The enhanced version, Emerald, also gave us The Battle Frontier, a massive area with new ways to battle and achieve success, as well as Pokemon contests giving players a new way to play outside of battling.
Related: Pokémon Detective Pikachu review
Gen VI
Year: 2013
Region: Kalos
Games: X and Y
The biggest graphical leap in Pokemon’s history. Generation VI had fans using every Pokemon to see how their sprites held up. The animations were superb and battles became more exciting. Mega-Evolutions arrived and changed how we looked at old classics, while making some Pokemon more viable in tournaments. Despite the mega evolutions, only 72 new Pokemon were added, the lowest to date at this point, which was quite upsetting. Outside of this, it was also the first game where we could customise our player character, choosing a range of clothes, as well as allowing for players to customise skin tone and eye colour etc. A new type, the first since Generation II, was revealed, giving us the Fairy typing to take on Dragon types. The region itself took inspiration from France and focused a lot on style. This was very fitting considering the jump in graphical capabilities that the 3DS provided. Horde battles were introduced, where around 5 Pokemon could attack you at once, and battles could be played in 3D. Both of these modes showed the shortcomings of the new games as the lag was very noticeable. Where the game truly succeeded was making competitive battling more open and easier to access. Now there was Super Training, a way to increase the EVs (Effort Values) without needing to know which Pokemon to battle. This allowed a lot more control in the raising of stats. Also a huge bonus was the interface for online connectivity, allowing for easy trades and battles. This was something Gen VII would do away with for the less user friendly Festival Plaza. The story wasn’t exactly engrossing, but that’s more due to focussing on the wrong elements. There was some lovely mythology regarding immortal men, the ultimate weapon, and a war, but like the legendary Pokemon Zygarde, none of this was explored. There are rumours of a never surfacing Pokemon Z which may have tied up some loose ends, but now we’re left with questions regarding a powerplant you can’t enter, a strange ghost girl, and a railway station that leads to somewhere far away. But…you can sit on benches. Oh, and let’s not forget the arrival of Pokemon Bank, a new way to easily organise and transfer up to 3000 Pokemon.
Gen V
Year: 2010
Region: Unova
Games: Black and White
Enhancement: Black 2 and White 2
Pokemon Black and White had balls. And not just Pokeballs. When these games released they came with 150 brand new Pokemon, and until you defeated the Elite 4, these were the only Pokemon you could catch. This enraged many, but it also moved people away from their comfortable zone. Thankfully, the story was amazing, and engaged every aspect of the Pokemon world. Addressing Pokemon as slaves, and being forced into battles, Generation V was almost willing to critique and analyse its own franchise. The story is gripping and introduces some memorable characters. Not only that, but we got actual sequels in the form of Black and White 2. Not just enhanced versions of the original, but a continuation of the story. We got to see our first Triple and Rotation battles with Gen V, meaning more tactics and being able to utilise more Pokemon. TMs became infinite and HMs reduced from 8 to 6. For 2D games the artstyle is very ambitious, and utilises cut scenes, new camerangles, and changes in season. The Pokemon sprites now remain animated throughout battles, making them seem less static than before. Gen V is often overlooked, and overstuffing the Pokedex does mean some designs are questionable, but by fully embracing the story, this is one the most serious Pokemon games.
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Gen IV
Year: 2006
Region: Sinnoh
Games: Diamond and Pearl
Enhancement: Platinum
Generation IV is a triumph. It gives the sense of a grandiose adventure from the outset, setting out the tale of a young character becoming the very best. With little hand holding, the game is described by slow by many, and that’s easy to see why. There are far too many HMs, and you can find yourself getting stuck in marshes and snow. To me though, I always found as though these moments made it seem like more of an adventure. The mythology is beautifully brought out, dealing with time and space and multiple universes. Sinnoh feels like the most lived in region to date and the gym leaders are real characters. It was the first jump onto the DS, and Pokemon utilised that dual screen layout like no other. The new lineup of Pokemon added new evolutions to classic Pokemon, and also gave us some of the best designed Pokemon there have ever been: Lucario, Gliscor, Glaceon, Froslass. It kept everything that had been working for Pokemon, and was the last appearance of the Battle Frontier. There were Super Contests too. Diamond and Pearl may not have been perfect, but Platinum is packed. Pokemon could finally take advantage of the Internet through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing for the dream of trading and battling around the world. This was also the last time event Pokemon came with actual events, as opposed to being delivered straight to your party. Generation IV took everything great about Pokemon, expanded on it, and took it into a new realm.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu is now playing in cinemas.
