When a franchise reaches the hulking size of Pokémon, it finds its way into everything. The Pokémon Company’s games have touched almost every genre, we’ve seen its characters rendered in almost every art style, and we’ve seen them battle a pantheon of gods and monsters. A universe of Pokémon games exists outside of the core series, and this month we’re treated to a new major spin-off from the franchise in Pokémon Pokopia.<br><br> By moving away from the classic turn-based RPG formula, spin-off games allow us to see different shades of the Pokemon universe and experience it in a new light. While the core Pokémon games can be boiled down to the competitive side of things, they’re also about building an emotional attachment to your team, immersing yourself in this strange, utopic universe and, most importantly, being enchanted by the lore of the world and interacting with myths and legends. The best spin-offs focus on those other aspects and enhance that sense of wonder.<br><br> With Pokopia having just landed, this is the perfect time to celebrate all the different ways the pocket monsters have deviated from their usual turn-based RPG roots, and rank the top 10 Pokémon spin-off games.
<b>10. Pokémon Ranger</b><br><br> As already mentioned, the best spin-offs approach Pokémon from a fresh direction. Instead of playing as a trainer, in Pokémon Ranger you’re... well, a Ranger. Your job is essentially taking care of your local community. If a Pokémon is distressed, you’re tasked to calm it down. If one goes missing, you have to go find it. If there’s a fire, you can use a nearby water Pokémon to help put it out. Cute missions like these are strung together in a run, which replicates the sort of little tasks you’d see in cosy games. And they’re funny, too! Pokémon has always been fun, but rarely has it displayed actual comedic chops in the way it does here.<br><br> While Ranger definitely has its fans, it’s not higher on this list because the missions can get... repetitive. The main gameplay loop is literally about loops – you have to physically draw circles around the Pokémon you want to temporarily capture for each task using the Nintendo DS’ stylus. This has more depth than it sounds, but even the most challenging captures don’t feel completely satisfying. It’s an example of a really fun idea that doesn’t quite fully hold up in execution. Nonetheless, Pokémon Ranger benefits from that funny dialogue and some cool worldbuilding, allowing you to experience the universe from a very different, more vocation-focused perspective.
<b>9. Pokémon Stadium 2</b><br><br> During the Nintendo 64 era, the Pokémon Stadium series was the best visual representation of our beloved little monsters we had in the video games. Taking advantage of Nintendo’s first 3D system, we were treated to detailed, tactile character models and unique attack animations that brought the worlds of the games and the anime as close together as they had ever been. Though lacking in significant story beats for lore-hungry fans, Stadium 2 in particular was a dream for the most competitive members of the fanbase, offering a myriad of battle formats. It also introduced Earl’s Pokémon Academy, which both taught battle strategies and tested newfound skills.<br><br> But there’s more to Stadium 2 than just the stadium itself. Let’s not forget the endlessly entertaining Pokémon mini-games and quizzes of the Kids Club, or the returning magic trick introduced in the first game: importing the exact same Pokemon you had raised in GameBoy games straight into the Nintendo 64. Taking your favourites on a cross-console journey to the big Stadium hit upon one of the core appeals of the series: strengthening the lasting connection you have with these digital creatures. Even as graphics have improved, nothing has compared to the thrill of seeing your original GameBoy starter duke it out on the TV screen for the very first time.
<b>8. Pokémon Colosseum</b><br><br> When Pokémon Colosseum arrived on the GameCube in 2003, it was an important first: finally, a 3D Pokémon game that featured a full storyline. With its double battle format, lack of random encounters, and a compelling plot, it was an exciting evolution beyond Stadium’s battle-focused format. While it’s a similar style of RPG to the classic games, instead of starting out as a young trainer with a level five starter looking to become the Pokémon champion, you’re dropped into the shoes of a more experienced protagonist who uses the decidedly cool (and level 25!) Espeon and Umbreon. Your adventure begins right after escaping from the nefarious Team Snagem with stolen technology, a story set up that, along with a Star Wars-inspired desert community setting, ensures Colosseum occupies its own distinct space in the Pokémon library. <br><br> Colosseum was where Shadow Pokémon were first introduced to the franchise. These are Pokémon who have been "closed off from their hearts" and need to be purified before they can properly be used in battle. This system offers a unique slant on Pokémon’s classic collect-and-train gameplay, forcing you to balance levelling up your team with purifying it, too.
<b>7. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness</b><br><br> Improving on the solid foundations of Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness deepens the lore around Shadow Pokémon and has become a bit of a cult classic amongst fans. It lends new weight to the idea of Shadow Pokémon, explored through the addition of Shadow Lugia – the only pocket monster to get a full, dark redesign, and said to be the ultimate Shadow Pokémon, unable to be purified. <br><br> Set five years after the events of Colosseum, you’re tasked with taking down the Cipher criminal syndicate and purifying Pokémon across the Orre region. While inheriting Colosseum’s gameplay style, complete with the excellent doubles battle system that brings Pokémon a little closer to feeling like a party-based JRPG, Gale of Darkness differentiates itself from its predecessor by casting you as a rookie trainer. This change means the experience falls more in line with the typical Pokémon journey, which arguably robs the game of a bit of originality. However, the 3D world and continued exploration of the Shadow Pokémon phenomenon makes up for any feeling of repetition, with each new story beat deepening the worldbuilding and adding more layers to the Orre region. All that, in tandem with the excellent battle system and that carefully balanced purification mechanic, makes Gale of Darkness a Pokémon spin-off worth seeking out.
<b>6. Pokémon Conquest</b><br><br> Developed by Koei Tecmo, Pokémon Conquest is a crossover with the historical Nobunaga’s Ambition franchise, a line of strategy games that have a very different feel to Pokémon. This crossover introduces a variety of elements you’d never expect to see in a Pokémon game, including historical figures from Japan’s Sengoku period, such as daimyō Oda Nobunaga himself. It also combines Pokémon’s traditions with very non-traditional characters, art style, and dialogue. This makes for an unusual game, but it becomes easy to accept such a strange mixture as soon as you jump into a battle. <br><br> Pokémon fits the strategy game genre like a glove. Conquest’s type match-ups, interactive battlefields, and each Pokémon’s hidden abilities all make for a compelling strategy battle system that can, at times, feel even more engaging than the core series’ turn-based combat. <br><br> Conquest may not scratch the itch of those looking to immerse themselves further in the traditional world of Pokémon, as the game probably takes place in its own universe with its own rules. However, its completely fresh approach makes it a genuinely unique prospect in a franchise that can often fall foul of delivering the same experience over and over again. It’s a real shame that the franchise has never returned to the strategy genre since.