Over the years, the Pokémon franchise has become nearly universal. Nearly everyone can recognize the iconic symbols like the electric yellow Pikachu and the Poké Ball.
But when you think of Pokémon, you’re probably thinking of the mainstream games. Pokémon games have come and gone in many shades, ushering in new generations of the Pocket Monsters.
There have also been plenty of spinoff games, ones that both hardcore and casual fans tend to overlook. And that’s a shame, because some of these Pokémon games are great hidden gems that aren’t talked about nearly as much as they should be.
Pokémon Art Academy
Learn To Draw Your Favorite Pokémon
The Art Academy series taught users how to draw, and the 3DS—with its touch screen and built-in stylus—was the perfect medium for it. In 2014, Pokémon Art Academy joined the franchise as an officially licensed title.
The game taught fans how to draw their favorite ‘mons by breaking them down into simple shapes, step by step. This made drawing Pokémon accessible through the easy-to-follow on-screen prompts.
The game also made history by bringing into the world some of the most expensive Pokémon Trading Card Game cards ever. A 2015 contest challenged fans to create a Pikachu card design on the 3DS title. The winning illustrations were printed as limited-run cards, and the values of some of the designs are now in the five digits.
Pokémon Masters EX
New Stories For Familiar Faces
Pokémon Masters EX is a mobile game that was released in 2019, and is still going strong. The game looks very different from most other Pokémon fighting games, with battles taking place in real time and in fights of three-on-three.
The game is technically a mobile gacha title, which might be why it’s not talked about nearly as often as other Pokémon games. The special thing about Masters EX is that it brings beloved characters from across the franchise into one game.
Trainers and Pokémon from various games and generations unite in one place, with exciting new stories that unify them.
Pokémon Trozei! (and Battle Trozei!)
Tetris-Style Pokémon Matching
The Nintendo DS and 3DS era brought forth a number of spinoff Pokémon titles that played with the touch screen and dual-sceen nature of the consoles. Pokémon Trozei! and its followup Pokémon Battle Trozei! were two simple but surprisingly fun titles that departed from the traditional Pokémon game mechanics.
Pokémon Trozei! and its sequel are a bit like if Tetris and sliding puzzle games morphed into one. The screen is divided into a grid, with Pokémon icons appearing in the squares. New tiles fall from the top, as players slide rows in the bottom screen to match Pokémon.
It was a simple mechanic, but its simplicity worked to make it a fun little game. The puzzles were quick and often hectic, as players worked to make large matches while keeping the screen from filling up. It would make a great mobile game today but sadly, it seems that the less exciting Pokémon Shuffle has replaced Trozei in Nintendo’s catalog today.
Pokémon Conquest
Pokémon x Nobunaga’s Ambition
Pokémon doesn’t do a lot of crossovers, so when one is announced, fans take note. In 2012, a new crossover game called Pokémon Conquest gave the world one of the most unlikely collaborations in the history of the franchise.
The Nintendo DS game combined the Pokémon franchise with Koei’s Nobunaga’s Ambition, a tactical RPG set in feudal Japan. The game takes place in an alternate reality where Japanese warriors worked alongside Pokémon to wage war on each other—which, let’s face it, is probably what would happen if Pokémon were real.
The title uses a tactical RPG combat style like Nobunaga’s Ambition, and each Pokémon has only one move. Warriors and Pokémon can be linked together to form stronger bonds (and, by extension, stronger attacks).
Yet, despite being a really odd collaboration, Pokémon Conquest remains relatively unknown today, maybe due to the fact that it was only ever available on the DS.
Pokémon Magikarp Jump
A Cute Game That Puts Magikarp In The Spotlight
Magikarp tends to be the butt of people’s jokes, the ultimate underdog in the Pokémon franchise. The Pokémon is known for two main things: using only the useless move Splash, and evolving into the powerful Gyarados.
That’s what makes Pokémon Magikarp Jump such a fun departure for the franchise. The cute mobile game gives Magikarp a chance to shine in the limelight. In it, players train various Magikarp to jump higher and higher, and win jumping competitions.
Pokémon Magikarp Jump doesn’t have groundbreaking mechanics or a thrilling storyline to hook players. But it’s silly and fun, and it’s still available to download and play on mobile devices.
Pokémon Battle Revolution
The Spiritual Successor To Pokémon Stadium
I’ll say it right away: Pokémon Battle Revolution is not as good as Pokémon Stadium. The spiritual successor to the Stadium doesn’t quite reach the same heights when it comes to fun. But the Wii game is a stunningly beautiful one, with flashy moves and spectacular moves that are fun to behold.
Now that Pokémon Champions is coming out in 2026, Pokémon Stadium and Colleseum fans will (hopefully) finally get the sequel to their beloved games. But Battle Revolution remains one of the lesser known titles among the Pokémon battlers.
Pokémon Quest
Blocky, Minecraft-Style Fun
Pokémon Quest is, at its very basic, absolutely adorable. Every Pokémon is lovingly recreated as a voxel-style, Minecraft-esque, blocky being that’s endearingly goofy. The mobile and Switch title revisits the original Kanto-region ‘mons on a new quest.
Players are placed in charge of a home base. From there, they manage their Pokémon, training them, capturing new ones, and sending them on expeditions.
Like many mobile spinoffs, Pokémon Quest isn’t that complex. But, similar to Pokémon Magikarp Jump, the game’s simple gameplay loop is what makes it so fun and addictive. Also like Magikarp Jump, the game is still available to play despite being released over eight years ago.
Detective Pikachu and Detective Pikachu Returns
Solve Crimes, Be Cute
Before Detective Pikachu made his debut on the big screen, he appeared in his own 3DS game. The adventure game follows the grizzled detective and his human companion, Tim Goodman. The two work together to solve crimes and uncover a bigger underlying mystery.
A sequel, Detective Pikachu Returns, was released in 2023 and continued the duo’s adventures.
The adventure games are a big departure for the Pokémon franchise, focusing on narrative storytelling and problem-solving over fighting. The cute game is so rarely talked about, though, that many fans don’t realize that the movie was inspired by a video game (and not the other way around).
New Pokémon Snap
A Worthy Followup To The Original
Pokémon Snap was a delightful 1999 N64 game that let players capture Pokémon not with Poké Balls, but with photos. New Pokémon Snap is a 2021 sequel for the Nintendo Switch that captures the essence of the original game with beautiful new graphics.
Like in the original, New Pokémon Snap places players on what’s essentially a rail shooter, but armed with a camera instead of a weapon. Players must then take photos of different Pokémon, earning points for good composition, interesting poses, variety, and more. For fans of the original, New Pokémon Snap is a real treat and a worthy successor.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Adventures, One Step At A Time
The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series has 11 titles across several game consoles, so it’s not exactly unsuccessful. Still, the Spike Chunsoft-developed spinoff franchise doesn’t get as much love as the mainline Pokémon games.
Each game follows a similar premise: The player controls a Pokémon who was transformed from a human. Along their adventures, the player’s character befriends other Pokémon who can join their party and travel together.
At their heart, the Mystery Dungeon games are roguelites. They take players through randomly generated, turn-based dungeons to collect loot and battle other Pokémon. They’re also incredibly fun but aren’t talked about as often as other Pokémon titles.
- Created by
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Satoshi Taijiri, Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda
- Latest Film
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Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
- First Episode Air Date
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April 1, 1997
- Current Series
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Pokémon
