The Pokémon franchise is so mainstream these days that you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know what a Pikachu is. The video games and anime have been going for over 30 years, bringing the joy of monster collecting and battling to people around the world.
There have been 10 entire generations of the beloved critters, from the original release of Pokémon Red and Blue (or Green, in Japan) in 1996 to the upcoming Pokémon Winds & Waves. The mainline games are well-known to gamers, bringing a fresh take on the classic game formula since the 90s.
Over the years, the Pokémon series has had plenty of side-games and spinoffs. Some, like Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon GO have remained at the forefront of fans’ memories. But not every spinoff was a hit. There have been many Pokémon games that, today, are practically forgotten and lost to time.
Pokémon Art Academy
Pokémon Art Academy is one of those games that you either remember very well or don’t remember at all. You’d know all about this one if you’re a TCG enthusiast or collector. Some of the most expensive and rare cards in existence come from art contests for this game.
The title was more like an educational and creative art app, released in 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS. It was a licensed Pokémon edition of the existing Art Academy title, developed by Headstrong Games.
The game let you use the console’s stylus to learn how to draw your favorite Pokémon. It currently has a respectable 76 on Metacritic, which isn’t bad for a game that wasn’t really a “game.”
Pokémon Dash
The first Pokémon game to be released on the extremely popular handheld Nintendo DS wasn’t a mainline game or even one of the more memorable titles. Instead, it was Pokémon Dash.
Developed by Ambrella and released in 2005, Pokémon Dash used the console’s stylus to guide Pikachu through races. Each race had checkpoints to hit, and took players through different biomes, from forests and beaches to swamps and lava pools.
The title even had multiplayer support, letting players sync up to six other devices. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to pull this cute game out of obscurity.
Pokémon Rumble
Pokémon Rumble is another title developed by Ambrella in the 2000s. Players controlled several Pokémon plushies through wave after wave of incoming enemy Pokémon.
This small game was only published on the WiiWare for the Nintendo Wii in 2009, and became completely unavailable once the service was discontinued in 2019. Despite this, the title became big enough to warrant a series of sequels for the Nintendo 3DS and iOS.
The mobile app was taken down in 2020, finally bringing the Rumble legacy to an end once and for all. (At least, for now.)
Pokémon Conquest
Pokémon Conquest answers the pressing question that I’m sure none of us have asked: What would history have looked like if real Japanese warriors and warlords had Pokémon to help them wage battle? The title was a collaboration between the Pokémon franchise and the tactical RPG, Nobunaga’s Ambition, and yes, it was as strange as it sounds.
In Pokémon Conquest, every character worked alongside a Pokémon, using them to carry out tactical battles. The game followed a hero and their Eevee companion through the 17 kingdoms of the Ransei region in a quest to unify the region and encounter its creator, the legendary Arceus.
The result was a solid game with a Metacritic rating of 80. However, its strange mashup of genres make it easy to forget when considering entries from the Pokémon series.
Pokémon Trozei!
Pokémon Trozei was one of the first puzzle-like games to enter the Pokémon games library. The title was developed by Genius Sonority and initially released in 2005 and combined Pokémon with Tetris.
Players had to line up similar types by moving the bottom row of a grid to accommodate different-shaped blocks falling from the top of the screen. A sequel was released in 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS, titled Pokémon Battle Trozei.
It was a fun and charming game, but it never made a return to the Nintendo Switch. Instead, it turned into the more well-known and even more charming Pokémon Shuffle.
Pokémon Play It! Versions 1 & 2
Pokémon is known as being a Nintendo franchise, so you might think that it’s only ever released games for the company’s consoles. But in fact, an official PC game featuring the trading card game was released in 1999.
At the time, rights to the Pokémon TCG were owned by Wizards of the Coast, better known today for their popular Magic: The Gathering series. The short game was created to teach players the basics of the TCG’s mechanics.
Two versions of the game were created, and came packaged with the physical starter sets and the followup Thunderstorm Gift Box. The game even awarded players with a certificate for completing a challenge, which they could bring into a tournament location in exchange for exclusive PC backgrounds.
Pokémon Channel
Most people remember Hey You, Pikachu, the N64 title where you could use your voice to speak directly to Pikachu. It was buggy and flawed, but incredibly charming and memorable. For the first time, you could tell Pikachu to use Thundershock through a microphone, then watch as he actually did it in game! (Or at least, usually. When he understood you.)
What many people don’t realize is that Hey You, Pikachu had a followup game, called Pokémon Channel. Developed by Ambrella for the GameCube in 2003, the game’s primary goal was to promote the Nintendo e-Reader—the precursor of the Amiibo system.
In Pokémon Channel, players could once again interact with the ever-popular Pikachu. This time, they were tasked with helping Professor Oak refine his TV channel by having Pikachu interact with it.
Together with Pikachu, players explored 3D worlds, interacted with other Pokémon, and collected items. However, it wasn’t quite as charming and the gimmick wasn’t as fun, which may explain why it’s far more often forgotten than its predecessor.
PokéPark: Pikachu’s Adventure & Wonders Beyond
PokéPark: Pikachu’s Adventure and its sequel, PokéPark: Wonders Beyond were Nintendo Wii (and later, Wii U) spinoff titles developed by Creatures Inc. and released in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
Pikachu’s Adventure put players in charge of—surprise!—Pikachu. The titular yellow critter is transported to another world whose special Sky Prism has shattered into pieces and disappeared. Players guide Pikachu through a series of minigames to restore the missing Prism.
Winders Beyond continues Pikachu’s adventures through a new PokéPark, this time accompanied by his friend, Piplup. Both games were admittedly cute, but lacked depth and were criticized for being too simple, throwing them into general obscurity.
Pokémon Ranger
Pokémon Ranger was a Nintendo DS game developed by HAL Laboratories, of Kirby fame. The game was released in 2006, then re-released several times on subsequent consoles through their respective online shops. As of 2023, though, it’s no longer available to download and play anywhere.
This spinoff plays out a lot more like a traditional RPG, replacing gym badges with missions for players to complete. The game even allowed players to transfer captured Pokémn to their Diamond, Peal, HeartGold, SoulSilver, and Platinum games.
Pokémon Ranger replaced the usual battle mechanic for a stylus-based drawing system for capturing Pokémon. They could then use their captured companions to get around the world. Despite being solid but forgettable according to critics, the game spawned two sequels and several appearances in the anime.
Pokémon Dream Radar
Believe it or not, there’s no connection between Pokémon Dream Radar and the current Pokémon Sleep app. In fact, this game has way more in common with Pokémon GO.
Pokémon Dream Radar was developed by Creatures, Inc. and released in 2012. It was, by all accounts, fairly ahead of its time. It allowed players to use the 3DS’s gyroscope and cameras to let players “capture” Pokémon in their real-world environments using an AR mechanic.
Players were tasked with clearing their environment of Dream Clouds, harvesting the orbs contained within, and capturing the Pokémon that occasionally sprung out from inside these clouds.
Today, few fans remember Pokémon Dream Radar, making it one of many Pokémon games lost to time. Despite its obscurity, this and many of the other forgotten Pokémon games shaped the franchise into what it is today.
- Video Game(s)
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Pokemon Red and Blue, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Crystal, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokemon Sapphire, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Black and White, Pokemon Black and White 2, Pokemon X and Y, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon Winds and Waves, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Pokemon Legends Z-A