Discovering the Best Pokémon Games: Unveiling My Top 3 Favorites

I’ve been playing Pokémon for over 20 years now, with only a very short break that caused me to miss the original Gen III games.

I’m not sure what was happening during that period, but despite not playing Gen IV games like Platinum and HeartGold/SoulSilver when they first came out, I got a 3DS not long before Black/White was released and then went back to play the DS titles I missed.

Since Platinum, I’ve played every main series game, so I thought it would be fun to go through my top 3 games of all time. Here we go.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

For a long period of time, this was my favorite Pokémon game. There was so much content and small details in this game that made it stand out.

Daily events made the world feel alive, like the bug-catching contest, which was always fun to give a try. Only being able to catch some Pokémon at certain times of the day/night also added to the realism and kept you playing at all times. Being able to collect Apricorns and make your own Pokéballs was a nice touch too.

For many Pokémon trainers out there, a huge appeal of these games was having both the Johto and Kanto regions in one game. It wasn’t perfect, as the story only really covered Johto, but it was still fun going through Kanto and collecting all the gym badges. Although in current games like Scarlet and Violet, we are visiting Unova in DLC, it’s not quite the same as what we got in HGSS.

Lastly, we got a great Pokédex all the way from the normal Pokémon you could catch to the legendaries like Suicune that you’d need to chase all over the map to catch. I remember slowly building my team and watching my Magikarp turn into an unstoppable Gyarados that took me to the end of the game without any hassle.

Although a remake, this is still one of the best games to date, even after all these years and new titles since.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

I had a small break from Pokémon, and the original Ruby and Sapphire games are some of the titles I missed. So when this game was announced, I was very excited to finally visit Hoenn. Thankfully, this game didn’t disappoint either.

One of the first things I really liked and appreciated was how good it looked compared to previous Pokémon games on the 3DS. I also loved how there were small details added, such as Wingull flying overhead as you entered a new route and things like that.

My favorite feature was the DexNav, as it added so much to the gameplay. Being able to see hidden Pokémon shaking in the grass then targeting them was so much fun. I can still remember a hidden 3-star Pokémon showing up, which turned out to be an Absol. I tried my best to catch it, and it managed to sweep more than half my team before I was lucky enough to get it. There were so many interactions I had like this, and for every 3DS game after, I was hoping they’d include it.

The huge Pokédex was also a great thing; being able to catch so many Legendary Pokémon at the time was a big help to those trying to create a living dex, which is something I’m still yet to complete. Soaring in the sky was also a fun feature; we have something similar in the latest games DLC, but for the time, it was something very unique.

Overall, this may be my favorite game of the 3DS, but the previously mentioned title is very tough competition.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Where do I even begin with this game? As a child (or at least when I was younger than I am now) I always dreamed of a 3D open-world Pokémon game. Despite Scarlet and Violet somewhat matching this description a bit more, Legends fills these shoes more fittingly.

This game really makes you feel like a Pokémon trainer, even if you technically aren’t one. The way you can cycle through your Pokémon and throw them out to initiate or swap during a battle feels much better. Although it wasn’t that well-received, the “Agile” and “Strong” style moves were excellent and really helped you switch up your strategy.

The focus on not only catching Pokémon but also studying them to fill out the first-ever Pokédex was enjoyable too. Some aspects of this could feel like a bit of a grind, but that’s typical of Pokémon games. One area that adds to the realism is the fact that Pokémon could attack you.

In most main series games, if a Pokémon makes contact with you, it initiates a battle, whereas in Legends, you will continue to be attacked until you pass out. I would often find myself running around, then get knocked down by some strong wild Pokémon. I’d need to quickly throw out my Pokéball to have them save me and start the battle.

The actual story and events have a somewhat more adult feel to them without excluding kids, which is a welcome change. I’d love another version of this game set somewhere like Johto (my favorite region), but until then, this remains my favorite game in the series.