Pokemon Red and Green launched on the Game Boy in Japan in 1996. Thirty years later, the franchise has somewhere north of 1,000 species, a dozen mainline entries, and enough spin-offs to fill a shelf. If you've somehow avoided all of it until now, that's actually fine. The lineup has never been more welcoming.
Here's the thing: Pokemon isn't one type of game anymore. It's a franchise that stretches from turn-based RPGs to photography sims to tactical strategy games. The question isn't whether there's a Pokemon game for you. It's which one fits how you actually like to play.
The modern starting point
For anyone who wants to jump straight into a current-gen experience, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is the obvious answer. Released in October 2025 for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, it sets players loose in Lumiose City with a customizable trainer and a choice of three starter Pokemon. The city expands as you progress, and the combat blends traditional turn-based mechanics with some action elements that keep things from feeling stale.
What most players miss is that Legends: Z-A is actually more constrained than a typical mainline entry. The whole game takes place within one city and its surrounding nature areas, which makes it far less overwhelming than something like Pokemon Scarlet or Violet. For a first experience, that focus is a genuine advantage.
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If you're on Switch 2, Legends: Z-A has a dedicated Switch 2 Edition with enhanced performance. Worth checking before you buy.
The classic that still holds up
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are DS remakes of the Generation 2 games, originally released in 2010, and they remain the gold standard for the traditional Pokemon formula. You start in a small town, collect Pokemon, beat eight Gym Leaders, then challenge the Elite Four. The key here is that HeartGold and SoulSilver come with a second full campaign set in Kanto, the original region, essentially doubling the content.
They're not easy to find physically, and they aren't on any digital storefront. But for anyone willing to track down a copy, these are still among the best turn-based RPGs the DS ever produced. The roster is smaller than modern entries, which actually makes team-building more approachable for newcomers.
For players who don't want a traditional RPG
This is where the franchise gets genuinely interesting. Pokemon Pokopia, released on March 5, 2026, is a life-sim built around a post-apocalyptic version of Kanto where all humans have vanished. You play as a Ditto who takes human form, build habitats to attract wild Pokemon, and use them to help expand your environment. Think Animal Crossing crossed with a light survival game, but with Pikachu.
On the fighting game side, Pokken Tournament DX was developed by Bandai Namco's Tekken team, which gives it actual fighting game credibility. The roster includes Mewtwo, Lucario, Machamp, and about 20 others, each with distinct move sets and combo routes. Matches play out across 3D arenas with a phase-shift system that switches between field and duel phases mid-fight.
Pokemon Conquest, meanwhile, is a tactical grid-based RPG that crosses the franchise with Koei Tecmo's Nobunaga's Ambition series. Players command Pokemon teams in turn-based battles across a feudal Japan setting, fighting historical generals like Oda Nobunaga. It's a DS game from 2012 and genuinely difficult to find, but it's worth picking up alongside HeartGold or SoulSilver if you're already hunting DS carts.
The lowest-friction entry in the series
New Pokemon Snap on Nintendo Switch is the easiest recommendation for someone who wants to experience the Pokemon universe without committing to any real gameplay systems. You ride a cart on rails through various biomes, aim a camera, and photograph whatever Pokemon show up. Better photos earn more points, which unlocks new routes and interactions.
That's basically the whole game. It sounds minimal, but the photography loop is genuinely satisfying, and the environments are dense with Pokemon behavior that rewards patience. Released in April 2021, it's still available digitally and is frequently discounted.
Detective Pikachu on 3DS sits in a similar lane. It's a narrative adventure game closer to Ace Attorney than anything else in the franchise, following Tim Goodman and a coffee-addicted talking Pikachu through a series of mysteries in Ryme City. No battles, no catching, just story. For anyone curious about the Pokemon world but allergic to RPG systems, it's a clean way in.
Where to go from here
The franchise turns 30 with more variety than it's ever had. Legends: Z-A is the easiest modern recommendation, Pokopia is the best option for players who want something genuinely different, and New Pokemon Snap remains the lowest-effort way to spend time in the universe. HeartGold and SoulSilver are still the benchmark for the classic formula if you're willing to hunt for them.
For deeper dives into the series and what else is worth playing on Switch 2, browse the latest gaming guides to find breakdowns across every genre and platform.
