Tired of the Core Pokémon Games? Here’s 6 Spin Offs You Should Try!

These 6 Pokémon Spin Offs could be what you need to take a break from the main games
These 6 Pokémon Spin Offs could be what you need to take a break from the main games

Do you find yourself playing the main series Pokémon games more times than you can count? Need to play something different until the release of Pokémon Sun & Moon? Here’s 6 Pokémon spin-off games you should try!

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1. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

Originally released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness brought the RPG experience from the core series to a home console. The game takes place 5 years after the events of Pokémon Colosseum in the desert region, Ore. Like the previous installment, you play as a young trainer who travels the region capturing Shadow Pokémon and ultimately saving the world from Team Cipher.

The Shadow Pokémon mechanic is what deviates this title from the core games, but it doesn’t lose sight of what made the Pokémon series popular.

 

2. Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

This title was released for the Game Boy Advance back in 2003 and for the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014. This game was a sequel to Pokémon Pinball for the Game Boy and features the same mechanics as the series’ previous title. In Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, you can choose from 2 pinball courses where you can capture Pokémon from the Hoenn region, play minigames to gain more points, and hatch eggs.

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is a very laid back game that’s a good time killer and it’s a good title to play to take a break from stressful Pokémon battles.

 

3. Pokémon Trozei

Pokémon Trozei was released for the Nintendo DS in 2006. In this puzzle game, your goal is to match 4 Pokémon in a row. The game also features a story mode where you play as Lucy Fleetfoot, an agent of SOL. In this mode, you travel throughout the Trozei region trying to free Pokémon from the Phobos Battalion using a device called the Trozei Beamer.

Like Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, this is a laid back title featuring Pokémon from Kanto to Hoenn and features a story mode to make things a little more epic.

 

4. Pokémon Conquest

If you enjoy the Nobunaga’s Ambition series, this title might be right up your alley. Pokémon Conquest is a Pokémon/Nobunaga’s Ambition crossover originally released for the Nintendo DS in 2012. The game is a turn-based RPG, which puts a spin on the normal turn based battles. During battles, you control multiple Pokémon on a large map. Some maps allow you to manipulate the environment, which could turn the battle in your favor or against you.

In story mode, you play as a Warlord and with your partner Eevee, you acquire soldiers, battle armies, and unite the 17 nations of the Ransei region.

The game features a colorful cast of characters and adds a unique twist to the battle system we’ve come to know and love.

 

5. Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Alima

The second title in the Pokémon Ranger series, Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Alima was released on the Nintendo DS in 2008. Like its predecessor, this action RPG features the unique Pokémon capturing mechanic where the player uses a Capture Stylus. The game is set in the Alima region and you play as a graduate of the Pokémon Ranger School. Your goal is to work your way up the ranks to become the best Pokémon Ranger and save the world from the evil organization, Team Dim Sun. The game is similar to its predecessor and features Pokémon from the Sinnoh region.

Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Alima provides a new way of capturing Pokémon, putting a different spin on the core series gameplay.

  

6. Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon

The most recent tile in the Mystery Dungeon series, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. Like previous titles, you play as a human that has turned into a Pokémon. In this game, you and your Partner Pokémon join the Expedition Society, explore 7 different continents, meet new Pokémon and Pokémon from previous titles, and save the world from its demise.

This installment in the series provides a sense of nostalgia with the largest cast of any Mystery Dungeon game, quirky characters, and your fair dose of feels. This is a great title to play if you’re into dungeon crawler games and enjoy a compelling story with interesting characters.

[Source Images: Header Image, Pokemon XD: Gale of DarknessPokemon Pinball: Ruby & SapphirePokemon TrozeiPokemon Conquest, Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of AlimaPokemon Super Mystery Dungeon]


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