Pokemon has been around for over 20 years, spawning eight generations of mainline games and countless spinoffs. We've seen series come and go in that time, some quietly fading from existence and others, like Fire Emblem and Zelda, evolving.

The Pokemon series has a rich legacy to build on with every new entry, though surprisingly, the evolution of Pokemon is less straightforward than merely improving every time. 

Pokemon's journey is thornier than an angry Ferrosseed, full of tweaks and experiments that should have worked but didn't, some that did work and got left behind, and some that completely baffle the mind.

With the latest Pokemon games — Sword and Shield — smashing sales records left and right, we decided to dig into what makes the series work and where it falls flat. We're only talking mainline games in this retrospective, though, because the spinoffs are a whole 'nuther creature.

The Best and Worst Pokemon Regions

Pokemon didn't start having actual stories until Gen V, so there's not much use comparing them. Instead, it's the region that helps contribute to each generation's personality.

Some regions are bland, but hassle-free, while other regions present more challenge and visual interest at the expense of convenience. It's understandable, though, because designing a host of new creatures and an entire world for them is a lot for a small team working on tight deadlines.

When You Give Pokemon Crayons and Construction Paper

Mentioning Sinnoh right away seems a bit contradictory. It's the place that introduced "HM bloat" after all. Whoever thought creating Defog and Rock Climb while making them mandatory HMs was obviously in desperate need of an extended vacation.

Outside of that and some iffy bits on Mt. Coronet, Sinnoh may be the last great Pokemon region in overall design — at least for a while.

Sinnoh presents a good balance of long, tough routes with plenty of environmental points of interest, plus some shorter routes that cram challenges in a tiny space. On top of that is a generally wider variety of designs, especially compared to Hoenn, with snowy routes, mountaintops, sea routes, flower fields, and stone cities. Every section of Sinnoh is unique.

That's part of the game's central premise, too: the idea of a diverse and varied world full of different kinds of life. What's particularly interesting here is how it builds on failure.

Hoenn tries to create a region based on a plot theme in land versus sea, but that flops. In theory, a region split between land and water sounds interesting. However, you can't do all that much on the water other than swim. Diving is just swimming underwater, and then you swim some more. The towns and cities are afterthoughts.

Sinnoh benefits from being a bit less rigid with making the theme the central focus, letting the general idea of a wild world created by different Pokemon take hold.

PokeGlobe Trotting

And then it stopped.

Easily the worst aspect of region design is when Game Freak decided to explore other cultures. It's a noble idea, exposing young people to different ways of life. But the result — at least for a while — turned out like a Pokemon version of "It's a Small World," prioritizing over-the-top references to other cultures instead of doing anything exciting or meaningful.

Gen V's Black and White started a trend towards PokeTourism, moving away from the idea of a region built around a story concept and making the region itself the concept.

The only thing is, Pokemon's NPCs are too one dimensional to make that push towards other cultures work well, so it relies on the entire region to pull it off. Unfortunately, the U.S.-vibe Unova is supposed to give off doesn't continue outside Castelia City, and even then, it doesn't serve much purpose other than showcasing the Nintendo DS' hardware capabilities.

There's the entertainment city Nimbasa, but Jubilife and Goldenrod already have that covered. Opelucid is just Blackthorn with a twist. The entire eastern half of Unova has no relevance to the main game. And then you get places like the vast Icirrus Moor, which is big, and that's it. 

Kalos is a Unova repeat, sending you around a big circle, hitting all the main terrain notes: rocky, ice, seaport, flashy big city, and so on. There are a few French-inspired things added as dressing, with some story about a 3,000-year-old zombie king that can be filed under "H" for "hash-induced."

Alola does the same thing, making a meal out of the Hawaiian location without integrating it into the story or gameplay mechanics.

Galar, The Happy Medium

Sword and Shield's Galar region is a happy marriage of these two concepts, of planned design that emphasizes culture. It's inspired by a specific culture again, yet it's just a few aspects that get the focus. These are built into the area's core, like the Champion Cup. Everything else flows from there.

That makes Galar a sharp contrast to the superficial regional flavors of Alola that are constantly shoved in your face but don't do much else.

It's true we still have some forced regional dialogue in Galar. Again, we also have vast open spaces, exciting cities, and enough varied geography to offset the same-y-ness of the ice, forest, and rocky settings. The routes are still not quite as impressive as those well-worn Sinnoh paths, but the Wild Area exists to make up for that.

If Game Freak is going to keep creating regions based on specific cultures, hopefully, the changes we saw with Galar continue.

The Best and Worst Gym Leaders

Outside of the regions themselves, another important aspect of any Pokemon game is who you face as your primary opponents: the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four.

The Gym theme is one of the staler aspects of Pokemon and has changed the least over time. You can bet there's always going to be a Fire, Water, Grass, and Rock-type Gym, with other types in rotation, like Psychic, Ice, and Dragon. That means there are only two candidates for "best Gym Leader rosters."

Shattering Expectations in Diamond and Pearl

The first two games of Gen IV shook up the Gym system. Not like Sun and Moon did, through complete abolition, but by throwing curveballs with Gym-themed Pokemon that can take out your team.

A good many of the leaders toss in at least one dual-type Pokemon after the second leader — Maylene's Lucario and Meditite, Byron's Bronzor, Candice's Medicham, and half of Volkner's team. Crasher Wake might be more traditional, but his Gyrados can crush a fragile Electric-type in seconds.

Typically, you get Gym Leader rosters with either pure types. Platinum nerfed this feature with more traditional and less challenging Gyms, unfortunately, and we haven't seen it since.

Even the Galar Gyms in Sword and Shield are relatively traditional, though the inclusion of Gigantamax Pokemon — with special Gigantamax moves — from the third Gym on does shake things up.

Alola, The Confused One

Talking about Gyms and changes throughout the series means we must naturally touch on Alola — again. There isn't much to say here, though your opinion will naturally vary.

Gen VII replaced Gym challenges with Trials, but these can't be considered improvements. Some people like them, but I don't see how "which dancing Marowak is different??" can compare in any way to "challenge this super-strong Gym leader."

These always end with a battle against a turbo-powered Pokemon anyway, so why even bother with the goofy mini-game? It was a further step towards patronizing players and assuming young children are naturally stupid, and it's a mechanic that hopefully never comes back.

If something has to be changed, why not go for typeless Gym Leaders, taking the original Sinnoh concept further?

Then there's Galar's move towards putting Gym Leaders in your path more often, which also opens some possibilities for the future of Gym challenges. In short, significant change isn't always for the better, especially if that change is done only for the sake of change.

The Best Elite Four

Unlike Gym Leaders, the Elite Four does tend to vary wildly from game to game, though with no real visible trend (unless you count "rehash"). With a different set of trainers focusing on different types, you'd think there wouldn't be a way to compare them.

However, there are some definite winners and losers when it comes to the Elite Four, and the Elite Four exemplifies the struggle with the change that Pokemon has faced from the beginning.

Karen Will Be Your Opponent

Johto does a lot of things right, but the Elite Four isn't one of them. Will is an altered Lorelei, Bruno is as ridiculously easy as ever, and Koga isn't much better. Then we have Karen, the Agatha of Johto.

Karen is a trainer meant to take advantage of an underused type, except oops — there aren't enough Pokemon of that type to make it work. Johto introduces the Dark-type Pokemon, with a total of three Dark-type Pokemon: Umbreon, Houndour/Houndoom, and Murkrow.

Karen uses them all, though Murkrow doesn't count. And even though Murkrow isn't a pushover, the Pokemon wasn't much to write home about until Gen IV introduced its evolved form, Honchkrow.

So Karen has to supplement that missing piece with two non-Dark types the same as Agatha, opting for Poison instead. Sorry, but the manager says you're wrong: Vileplume isn't a Dark-type, KAREN.

Hoenn — Prepare for Trouble

After the too-familiar Johto Elite Four, Hoenn's diverse types and brutal opponents are hugely welcome, and you can see a bit of that Sinnoh Gym Leader philosophy on display here.

If a member of the Hoenn Elite Four doesn't have a dual-type 'mon to mess you up, they pack obnoxious status moves or monster Pokemon — like Walrein or Drake's Altaria — that can destroy you before you even have a chance to do anything.

The big standout here, though, is Steven. No, a Rock-type Pokemon trainer isn't that special on its own. Two generations of Brock then Roxanne saw to that. What makes Steven unique alongside his dual-type team from Hell is how he's the first Champion who isn't Lance, which means he's also the first Champion who doesn't use Dragons.

Steven didn't completely shake up the Champion mechanic — that happened with Cynthia — but it was an injection of newness into a formula that would have become stale very quickly with another Dragon master.

Sinnoh — And Make It Double

The Sinnoh Elite Four follows a similar path as the Hoenn League and ups the challenge — like, y'know, the strongest trainers in the region should do.

Diamond and Pearl toss dual-types and weird roster members in the mix, much like Flint's Lopunny and Drifblim. Diamon and Pearl was the first time it seemed like the top trainers earned that title since they tried to be well rounded. Plus, it forced players to bring a well-rounded team, except Bertha, who was crap.

Platinum nerfed that again but increased the overall power of each Elite Four member's team with more and stronger Pokemon for each — except Bertha, who is still crap.

Cynthia is the real star, though, even more than with Steven. That she's the first lady Champion is one thing, though Pokemon never had problems with strong women. It's not even because she is like Lance 2.0 with the significant role she played in the story. No, Cynthia is the first Champion with a diverse roster of Pokemon custom-made to trash you no matter what, and it's telling she's the only trainer not to get a significant roster change in Platinum.

Remember Me?

Alola doesn't really have an Elite Four until it does at the end. Then it's just the same Kahunas you already fought — for the most part.

There's some interesting story integration, but it's a bit stale feeling.

Kukui has a few glaring weaknesses and a roster seemingly chosen at random that make the fight anticlimactic compared to Cynthia or even Kalos' Diantha. This, combined with the story that takes center stage throughout the games, means your League fight is sort of just a thing that happens and whatever.

Moving Back Towards the Center with Galar

Galar, unfortunately, has a similar setup, where you fight some of the same Leaders you fought before. However, it improves on the Alola formula in a few key ways.

The story integration works a bit better in Galar since Sword and Shield are built around everyone vying for a spot in the League against the Champion. Plus, you end up with a total of seven fights instead of the usual five. It's the closest to the Pokemon anime that any game has gotten, with the idea of multiple rounds.

More importantly, each opponent has at least one 'mon meant to throw you off like the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues, with Raihan's near-invincible Duraludon being the best example of the lot.

Leon is one of the best Champions since Cynthia as well. Not only does he give you your first Pokemon, but he's also held up as the pinnacle of the Pokemon world. It imbues the match with an urgency missing for a long time, helped by Leon's relatively challenging and Cynthia-like roster that will put your skills to the test.

It's a good lesson, and one Game Freak hopefully takes to heart. 

The Pokemon — Best and Worst Pokemon Design

Pokemon design doesn't follow much of a trend, either, though one could argue the road got a bit bumpier after Gen III. It's easily the most divisive topic as well. You might hate my favorite Pokemon, and I could think your favorite Pokemon is complete garbage. Heck, some Pokemon literally are complete garbage.

Pokemon design has always bordered on the bizarre. There are animal-inspired designs like the Squirtle family mixed in with seductive Psychic humanoid creatures and genetically modified mutants. That doesn't leave much room for saying any Pokemon is "bad" or "weird," but it's safe to say Game Freak tends to do its best work when the developer isn't tied down to previous generations.

When Old Was Still New — Johto and Hoenn

Johto is a bit of an exception to that rule. Game Freak designed 100 new Pokemon to populate the region. Still, instead of rehashing the Kanto bug trilogy or making another new bat 'mon, these older Pokemon live alongside the new ones. Such a design felt like a healthy balance between nostalgia and newness, with plenty of fresh designs to make it sparkle.

Gen III did the exact opposite, and it was a smart move despite being a bit of a gamble. For it to work, the designs had to be exciting and engaging — and they were. Gone are most of the familiar faces, and in their place waddle strange little rabbits called Whismur, deadly sloths, and a familiar-seeming caterpillar. Still, none of these have much to do with their specific region; they just exist.

Look, It's New! Just Kidding, It's the Same Thing

Looking back, you can see Gen IV is where things started to get a bit confused. The Sinnoh Pokedex is notable for how few completely new Pokemon it adds, with many of them just being different variations on existing 'mon. Some can reasonably be called palette swaps as well, like the Starly line that isn't Pidgey — but is basically Pidgey — or Fat Persian, er, I mean "Purrugly."

Gen V tried adopting a Hoenn model, with a whole massive new roster of completely new 'mon, but it also suffers from Sinnoh syndrome.

Yeah, a lot of these new Pokemon were great, like Zebstrika and the Litwick family. But a lot of them were variations of what came before, and it just seemed like ticking the boxes: Rock-type and Fighting-type families that require trade to evolve? Check. Normal/Flying bird trio? Check. Two bug lines, one aggressive, the other not? Check. Version exclusive Grass lines? Sigh...check.

From there, the trend has been increasingly towards the familiar, with Gens VI and VII giving us massive Pokedexes with less than memorable new Pokemon, or if they are memorable, they get swamped by the hundreds of other 'mon vying for attention.

Regional Pokemon Flavo(u)r

Interestingly, Gen VIII has the fewest new Pokemon of any recent game, yet these stand out the most. Part of that is because we didn't see them all until later. But the other part is how they're handled. Just some slight tweaks to the formula keep it seeming fresh.

Your Rock-type Rolycoly is a dual Fire-type, is fast, has high special attack (??), and doesn't have to be traded to get its final evolved form. There's a cutesy Normal-type right at the beginning, but it's a freaking monster squirrel-tank that can power through most opponents. There's a new Bug line, but it's weird, and it's a Psychic radar to boot, and the new Flying line is part Steel — not new in itself (Skarmory), but it's how it's handled that makes a difference.

The familiar is still here, and you can forget Blipbug and get your Caterpie if you want. Like in Gen II, the new and old complement each other, and like Gen III, there's enough difference in how they're handled to convince long-time players this is a brand new adventure.

Even the silly ones like Alcremie have a purpose, and more importantly, you get to interact with them. You have to whip Milcery (not literally) to get Alcremie, find out if Sinistea is authentic or forged, and push Farfetch'd to greater heights of bravery until it evolves.

Like with the Champion Cup, this is yet another way the Galar region makes the Pokemon world feel more alive and closer to the anime. Even if there aren't as many new Pokemon, this is the best way forward for the series. It doesn't require shaking the formula up that much.

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It's surprising to see a series as revered as Pokemon have a bit of a design potluck from the beginning.

The core gameplay might remain the same, but there have been a lot of changes in how these things are implemented. Region design experienced a bit of a crisis when it went from Japan-only inspiration to global. Still, hopefully, the design team has a better idea of how to make them interesting from here on.

The same goes for the Gym Challenge and Elite Four. Chances are, though, feedback on difficulty and overall goals for the next gen mean there probably won't be any identifiable pattern or logic in how the games' challenges move forward.

The classic second generation of Pokémon games for the Game Boy Color, Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version, have been digitally re-released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop today at a bargain price of $10 each.

The digital re-releases feature wireless trading capabilities between different 3DS users, in place of the old-fashioned link cable -- just as the case was with the re-releases of Pokémon Blue, Red, and Yellow Version on the eShop. If you intend on purchasing either of these games form the eShop, be sure to download the version with the correct language for you, as the various versions in different languages have all been listed individually on the eShop and labelled for your convenience.

There is also a bonus for purchasing either Gold or Silver directly off of the 3DS eShop that can be utilized in Pokémon Sun, Pokémon Moon, Pokémon Ultra Sun, and Pokémon Ultra Moon. If you purchase either game between September 22, 2017 and September 21, 2018, you will receive a code that can redeemed in any of the above Pokémon games in order to receive the legendary Pokémon Celebi as a mystery gift. Unfortunately, seeing how Celebi was an even-only Pokémon in the original Gold and Silver, there is no way to legitimately acquire one in the original games, and the code is only applicable to the newer titles mentioned above.

You can watch a trailer for the eShop releases below:

Today, The Pokemon Company released an unexpected Pokemon Direct only a week before Nintendo's own E3 Presentation is set to air. If the suddenness of the Pokemon Direct announcement caught you off guard, what was announced during the direct certainly will. Here's what you need to know about the latest in Pokemon News!

Pokken Tournament DX

Pokken Tournament is coming to the Nintendo Switch in the form of Pokken Tournament DX -- a deluxe version of the arcade-style fighter that will be released on September 22, 2017. This new version will feature new modes such as 3v3 team battles, portable local multiplayer, as well as a slew of new Pokemon from the Japanese arcade version. It also includes a new exclusive Pokemon in the roster.

The newly included Pokemon are as follows:

Darkrai

Scizor

Empoleon

Croagunk

Decidueye

Each of these new fighters will have their own unique combat styles. Interestingly, Sceptile is missing in Pokken Tournament DX so far. Whether this was an oversight or not for the trailer is up to speculation, but would surely be a disappointment. 

Unfortunately, there was no information on whether or not there will be more fighters added in the future. If you missed out on Pokken on the Wii U, this game will be a must-have.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Coming November 17 of this year is Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. These games are admittedly underwhelming, as many fans were speculating on Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes or even a sequel to Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green. According to Matsuda, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will tell alternative stories contained within the world of the original Sun and Moon titles.

While few details were released about the new titles, it is clear that they have something to do with the Prism Pokemon, Necrozma -- as the original legendaries of Sun and Moon have been redecorated with what looks to be parts of the hidden Pokemon.

More info is sure to come in the days leading up to the November 17 release. But if the comments on the Pokemon Direct's feed were anything to go on, The Pokemon Company needs to prove that this title is worth shelling out full price for, or else this was a move in bad faith for fans who were looking for something new.

Pokemon Gold and Silver Virtual Console Releases

While not entirely unexpected, Pokemon Gold and Silver's release on Virtual Console coming September 22 was much better received than the announcement of the newer titles. This port to the 3DS's Virtual Console will once again have Pokemon Bank support, and retain all of the features of the original titles. Whether or not that extends to the Time Machine is up in the air, but hopefully the games will be fully intact.

That said, Pokemon Crystal -- a version that is commonly seen as the definitive version of Generation II -- was not announced for the Virtual Console. Hopefully that will be revealed sooner rather than later.

That's all for now!

The Pokemon Direct may have lacked some of the luster fans expected for the latest for Pokemon. Thankfully, E3 is just around the corner, so maybe the main Nintendo company will be able to win its fans over on the Switch and 3DS.

In the meantime, be sure to check back with GameSkinny for all the coverage you need of Nintendo and all other things E3!

There are a lot of game developers out there. If you pull up the Steam store's front page, you'll see games being released on a daily basis. With crowdfunding, early access, and a number of other avenues for devs to create games, it seems that everyone these days is putting out their own playable vision.

But in this ever-expanding industry, there are a select few who are masters of their craft. These developers could very easily be called geniuses, or prodigies. But what classifies them as such? Some would say it's their ability to write a story. Others would say that the systems and mechanics they implement into their games to make them function flawlessly.

Whatever it is that puts them echelons above the rest, these developers have left a lasting impact on the gaming industry. And gaming will never be the same because of them.

Satoru Iwata

Last year, we lost what many considered one of the gaming industry greatest minds. Satoru Iwata was the President of Nintendo -- and if you look back through this man's history, you can see why someone would call him a genius. Stories about his work date back to before the release of Nintendo's FamiCom system.

Satoru Iwata was such a force for Nintendo that when the president of the company was about to retire and needed a successor, he appointed Mr. Iwata even thought it meant breaking the family-held nature of the company.

The history of Satoru Iwata has many stories that define him as a genius. I think my favorite of these stories is from the era when Pokemon: Gold and Silver were being developed. Iwata was able to create tools compress the entire game map from Pokemon: Red and Blue onto a GameBoy cartridge for Gold and Silver just under one megabyte.

One of the best moments from playing Gold and Silver was finding out that you had a whole second game ahead of you after beating the first set of gyms and beating the Pokemon League for the first time. So to learn that this was done by a man who truly had a passion for creating things for people to enjoy is amazing to me. Mr. Iwata, you will be sorely missed.

Hideo Kojima

The only Kojima game I have ever played is Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. I know that this is probably shocking to hear, as I am someone who is tasked with writing about video games and being pretty knowledgeable about them as well. But even though I haven't played any of his other games, I know his legacy. Hideo Kojima is known for making some of the biggest budget games ever and creating stories that people have adored for years.

There's something to be said about a man whose exit from a company and the supposed scandal around it was mainstream news for weeks. The controversy between Kojima and Konami was everywhere, and lots of fans thought it would be the end of Konami as we knew it. 

Almost every serious gamer knows what sort of greatness to expect from a Kojima title. Perhaps the most enigmatic developer in the industry today, Kojima is hailed for his captivating dialogue and incredible storytelling. Nearly every title he's ever produced has been iconic in some way -- the Metal Gear Solid series, for example, is the pinnacle of what gamers look for in stealth games. 

Not only did Kojima revolutionize MGS and carry Konami on his shoulders, but he made his fans lose their minds over a single conceptual trailer when he announced his solo title Death Stranding at this year's E3. He's so good -- and so widely respected -- that his fans support him no matter where he goes. It will be interesting to see what he does now that he's struck out on his own and doesn't have to answer to Konami's wishes.

Hidetaka Miyazaki

I've talked before about how the Dark Souls series is one of the most satisfying games I've ever played. What seems like the true gauntlet of hardcore gaming is actually one of the most accessible games I've ever played. And all of those games (well except for Dark Souls II) were directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki.

I put Miyazaki on this list because of what he has done for FromSoftware. When Miyazaki came to FromSoftware, he was just a programmer. He worked on the Armored Core series but then found out about the (then failing) Demon Souls franchise. At the time, Demon Souls was not resonating with its Japanese audience. Miyazaki used this to test out his own ideas for the game -- saying that even if his ideas failed, there wasn't much backlash to be had as the game was already on the rocks.

But as you probably know, his ideas worked and worked well -- because when I think of today's iconic games, the Souls/Borne series sits among the best ever made. And without Miyazaki, we wouldn't have any of these and the ideas they presented.

And that's it! There several are people I could have included on this list that many others would have agreed with. But these three gaming geniuses are the ones that spoke most to me. Even though they've done some pretty brilliant work already, it will be interested to see what else develops going forward, and who else steps onto the scene as an enigmatic gaming icon. If I was to put my money on where to look, it would definitely be the indie gaming scene. But until then, two of these will be interesting to watch and see what they put out next.

What do you think? Who else should be included in the list of gaming geniuses? Let me know in the comments!

Gold and Silver gave us a lot of interesting Pokémon from a design perspective, taking Gen 1's ordinary Pokémon and making them in many ways extraordinary.

It’s hard to imagine the Pokémon world without these additions, but it’s always important that while admiring greats like Umbreon, Skarmory or Typhlosion, that you take a second to remember the slightly odder additions to the Pokémon roster -- especially as their numbers grow beyond anything any of us could have ever anticipated.

What was your favorite Generation 2 Pokemon? Who did you think was underrated? Tell us in the comments below!

1. Mantine

Prior to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Mantine had one of the highest special defense stats of any water type Pokémon in the game, only equal to that of Kyogre (a legendary Pokémon). Yet alas, times change and with the addition of new Pokémon, Mantine gets thrown by the wayside. 

Not all is lost for the majestic mantaray though; in Generation 7, it saw a boost to its already plentiful stats, giving it more HP and more speed, which means we may see a resurgence of Mantines in the future.

That said, Mantine boasts a diabolically high special defense of 140. With its excellent typing, the only thing that can really stop it is electric types, which can be taken care of as long as Mantine has a Substitute out. Mantine does what it does best when it has the moveset to back it up, which means having Toxic, Substitute or even Protect can help this special defense wall protect itself from other threats. It also has access to not only Scald but Air Slash thanks to its Water/Flying typing, which gives it a chance to slowly whittle down its competition while hiding behind its walls.

Mantine is a majestic creature which hasn’t been used to its utmost potential, and one can only hope it’s soon seen for the star that it is, especially with the boosts in stats.

Image Source: Here

2. Stantler

Stantler appears to be another example of a Johto Pokémon that should have been part Psychic, but was once again relegated to being a Normal type. It’s a frail Pokémon and is a pain to level, but it has an insane amount of move coverage thanks to its passable special attack and attack stats, which gives it a certain amount of versatility.

Stantler is used as a wall breaker more often than not, and moves like Double Edge and Sucker Punch fall right in its area of expertise. This can also be replaced with moves like Signal Beam or Energy Ball, which provides some unique type coverage. While not a Pokémon that can devastate another team by any means, Stantler can be an unexpected wild card if put in the hands of a competent trainer.

 Image Source: Here

3. Lanturn

Of all the Pokémon introduced in the Johto region, Lanturn was always one of the more interesting ones. It looked as though it was one part beluga whale and one part angler fish, which was a cool design by itself. The fact that it was Water/Electric -- a typing we hadn’t seen up until this point -- made it even better. Unfortunately, it still fell to the wayside because despite these innovations, in later generations it became outclassed by other Pokémon despite having a strong start.

That’s not to say Lanturn is useless in battle -- far from it. Thanks to its unique type combination, Volt Absorb ability, and its diverse move pool, Lanturn is quite an asset indeed. It can be played as an attacker or in a support role, and can learn Scald, which provides a nasty burn to its foes.

With its type coverage you could put an Electric move like Volt Switch (or even Thunderbolt if you want to be risky) to decimate its foes. In more supportive roles it can also provide paralysis in the form of Thunder Wave which unless healed, can cripple an opponent. Lanturn is a Pokémon that just hasn’t seen the love it deserves despite its versatility.

 Image Source: Here

4. Ursaring

This bear doesn’t play with fire, but it does play with devastating attacks. Ursaring is one of those Pokémon that’s harder to find, but once you find one, it'll be a strong asset to your team. Its boasts the same type coverage as many Normal types but this one has the stats to back it up, being a high physical attacker and having decently high HP.

With its ability Quick Feet, Ursaring can make up for its lackluster speed and utterly destroy walls with its sizable attack power and Façade. In addition, it can learn Crunch to deal with those pesky Ghost-types that are immune to it. Then there are moves like Close Combat, Yawn, Earthquake and countless others that make it arguably one of the most diverse wall breakers in moveset alone. You’ll find no better bear for your buck than Ursaring.

 Image Source: Here

5. Bellossom

Another day, another Oddish evolution that’s sadly forgotten by Pokémon fans everywhere. It’s a creative design at least, putting some pep in the step of the Pokémon Gloom by giving it a Sun Stone; plus its stats are decent, so you could use it on a single player run.

Bellosom is another Grass-type with the capabilities of being a sufficient wall breaker, but unfortunately gets outclassed in every way by nearly every other Grass type. It’s best to play with Bellosom on a Sunny Day team in order to blast through those walls with its powerful Solar Beam. Balancing this out with a Fire Hidden Power, as well as a move like Toxic can give this tiny flora dancer just what she needs to succeed.

 Image Source: Here

6. Granbull

A purple Bulldog isn’t the strangest design that Game Freak has ever created, but their decision to call it the “The Fairy” Pokémon was. This isn’t what you’d think of when you think of a Fairy, yet Granbull has become one of the physical powerhouses of the Fairy type that can use “Play Rough” to its fullest potential. Despite this, not too many people will give it a chance.

It can go with a defensive or an offensive move set and it has access to great moves like Fire Punch and Close Combat for type coverage. Not only that but it’s a bulky attacker, meaning that even if it gets hit with a potentially devastating move, Granbull may not go down in one hit; especially if you fill its strong jaws with Leftovers or a Choice Band. Granbull is a great out of the box choice for a Fairy type and it's worth giving it a chance.

 Image Source: Here

7. Noctowl

Noctowl, poor Noctowl. Out of all of the first route bird Pokémon, Noctowl is the most disappointing. It’s a bulky Flying-type with more special defense and special attack stats than one might expect from a Pokémon of its type. It's got a moveset to match. It learns moves like Hypnosis and Psychic that fill up spots normally reserved for Wing Attack or similar in Flying types. Sadly, it doesn’t have the typing to back it up.

Sure, there’s Xatu later on, which fills the role of a Flying/Psychic, but what about poor Noctowl? It just gets left behind in the dust. That’s not to say Noctowl can’t be useful in battle despite all of this, though. It has access to moves like Night Shade and Psychic, which most flying types don’t have. Having Noctowl on your team is all about adjusting what role you’d normally think a Pokémon like that may play and playing to its strengths.

 Image Source: Here

8. Miltank

Miltank is a bulky, self-healing form of Tauros that demolished inexperienced trainers back when Gold and Silver first came out. The amount of HP and defense it had made it a dangerous threat for first time trainers, which has made it become one of the most hated Pokémon in the series.

That said, when on your team, Miltank is a monster and is an excellent ally to have. Just let her have her signature move Milk Drink, with a Body Slam and Toxic, that’ll stall out almost any trainer for quite a while. 

Sure she doesn’t have much in the way of Special Defense, but if you build a team around that or prepare for that beforehand with status ailments from Toxic, Body Slam or even Thunder Wave, Miltank is a welcome addition to any team.

Image Source: Here

9. Quagsire

Quagsire has the exact same problems that Meganium has, except instead of being a starter and barely used anymore, it’s an early route Pokémon and is actually used a fair amount. It just doesn’t have the same loving fan base the Meganium line has because it’s less of a fondly remembered Pokémon and more of a dopey looking goober.

That said, unlike the rest of the Pokémon on this list, Quagsire is in OU tier. Why? Because of the hidden ability Unaware, which means that no matter how much an opponent uses Swords Dance or other moves of its kind that buff stats, Quagsire won’t be affected by it. Couple this with Rest, Scald and Toxic and you have an effective staller on your hands.

While it’s still fairly underappreciated, it’s nice to see it gaining some attention in recent years for the durable fighter that it is.

Image Source: Here

10. Meganium

If you ask someone who their least favorite starter is, there’s a strong chance that it’ll be Chikorita. Unlike other third-stage evolutions for the starter Pokémon, Meganium looks the most… friendly. It doesn’t look like a fighter, it looks like a friend. While Pokémon are meant to be friends, most people want their starter to be a powerhouse to take them through til the end, and to them, Meganium doesn’t fit that bill.

If only they knew the power that resided within this pure Grass starter. With full access to both Light Screen and Reflect -- as well as Synthesis -- Meganium becomes a tanky monster. Having trouble with the Whitney fight? Send out your Bayleef and tank through those Rollouts like they’re nothing. While its typing doesn’t help it in the case of weaknesses, if you can work around it, you have a solid Pokémon on your team that can take you to the end of your journey. 

Image Source: Here

The Johto Region -- or Generation 2 as some like to call it -- had quite a bit to live up to after the first Pokémon games. Following the popularity of Gen 1, Game Freak tried to make lightning strike with this second group of Pokémon, and in many ways they did. The games became more balanced and there were 100 new Pokémon added to the roster, most of which are still fan favorites to this day.

However, with that many Pokémon being added, quite a few fell by the wayside, not even receiving a Mega Evolution or an Alolan Form. This doesn’t mean they’re bad Pokémon, but like the Kanto and Hoenn lists, this is just to give some appreciation to Pokémon who are just less loved.

 Image Source: Here

Got their butt kicked by Red

Pokemon Gold and Silver has the best end game content of any entry in the series to date, bar none. It's the only one that lets you get 16 badges while revisiting your old stomping grounds in Kanto, and seeing what the old characters are up to. You even get to rematch that a-hole, Blue, who has since taken over the Viridian City Gym. All of this content builds into one final, epic showdown atop Mt. Silver, Gold/Silver's equivalent to the Unknown Cave, against Red, the most powerful trainer in the land and the protagonist from the previous games.

Boy is he powerful. Standard playthroughs don't even put you close to the level his Pokemon are at (high 70s to low 80s), so you will have to grind if you hope to stand a chance. Red comes packing a well-balanced team that includes every starter from the first generation. When you finally do beat him, he leaves without a word, recognizing you as the best trainer in the land.

Now that's how you end a Pokemon game!

Did you do any of these things? What else should be on this list? Let me know in the comments!

Was torn over who to give the Metal Coat to, Onix or Scyther

Steel types were the coolest-looking additions to the Pokemon universe in Gold and Silver. The two best ones, Steelix and Scizor, could only be acquired one way: by making them hold a Metal Coat and trading them to make them evolve. Problem was, each playthrough only had one Metal Coat, and you couldn't get it until after defeating the Elite Four from the puking Captain on the S.S. Aqua on the trip to Kanto. So unless you could fleece your friend into trading one over to you or had another cartridge that you were playing simultaneously, you were stuck picking between the two.

"OMFG that Gyarados is RED?!?!"

That was my response when I encountered the angry flying fish in the middle of the Lake of Rage. Well not officially, since OMFG wasn't really around then, but it was amazing to see a fearsome Pokemon that I had battled with and against so many times get a different shade.

The Red Gyarados was really the first introduction into the world of Shiny Pokemon, which has since escalated into a full on 'mon hunt - with strategies for improving your odds and kids with teams full of shiny legendaries that I'm sure they didn't hack the game to get...

Chuckled at Shuckle

Poor Shuckle. I really did feel bad for it. It's trainer couldn't (or wouldn't) take care of it after being robbed, and when you finally went to try it out in battle, all it could really do was take a beating. With outrageously high defensive statistics alongside pitifully low offensive output and speed, there really isn't much of a role for Shuckle in your team throughout the main story. In fact, it wasn't until X & Y that Shuckle was little more than a Toxic-and-wait-it-out machine. 

Forgot that they left an Apricorn with Kurt

One of the few nitpicky flaws I found with the game was that I always had to remember to go retrieve the special Pokeballs I had made by Kurt. When you unlock this portion of the game, you don't yet have the ability to just HM02 your way over there. And even so, the standard Pokeball/Great Ball/Ultra Ball rotation seems to work most of the time anyway, so the game never really gets you in the habit of making sure you remember to pick them up.

Even when I did unlock HM 02, I would go several play sessions before I remembered to fly over and grab that Heavy Ball I was having made.

Rejoiced at being able to catch Scyther so early

Scyther was arguably the most popular Pokemon that not everyone had in the original Red and Blue games. That's because Scyther was exclusive to Red's Safari Zone, and there was no trainer that battled with it in the campaign, so if you were a new player with only a Blue version (like I was), you had no idea what you were missing until your buddy unleashed the enviable and awesome-looking Bug/Flying type with swords for hands.

Thank god for the Bug Contest in Gold and Silver that takes place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday within the game, in the National Park just north of Goldenrod City. Players get access to this event after the gym battle against Whitney, so they are able to get their hands on a Scyther early on.

Felt helpless at the might of Whitney and her Miltank

Fuck Rollout. Even to this day, I have yet to find a Pokemon battle that has made me rage quit as hard as Goldenrod City's Whitney and her damn Miltank. When you first enter the gym, nothing seems to stand out. Pretty much every gym that you had stepped into to this point gave you the sense of the challenge you were about to face. But not this one. Normal type Pokemon are as basic as it gets in the Pokemon world, so this battle shouldn't be a problem, right? Wrong. So, so wrong.

Whatever preconceptions you had about rolling to an easy win quickly go out the window when the cow from hell starts up its relentless Rollout attack, whose attack power increases with each successive hit. Miltank boasts high physical defense and speed statistics, so you have to get a little bit creative in defeating this behemoth.

Once you do defeat Whitney, she starts sobbing uncontrollably and doesn't give you your badge right away. Though, it's pretty hard to feel any remorse for her, considering the battle was like traveling through the seven circles of hell.

Pokemon Gold and Silver were highly anticipated titles for fans of the series. I played Red, Blue, and Yellow countless times with countless teams, exploring each Pokemon's usefulness, weaknesses, and everything in between. So to say that I was jonesing for some new monsters to battle with was an understatement.

Gold and Silver certainly didn't disappoint, and while these entries weren't quite what the originals were (IMO), they were some of the best sequels of any kind that I've ever seen, even to this day. 

Here are some things that we all did in Gold and Silver at least once.

When not delving into the world of remixes or orchestrations, it can be pretty hard to find cover versions of Junichi Masuda's work that are not metal or rock based. That does not, however, mean they are undeserving of praise or attention. These artists add something new to the music already in existence with their covers.

So take a moment to appreciate not only these covers, but also other Pokémon music covers out there. You will not regret it.

Pokémon X/Y Guitar Medley by FamilyJules7X

I got to a point where I could only pick 1 song covered by this artist, FamilyJules7X. The choice was difficult so I picked the one that packed the most into one medley. This medley includes a number of different cities from Pokémon X and Y, Lysandre's theme, and the theme from the Pokéball factory, and a few others I will leave as a surprise (or you could just follow the link to the YouTube page and look there).

The themes in this medley are very, very different in some ways but somehow FamilyJules7X has made them fit together excellently.

FamilyJules7X is an American musician who makes video game music covers and has written an album specifically for Crypt of the Necrodancer called Aria's Ascent.

Pokemon B/W (Rock Remix) - Nimbasa City by Shady Cicada

From what I recall of Nimbasa city in Pokémon Black and White versions, it is a pretty large place, with a few sports stadiums, the Musical Theater, a Ferris wheel, and a gym. Nimbasa is not as large or intimidating as Castelia city, of course. But I always enjoyed the generally upbeat theme. This cover is certainly less so but anyone who liked music that played in Nimbasa will probably like this version as well.

Shady Cicada is a composer who covers and remixes already existing music as well as writes his own, incorporating many different genres into his work.

Pokémon X&Y Bicycle Theme Metal Cover by Arathrum

For those of you who breed Pokémon (as the artist, Arathrum, noted), you will probably know this song all too well and perhaps even be sick of listening to it because you have spent hours of your time riding back and forth in front of the day care center, waiting for your Pokémon to lay that 6 IV egg. Even if you are tired of it, give this version a spin. Though Arathrum tries to stay as close to the original as possible, the guitars give it a different feel.

Arathrum does mostly metal video game covers, and from time to time his own compositions. He is from The Netherlands.

Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire - Wally Battle Theme Guitar Cover by RawkHawkRockin

In the remake versions of Ruby and Sapphire, Wally, one of your rivals, gets his own theme. He is pretty frail and delicate at first so the theme is a little more fitting later on in the game. Due to the fact that this cover and the original are so similar it becomes an effort to replicate the original as closely as possible, and RawkHawkRockin does this brilliantly.

There is not much information about RawkHawkRockin out there, besides that he does video game music covers and that he is Greek. Hopefully we will see more of him in the future!

Pokemon Colosseum - Cipher Peon Full Band Metal Cover by Dr. Pez - VGM 

Pokémon Colosseum is one of those games that not many people know about. The game is a GameCube game, in which the only Pokémon you can catch you actually have to snatch from other trainers. But before you freak out, these Pokémon have been corrupted to be fighting machines, unafraid of attacking humans. In this game it is your job to purify these creatures, returning them to their normal, uncorrupted states, as well as figure out who is responsible for all these "shadow Pokémon."

More importantly, the musical cover is one of several battle themes, this one of a battle with a Cipher peon. Dr. Pez and his fellow musicians, HatTrax and Ashikodrum, handle this one with ease, though the original song was made for such instruments. In some ways, it is better that they do not deviate from the original's composition.

Dr. Pez and Ashikodrum both do video game covers, and while HatTrax also covers these sorts of songs he also does some classic and progressive rock songs.

Pokémon R/S/E: Victory Road - Metal Cover || RichaadEB by RichaadEB

Generation 3's Victory Road music is probably one of my favorite Victory Road themes. After Ever Grande city's encouraging theme this one seems more harsh and challenging.

Ruby and Sapphire are full of synthesized trumpets and I am surprised how well the guitars fit. Nevertheless, metal is full of harsher sounds and thus such a style is fitting for the theme.

RichaadEB, or Rich, is a YouTube guitarist who does (metal) covers of video game music, and otherwise is a big nerd.

Pokémon Theme Cover (feat. Dookieshed, MunchingOrange, NintendoFanFTW, and more!) by NateWantsToBattle

I admit, I cheated a bit here. The Pokémon anime theme is not strictly game related, but it is not entirely unrelated either, so I decided to throw it in. A lot of us, now adults, remember this as part of our childhood, an accompaniment to the games.

NateWantsToBattle, one of the many featured in this cover, is pretty talented on his own. I almost decided to go with his Lysandre's Theme cover. But then I found this and the nostalgia waves pummeled me into submission. Admit it, you like it too.

NateWantsToBattle roped dookieshed, Munchingorange, NintendoFanFTW, RandomEncountersEnt, TheKingNappy, ReallyFreakinClever, and TheShueTube all into this video cover.

NateWantsToBattle covers anime and video game songs. Dookieshed, Munchingorange and NintendoFanFTW all make their own videos about video games (walkthroughs, Top 10s, and other amusing things). RandomEncountersEnt and TheShueTube make their own parody music videos. TheKingNappy posts daily Pokémon content, and ReallyFreakinClever looks at and discusses game design choices.

All in all, quite a crew!

Champion Battle (Pokémon G/S/C) Guitar Cover by DSC

This cover is based on one of the most intimidating themes in the Pokémon universe. In Gold, Silver and Crystal, as well as HeartGold and SoulSilver, it plays during the Champion battle with Lance, and during the final battle with Red. I remember my seven year old self finally reaching the Champion with my under-leveled team (I was at the age when I did not understand battling trainers was necessary and viewed them as an annoyance). The sense of foreboding, and the anxiety the theme music seemed to generate in me was practically tangible. And yet I felt so ready for the challenge.

On guitars I have to admit while the song loses none of its awesomeness. But the parts with falling notes, for me, lose some of the feelings I remember watching my Pokémon's HP plummet after a nasty hit. That does not mean, however, that it is not a good cover, and it is worth a listen.

DSC, or Dominic Choi, an Australian and the artist in question, posts game music covers every two weeks on Fridays on his YouTube channel.

Pokemon GSC - Game Corner [Guitar Cover] by BrodysGameMusic

In the end, I picked this theme because the game corner, once a feature in the first 3-4 generations of games, was ultimately removed from the series. Players used to be able to trade coins they won by betting for Pokémon, items, TMs and in later installments, decorations for secret bases.

Are the games worse off for their removal? Probably not, but the tune that played in the old Gold, Silver and Crystal game corner reminds me of a relatively carefree time of my life I sometimes wish I could go back to.

BrodysGameMusic brings back this theme without most of the previously staccato notes, but I certainly do not mind because he keeps the original intent and spirit of the piece alive.

BrodysGameMusic, or Brody, plays music as a hobby, covering mostly game music and occasionally writing some original tracks.

Pokemon (2nd gen) - "Team Rocket Battle" [Metal Guitar Cover] by Ferdk

Ok, admittedly Team Rocket is a bit wimpy. But this song has always gotten me feeling ready for a fight, one way or another. Though Team Rocket may be undeserving of such an awesome metal cover and theme in the first place, I still love what Ferdk did with the battle theme. Turning the tune into a metal composition gave it an even more sinister feel.

Ferdk is from Argentina and does metal video game covers in his spare time. He also writes his own original music.

Pokemon City Rock Medley (RBY/GSC) by Swiggles1987

Since I found a load of Gold, Silver and Crystal covers as well, why not have a piece that combines Red, Blue and Yellow pieces with Gold Silver and Crystal pieces to transition between the two?

Anyways, this is a pretty cool combination and takes on a number of city themes from the first two generations, including Vermillion, Viridian, and Saffron cities, as well as Olivine and Blackthorn cities. The S.S. Anne theme is also thrown in there for good measure.

The medley changes up the tempos of a few of the songs a little and adds some embellishments here and there, but they ultimately are all excellent choices and I love what the artist did with it.

Swiggles1987 covers video game music on YouTube (and takes requests), as well as composes music for smaller video games.

Pokémon R/B/Y Route 11 Guitar Cover Feat Paul Farrer by KawlumPlaysGuitar

If I had to pick one route in the original Pokémon games with the best music, it would be route 11. There is something about the whole song that makes me feel like I really am on an epic journey. I was completely bummed, then, when I felt FireRed and LeafGreen butchered the theme.

But this cover nails it.

There are a few frills here and there, but they add to the cover rather than take away from it.

KawlumPlaysGuitar and Paul Farrer had little information on each of them other than what was on their YouTube profiles. KawlumPlaysGuitar is "slowly 'Metalifying' the world" and Paul Farrer does metal covers and original songs. Well, I certainly hope to hear more from the both of them.

Pokemon RBY Gym Leader Guitar Cover by Galiasocial

Another Red, Blue and Yellow cover! There are actually two versions of the cover in this video, one with drums and one without.

Like the previous cover, this cover of the Red, Blue and Yellow Gym Leader and Elite Four theme brings new life to the tune. Due to the fact that guitars are pretty capable of emulating the sounds of other instruments (or even Gameboys) it sounds more than appropriate. Feeling nostalgic yet? I sure am.

Galiasocial (or, Galia Social) is actually a trio of musicians: Colby Peters, Ed Rizo, and Christian Logaglio. They typically play pop and rock music in Florida though they may be branching out further to other regions.

Pokémon Battle Theme (Blue/Red/Yellow) Guitar Cover by Carlos Malanche

Having played Blue, Red, Yellow, and FireRed and LeafGreen an absurd number of times, I have heard a couple of versions of this theme many times over. That being said, the tune is not one that gets old or annoying fast, which is a good thing because if you play the original games or the remakes you will be hearing it a lot.

And while this cover sounds pretty similar to the original, it lends something to the theme that the Gameboy version perhaps did not have. Simply put, actual instruments sound way better than electronic beeps...unless that is the kind of sound you enjoy.

Unfortunately there seem to be a lot of "Carlos Malanches" out there. This particular artist only has a few YouTube videos out there and no description on his account, so I was reduced to looking around Google, through many possible matches, none of which seemed likely. Whoever you are, dude, we appreciate your work.

Pokémon Route 1 on Guitar by CSGuitar89

Ok, this one does not look like a rock cover in the first few seconds, but it gets there. There are a few covers in here that are a bit deceptive like that.  This tune brings back memories of my second journey in the Pokémon world. Unfortunately this also brings back memories of a failed randomizer Nuzlocke. I met a legendary in the wild. Amusingly (or perhaps frustratingly) it spontaneously combusted with Self-Destruct and eliminated my only Pokémon. Curse you, Registeel!

However, I have to admit I like CSGuitar89's take on the theme. This cover is a bit more upbeat than even the original.

CSGuitar89, or Casper, is from the Netherlands and does video game guitar covers. Some day he hopes to record his own original music.

Pokémon games, are, for the most part, not known best for their music. However, that does not mean the games are not filled with catchy, uplifting, and dramatic themes! Many are deserving of appreciation.

I attempted to find as many different artists covering different tunes as I could, and what resulted was, to some extent, a bias towards the original games and Gold, Silver and Crystal, though almost every generation has something in here.

Here are the 15 I picked out:

My verdict: FireRed and LeafGreen are the best Pokemon games

I came very close to picking X&Y. They're great, modern versions of a game that keeps on going, and if I had to recommend one to someone new to the series, it would be that pair. 

But there are a few too many flaws in those games for them to be the best. No one plays Pokemon games for the difficulty, but there should at least be some challenge. FireRed and LeafGreen offer that, plus the classic story, Pokemon, and scenes. They're not my personal favorites--that would be Gold and Silver, which are amazing, but a little archaic to be considered the very best, like no one ever was... except FireRed and LeafGreen. These are the games that blend the classic story with modern mechanics, and they're the best the series has to offer.

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Why they're the best:

Ruby and Sapphire were already great games; bring in 3D graphics and X&Y mechanics and they become even better. That means you get the great music, region, and evil team story, but with 3D battling, diagonal running, and all the advancements that have been made since 2003. Plus, they add an excellent postgame story centered around Rayquaza.

Why they're not:

First of all, these names keep making less and less sense. Second of all, they're great games, but like HeartGold and SoulSilver, it's not clear that we really need these remakes. And they're really easy. Sense a trend here? The games keep getting easier and easier; you'll have to try hard to lose even once in these games. The games also inexplicably leave out certain X&Y innovations, such as the customizable characters. They offer online play now, but when that's gone, we'll be left with just a shinier version of a game that was already great.

And the winner is...

Pokemon X&Y

Why they're the best:

This is the game where Pokemon, for the first time, took a giant step forward instead of a gradual one. This game introduced THREE DEE graphics, diagonal running (finally!), roller blading, customizable characters, and mega evolution. The gyms are great, the region is beautiful, and it's great to see all the old favorites (and some new ones) in 3D. The games also boast fantastic online play. This is the Pokemon series' Ocarina of Time or Metroid Prime; the game that made a bold, fantastic transition into the next dimension.

Why they're not:

Great as these games are, there are a couple of things that hold them back. First of all, they're incredibly easy, even more so than Black and White. That goes double if you use the experience share. The Elite 4 still has four Pokemon apiece and remains a cakewalk. All in all, it feels more like a kid's game than any preceding it, difficulty-wise.

Pokemon Black 2 & White 2

Why they're the best:

The first direct sequels in the series' history re-explore the Unova region several years into the future, which hearkens back to the second half of Gold and Silver and is interesting to revisit. The game also brings back the Pokemon of generations past, something the originals were sorely lacking. And for those looking for a challenge, these games offer the series' only challenge mode, which ramps up the entire game's difficulty.

Why they're not:

Can a direct sequel really be the best Pokemon game ever? The idea works better as the second half of a game, such as Gold and Silver, than it does as a standalone game. Plus, they bring back many of the flaws of the original Black and White, such as pixellated Pokemon and easy Elite 4. These games are basically a glorified third version for Black and White a la Crystal or Yellow, which is an interesting idea, but doesn't make for the best Pokemon game ever. 

Pokemon Black and White

Why they're the best:

This is when Pokemon really started to go for impressive visuals. The seasons change in this one, the gyms are memorable, and there are huge bridges everywhere. It has the makings of a good story line (albeit with a somewhat underwhelming resolution), and solid post game content.

Why they're not:

Full disclosure: this is my least favorite pair of Pokemon games. That basically comes down to two things for me: the lack of the old Pokemon, and how incredibly easy this game is. One constant as the series has evolved is that the games have gotten better looking, but the Pokemon designs have gotten worse and worse. By excluding the old favorites, not only do they leave out plenty of people's favorite Pokemon, but they give a bigger stage to their worst designs yet. And the game is really easy. Like too easy. The levels are low, the TMs are reusable, and the Elite 4 is a total cakewalk with only four Pokemon apiece.

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Why they're the best:

Just take everything I wrote about Gold and Silver and put it here, basically. But you can also add the fact that these remakes updated those great games to the modern age, getting rid of such annoyances as the lack of running shoes, the inability to tell how powerful moves are, and the cumbersome PC system.

Why they're not:

Unlike Red and Blue, which had enough flaws to warrant a need for remakes, Gold and Silver didn't really need the treatment. As long as you're fine with 8-bit graphics, they're fine on their own, which makes these remakes feel a bit inessential, which is never a word used to describe the best game in a series. Also, the names of these remakes just keep getting dumber.

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

Why they're the best:

These games seem to be gaining a reputation as sort of the middle child of the Pokemon series: overlooked and unremembered. That's largely undeserved, as these are great games, particularly Platinum. The games feature the memorable Sinnoh region, a solid degree of difficulty, good music (always an important Pokemon feature), and are improved by Platinum, which increased the battle speed and added the Distortion World, one of the coolest areas ever to appear in a Pokemon game.

Why they're not:

The new Pokemon aren't great, and there's serious Pokemon overload at this point, particularly legendary Pokemon. Seriously, if this many Pokemon are considered legendary, doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? But the thing about these games is that there's nothing really wrong with them, but there's also nothing that really stands out to make them the best in the series. They're great games, but they don't have that "it" factor that a game like Super Metroid has, when you just know it's the best a series has to offer.

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

Why it's the best:

There's not much wrong with the first remakes in the Pokemon series; they basically took the story, Pokemon, region, and characters from the original Red and Blue and updated them with Ruby and Sapphire mechanics and graphics. That means the original 151 are back, including the best starters in the series; the great music, towns, and leaders all return, but you don't have to deal with nagging issues like psychic-type dominance or the 20-item limit. Plus, the remakes introduced new post game content featuring many of the Pokemon from Gold and Silver, increasing playability and replay value.

Why it's not:

Basically, the one thing FireRed and LeafGreen don't have going for them is that they're not in 3D, they don't feature diagonal running or impressive visuals of the newer games. Other than that, this is pretty much a perfect Pokemon experience.

Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald

Why it's the best:

Ruby and Sapphire were the series' first jump into the next generation, and it shows with a host of improvements: the region is great, the game is less reliant on archaic structures like the PC boxes, and the game actually gives you details on the moves, which somehow had never happened before. These games have a solid degree of difficulty and probably the best story climax of any of these games.

Why they're not:

This game offers plenty that's new, but it surprisingly scrapped a lot of the innovations of Gold and Silver. There's no night and day system, no second region to visit, no PokeGear. This is also the first time the series started to suffer from a bit of Pokemon overload; it didn't help that many of the new Pokemon were basically carbon copies of the originals (looking in your direction, Beautifly) or pointless filler Pokemon (hello, Luvdisc!).

Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal

Why they're the best:

Now here's where it gets interesting. These are the longest games in the series, providing 16 badges to acquire instead of 8 as you revisit the region from the original Red and Blue, something that hasn't been done in a Pokemon game since. The night and day scheme, the situational events such as the bug-catching contest, and a series-best final battle are all aspects of these games that haven't been matched since.

Why it's not:

There's still no running, no indication of how powerful moves are, and 8-bit graphics. Having two regions means the levels in the early game are significantly lower than any other. It simply can't match the 3D spectacle (and gameplay improvements) of the newer games, at least not entirely.

Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow

Let's start, of course, with the very first games in the series.

Why they're the best:

These are the very first games in the series, the genesis of it all. These are the games that gave us the original 151 Pokemon (which remain, to this day, the best set of Pokemon created yet), as well as the formula which each game has followed: eight badges, gym leaders who work with a certain type, rivals; literally everything about the series can be traced back here.

But it's not all nostalgia making this argument (though it mostly is). These were the games when catching them all was actually something every player could do, rather than an insane task that will occupy hundreds of hours as you hunt down Pokemon that were only released as "special events." The original towns and leaders are still the best; the degree of difficulty is just right here; and the music and charm of these games are second to none.

Why they're not:

Let's be honest: no one who didn't play these games back in the '90s can really appreciate them now. There have just been too many improvements. The 20-item bag, lack of running, lack of an on-screen bar telling you far until the next level are all annoying lapses now that we know they could exist. There are fewer moves, and no indication in the game as to how powerful each move is, which limits strategy. Also, catching 'em all would be fun, but do you know anyone with a Game Boy and a link cable? I didn't think so.

It basically boils down to this: these games are historically important, setting the foundation off of which every subsequent Pokemon game has built. But, the fact that they built that foundation means that they have also been bettered by each new Pokemon game that has come along.

It's incredible, but the Pokemon series has been around for nearly 20 years now. There have been six generations, ten sets of main series games, as well as countless spin-offs, cards, toys, and anime episodes.

But of all these games, which is the best? Which Pokemon game delivers the essential experience? Let's take them one by one, weigh the pros and cons, and decide.

The Pokémon franchise has been up and running for the past 17 years, adding more and more to the series as the time has rolled on. First starting out with just two games, Pokémon now has twelve main series games, six remake games, and a number of spin-off games - as well as a manga, anime, and movie series. Nintendo and Game Freak have obviously made some great games - everyone can agree on that - but in the scope of everything, there are some stand outs as the best games in the whole franchise.

1. Pokémon X & Y

Generation VI titles are a lot of people's favorite games in the series, even though they were released barely two years ago. X & Y introduced a lot things that were missing in the series while improving on the standard formula.

The game's 3D graphics were a big jump from the previous pixelation, but it was definitely a good thing. Full 3D characters, Pokémon, and cities showed more change and advancement for the series.

The long-awaited character customization was a definite plus, as well. Finally, after 15 years, players could make their character in the game look like them! (Though, if someone was Black, they'd just have to settle with a light tan as their skin color.) They could finally change their hair color and style, their skin and eye color, and even their outfits on a day-to-day basis. The fashion of the French-inspired Kalos made it all the more difficult to save money for actual Pokémon adventuring and not for the high-priced clothes in Lumiose City's Boutique Couture.

Pokémon-Amie was also one of the most fun and cutest additions to the series as a whole. Who doesn't want to play games and feed macaroons to their Pokémon? Especially if that Pokémon is Mewtwo, or Lugia, or Giratina, or some other Legendary no one would even think to play with.

All the other additions to the series and game (Mega-Evolution, character videos, the different types of trading, super-training, Fairy Type, and finally an attractive Professor) increased the fun and enjoyment of the series. It's not that hard to see why a lot of people like this game the most out of the whole series.

2. Pokémon Gold & Silver (And Crystal)

The second generation of Pokémon is (in my opinion) the most fun and the longest generation of the series. The journey in this generation is also much longer and more fun than in any of the other games. The player has to beat the eight Johto Gyms and bring down the newly resurrected Team Rocket.

Once they've beaten the Elite Four and become the Pokémon League Champion, they can now go back to Kanto to fight the original eight Gym Leaders! And if the player was strong enough, they got to battle Red at the summit of Mt. Silver. No other game in the series has allowed the player to do that, and that makes every other games' post-game seem kind of lackluster.

Not only that, but Game Freak made some significant improvements to these games after Red & Blue. They added a night/day, day/week system (perfect for getting Espeon and Umbreon), an improved Happiness and Friendship system, dual types, brand new types (Steel and Dark), and the option of playing another gender (though this only came in Crystal). Finally, the girls had some representation in a Pokémon game - and every one since then.

3. Pokémon Colosseum

Colosseum wasn't the first spin-off Pokémon game, but it's definitely the first one to do something different compared to the main series. Colosseum was vastly different to what the games were in 2003 when it was released. It didn't follow the standard formula of the main series titles. 

For one thing, players weren't able to normally catch Pokémon. In the game's story, Team Snagem wishes to rule the world with Shadow Pokémon, Pokémon that have turned into soulless fighting machines. You play as Wes, a former member of Team Snagem who tries to reverse their plans. Instead of normally catching these Shadow Pokémon, the players have to battle trainers and essentially steal them from their trainers in battle!

The fact that the game and its story is fully fleshed out on the Nintendo GameCube, and not a handheld, is also what makes this game so different. There are other Pokémon spin-offs that aren't on handhelds (like Stadium and Snap), but their stories couldn't compare to Colosseum or its sequel XD: Gale of Darkness. It showed players what the series could look like on a completely different system, as well as a different way of going about the series' main point: catching Pokémon. 

4. Pokémon Black & White

Generation V was the generation that brought some shock to the Pokémon community, as well as the video game community in general, with its surprising story.

The story of Black & White was a shocker because of how different it was, as compared to the other games'. Before, there was simply a crime syndicate that wanted to take over their region or the world (or universe, as in Team Galatic's plans).

Team Plasma was focused on liberating Pokémon from trainers and the so-called cruel fighting they were forced into. It's a very PETA-like stance and mission, but it brought up a real ethical issue for the series. Was it moral/ethical to participate in Pokémon battling? That in itself is an issue in real life as much as it is in the games.

The game's story was the basis for the introduction of the new 151 Pokémon, as well as more improvements and new mechanics. The other, original Pokémon are kept tucked away until the player beats the main game. As said by others, Black & White treats the player like Ash. It places them in a brand new region without the chance or the familiarity of the original 500-some Pokémon and lets them go free. 

5. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness 

The Mystery Dungeon series got a boost in recognition when it worked together with Pokémon to create one of the more interesting spin-offs in the franchise.

The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series is different from the other spin-offs in how it completely focuses on Pokémon and only Pokémon. There are no trainers, no filling out the PokéDex, no battling the Elite Four. (At least in Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness they still retained some of the main points of the series.) These games follow the journeys of the Pokémon themselves, their individual characteristics and quirks, and whatever they do as they explore the randomized dungeons and world. 

The series' stories are also very interesting and entertaining. The fully fleshed-out journey is a joy to be immersed in and to follow. A story that seems to be typical of a Pokémon game gets darker and darker the further the player gets. The darker and more entertaining sides of the game emerge at the same time as a difficulty spike challenges the players more than before.

And that's the completed ranking of the top five Pokémon games. 

While there are many aspects of Pokemon gameplay that draw players to the series, without villains to scoot each game's narrative along there wouldn't much of a game. 

In honor of these villains' supreme importance, we're ranking the villains from each generation of Pokemon from worst to best. Judgments will be made based on evil masterplans, memorability, costume design, maniacal personalities, and anything else that pops to mind. While that means this is a pretty subjective list, there are definitely a few things we can all agree on. 

5.) Team Flare, Pokemon X and Y

Team Flare might be the most stylish group of villains to grace the Pokemon games, but these bad guys from Pokemon X and Y feel uninspired compared to previous generations. 

This isn't for any lack of trying, however. Instead of introducing Team Flare as a group of crazy evil-doers set on world conquest, Pokemon X and Y sets them up as a group set on preserving the world for the good and decent people who won't ruin it. 

Lysandre, the billionaire philanthropist leader of Team Flare, frequently complains that the world is full of bad people, and predicts disaster, overpopulation, and stagnation because of this. 

This attempt at connecting Team Flare to real and prevalent issues in our own society falls flat through his maniacal ramblings and illicit doings. It's clear from the player's first meeting with Lysandre that his ideals are perverted, and it comes as no surprise when he announces that he has decided to wipe out all life on the planet. 

Overall Team Flare fails to endear themselves to players, being neither comically bad nor reaching true anti-hero status. Lucky for us that Pokemon X and Y had so much else to offer. 

4.) Team Galactic, Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum

Like Team Flare, Team Galactic is not exactly the most memorable bunch of villains that Pokemon has offered up. Despite logging hundreds of hours on Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum I still had to do a quick google search to remember who they were. 

Led by Cyrus, Team Galactic is convinced that the human spirit is ruining the world. Therefore with the help of Palkia and Diagla (they have special powers that can mess up the space/time continuum), they want to re-vamp reality.

At the time that Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were released, Team Galactic was the first group of Pokemon villains to blame human beings for the world's ills, making them stand apart from Team Rocket and Teams Aqua/Magma from previous generations. 

Despite that innovation, the team fails to stand out narratively and visually, ultimately feeling like a Team Aqua/Magma clone. You've got to hand it to Cyrus though, he did pick some rather lovely ladies as administrators for the team. 

3.) Team Magma/Aqua, Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's release in November signals the return of Teams Magma and Aqua for  Pokemon fans everywhere, and if we were solely ranking Pokemon villains based on intelligence they wouldn't have made it this high on the list. 

Team Aqua is convinced that the world's surface should be comprised solely of water based on their love of aquatic Pokemon, while Magma attempts to add more landmass to the world due to their love of land. 

No matter which team you end up facing in the end (which is based on which version of generation 3 you play) it's clear that neither team has fully understood the consequences of their actions by the way they panic once they succeed in waking Groudon/Kyogre. 

As the silliest and perhaps the stupidest team of villains in Pokemon history, they are particularly memorable - though easily dealt with. Though each team leader will wield a Mega evolved Pokemon in the upcoming remakes, it's unlikely the teams have evolved beyond their childish ideas in any way. 

2.) Team Plasma, Pokemon Black and White, Black 2 and White 2

If Teams Magma and Aqua are the least intelligent Pokemon villains, then Team Plasma is the most intelligent group. 

Instead of seeking world domination in one form or another, Team Plasma seeks to separate Pokemon from humans due to their belief that humans don't treat Pokemon properly, and inhibit their ultimate development. 

If you've ever gotten a Pokemon nicknamed "Peni5" in WonderTrade, or sat down and thought about the hundreds of Pokemon you "released" while trying to breed a shiny, then you might have noticed that players don't always take the best care of Pokemon - which is fine, it's just a game. 

While Ghestis - the leader of Team Plasma - eventually confesses that his altruistic rhetoric was just a ploy so that he would be the only Pokemon user in the world, the narrative resonated with many Pokemon players. 

1.) Team Rocket, Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow

I honestly spent quite a long time debating whether or not Team Rocket deserved to be the best-ranked Pokemon villain team. After watching so many episodes of the Pokemon anime, it's hard to separate Jesse, James, and Meowth from the original Team Rocket that appeared in the video games. 

Yet more so than any other group, Team Rocket is just a rotten group of straight-up criminals. 

Whenever you encounter Team Rocket in Pokemon Red and Blue or Pokemon Gold and Silver, they're just sitting around trying to make money by any evil means they can think of. Sometimes this involves stealing Pokemon, sometimes this involves cutting off Slowpoke tails, and sometimes this involves experimenting with Pokemon evolution. 

Whatever Team Rocket is doing, they're doing it for the sake of power and domination - never for misguided altruistic goals and never ever for the sake of Pokemon. 

With the least ludicrous narrative and the highest concentration of pure malice, Team Rocket is definitely the best villainous group in the Pokemon games. 

This last video from Youtube user MineCreat pays homage to Red, the original Pokemon trainer and Ash Ketchum's predecessor. While you play as Red in Pokemon Red and Blue, in the second generation games Pokemon Silver and Gold you had the opportunity to face Red in battle. 

If you complete the game, level your Pokemon up so they're all around level 80, and then wind your way through Mt. Silver, you'll find Red. He'll meet you with a Blastoise, Charizard, Espeon, Pikachu and Lapras. Just looking at this image makes me feel like I need to go EV train and level grind. 

Maybe legendary Pokemon like Zekrom could fit into Poke balls mroe easily if they were created as large as this Master Ball was. It looks like it's potentially big enough for house all the original 151...kinda like a Pokemon Ark. 

It's easy to forgot how awe-inspiring legendary Pokemon are if you don't see them outside the video games very often. This recreation of Zekrom, a legendary from Pokemon Black and White look absolutely majestic as it flies below the blocky clouds, and truly reminds me just how little starter Pokemon are in comparison. 

But really, how does something that big fit into a Poke ball? 

You can't have Kyogre without Groudon, although honestly if both Pokemon are awake and wandering around some cataclysmic event is going down. Youtube user Pangamma created both in 3D, going so far as to hollow out both structures for ease of use. 

 He's also shared his schematics here, so you too can go forth and create your own Groudon in Minecraft. I wouldn't though. After replaying Pokemon Sapphire recently, I'm totally afraid that Groudon might be behind our current global warming. 

With Pokemon Alpha Sapphire coming out soon, it just wouldn't be right now to include the image of the legendary Kyogre who plays a large part in Alpha Sapphire's narrative. 

I like this re-creation all the more for it's complete lack of continuity. There's Superman, Megaman, and Kyogre all within the same image. Who would win that fight? 

Source. 

I really enjoy the people who think a bit outside the box with their Pokemon recreations, and Youtube user joaoguerreiro makes the list by re-creating a location that won't be found within Pokemon games. 

Instead, joaoguerreiro has re-created the Pokemon Stadium  2 from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While I prefer the level in Super Smash Bros. Melee where an Electrode might pop out and kill an enemy for you, I don't think it would be quite as majestic looking as this. 

The previous picture was cute in its humorous attempt, but this complete recreation of a screen from Pokemon Red or Blue really takes the cake... for those of us old enough to remember the initial release of the first Pokemon games. 

Thought I never unlocked Mew when I played Pokemon as a child, this image sums up all the hopes and dreams of 10-year-old me. I probably would have sold my brother into slavery if it meant adding Mew to my Pokedex. Just don't tell that to my brother. 

This scene titled "Not Very Effective" by deviantART user Hinagoth-chan makes the list because of the unique sense of humor added to the milieu. Hinagoth-chan wasn't satisfied with just recreating Charmander and Bulbasaur in Minecraft, he had to go one step further and pit them against each other in combat. 

Clearly, it's not quite working out for poor Bulbasuar, who's at a dreadful type advantage against Charmander's fire-type. I might have colored Bulbasuar in lighter colors, but it makes the list because it made me chuckle. 

It took QueenMercury anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours to create her 2D Pokemon, so imagine how long it took YouTube team The Block Bending 5 to create three dimensional Pokemon. 

It's true, the 3D versions don't look quite as classic as the 2D models, but man, I really enjoyed that 3D Zapdos...and Arcanine....and Lucario. So I basically loved all of them. 

Recreating entire continents is no biggie compared to Reddit user QueenMercury recreating every single one of the original 151 Pokemon. Every. Single. One. 

While recreating Pokemon in Minecraft can easily be done with a script like SpriteCraft(given the pixelated nature of Pokemon sprites) QueenMercury created each of these images only using the Minecraft creator mode. 

For anyone wondering, the hardest Pokemon to recreate this way according to QueenMercury was Articuno, Gyrados, or Butterfree while Ditto (of course) was the easiest. 

Plenty of people have re-created Pokemon in Minecraft, but Youtube user Mediocre Jake creates entire continents from Pokemon. His most recent recreation was the entire continent of Johto, which is featured in the second generation games Pokemon Gold and Siler, and their remakes Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. 

The creation took MediocreJake around 210 hours to plan and create, which is nearly nine entire days. NINE ENTIRE DAYS. I just feel so.... mediocre myself now. Well done sir, hope your Hoenn recreation comes out before Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire comes out. 

I'll be showing you amazing pixelated Pokemon any minute now, but first I wanted to showcase this fascinating Minecraft mod, Pixelmon. This amazing mod allows you to catch Pokemon while playing Minecraft. If that doesn't sound amazing to you, consider how vast the world of Minecraft is. Consider also, that with this mod you can play Pokemon in first person. 

The best thing about the mod is that you can control the spawns of the Pokemon - meaning that you never have to spend 3 hours looking for a Feebas ever again... as soon as the devs add Feebas to the game. You can find a list of available Pokemon for this mod here, and the team appears to be adding new Pokemon on a regular basis. 

Am I slightly biased towards anything that allows me to play Pokemon in new settings? Absolutely! This mod combines two of my favorite franchises, and I can't get enough. 

The Pokémon World is filled with mystery. Since the 90's, Pokémon Trainers have travelled "across the lands, searching far and wide" to uncover the secrets of this world inhabited by strange, beautiful, and captivating creatures. The Pokémon games have changed tremendously since the release of Pokémon Red and Blue (and Green in Japan). We're going to take a look back through the games and reveal some facts you may have not known about your favorite Pocket Monsters:

1. In Generation I (Red, Blue, and Yellow) Bite and Gust were normal-type moves.

Starting with the very first games, this fact is very weird for those of us who have gotten used to these attacks now. Imagine picking up a Game-boy with Pokémon Red, and furiously tapping A yelling "Pidgey why isn't your Gust sweeping all these grass-type Pokémon!" Sounds terrible, doesn't it? Even worse, dark-type Pokémon didn't exist! These attacks were changed in Generation II and onward. Bite became a dark-type move, and Gust became a flying-type move. There you go Pidgey, now you can defeat those Oddish.

2. In Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue there's an invisible PC in the Celadon Hotel. 

Most likely an overlooked detail, the Celadon Hotel contains a fully functional PC that you cannot see. In fact, you can even walk through it. The hotel's design is based on that of a Pokémon Center, thus if you walk to the area where you would normally find a PC inside a Pokémon Center you can access this ghost machine.

3. Dragonair (13'01") is bigger than Dragonite (7'03").

I admit this may not be that interesting, but I bet you didn't know! Dragonair is almost twice the height of Dragonite. Evolving may make it shorter, but at least it gains some curves.

4. Pokémon Crystal is the first Pokémon game where you could play as a Female.

This was a huge deal for girl Pokémon fans. Before this game, one always had pretend to be a boy. Girls wanted to feel identified in the world of Pokémon as well. Clearly, the demand was heard. Since Crystal, female protagonists have always been offered. In fact, starting in Generation III, a female can even be your rival. 

5. A level 100 Shuckle can potentially deal the most damage in a single attack.

Honestly, this is just something for fun. It's legitimate, but I can't see it actually working out in battle. I can't even begin to rephrase this so:

A level 100 Shuckle can potentially deal the most damage in one single attack through the use of numerous stat boosters; by using Helping Hand by two different Pokémon in a Triple battle, holding a Metronome, Power Trick, a Skill Swap to Pure Power or Huge Power, 6 Attack boosts, and a Mimicked Me First used on a slower Pokémon using the Defense Curl/Rollout combo. Also, Shuckle's partner must have the ability Flower Gift and the weather must be sunny. On the 5th turn of using Rollout consecutively without any misses, if used against a level 1 Ledyba, Yanma or Combee with minimum Defense stats, that have been hit with negative Defense modifiers (such as Screech), it can deal 481,266,036 damage with a critical hit.

Wow. Who would have guessed?

6. Brendan, from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, does not have white hair. His hair is actually black, and only looks white due to his hat. 

In the upcoming remakes of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) this detail is more apparent. However in the previous game versions, most people thought Brendan's hair was actually white and that he wore a bandana. What a strange hat, Brendan. Oh well, look at you now. All tan and showing us all that your hair is, indeed, beneath that white cap.

7. Heatran (Generation IV) is the first, and so far only, Legendary Pokemon that can be Male or Female.

There are some Pokémon that just change the rules of the game. Legendary Pokémon have rarely even had genders. Heatran is a special exemption: it can be Male or Female. Don't get too excited though, this doesn't mean you can make little baby Heatran. This legendary Pokémon is still unavailable for mating, but this fact is pretty interesting considering the rules of breeding.

8. Cryogonal (Generation V) can learn the move Attract, despite lacking a Gender.

Attract does not affect genderless Pokémon. In fact, the only other genderless Pokémon that can learn Attract is Mew for the reason that it can learn ANY attack. For both, however, the attack is useless. So much love to give, yet no love on the receiving end... What a tragic tale.

9. Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are the only core series games in which the Pokémon Day Care is inaccessible before entering the Hall of Fame. 

You usually encounter a Pokémon Daycare around the beginning of your adventure. You've been breeding two Pokes since Generation II, and listening to how "no one knows where the eggs came from". But Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 take that comfort away from you. You must first beat the Elite 4, and then you'll get some breeding time.

10. Pokémon X and Y are the first core series games that give Running Shoes at the start of the game.

This was, personally, the nicest surprise in the most recent Pokémon game. If you've ever played Generation I, you had to deal with walking speed until you got the bike. Thank god things have changed. Not only do you move fast in Pokémon X and Y, you skate. This results in actually having to take a break from the speed and appreciate the walking feature as well.

 I hope these facts were new to most of you. There are still many facts hidden within the regions of Pokémon, it's our job to find 'em all. Are there any strange Pokémon facts you know that weren't mentioned?

Pokémon is one of the best-selling games of all time. The franchise takes the number one spot in best-selling game for Gameboy/Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advanced, and Nintendo 3DS.

I've been a Pokémon fan since as far back as I can remember. Along with books, games were an escape from day-to-day reality; which as a kid, can sometimes be daunting. Between curfew, always having to go with my parents EVERYWHERE (oil changes were the worst), and school, there are always certain things kids turn to for "escape". For me it was anime, novels, and Pokémon. Pokémon hold its own category because it was so massively important to me. The show, the cards, the video games. To this day I collect plushies and figures. I have played every Pokémon game to date, and would like to rank the handheld games from best to worst.

Please keep in mind that this is an opinion piece and it does not represent the official thoughts of GameSkinny. 

#1. Pokémon Gold & Silver/Crystal

RATINGS
IGN: 10/9

GAMESPOT: 8.8/ 8.4

COPIES SOLD: 23 Million

As I have mentioned, this is a personal ranking, and the reason for Generation 2 being my favorite go beyond just the game. The first time I played Gold and Silver, I really enjoyed the new types, 16 gyms, story, legendaries, etc. But when my father brought home Crystal one day, I could not contain myself. I didn't care that it was roughly the same game because I could play as a girl. Pokémon adventures were for girls too! I was only 8 years old. In fact, I had played every Pokémon game from Red, Yellow, and Silver that same year. I had also felt embarrassed to tell my friends who were girls that I loved Pokémon so much, especially since you could never play as a girl. But now, that had changed. 

G/S/C brought two new types: Dark and Steel, the chance to go back to Kanto and complete the 8 badges after the Johto League, and 100 new Pokémon. They were the first Pokémon games to incorporate day and night. The new legendary Pokémon, Ho-oh and Lugia, had captivating stories behind them, as did Suicune in Crystal. All around, these games were perfect. Game sales wise, this game (Gold and Silver) sold 23 million copies worldwide. Crystal sold less, with 3.85 million.

In 2009, Gold and Silver remakes were released with updated graphics, an adorable feature where the first Pokémon in your party followed out around (Yes, even Wailord), and a Pokéwalker. The Pokéwalker allowed you to transfer one Pokémon to the device, and carry it around on your belt or pants. It had a pedometer, and with each step, the Pokémon inside would gain experience. You could also catch Pokémon and collect items, then transfer them to your game. Pokémon Heartgold and Soulsilver sold 12.72 million copies, staying in the top 10 best selling games for Nintendo DS. 

#2. Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire/Emerald

RATINGS 
IGN: 9.5/8

GAMESPOT: 8.1/ 7.5 

COPIES SOLD: 16.22 million/6.32 million

These games are pretty much tied with my #1 choice. Ranking is difficult...

I was 10 years old when Ruby and Sapphire released, and I literally replayed the story about 5 times. How could I not? It's the best-selling GBA game for a reason. The graphics improved miles past the previous generation, the digital scenery is wonderful, you have a dad. With 135 new Pokémon, new types of Pokéballs, Pokémon Contests, secret bases, and, in Pokémon Emerald, the introduction of Battle Frontier, Pokémon R/S/E revolutionized the Pokémon games. Pokémon Emerald went even further, with a wireless adapter that, finally, took Pokémon battling and trading to a new technological level. The story involved two criminal organizations, one that wanted to flood the world, and the other that wanted to cover it in land. Pretty ridiculous. But Pokémon battles within deserts, volcanos, and oceans are unforgettable. Taking the cable car up the Mt. Chimney and diving were two of my favorite things.

Remakes of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were announced this year, titled Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. To see this amazing game in 3D graphics is beyond exciting. R/S/E brought so many fun features to the table. They are easily one of the best generations and I cannot wait for the remakes.

#3. Pokémon Red & Blue/Yellow

RATINGS
IGN:10/10

GAMESPOT: 8.8/8.9

COPIES SOLD: 23.64 million 

As the games that begun a whole era, sold 23.64 million copies worldwide, and made so many people fall in love with Pokémon, Pokémon R/B/Y are probably the top game for some. If I could, I would put the first 3 in my ranking as #1. Alas, that is impossible.

Pokémon Red and Blue changed the gaming world. Pocket Monsters coming to life, travelling the world at 10 years old, and being oh, so patient in doing so (referring to the walking speed). Oh the years without running shoes. Despite the flaws, which are easily pointed out now over 16 years later, Pokémon R/B/Y was the perfect game. It was such a satisfying adventure, to travel Kanto kicking butt and catching Poke's. Pokémon Yellow only made it better with an adorable Pikachu following you and trainers that were oh so eager to give up their really rare starter Pokémon. Yeah it's cliche, but my team was Pikachu, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pidgey, and Caterpie immediately (You'd be proud, Ash). 

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen only improved the adventure. Updated PC, bag space, and the ability to run! The wonders 8 years can do to walking speed. Plus the début of wireless trading and battling, detailed Pokémon sprite designs, and more of your favorite rival "smelling ya later." This game is nostalgia painted beautifully. The remakes sold 11.82 million copies worldwide, becoming the 2nd best-selling GBA game after Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. In fact, Pokémon dominated the GBA charts, taking spots #1,#2, and #3 (with Emerald). 

#4. Pokémon X & Y

RATINGS
IGN: 9

GAMESPOT: 8

COPIES SOLD: 12.26 million

I almost put this game lower on the list because I found that it tried to avoid some of the fundamental things that make a Pokémon game what it is: grinding. I also found it terribly easy. I know, I know, I'm older now, it should be easier, but when you beat the Elite Four + Champion with only a Lapras, there is a problem. 

Regardless, Pokémon X and Y were thoroughly enjoyable. Finally Pokémon surpasses the 3D graphics of Pokémon Stadium. Although the graphic jump from game to game is always giant, from Black and White 2 to this, the jump was massive. Full 3D characters, Pokémon, and cities; Pokémon with facial expressions, and an attractive Professor! This game had it all. Pokemon-Amie, Mega Evolutions, Character designs, movie-making, facilitated trading, Wonder-trading, a new Dragon-slaying Fairy Type, Super-training, the list goes on.

With Mega evolution as the big reveal, Pokémon X and Y has become the turning point for new Pokémon games. There are still so many Pokémon to be Mega-Evolved and so much time. This is the best-selling Nintendo 3DS game to date, and well deserved. The new game mechanics are very well-done, the story is heartfelt, and the there are hundreds of things to do even after beating the game.

#5. Pokémon Black 2 & White 2

RATINGS
IGN: 9.6

GAMESPOT: 6.5 

COPIES SOLD: 7.81 million

These sequels definitely were an improvement over their predecessors. It could be because of my age, but it was very satisfying to see familiar Pokémon. I also enjoyed the idea of a sequel, rather than just a 3rd game with slightly new and improved features, like all the previous games had done. 

Bit by bit, Pokémon is adding new things to get used to. This game introduced DNA splicers and allowed the mascot Pokémon, Kyurem, to "absofuse" with either Reshiram or Zekrom, creating Black Kyurem or White Kyurem. The Dream World feature was also cool. But overall the game didn't keep me as entertained as earlier ones. Even though I enjoyed it more than Black and White, it felt strange given that Team Plasma kept with their same "free the Pokemon" argument after what was uncovered in the prequels.

#6. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl/Platinum

RATINGS
IGN: 8.5/ 8.8

GAMESPOT: 8.5/ 8

COPIES SOLD: 17.63 million/ 7.06 million

As the first Nintendo DS Pokémon games, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl sold 17.63 million copies worldwide. The story tackles the creation of time and space, and features 107 new Pokémon to catch and love.

Some of my fondest memories of this game are making Poffins to feed my Pokémon and the contests which, although did not surpass Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald contests, were still pretty cute. I liked accessorizing my Pokémon and making them dance. Also, the Elite Four Champion, Cynthia, is probably my favorite champion after Blue. It's nice to see Champions using all types of Pokémon; it makes it more challenging. The Pokétch was another cool feature. It came loaded with useful "apps" like a calculator, dowsing machine, a Pokémon daycare tracker, move tester, and more.

Despite this, I thought the new Pokémon designs were bland. Platinum brought a whole new world to the game, the Distortion World, but it was a letdown after the amount it was advertised. Don't get me wrong, these games were good, really good, but they did not best their predecessors. 

#7. Pokémon Black & White

RATINGS
IGN: 9

GAMESPOT: 7.5

COPIES SOLD: 15.58 million

Being last on the list does not mean these games were bad, it just means I didn't enjoy them as much as the ones above. Ratings and sales-wise, they did great. The story introduced a new ethical question that Pokémon games had never addressed before: Is it wrong to use Pokémon to battle? The main antagonist, N, spends the game telling you that Pokémon should be free, and simultaneously, battling you with Pokémon. Unfortunately they miss the chance to make the questioning of Pokémon battling an important theme, which would have been great.

What happened to me while playing this game was that I was overwhelmed with the new Pokémon. The game didn't give you anything familiar until you beat it. They treated you like Ash, new region, new Pokémon, go. Perhaps if I was younger, I would have enjoyed it. But the fact that there were 151 new Pokémon, without any old ones included, made the game less nostalgic and less enjoyable. Plus I found a lot of the new Pokémon to appear quickly drawn and less likeable. 

So that's it! That's my ranking. Feel free to argue/agree in the comments, or let me know if I missed anything. For all Pokémon news keep up with GameSkinny.com.