Pokemon Go has became a cultural phenomena, elevating the already popular franchise to even greater heights. If the mobile title is your first experience in the franchise, then you are missing out on some great titles. Below, you find out the best Pokemon games to play if you just recently became a fan of the franchise with Pokemon Go.
Best Mainline Pokemon Games
Of course, you should check out the mainline games if you want to experience what the gaming franchise is all about.
Nintendo will be releasing the latest installments, Pokemon Sun and Moon, on the 18th of November in 2016. The new titles introduced a new region called Alola, which is based on the Hawaiian Islands. The other notable features include a Battle Royal mode for four players in addition to being able to use QR codes to share information and acquire pocket monsters. You can preorder the two Nintendo 3DS titles with the following links: Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon. Also available is Pokemon Sun and Moon Steelbook Dual Pack, which you can reserve with this page.
There are other recent games worth checking out as well. Pokemon X and Y marked a major shift for the series, adding 3D visuals along with Mega Evolutions. You can purchase the two with the following links: Pokemon X and Pokemon Y. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby are remakes, using the same elements introduced in X and Y, of the third-generation of mainline releases. You can buy the two via the following links: Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Pokemon Omega Ruby.
Last but not least, Nintendo recently re-released the original Pokemon Blue, Red and Yellow on the Nintendo 3DS. These titles also come with new features, including support for the Pokemon Bank application as well as wireless battles and trading. All of the monsters you encounter from Pokemon Go originated from these first-generation titles. Not to mention that the Blue, Red and Yellow versions are cheaper when compared to the other recommended options. If you are interested, you can purchase the three games via the following pages: Pokemon Blue, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Yellow.
Although there are other mainline games to checkout, they are no longer in print. Thus, it may be quiet expensive tracking down the game cartridges.
Best Pokemon Spin-Off Games
There are also a few Pokemon spin-offs worth checking out.
One of which is Pokken Tournament, which recently came out in North America. The fighting game, developed by the same company behind the popular Tekken franchise, lets you directly control some of the more iconic Pokemons (such as Charizard, Lucario and Pikachu) in 3D battles. You can purchase Pokken Tournament for the Nintendo Wii U with this link.
Another fighting game that fans of Pokemon Go should take a look at is Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. The software product features the most popular Nintendo characters, including several pocket monsters. The playable Pokemons include Charizard, Greninja, Jigglypuff, Lucario, Mewtwo and Pikachu. You can buy the home console and handheld versions of the fighting games with the following pages: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS.
Last but not least, Pokemon Snap is another spin-off game that should please fans of Pokemon Go. This title allows you to take photos of pocket monsters by going through on-rails levels. By using different items, you can draw many of these creatures out of hiding as well as unlock different poses. Pokemon Go fans will be able to recognize many of the characters as they came from the first-generation of games. Pokemon Snap can be purchased for the Nintendo 64 here. The same game is also available for download for the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console (which is also compatible with the Nintendo Wii U) on the eShop.
As you can see, you have plenty of games to choose from if you want to experience more of the Pokemon gaming franchise after Pokemon Go.