40. Pokémon Unite (Switch eShop)

Free-to-start MOBA (that's Multiplayer Online Battle Arena if you're not down with the lingo, folks) Pokémon Unite is difficult to recommend to casual 'free' players who aren't already Pokémon fans, but series stalwarts will more likely stick with it for the long haul.

The gameplay is engaging, with a large roster of Pokémon that can be tried out in offline modes, but owning iconic Pokémon such as Lucario or Garchomp to play in Ranked will require an immense amount of Aeos Coins or paid-for Aeos Gems.

A lot of joy is to be found in Quick Matches due to daily map rotations, but ultimately, Unite is too geared toward grabbing people’s purses to win games rather than providing an even and engaging playing field. Still, if you don't mind the F2P aspects and you're into MOBAs, this one is surprisingly solid that's still getting solid support.

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39. Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch)

Series spin-off Detective Pikachu Returns serves up more of what delighted us first time around on 3DS, with an endearing and exciting story packed full of fun and light-hearted silliness.

We really do enjoy this gruff, coffee-addled take on Pikachu. He never fails to raise a smile when he goes off on one, and the game successfully straddles the age divide, giving us an adventure aimed at younger players that long-time Pokémon fans and ancient gamers such as ourselves can also enjoy.

If you can handle the inherent repetitiveness of most of the core gameplay, alongside some rather drab visuals, you'll enjoy this one.

38. Pokémon Rumble World (3DS eShop)

Pokémon Rumble World took the basic beatdown gameplay the spin-off series is known for and combined it with fun connectivity features that give it a uniquely social feel. It's not a particularly deep experience, but the blend of button-mashing and creature-collecting makes for satisfyingly straightforward fun.

The toy Pokémon are adorable, the simple combat is accessible and enjoyable, and the level progression system is perfect for playing in short bursts. Add in a genuinely generous free-play model, and there's no reason not to give it a go, except that the 3DS eShop is closed now. Boo.

37. Pokémon Battle Revolution (Wii)

Pokémon Battle Revolution feels more like a stripped-down version of Pokémon Stadium. The gameplay is very repetitive, and its dependence upon its Nintendo DS siblings, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, made it unsuitable for those without those handheld games.

It was at least cool to see some of those Gen IV Pokémon in full 3D, but given that the games we got years before have more features than this — unless you just want a simple Pokémon battling game — Pokémon Battle Revolution isn't really worth revisiting.

36. Pokémon Trozei! (DS)

Genius Sonority combined Tetris and Yoshi's Cookie with Pokémon to create Pokémon Trozei! (Pokémon Link! in Europe), a decently fun and addictive Poké puzzler of the block-falling variety, with a sprinkling of catch-'em-all spicing things up.

Visually fun — and featuring James Turner's excellent art — with tons of replayability, Pokémon Trozei was a little DS delight that did well enough to warrant a 3DS sequel.

35. Pokémon Picross (3DS eShop)

It's Picross, with Pokémon. Okay, we'll bite.

Pokémon Picross was a very satisfying experience, but it can come at a great cost. The introduction of missions, skills, and achievements greatly expanded upon the base of number puzzles, but the stingy free-to-play aspects did hold it back from its full potential.

If you were looking for a game that you could play casually without paying, you were better off looking elsewhere. If you were willing to pay up, this was possibly the best entry in the Picross e sub-series on 3DS.

34. Pokémon Rumble (WiiWare)

Pokémon Rumble did everything quite well, and you could really only take issue with the things the game didn't do. The gameplay might have been limited, but it was a solid and fun experience, and what it lacked in depth it makes up for in accessibility, frantic action, and an excellent multiplayer mode.

As one of the longer, more replayable titles on the WiiWare service, Pokémon Rumble came recommended. A shame it's now been lost to time, thanks to the closure of the Wii Shop Channel.

33. Pokémon Shuffle (3DS eShop)

Pokémon Shuffle was a fantastic match-three puzzle game marred by a sleazy suite of microtransactions, and your ability to enjoy the former hinged directly on how well you can ignore the latter.

As a game you could pick up and play a few times each day, Shuffle was a blast - the methodical, move-based matching action, fun implementation of Pokémon powers, and appealing presentation all making for a top-notch puzzler.

If you needed something you could play for hours at a time, however, your best bet was to ignore the in-game shop altogether and take the money you would have spent on an afternoon's worth of Jewels here, put it towards the one-and-done purchase of this game's predecessor, Pokémon Battle Trozei.

32. Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket (Mobile)

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's collection loop is heavily monetised with about six too many currencies to keep track of, but the kinetic feeling of opening packs and pulling gorgeous cards of your favourite Pokémon transcends most of the annoyance that the monetisation causes.

The battles, on the other hand, function as a great baseline for newcomers but lacked the competitive or strategic edge to invest a lot of time into, at least at launch. In this way, Pokémon TCG Pocket mirrors the real-world TCG as the collection aspect once again proves much more appealing than battling despite reworked mechanics.

It's still going and growing, though, and lining its makers' pockets very nicely.

31. Pokémon Rumble Blast (3DS)

Pokémon Rumble Blast was a good game, but it's also one we'd all played before.

The 3DS gave Ambrella a broader palette to work with in 2011, but it seems the devs were content to leave it well enough alone and simply bring the WiiWare entry's gameplay to the portable. The fact that the Wii Shop is no longer accessible makes this a much easier recommendation, as this got a physical release.

But if you happen to own 2009's Pokémon Rumble, then there's little reason for you to add this one to your library.

30. Detective Pikachu (3DS)

Detective Pikachu might well be a spin-off, but the visual and narrative direction the game took was an incredibly welcome one.

It can be a little too easy and repetitive at times, and we were surprised to see the ending appear so abruptly, but everything is presented within a very solid package that will have Poképeople of all ages hooked. The art, storytelling, and genuinely likeable cast showed the world of Pokémon in a great new light.

And hey, how many spin-offs get their own film?

29. Pokémon GO (Mobile)

What can we say about Pokémon GO's wild success that hasn't already been said? Even back when it first launched, we had some truly amazing experiences with this app - the thrill of capturing a rare Pokémon in an unexpected place and meeting up at a Pokéstop with like-minded players to create new (and admittedly fleeting) friendships.

The game has grown and changed a lot since 2016, and not all changes have met with fan approval, but Pokémon GO is the most successful mobile game from a Nintendo franchise for a reason, and there's still thrills to be had from venturing out into the real world with real people to catch an elusive 'mon.

28. PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (Wii)

Whatever you expected from PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure, we suspect you felt disappointment if you actually played the thing.

A bit of a hodge-podge minigame collection, it might have been worth picking up if you were thinking of starting your own Pokémon museum, or if you have youngsters at home who want wholesome yet unsurprising ways a few hours.

There are far better spin-offs in the series, though, especially these days. Even for younger audiences, this just didn't make the grade.

27. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (3DS)

For players open to some innocent, long-winded storytelling with their dungeon crawl, Gates to Infinity was the complete Poképackage - a fun, charming roguelike with beautiful presentation, accessible mechanics, and the warm, fuzzy feeling that can only come from playing as Pokémon.

And with a never-ending supply of Magnagate dungeons, there was more than enough here to tide Pokémaniacs over while we waited for a new Mystery Dungeon.