Sword And Shield Are Now The Fourth Best-Selling Core Pokémon Games, Here's How They Rank

Does it include how many were traded back to the store

Oh Ryan you naughty boy, you know exactly how these comments are gonna go!

Have at it!

Thank goodness they're not at the top. It would put the Pokémon fanbase straight into masochism/Stockholm Syndrome territory.

@Tyranexx
Amen to that.

I don’t understand why yellow isn’t included in red and blue. I know it’s newer version but it’s essentially the same game

I wonder why the sales figures are so low.

Johto :3 just saying

@sandman89 the didn’t included Crystal either... They just like separating out the third game I guess, but it only makes sense for B2/W2

Odd how Black and White on the DS, which is the console that has the highest install base, are the worst selling. Probably because Diamond and Pearl sold so much.

That's amazing for Pokemon. It's the best in the series so it deserves such impressive sales figures.

Count on the number to go up once the DLC drops. Very fun game! Enjoyed by many people. Some of the best entries in the series to date. Though not as good as the DS era 4th and 5th generations.

Oh I know that's basically a sin to say on this site and I don't really care.

@mesome713 You are a bold one...

@sandman89 same reason for every third (and sometimes fourth) game or any remake or port, it's only about the base games

Very sad. Bland games

@mesome713 Best in series? That's certainly an uncommon opinion. I would disagree with you, but I can't since Sword is my second game apart from let's go pikachu, and I didn't finish either of them, so I can't really compare it to anything else.

@Heavyarms55 For all the moaning, and some of it certainly is justified, Sword and Shield are good Pokemon games.

Can't top ten five though. Fifth gen best gen. Four can take a hike though.

Still waiting for Let's Go Togepi and Let's Go Marill.

Good, these games are great!

I'm grateful for pokemon Sword and Shield, without them, I wouldn't have bought my digimon games.

And deserved too, Haters aside, I enjoyed this game and keep going back to do raids and shiny collecting, can't wait for the DLC

@GrandScribe how is it low? Its not even been out a year yet and already 4th

Third best place looks secured here as well, by winter holidays and accompanying discounts at latest.

And of course, the comments are buzzing with the comparison of these charts to their own personal rankings, the term "quality" hijacked and abused for fanship-stenched debates yet again.😏 It's a sale statistic, a diachronic combination of resonance, customer finances, distribution patterns, stock and whatnot - safely topped by the inaugural entries that, for all their unarguable merits, are good and dwarfed by their many successors today. But hush, that's common sense, and we fans are traditionally allergic to it. Besides, comment wars are so much more fun.

Man, I would have to be in the comment section of anything Sword/Shield related and dared to say that I actually liked the game. I suspect more people may enjoy these games than speak up for fear of having people jump down their throats.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, obviously. But for some reason, the comments about these games in particular are always pretty ugly.

Black/White being the least sold ones is just heartbreaking. I think gen 5 was the best one. And I've been a massive Pokémon fan since the very first generation.

I have owned every core Pokemon game, excluding Pokemon Green for obvious reasons. My favorites are by far Pokemon Emerald and Pokemon White Version, just for the story and characters really. Please don't crucify me, but I found Diamond and Pearl to be very dull for most of the game, despite the spectacular conclusion to it. Sun and Moon are most likely my least favorite entries in the series, as they feel incomplete, and feel more like a mish-mash of ideas that seemed cool but ultimately lead to an underwhelming story. Not to mention it was almost entirely cutscene. Sword and Shield actually came close to beating out Black and White for my second favorite games, but the barebones afterstory and lack of things to do after the story concludes just left me feeling empty.

@BeefsoundMagnus I can't help but agree. The BW/BW2 games probably have the most compelling storytelling and detailed world-building in the series. I think what really hurt their sales were the fact that they were released near the end of the DS's lifespan and people were already turning towards newer handhelds (i.e. the 3DS). They really are spectacular, despite the awkward camera angles, battle sprites, and monster design. To be honest, I'd rather have a gen 5 remake than a gen 4 one like everyone else. Imagine Castelia City rendered with full 3D models and done in HD...

@BenAV,

Not that they are pretty good games and the majority of fans like them.

Ow. Seeing Black and White so low hurts.

@KnightsTemplar,

You can never seem to get a second hand copy all that cheap though, you know considering the games are no good.

@HeyItsFlapjack,

A lot of people like these games fella, and I wouldn't let what amounts to small minority convince you otherwise.

Awesome games well deserved sales, can't wait for the DLC and extra Pokemon.

Really bummed about all the Pokémon/GameFreak negging in this, and most, Pokémon related threads here. One commenter above coined the perfect expression for it: "smug vitriol."

I enjoyed Pokémon Sword, and I have enjoyed every Pokémon game. I know what Pokémon games are going to offer, and what they offer appeals to me in a big way. I love the franchise. Happy to continue experiencing everything it has to offer.

I enjoyed Shield. But I liked Lets go Pikachu more. Perhaps because I had nostalgia glasses on.

From the numbers, third place seems like a lock (they'll keep selling over time, and get a boost when the DLC releases), which is pretty damned impressive. I seriously doubt any gen will ever top those impressive late 90s numbers, though.

I found what I played of Shield incredibly disappointing, personally. And GameFreak has no incentive whatsoever to improve. So I'll probably stop buying the new generation of Pokemon games every few years like I have for decades.

I'm not going to name anyone, but I'll say this. Insulting a playerbase just because you didn't like a game or two in a franchise does not make you a good critic. It only showcases you as jerks and bullies.

I still say Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon are vastly underrated.
Old fans just a bit salty but those are very rewarding and addictive games. Going backwards playing through the rest of them, feels like a huge step backwards to me.

I have yet to play Sword though.

@BenAV ,

The game is decent, that's why it's sold so well.

@Yorumi,

That's rich, coming from someone who posts negative comments on pretty much every Pokemon sword and shield related article, and pretty much calls all the games fans stupid.

@Lilash20,

These games will only sell more copies, and are not having the best time due to worldwide Switch console shortages, pretty sure there will be boost when the DLC comes out.

@Yorumi Yeah, I've definitely been thinking about it, my friend has recommended I do the same and even offered to let me borrow his copies of games, though I don't know when I'll get to it as I have quite the switch backlog I'm slowly making my way through

Wow, much less sales then I thought, interesting really

Nothing will ever match pre-Dexit 1 Pokemon sales.

Is it a really unpopular opinion to say that I thought these were pretty fun games but nowhere near the best in the series? It seems like everybody either loves or hates these games

If people really don't like the direction game freak is going in they should leave and wash their hands of the series. I'm not sure why some feel the need to spread vitriol under every single Pokémon related news article and twitter post. Like... just leave. Find a new franchise. Not saying this to be inciteful or antagonizing, just saying.

@HammerKirby I think that's how a good portion of fans feel. Online the most polarizing groups tend to be the loudest and end up pushing narratives.

I really enjoyed my time with Shield. The wild areas were fun to explore and the gym leader battles felt epic with the stadium audience. Granted, not my favorite in the series, but I enjoyed Shield quite a bit. The DLC will definitely bring me back into the game.

RIP Black & White. The best ones IMO. May you get a remake one day to show your superiority. I enjoyed Sword. Not the best story but the gameplay was top notch. Can't wait for the DLC.

One of the worst in the series.... this is sad 😞

Now these numbers were as of March. I imagine by the end of this quarter it'll be number 3.

So it’s looks like SwSh will definitely move into 3rd place with 2nd a real possibility as well. I expect an uptick in sales with the release of the DLC packs.

I know the game has been decisive but I really enjoyed it and I’m glad it’s sold exceptionally well. Hopefully the keep building and pushing the series further. There were some great things about the game but plenty of room for improvement still. I’m looking forward to jumping back in come June’s update.

@Yorumi very well said
The fact that the media just attacked fans for Having very legit concerns and criticism about the game and about the way GF statements were far from the truth

Rn it is very easy for companies to say “they attacking us” as a way to avoid any criticism

@BenAV,

Fair enough fella, we can't all like the same things.

@Yorumi From what I can tell it seems like you're an entitled fan who's massively lacking in self awareness. Or a very good troll. Not sure which tbh.

It's a shame that Black and White are so low, compared to this hot garbage

@mesome713 THAT'S ENOUGH

and they are the second worse Pokemon games just behind X and Y

Sad to see the only Pokemon improving from the series major story and difficulty problems for a rpg is the worst selling.

Also Sw/Sh sucks, just like gen6 and gen7.

Sword/Shield will outsell Diamond/Pearl by the end of this current quarter.

It may take some time before it outsells Gold/Silver, if it even gets there in the first place. The inevitable Diamond/Pearl remake in 2021 will hurt its legs a bit.

Red/Blue/Green sales are unreachable.

@Yorumi,

I don't think Nintendo Life are posting articles about how well these games have sold to somehow wind the critics up, they are simply reporting facts about the these latest Pokemon games, you surely can't want the news stories to exclude items you and others are not happy about.

The issue then is how people take that said information and respond to it, the critics seem to get wound up, and have to resort to making it clear these games are no good, because deep down the great sales do not support their position, rather than just move on and realize that these games sales should not affect their views one way or another, unless of course they had sold badly.

The other side will of course defend a game they like, and will point to the sales as proof that not everybody feels the way the critics do, but of course the critics are the only ones who know what a good game is and the rest are just stupid.

Did I miss anything?,

Only 17.37 million sold. That showed them!

@Cool_Squirtle,

Always been the same, people who are unhappy tend to be far more vocal about it, the rest of us just get on with enjoying these games, that we are being told by a few people are no good.

@WiltonRoots,

Ah but those sales do not equal satisfaction, although you could bet your bottom dollar it would be a clear indication if they had sold badly.

@WiltonRoots,

Looking at Metacritic user scores, 2459 reviews, 862 positive and 1350 negative, with 247 mixed, even on a core site where people can be bothered to review a game, the result is not massively bad.

And 2549 is not even a big number of people anyway, not out of 17 million or so, I am pretty sure GameFreak will not miss these sales much.

@johnvboy And how many of those people created extra accounts to vent more I wonder? There's more Sword and Shield owners than Wii U owners out there in the wild.

@WiltonRoots,

I always said it the internet forum posters are a very small and very vocal minority, I mean if you added them all up and even let them have all their multiple accounts, you would be lucky to scrape together 600,000 people, niche minorities with very nich views, no wonder the developers do not listen to them.

Sword and Shield are enjoyable but have a ton of missed potential. I really hope that Game Freak is held to a higher design standard despite the high sales figures.

@Yorumi,

The have not shown any pattern, as I have said, they have only reported newsworthy items, if you and others choose to get wound up by this it's up to you, but you can't blame people for rising to your comments, when you are suggesting they have no right to like a game you do not.

@ianl579,

Totally agree with this, I have had a load of fun with these games, but feel there is room for improvement next time, I just will not say these games are the train wrecks some are suggesting.

@Yorumi,

If you feel I am not helping matters fair enough, but both side will get their feathers ruffled a little when someone questions their decisions, that is human nature, excluding the trolls of course.

You are very passionate about your stance on this and other games too, and I will defend to the death for your right to voice such views, but there has to be a reply, and both sides can get heated in battle.

@Yorumi,

You seem to feel people have to somehow justify why they like a game, which is totally wrong, just the same way I do not need you to clarify why you have issues with these games.

The same with the critic reviews of these games and the latest Animal crossing title, just because a reviewer does not mention something in a game that they personally do not feel is a massive deal, does not make them somehow dishonest, as this is the nature of a personal review, and it can't be expected to hit the perfect notes with everyone, good or bad.

@playstation_king they're the first new entries of the main series to evolve from handhelds to consoles. I thought with the evolution and with the Switch being so popular that the series would've sold better than it has. I suspect some of it has to do with the overblown controversy about the pokedex and in my opinion more valid issue with animations. I don't think these issues had that much of an affect and something else has prevented them from excelling sales wise like I expected.

Let me put it this way. Name a town from this game.

I've put in 80 hours into it and I can't.

I didn’t... not have fun with SwSh. On my own personal enjoyment scale... I’d give it a 6/10, it’s hard to ruin the formula entirely. It’s an okay game. And I think that’s my biggest problem with it. It’s just okay. You’d think with it being one of the highest grossing franchises in the world, more time and money could be put into making it a truly revolutionary experience. But it wasn’t, and it feels like the games are an afterthought when compared to the cartoon/merchandise/etc. when it used to be the other way around.

I dunno. It might just be me. If that’s the case, and I’m just not the demographic being targeted anymore, that’s fine. Other people clearly still enjoy it a lot, and that’s great. It’s my little cousin’s first Pokémon game, and I like watching him play and have fun with it. But all that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt to have to move on from something I grew up if I just don’t enjoy it as much anymore.

I think this will get up to possibly second after the dlc. I really enjoyed these games think they were brilliant well deserved

@KryptoniteKrunch Agreed

It's sad to see that the main series Pokemon games with the least content, features, and effort has already sold so many copies. Not surprising with how popular the Switch is, but still very disappointing.

I got a shiny, G-Max, hidden ability Pikachu with Surf yesterday. 🥳

It'll easily beat Diamond/Pearl and Gold/Silver sales because the expansion pass means Sword/Shield will still be the newest mainline Pokemon game this holiday.

@NoNoseNosferatu
He's an ultra fan boy, every Nintendo exclusive is amazing to him no matter if the games good or not

17 million in 6 months is phenomenal! what is wrong with people? How can anyone say this game has under performed or flopped? It's already the 4th best selling pokemon game in such as short time and nearly sold more than diamond and pearl which have been out over 10 years

@Yorumi,

A great idea in principle, I and others may not mention facts in a dismissive way, but also the "so people are happy to play a game that is broken" type comments, and the endless litst of things wrong with a game, without mentioning any of it's benefits, stated in a high and mighty way, would have to stop as well.

I just do not see it happening on here, or any other gaming related forum anytime soon.

@playstation_king,

Have you ever considered the problem could be you, and these games are marketed for a totally demographic to yourself, after all
you can hardly state all 17 million or so buyers are stupid, unless that is what you are saying.

@NoNoseNosferatu,

So because someone does not agree with you they have the mental age of a toddler, perhaps they just do not see things from a negative viewpoint as yourself, as the other 17 million or so people do not either, I would also wager there are far more of these people than the few core people posting on internet forums, hell I would guess neither care or are aware these games are getting moaned about.

@johnvboy I wasn't bashing the sales I actually ment it when I said those figures were phenomenal for a game that's only been out for 6 months...

@playstation_king,

Ah I got the wrong end of the stick there, sorry for that, although your post could be interpreted two different ways, if you look at it.

@johnvboy yeah looking at it your right, I will edit it

@NoNoseNosferatu I've noticed a pattern with the posts. He looks at an article, lets a couple of people post to see how the land lies then deliberately takes an alternative viewpoint to stir it up a bit. Entry level trolling but enough to skip under the radar of the mods it seems.

@johnvboy
The people who “attack” the game are not the problem
There is a real problem with the whole industry with companies who are declaring that every criticism as attack and fill free to lie to and attack their fans and taking the quality of games down

@Tantani,

If the developers get death threats, which in this case they did, you can understand why they sometimes see things as a personal attack, no issues with people complaining, but we do have to realize when things go a little too far.

@WiltonRoots,

And here I was sitting here thinking I had gotten away with my trolling all these years, they're on to me.

So a game completely destroyed by both time constraints and clear lack of programming skill on the latest console will end up outselling truly amazing games with lots of post-League content (DP and GS).
Yeah, sure, whatever. It's hardly a surprise after the sales of the Let's Go games.

@BenAV How does 4th not sound impressive when it's only been out for 6 months? I'm sure it will get an extra boost once each DLC pack drops. Considering it was also the fastest selling Switch game before Animal Crossing came out, it sounds like you're being needlessly negative.

@bahooney,

People being needlessly negative on here, I don't believe it.

@BeefsoundMagnus
Game Freak needs to expand and split the team into multiple cycles just like Call of Duty. At the least they could use the extra time to polish what they implement, even if what the franchise really needs is innovation.

@Benjoo
We might share similar tastes in music, because for me the two games came down to music. Sword/Shield has a couple great songs but IMO most of the tracks are only "good." In comparison, Let's Go's Kanto tracks are not only classic, but also the arrangements are stellar.

I didnt play gens 4 or 5. I was a lasped fan and X and Y pulled me out of it. So X and Y holds a special place for me

I own sword and shield, and have owned gold and yellow in my childhood days. It's amazing seeing just how great the gen 1-2 games sold even compared to today. Though I'd wonder how much more Pokemon SWSH would've sold had they listened to their community, included all the Pokemon day one, and used trees that didn't look like it was from legend of Zelda ocarina of time.

@Yorumi ,

I have never called you or anyone a domestic terrorist, I have simply stated that I do not agree with you, I have also never said your concerns are not valid, or you and others have no right to state them.

But the endless comments on how these games are no good, and the people playing and enjoying them are stupid, on every sales related thread gets boring too, and to be honest the sales figures do not indicate there are a lot of people that feel the way you and others do.

And just out of interest, what did I post for me to lose your respect?, not that bothered but interested.

Worked it out, but there were death threats, and of course this does not apply to everyone who was complaining, but sometimes some go much too far with all this, and I will never change my opinion on this, and surely you can't condone this sort of action either.

@Yorumi,

Where did I call you a domestic terrorist?, I never did, and will say it again, I never stated all the games critics when't too far, but there were a small minority that did, you just can't make believe that none of this actually happened.

@Yorumi,

Keep the insults coming fella, but you are wrong and only looking at it one way, which to be honest is all you do on this and other threads as well.

You and others have had plenty of time to raise your issue with these games on and up to their release, and never missed an opportunity to do so on the multiple threads,

Now they are out and any article relating to sales or about the DLC is another forum for your issues, when it does not need to be, you even suggested that Nintendo life are trying to wind you and others up by simply reporting facts you and others are not happy about, did it ever occur to you that not everyone who visits this site cares or leaves comments, and by the state of them I am not surprised, but these people are still entitled to read articles about their favorite franchises, you seem to feel they are not, because it may upset you or others.

So the way you tend to go about is you will get triggered by a sales article, you will post the first cheap shot, and I quote your very first post in this thread

" Oh well message sent, pokemon fans want the quality and content in the games lowered. ",

This comment intended to get a reaction from the games fans, then you get surprised when said fans respond, and are upset when the comment section spirals into a mess.

Give me a break fella, if the mods are coming for me and my comments, I think they will not be far behind you buddy.

@Yorumi,

No I did not, and you are reading into things far too much, what you are saying is nobody can complain about the actions of others, because it make everyone else somehow guilty is totally ludicrous, and to suggest it's disgusting is too far in my eyes.

And by the way I make no apology for what I posted, I simply clarified it because you seemed to be missing the point, as it would be totally obvious to anyone that it was aimed at individuals, rather than a group as a whole.

I have often thought you were getting to obsessed by these comment sections, and by your passed couple of posts, I think it is you my friend that need to take a break from all this, as I feel it's doing you no good.

@Yorumi,

Try as many times as you like fella, but I never posted that all critics were criminals in someway, and any interpretation is purely down to you fella.

Still not answered the one about your drive by comments, I see.

@Yorumi,

I hope you mean it fella, although I doubt it very much, can't wait for the next Pokemon thread.

@Yorumi,

I think you have lost the plot fella.

What on earth have I just read....

Enjoying Shield so far (halfway through) and if I'm being honest, the simplest improvement they could make is just making every part of the next games like the Wild Area, and expanding the size. It's just a lot of fun wandering around, and I like the current way you can run into Pokemon. I'd love for towns and places like Glimwood Tangle to have more freedom and places to go, if scaled down compared to the Wild Area's to be easier to make and more focused in design.