The popularity of the pocket monsters has been unprecedented for years, and that doesn’t seem to be changing in the near future. In addition to the main games, several spin-offs have appeared that are definitely worth a look. These are, according to WANT editor Sabine Schults, the 5 best Pokémon games to play on your Nintendo Switch in 2023.
Since the first Pokémon games appeared on the Game Boy, the more recent games for the Nintendo Switch have grown in terms of graphics and gameplay, although the basics have remained the same. Still, we can give away ahead of time that the very latest games in the series are not necessarily the best.
Best Pokémon games on your Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a masterful device, and these Pokémon games make it just a little bit better.
#1 Sword and Shield
As far as we’re concerned, Pokémon Sword and Shield ranks number one, delightfully going back to the classic story of a young trainer who naturally wants to become a champion. There was quite a fuss beforehand about missing Pokémon, but it ended up being a great title with unforgettable additions such as Dynamaxing, Gigantamaxing and the Wild Area.
#2 Pokémon Legends: Arceus
The first Pokémon game with an open-world sounded promising, and it was. The departure from the usual gameplay formula is refreshing. You travel through a vast world full of different biomes where you encounter wild Pokémon. Still, the game’s shoddy technical performance can be called annoying, to say the least.
Legends: Arceus (Image: Nintendo)
#3 Pokémon Stadium
At long last, Pokémon Stadium is available on the Nintendo Switch. This nostalgic game was once one of the most popular titles on the Nintendo 64 and is now all the way back. Even if you never played the game before, you can enjoy hours of classic battles with trainers and Gym Leaders both offline and online!
#4 Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee!
They are the first Pokémon games to appear on the Nintendo Switch console and impressed right away for borrowing elements from the popular Pokémon Go game for the smartphone. You go on an adventure with Pikachu or Eevee and can spice them up with various cute accessories. Along the way, you will encounter Pokémon for the first time in the overworld, which is a great way to discover the region and the creatures that live there.
Let’s Go Pikachu
#5 New Pokémon Snap
The concept is simple, but that certainly doesn’t make it unworthy. As a true Pokémon photographer, you are responsible for shooting snapshots of the little monsters in various locations. It is a refreshing concept to for once not have to think about bringing Potions, Revives Poké Balls to become the very best.
Why is … not listed?
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are not in this list, and the not so long ago released Scarlet and Violet are also missing. The former are remakes of Diamond and Pearl from 2006, and while they are certainly not bad games, there wasn’t really anything new to experience either.
Scarlet and Violet again did not really have a good start, due in part to the necessary glitches and meager graphics.
