Summary
ThePokémonfranchise exists in many forms, fromthe popular Anime seriesto the string ofPokémonvideo games to Manga and a trading card game, among others.Pokémonoriginates from Japan as the creation of Satosh Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, who developed the firstPokémonvideo game in 1996.
Since 1996,Pokémonhas taken the world by storm, and most subsequent games have been released worldwide on popular Nintendo platforms like the Nintendo DS and so forth. SomePokémongames, however, never left Japan, even though they are great entries in the series catalog.
9Pokémon Stadium (1998)
The Combat Of Pokémon Game Boy Titles In A 3D Arena
The first of thePokémon Stadiumgames, which were eventually released worldwide, wasPokémon Stadium,released only in Japan in 1998 for Nintendo 64. The game primarilyfocuses onPokémon battlesthat the player can have against the CPU or friends.
With its various features, which include a Pokédex as well as an “organize” function, which allows the player to transfer their Pokémon and items between parties and storage systems, the game has a lot to offer. This game became the precursor for other greatPokémon Stadiumgames to follow.
8Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: Here Comes Team GR! (2001)
A Deck-Builder Based On The Pokémon TCG
Released for Game Boy Color in 2001, this game is the sequel to thePokémon Trading Card Game,released in 1998, also for the Game Boy Color.While the first game was released worldwide as a spin-off based on the popularPokémontrading cards, the sequel only had a Japan release.
Pokémon Trading Card Game 2expands on the original, with a variety of new cards tobuild your deckwith, a larger in-game world, and the ability to choose between a male or female avatar. This game also introduces a new antagonist not found in the original - Team Great Rocket. For lovers of the Pokémon trading card game, this is a great title to have.
A 3-Game Collection Of Pokémon RPGs
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:Adventure Squad!is a set of threePokémongames released for the Nintendo Wii consolein 2009. While all other Pokémon games for the Wii had worldwide releases, this fun trio of games was released only in Japan. Like mostPokémongames, depending on which of the three games players choose -Wildfire Adventure Squad, Tempest Adventure Squad,orRadiant Adventure Squad -the Pokémon that players can bring into the dungeons will differ.
For these three games, the player’s home also ranges from a Pokémon Beach to a Pokémon Village to a Pokémon Garden, depending on the game. As the titles of the game suggest, the featured Pokémon are either fire-types, water-types, or electric-types. With 15 dungeons per game and other unique features, like four save slots, this trio of games is a great collection ofPokémongames released for WiiWare.
6Pokémon Card Game: How To Play DS (2011)
An Extended Tutorial For The Pokémon TCG
In 2011, The Pokémon Company published a game for the Nintendo DS that teaches players how to play thePokémontrading card game. This interesting concept for a video game is basically one long digital tutorial for thePokémontrading card game, released only in Japan.
Once the player has completed various stages of learning the trading card game rules, they can play the game against any of the five CPU characters available. With the addition of a digital rule book as well, this game is a great place for beginners to start playing thePokémoncard game.
5Pokémate (2006)
The Test Run For Pokémon GO
Despite not receiving much attention from the Japanese press,Pokémate,released as a mobile messaging application in Japan in 2006, is an important entry inPokémongames, as it is arguably the predecessor of what became the internationallysuccessful mobile game,Pokémon GO.
Pokématewas initially set to be a Pokémon-themed messaging app but turned out to be so much more. The game allows players to capture Pokémon, take care of them, and chat with friends. As a messaging application,Pokématefeatures chat rooms, email functionality, and avatars; one’s captured Pokémon are also displayed with one’s avatar for friends to see.
4Pichu Bros. Mini (2002)
A Mini-game Collection For The Pokémon Mini Console
In 2001, the Pokémon Mini handheld console was released (if one can call it a console). It came in three colors andfeatured tenPokémongames, ranging from mini-games to puzzle and strategy games. One of the most fun Pokémon Mini games isPichu Bros. Mini,released in Japan in 2002.
Pichu Bros. Minifeatures six mini-games, with the star of the game being Pichu and some other Pokémon such as Pikachu and Cubone. The mini-games are each different, ranging from skateboarding with Pichu, to getting Smoochum to kiss Diglett, making it one of the most engaging Pokémon Mini entries.
3Togepi’s Great Adventure (2002)
A Pokémon Mini Game Famous For Its Difficulty
Released in Japan in 2002 for the Pokémon Mini console,Togepi’s Adventureis a notoriously difficult Pokémon Mini game. Using only the four arrow buttons and the two action buttons on the console, players have to navigate a Togepi out of a castle while avoiding various traps and overcoming obstacles.
The obstacles include different types of Pokémon, as well as everything from cracked floors to sinkholes to sticky or bouncy walls. Each tower also has up to 100 different areas to get through, making this mini-game both challenging and satisfying for players who dare to try it out.
2The Thieves Of The Thousand Pokémon (2014)
A Free Movie Tie-In Game On The 3DS eShop
The Thieves of the Thousand Pokémonis a Japan-exclusive Nintendo 3DS game that was released in 2014. The game was free to download for a limited time on the 3DS eShop and was looselybased on the Pokémon movie,Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, released in the same year.
The gameplay involves taking a few Pokémon into a stage and overcoming various obstacles. The more stages players clear, the more Pokémon they can store, with a maximum capacity of 999 Pokémon. For a free game,The Thieves of the Thousand Pokémonhad a lot to offer.
1Detective Pikachu – Birth of a New Duo (2016)
The Precursor To The “First” Detective Pikachu Game
Many players might be familiar with the popular Nintendo 3DS game, thePokemon spin-offDetective Pikachu,which was released worldwide in 2018.Detective Pikachu - Birth of a New Duois the predecessor to the game, which was released exclusively in Japan in 2016, two years earlier.
Birth of a New Duois basically the first three chapters of the worldwide-releasedDetective Pikachu,and players owning this game in Japan received a sizable discount on the full game released in 2018. As the predecessor to the belovedDetective Pikachu, Birth of a New Duois one of the best Pokémon games released exclusively in Japan.
