With the launch of the genius console back in 2017, we’ve had six epic years of gaming, so here’s a look back on the best Pokémon games available on the Nintendo Switch. There are more titles than you might realize and there’ a lot of difference between them all, so here’s our take on the merits of each.
Our “best of” will cover everything from the very first Pokémon game on the Nintendo Switch – Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee – right the way up to the latest title, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Let’s Go came out in 2018, a year after the Nintendo Switch, and S&V arrived last winter (2022), so actually there’s only four years between them.
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What is the best Pokémon game on the Nintendo Switch?
We went back and forward in terms of the best Pokémon game on the Nintendo Switch, but for us it all comes down to memorable moments. For that, the best bet is Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, which is a modern refresh of the very first game in the series.
What separates it from the least memorable titles on the Switch is that it has these challenging moments that will stick with you long after you get past them. It’s a similar story with a number of the other games, but Let’s Go packs in a larger volume of them and delivers some of the most iconic Pokémon you can catch.
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Getting past the sleeping Snorlax or working out where the tea is for the guard, getting into Saffron City Gym, learning Surf move for the first time. The list is just big and then the Elite Four is actually challenging and you still had to battle your way through areas, instead of it all being an open free-for-all like it is in the modern era.
Not only does it ensure that you play through the very first Pokemon game in a fairly faithful remake, but it also gives newcomers to the series a great introduction to mechanics. Everything stems from here, so it’s hard to put anything else above it. It’s a close call between the top three, but Let’s Go takes the prize for the sheer volume of big moments that you’ll remember your whole life.
There are tougher entries in the series on the Nintendo Switch, but there’s just a good balance in Let’s Go. It’s a lot of fun, easy to pick up and challenging to complete, like all great games, so for all of those reasons it’s our number 1 title on the console.
Nintendo Switch Pokémon games ranked
With the battle for the #1 spot so close, we’ve decided to rank all of the remaining Pokémon games on the Nintendo Switch. Each of the games have their merits and drawbacks, so we’ll cover these to help you decide which titles you might want to add to your collection.
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#2 Pokemon Legends Arceus
This is our highest ranking modern era game and it’s a big departure from everything else that has come before it. You still catch and collect Pokémon , but here you’ve got to dodge roll and get to battle some seriously big beasts like Lord Kleavor and Lord Arcanine in boss-style battles.
It’s also the best “open” experience as yet created with a series of zones to explore freely and while we still miss routes and enforced battles, it kind of fits with the breakaway nature of the game here. Add in the fact that it’s the first prequel in the series, set in the same area as Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and you’ve got a lot to enjoy.
AdvertisementIt’s still the best looking 3D Pokémon game with great variety in the terrain and plenty of cool landmarks and features to add to the experience. There are plenty of memorable moments too and there’s a good level of challenge to beating it, so it’s well worth playing if you haven’t already.
#3 Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
The Nintendo Switch remake of the DS game is an absolute gem. It was very close to being placed higher on the list, but as mentioned above it doesn’t have quite as many big memorable moment. It’s a close call, though.
It looks great, plays great and has a solid adventure and story behind it. The various locations within the game are pretty interesting and there are plenty of Pokemon to catch along the way.
Like Let’s Go, it’s a more challenging game than the latest generation offerings, which we’ll get to later on in our ranked list. This is a massive positive for us, as it always feels completely hollow to play a game that just hands you everything on a plate.
#4 Pokémon Sword and Shield
Sword and Shield does a very good job of introducing Pokémon to a more modern, console based experience with 3D graphics and mini open areas (wilds) to explore. It looks good and plays pretty well with some great moments built into the story.
The only real reason that it’s so far down the list is that it just doesn’t have the same level of challenge as the earlier games. The puzzles won’t take you too long to work out and there isn’t much in the way of cool problems to solve, so it misses out on some of the sense of achievement.
That’s not to say that it doesn’t have any, it’s just that they’re not as gripping as the games higher up the ranks. The DLC does a good job of remedying this with some brain puzzlers, but that’s not a part of the full game.
The story is perhaps where Pokémon Sword and Shield is at its best with a swirling plot to become the champion, beating Leon along the way. The fact that this is covered in so much detail in the animated TV series makes it even more fun, so it definitely gets our seal of approval as a a game you should play.
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#5 Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
AdvertisementThe latest game in the series is pretty popular, and it isn’t without it’s good points, but it’s just not as impressive as the other games. It’s an easy game, for a start, which makes it feel like you’re just ticking boxes a little too much to offer much in the way of actual challenge.
The locations, puzzles and situations just aren’t as memorable as in the others. And when you factor in the performance issues it a game that you need to approach with the right expectations.
What it does give you, though, is a fully open world to explore with different biomes and Pokémon to find and catch. It’s decent, but not mind blowing in terms if the design, which was apparently inspired by Spain. Having traveled all over Spain we can say that it kind of misses mark. Where Sword and Shield does a very good job of bringing a British-style area to the Pokémon series, Scarlet and Violet really needed to work harder to make things more impactful.
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Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s crater center and story culmination do a lot to make the game a lot more unique. It’s just a shame it doesn’t quite deliver in the other departments, because it could have been incredible. Hopefully, the power of the next Nintendo console will allow the 10th generation title to take the good parts of all of the Switch games and create something ridiculously impressive.
More Pokémon Nintendo Switch games
While there are more Pokémon Nintendo Switch games, they don’t really come close to getting into the our ranked list above. To start with there’s New Pokémon Snap, which is an on-rails photo game that will make your blood boil way before it can put a smile on your face with it’s graphics and interactions.
Pokken Tournament DX is a fighting game with a steep learning curve that loses some of the core series magic along the way. It’s a decent fighter, but so different to the experience you get from the main games that it doesn’t really count.
Detective Pikachu Returns is a recent title that came out in 2023 where you have to solve mysteries. However, they’re way too easy and the game is pretty short, so not one that we can recommend.
We’ll update our ranked list of Nintendo Switch Pokémon game as things develop. You can also check out our computer games section to keep tabs on other releases. Visit the Pokémon website at www.pokemon.com/ for more details.
