Series guide
All Pokémon games in order
Nine generations, every mainline game, grouped by generation and by console — from Red and Blue on the Game Boy in 1996 to Legends: Z-A on Switch in 2025. Plus, for each generation, the thing worth checking before you buy one second-hand.
The short answer
There are nine generations of mainline Pokémon games — over thirty releases counting separate versions and remakes. In order: Gen 1 Red/Blue/Yellow (Game Boy) → Gen 2 Gold/Silver/Crystal (Game Boy Color) → Gen 3 Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald + FireRed/LeafGreen (GBA) → Gen 4 Diamond/Pearl/Platinum + HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS) → Gen 5 Black/White (2) (DS) → Gen 6 X/Y + Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire (3DS) → Gen 7 Sun/Moon + Ultra (3DS) → Gen 8 Sword/Shield + Legends: Arceus (Switch) → Gen 9 Scarlet/Violet + Legends: Z-A (Switch). You do not have to play them in order — each generation stands on its own.
Every generation at a glance
| Gen | Region | Main games | Years | Console |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanto | Red, Blue, Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition | 1996–1999 | Game Boy |
| 2 | Johto | Gold, Silver, Crystal | 2000–2001 | Game Boy Color |
| 3 | Hoenn | Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen | 2003–2004 | Game Boy Advance |
| 4 | Sinnoh | Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver | 2007–2009 | Nintendo DS |
| 5 | Unova | Black, White, Black 2, White 2 | 2011–2012 | Nintendo DS |
| 6 | Kalos | X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire | 2013–2014 | Nintendo 3DS |
| 7 | Alola | Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon | 2016–2017 | Nintendo 3DS |
| 8 | Galar | Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, Legends: Arceus | 2019–2022 | Nintendo Switch |
| 9 | Paldea / Kalos | Scarlet, Violet, Legends: Z-A | 2022–2025 | Nintendo Switch |
Generation by generation
Generation 1 — Kanto · Game Boy (1996–1999)
- Pokémon Red
- Pokémon Blue
- Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition
Where it started: 151 Pokémon, the Kanto region, and the Red/Blue pair that defined the formula. Yellow follows the anime and gives you Pikachu as a permanent companion. These originals run on every later Game Boy model.
Buying one: Gen 1 cartridges use a battery-backed save. After nearly thirty years a lot of them are flat, which means the game plays but forgets everything when you switch off. Ask whether the save has been tested — we test every one. Browse our tested Game Boy games.
Generation 2 — Johto · Game Boy Color (2000–2001)
- Pokémon Gold
- Pokémon Silver
- Pokémon Crystal
Johto, 100 new Pokémon, and the introduction of the day/night cycle and egg breeding. Crystal added animations and the first playable female protagonist.
Buying one: These use an internal battery for the real-time clock as well as the save. A dead battery breaks the day/night cycle — which in Gen 2 means certain Pokémon simply never appear. Check the clock, not just the save. Browse our tested Game Boy Color games.
Generation 3 — Hoenn · Game Boy Advance (2003–2004)
- Pokémon Ruby
- Pokémon Sapphire
- Pokémon Emerald
- Pokémon FireRed
- Pokémon LeafGreen
The jump to GBA brought Hoenn, double battles and natures. FireRed and LeafGreen are the Gen 1 remakes and the best way to replay Kanto. Emerald bundles the best of Ruby and Sapphire into one version.
Buying one: This is the most counterfeited generation there is. Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald genuinely carry a CR1616 clock battery; FireRed and LeafGreen use EEPROM and have none — so a "FireRed" with a battery soldered in is fake, no further checking needed. Browse our tested Game Boy Advance games.
Generation 4 — Sinnoh · Nintendo DS (2007–2009)
- Pokémon Diamond
- Pokémon Pearl
- Pokémon Platinum
- Pokémon HeartGold
- Pokémon SoulSilver
Sinnoh arrived on DS in Diamond and Pearl, with Platinum as the definitive version and Wi-Fi trading. HeartGold and SoulSilver are the much-loved Gold/Silver remakes where your lead Pokémon walks behind you.
Buying one: HeartGold and SoulSilver shipped in a slightly larger black cartridge with an infrared sensor in the top edge, for pairing the Pokéwalker. Counterfeits leave the sensor out — the game boots fine, but the pairing screen does nothing. That single test settles it. Browse our tested Nintendo DS games.
Generation 5 — Unova · Nintendo DS (2011–2012)
- Pokémon Black
- Pokémon White
- Pokémon Black 2
- Pokémon White 2
Unova, and the only mainline generation with direct sequels rather than a third version: Black 2 and White 2 continue the story two years later instead of retelling it.
Buying one: Black 2 and White 2 are the scarcer pair and priced accordingly — they arrived late in the DS lifecycle, when most buyers had moved to the 3DS. If you only want one, the sequels are the fuller game. Browse our tested Nintendo DS games.
Generation 6 — Kalos · Nintendo 3DS (2013–2014)
- Pokémon X
- Pokémon Y
- Pokémon Omega Ruby
- Pokémon Alpha Sapphire
The first fully 3D generation, set in Kalos, and the debut of Mega Evolution. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remake the Hoenn games from Gen 3.
Buying one: Kalos cartridges are getting collectible again now that Legends: Z-A has returned to Lumiose City. The 3DS eShop closed in 2023, so cartridges are the only way to buy these — that floor under the price is not going away. Browse our tested Nintendo 3DS games.
Generation 7 — Alola · Nintendo 3DS (2016–2017)
- Pokémon Sun
- Pokémon Moon
- Pokémon Ultra Sun
- Pokémon Ultra Moon
Alola dropped the traditional gym structure for island trials and introduced regional variants. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the expanded versions with a different late-game story.
Buying one: The Ultra versions are the ones to buy if you want a single copy — more content, same price bracket. Sun and Moon are only worth it if you specifically want the original story. Browse our tested Nintendo 3DS games.
Generation 8 — Galar · Nintendo Switch (2019–2022)
- Pokémon Sword
- Pokémon Shield
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond
- Pokémon Shining Pearl
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Galar on Switch, plus two branches off the main line: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake Gen 4, and Legends: Arceus rebuilt the formula around open exploration and catching.
Buying one: Legends: Arceus is the one that changed the series, and it is a stronger starting point than the Diamond and Pearl remakes if you only want one Switch-era Pokémon game. Browse our tested Nintendo Switch games.
Generation 9 — Paldea / Kalos · Nintendo Switch (2022–2025)
- Pokémon Scarlet
- Pokémon Violet
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Paldea in Scarlet and Violet — the first fully open-world mainline games — and Legends: Z-A (2025), which returns to Lumiose City with real-time battles and Mega Evolution at its centre.
Buying one: The newest generation is also the one where second-hand saves you least: these are still widely printed. The value is in the older cartridges further up this list. Browse our tested Nintendo Switch games.
All Pokémon games by console
The same list sorted the other way — this is usually how people actually search for it.
Game Boy and Game Boy Color — six games
Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal
All six rely on a battery for the save; Gold, Silver and Crystal use one for the clock too. See what we have in stock.
Game Boy Advance — five games
Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen
The most counterfeited set. Check the tri-wing screw and the 4.2g weight before anything else. See what we have in stock.
Nintendo DS — nine games
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2, White 2
DS cards play on the DS, DS Lite, DSi and every 3DS model. HeartGold and SoulSilver need their infrared sensor for the Pokéwalker. See what we have in stock.
Nintendo 3DS — eight games
X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon
The eShop closed in 2023, so cartridges are the only remaining route. 3DS games do not play on a DS. See what we have in stock.
Nintendo Switch — eight games
Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, Legends: Arceus, Scarlet, Violet, Legends: Z-A
The Switch is region-free, so an import cartridge plays without any modification. See what we have in stock.
The two things that decide whether an old cartridge is worth it
The save battery. Everything up to and including Generation 3 stores its save on a battery-backed chip. After twenty to thirty years plenty of those are flat, and the symptom is deceptive: the game plays perfectly and then forgets everything the moment you switch off. In Generation 2 a dead battery also stops the day/night cycle, which means some Pokémon never appear at all. It is fixable — the cell can be replaced — but it should be priced in, not discovered afterwards.
Authenticity. Pokémon is the most counterfeited series on Game Boy and DS, concentrated on Game Boy Advance. The quickest check is the screw: a genuine GBA cartridge is held shut by a tri-wing screw — a Y-shape with three points — and weighs 4.2 grams. A Phillips screw or a hollow feel means stop. The full six-point authenticity check is here.
Or buy one that has already been checked
Every Pokémon cartridge we sell has been opened, weighed, checked against its board code and play-tested on real hardware, with the save verified — and we reject roughly 12% of what we buy. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries.
Browse tested Pokémon gamesQuestions we get asked
How many Pokémon games are there in total?
There are nine generations of mainline Pokémon games, from Red and Blue on the Game Boy (1996) to Legends: Z-A on Switch (2025). Counting every separate version and remake, that is more than thirty mainline releases. Spin-offs like Mystery Dungeon, Ranger and Snap are not included in that count.
Do I have to play the Pokémon games in order?
No. Each generation has its own region, story and cast, and they are designed to be played standalone — you can start anywhere. The order matters in two places only: Black 2 and White 2 are direct sequels to Black and White, and the remakes (FireRed/LeafGreen, HeartGold/SoulSilver, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl) retell an earlier generation, so playing both the original and its remake is repetition rather than progression.
Which Pokémon game should I start with?
For a first time on original hardware, Emerald (GBA) or Platinum (DS) are the usual answer: both are the complete "third version" of their generation, so you get the fullest story in one cartridge. If you want a modern Switch game, Legends: Arceus is the one that changed the formula most.
What are all the Pokémon games on Nintendo DS?
Nine mainline games: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, the HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes, and Black, White, Black 2 and White 2. All of them also run on the DS Lite, DSi and every 3DS model. HeartGold and SoulSilver came with the Pokéwalker accessory and use an infrared sensor in the cartridge to pair with it.
What are all the Pokémon games on Game Boy Advance?
Five: Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald in the Hoenn region, plus FireRed and LeafGreen, which remake the original Gen 1 games. Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald contain a CR1616 clock battery that can go flat; FireRed and LeafGreen have no battery at all, which is also a quick authenticity check.
Are old Pokémon cartridges still worth buying?
Yes, but check two things. First the save: a cartridge with a flat battery plays fine and then forgets your progress. Second, authenticity — Game Boy Advance in particular is heavily counterfeited. Every cartridge we sell has been through a six-point check and a play test on real hardware; we reject roughly 12% of what we buy.
Do you ship outside the Netherlands?
We ship to all 27 EU countries with track & trace. Parcels go out from the Netherlands, so delivery takes a little longer than a domestic order, and there are no customs charges within the EU. The exact rate for your country is shown at checkout before you pay.
Buying the console to play them on? Buying Nintendo DS & 3DS games in 2026 — which model plays which games, region locks and second-hand checks.
Collecting the TCG too? Best Pokémon booster packs & boxes to buy in 2026.
Dutch reader? Alle Pokémon games op volgorde — dezelfde lijst, met de Nederlandse titels van elke game.
