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10 of the weirdest Pokémon games ever
Never mind GO, these are the strangest spin-offs The Pokémon Company have ever come up with.
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
© Nintendo
Pokémon GO was the mobile gaming phenomenon of the summer, and while the fire isn’t burning as bright as it was when it first came out, it’s still pulling in top numbers for developer Niantic and The Pokémon Company. But at the face of it, the game is a pretty weird Pokémon spin-off – you don’t do any proper battling or gym badge collecting as you might expect from a regular Pokémon game, nor is there an epic journey for you to embark on filled with drama and supporting characters.
It’s not the only Pokémon title that’s done that either though – there have been plenty of spin-offs that have nothing to do with the original Pocket Monsters formula apart from featuring the the instantly recognisable little critters. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the weirdest, strangest games with the Pokémon logo stamped on them – and there are a few oddities in store.
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge is literally what it says on the tin: a puzzle game. More puzzle game than Pokémon, Puzzle Challenge is based on the Panel de Pon series, both created by Intelligent Systems (of Advance Wars and Fire Emblem fame) and fiendishly addictive. It has a few similarities to Tetris and basically none to the Pokémon series, but it plays much differently and basically has you solve puzzles while you sort the falling bricks. The Pokémon branding was surely the main way to get the game out to many more gamers, but at the heart of it, the GBC title is an enthralling play that’s enjoyable to play, with or without Pokémon. There’s also a N64 version with better graphics and almost identical gameplay called Pokémon Puzzle League, which is also one of only two games in the franchise to feature the anime characters including Ash Ketchum.
Pokémon Pikachu
More of a pedometer than a game, the Pokémon Pikachu is a tiny, Game Boy-inspired little device that features one thing and one thing only: Pikachu in your pocket. The digital pet differs from others in that you don’t have to feed or water your Pikachu; instead, you strap the whole tiny handheld to your belt or pocket and it’ll track your steps – each step will then credit you with ‘Watts’, which can then be used to buy your Pikachu presents. The longer you play and the more presents you give your tiny electric rodent, there’ll be more activities available, while if you neglect your critter, Pikachu will become angry and will refuse to recognise you. And you don’t want that, do you?
Pokémon Trozei!
The puzzle spin-offs continue, only this time, the Nintendo DS is home to Pokémon Trozei! (known as Pokémon Link! in Europe), which again, also has gameplay quite similar to Tetris, only with a few more spins – and almost even less connection to Pokémon apart from the visuals. You’re given a grid of Pokémon in blocks, and you need to match up more falling critters by swiping the rows around to match up the blocks. It’s quite frantic and can be frustrating, but getting that perfect line and combo is incredibly satisfying – and there a bunch of different game modes for you to try out, although they all carry the same base mechanic. The game would be followed up by a 3DS eShop sequel in the form of Pokémon Battle Trozei which has a few more twists, including actual battling with your critters.
Pokémon Shuffle
It seems The Pokémon Company learned that its puzzle spin-offs are actually quite fun, which is why it released a freemium puzzle title in the form of Pokémon Shuffle on 3DS and on mobile; unlike Pokémon GO however, it feels like more of a cash grab than anything. You have to fight against a number of different Pokémon by matching up three or more of the same critters on your screen, and you do this by swapping around the Pokémon on the bottom of your screen. Your attempts are frustrated by the freemium element, however: you have a number of hearts to attempt each stage, and if you run out, you have to wait an amount of time, or you can buy coins to purchase more hearts, and additional power-ups.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon is more of a breath of fresh air than many of the other spin-offs in the franchise, but it’s more Pokémon putting its stamp on an existing formula – and it’s a bit out of left field. See, developer Chunsoft had devised the roguelike Mystery Dungeon format for its own titles, including Dragon Quest spin offs, before developing Pokémon themed adventures, but Pikachu and friends are well suited to the format anyway – and there have been four entries into the series to date. The gameplay itself revolves around exploring randomly generated dungeons alongside your partner Pokémon, and you can use turn based moves against any wild Pokémon that attack you. You need to finish various jobs that are found on the bulletin board, and through completing these, the plot will advance. It’s pretty different to regular Pokémon adventures, but what makes it stand out is that you actually play as the tiny little critters this time around, rather than one of their cruel, cruel puppet masters.
Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Snap is probably one of the most recognisable spin-offs in the entire franchise, mostly down to its popularity on the N64, but also due to just how plain surreal it is. You’re put in the shoes of Todd Snap, a photographer enlisted by Professor Oak, and you have to head to an island and take photos of as many Pokémon as possible, instead of catching them. The game itself is more first-person shooter on rails than anything else, making it unlike anything else in the franchise, but it’s strangely enticing, and it makes the Pokémon world actually feel real.
Pokémon Pinball
Pinball games are hardly memorable, but ones that are as finely tuned and as dazzling as Pokémon Pinball are hard to come by. Released on the Game Boy Color, featuring a rumble in the game cartridge, Pinball is played across two screens and features a few unique pinball mechanics that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. For starters, you still need to catch Pokémon, while each of the two tables (Red or Blue) feature different sets of items and critters to catch, and unique gameplay elements. Still, when you think of Pokémon, you wouldn’t think of pinball, making it a stand out spin-off from the series. The game was followed up by a sequel on the Game Boy Advance, featuring Pokémon from the third-generation in the form of Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire.
Hey You, Pikachu!
While Pokémon Snap was strange, it was also a pretty great game. Hey You, Pikachu!, however, is just plain odd. The Nintendo 64 title has you put on a headset and talk to a virtual Pikachu, barking out commands and playing an assortment of mini games with it, in a sort of precursor to the even more disturbing Seaman on the Dreamcast. The actual gameplay here is pretty much minimal, while Pikachu won’t always understand you either – voice tech had a way to go in the early 2000s, let alone today. Still, when Pikachu does understand you, there’s almost nothing quite like it, though the actual gameplay itself throughout the game (hunting down ingredients for a recipe, babysitting a Caterpie) leaves a lot to be desired. You’re better off playing Pokémon Yellow and talking at your Game Boy, if we’re honest.
Pokémon Conquest
Pokémon Conquest, known in Japan as Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition (bit of a mouthful, that one), is a crossover strategy game with Tecmo Koei’s Nobunaga's Ambition franchise, and pits you in a turn based, tactical title with plenty of depth akin to a Fire Emblem game. You travel through the world along with your Eevee, making friends with Warlords and Warriors, and battling your way through the storyline. Each Warlord and Warrior is named after real figures in Japanese history, while the titular Nobunaga is based on the real life Oda Nobunaga, a powerful feudal lord. It’s a deep and satisfying spin-off, and it doesn’t really feel like a Pokémon game – and that’s what makes it stand out as a strange title in the franchise.
Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure
Flag this one up as straight up odd: Learn with Pokémon Typing Adventure, as the title suggests, is an educational DS game rather than a fully fledged Pokémon title, and comes bundled with a special Nintendo Wireless Keyboard for you to flex your digits on. Aimed at younger gamers to boost their typing skills, you’re put in the shoes of role of an amateur typist who is tasked with catching Pokémon by, erm, simply typing their names. Yeah, we know – maybe the developer had just watched Death Note anime or something? The difficulty ramps up, of course, and there are cringeworthy characters with punny names like Professor Quentin Werty and Paige Down, but as far as educational games go, it’s actually pretty decent – it’s just not quite the Pokémon adventure you’re really looking for.
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