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Release timeline · 1996 - 2027

Every Pokémon game, in order.

Thirty-plus years of releases on one page. Mainline RPGs, console spinoffs, handheld side stories, mobile titans, digital TCG, the works. Grouped by hardware era so you can see the cable-link kids grow into cloud-storage adults without scrolling past anything.

Showing all 57 releases
1996 - 2002

Game Boy era

Game Boy · Game Boy Color · Nintendo 64

The link-cable years. Two regions, three pokedex generations, a global mania.

  1. Feb 27, 1996 Mainline Gen 1

    Pocket Monsters Red & Green

    Game Boy Kanto JP launch

    The originals. Satoshi Tajiri's twelve-year passion project ships in Japan with 151 pocketable monsters and a Game Link Cable that turned trading into the point.

  2. Sep 28, 1998 Mainline Gen 1
    Pokémon Red & Blue
    Game Boy Kanto NA launch

    North American launch. Pokémania detonates. Burger King promo, Saturday-morning anime, schoolyard cable swaps, a Time cover in two years.

    Open hub
  3. Jun 30, 1999 Spinoff

    Pokémon Snap

    Nintendo 64 NA launch

    On-rails wildlife photography on Pokémon Island. The Blockbuster print-station partnership turned screenshots into trading cards.

  4. Oct 19, 1999 Mainline Gen 1
    Pokémon Yellow
    Game Boy Kanto NA launch

    Special Pikachu Edition. Ash's starter follows you around the overworld. First playable nod to anime continuity.

    Open hub
  5. Feb 29, 2000 Console

    Pokémon Stadium

    Nintendo 64 NA launch

    3D battles on the big screen, GB Tower for running Red/Blue/Yellow at console resolution, mini-games for the cousin who couldn't catch 'em all.

  6. Sep 25, 2000 Spinoff

    Pokémon Puzzle League

    Nintendo 64 NA launch

    Panel de Pon reskinned with Indigo League trainers. Surprisingly cutthroat versus mode.

  7. Oct 15, 2000 Mainline Gen 2
    Pokémon Gold & Silver
    Game Boy Color Johto NA launch

    Day-night cycle, breeding, held items, the Pokégear, two regions in one cartridge. Still the high-water mark for many.

    Open hub
  8. Mar 26, 2001 Console

    Pokémon Stadium 2

    Nintendo 64 NA launch

    Johto roster, Gym Leader Castle, the Earl's Academy tutorials that taught a generation IV mechanics.

  9. Jul 29, 2001 Mainline Gen 2
    Pokémon Crystal
    Game Boy Color Johto NA launch

    First playable female protagonist, animated sprites, the Suicune storyline, and Japan's GB Mobile Adapter integration.

    Open hub
2002 - 2006

Game Boy Advance era

Game Boy Advance · GameCube

Hoenn. Abilities. Natures. The hard reset that built the modern competitive layer.

  1. Mar 18, 2003 Mainline Gen 3
    Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire
    Game Boy Advance Hoenn NA launch

    Abilities, natures, double battles, Contests, secret bases. The series' first hard reset; no GB-to-GBA transfer.

    Open hub
  2. Mar 22, 2004 Console

    Pokémon Colosseum

    GameCube NA launch

    Genius Sonority's dark RPG. Orre is a desert. You don't catch Pokémon, you snag them from criminals.

  3. Sep 9, 2004 Remake Gen 1
    FireRed & LeafGreen
    Game Boy Advance Kanto NA launch

    Kanto remade for the GBA. Wireless Adapter ships in the box. Sevii Islands postgame.

    Open hub
  4. May 1, 2005 Mainline Gen 3
    Pokémon Emerald
    Game Boy Advance Hoenn NA launch

    The Battle Frontier. Two villainous teams. The definitive Hoenn release for a generation of speedrunners.

    Open hub
  5. Oct 3, 2005 Console

    Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

    GameCube NA launch

    Colosseum's direct sequel. Shadow Lugia. The last Pokémon RPG on a home console for fifteen years.

  6. Sep 18, 2006 Spinoff

    Mystery Dungeon: Red & Blue Rescue Team

    Nintendo DS NA launch

    Chunsoft roguelike crossover. You wake up as a Pokémon. The story endings still make adults cry.

  7. Oct 30, 2006 Spinoff

    Pokémon Ranger

    Nintendo DS NA launch

    HAL Laboratory's stylus-circle capture mechanic. Almia and Fiore expanded the worldbuilding before Sinnoh launched.

2006 - 2011

Dual-screen era

Nintendo DS · Wii

Wi-Fi. Touch screens. The physical-special split that rewrote battle math.

  1. Apr 22, 2007 Mainline Gen 4
    Pokémon Diamond & Pearl
    Nintendo DS Sinnoh NA launch

    Physical-special split. Wi-Fi battles via the DS service. The Global Trade Station made the Internet a Pokémon Center.

    Open hub
  2. Jun 25, 2007 Console

    Pokémon Battle Revolution

    Wii NA launch

    First Wi-Fi-enabled Wii game. Imported teams from D/P. The last console-only mainline battler.

  3. Apr 20, 2008 Spinoff

    Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness

    Nintendo DS NA launch

    The Mystery Dungeon entry. Grovyle's sacrifice. The credits sequence. You know the one.

  4. Mar 22, 2009 Mainline Gen 4
    Pokémon Platinum
    Nintendo DS Sinnoh NA launch

    Distortion World. Battle Frontier returns. Wi-Fi Plaza. The definitive Gen 4 cartridge.

    Open hub
  5. Mar 14, 2010 Remake Gen 2
    HeartGold & SoulSilver
    Nintendo DS Johto NA launch

    Johto remade with following Pokémon and the Pokéwalker pedometer in the box. Career-best remake from most fan polls.

    Open hub
  6. Oct 4, 2010 Spinoff

    Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs

    Nintendo DS NA launch

    Oblivia archipelago. Sky Pokémon. Multiplayer co-op missions over local wireless.

  7. Mar 6, 2011 Mainline Gen 5
    Pokémon Black & White
    Nintendo DS Unova NA launch

    A pokedex of 156 brand-new species. No old faces until postgame. The most aesthetically confident generation.

    Open hub
  8. Jun 18, 2012 Spinoff

    Pokémon Conquest

    Nintendo DS NA launch

    Nobunaga's Ambition × Pokémon. Tactical SRPG with feudal Japan warlords pair-bonding with Pokémon. Wild crossover, weirdly great.

  9. Oct 7, 2012 Mainline Gen 5
    Pokémon Black 2 & White 2
    Nintendo DS Unova NA launch

    First direct mainline sequels. Pokémon World Tournament. Hidden Grottoes. 300+ available species at start.

    Open hub
2011 - 2017

3DS era

Nintendo 3DS · Wii U

Full 3D, Mega Evolution, Fairy type. The mobile crossover with GO. The final dual-screen mainline.

  1. Oct 12, 2013 Mainline Gen 6
    Pokémon X & Y
    Nintendo 3DS Kalos

    First fully 3D mainline. Mega Evolution. Fairy type retcons type-effectiveness for the first time since 1996. Simultaneous global launch.

    Open hub
  2. Dec 25, 2013 Companion

    Pokémon Bank

    Nintendo 3DS

    Cloud storage on 3DS. The bridge between Gen 5 cartridges and the future. Subscription model previewed HOME.

  3. Nov 21, 2014 Remake Gen 3
    Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
    Nintendo 3DS Hoenn

    Hoenn through 3DS lenses. DexNav. Mega Rayquaza. The Delta Episode reframes the entire Hoenn cosmology.

    Open hub
  4. Feb 18, 2015 Spinoff

    Pokémon Shuffle

    Nintendo 3DS

    Free-to-play match-three on 3DS. First mobile-style monetization in the franchise. Mobile port followed weeks later.

  5. Jul 6, 2016 Mobile

    Pokémon GO

    iOS / Android

    Niantic AR. Sidewalks become routes. The biggest mobile launch in history at the time. Still grossing nine figures a year a decade later.

  6. Nov 18, 2016 Mainline Gen 7
    Pokémon Sun & Moon
    Nintendo 3DS Alola

    Z-Moves, regional variants, no HMs. The Island Trials replace gyms. Twentieth-anniversary swing for the fences.

    Open hub
  7. Jan 24, 2017 Mobile

    Pokémon Duel

    iOS / Android

    Board-game minis on mobile. Quietly competent. Shut down October 2019; preserved here so the dead don't get forgotten.

  8. Nov 17, 2017 Mainline Gen 7
    Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
    Nintendo 3DS Alola

    Ultra Wormholes. Expanded Aether arc. Final mainline release on a non-Switch handheld. End of the dual-screen era.

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2017 - 2025

Switch era

Nintendo Switch · iOS / Android

Mainline goes hybrid. DLC, open world, the gen-9 milestone dex. Mobile mainstays mature.

  1. May 30, 2018 Spinoff

    Pokémon Quest

    Nintendo Switch

    Voxel pokémon-block expedition. Free-to-start. Switch + mobile cross-launch. Test of the future business model.

  2. Nov 16, 2018 Remake Gen 1
    Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee!
    Nintendo Switch Kanto

    Kanto, hand-in-hand with GO. Yellow as a baseline. Joy-Con throw mechanic. Onboarding ramp for the mobile audience.

    Open hub
  3. Aug 29, 2019 Mobile
    Pokémon Masters EX
    iOS / Android

    DeNA-built Sync Pair gacha. Every gym leader, champion, and rival from twenty-five years pulled into one roster.

    Open hub
  4. Nov 15, 2019 Mainline Gen 8
    Pokémon Sword & Shield
    Nintendo Switch Galar

    Dynamax. Wild Area. National Dex cut sparks the Dexit debate. First Switch mainline; the platform reset that didn't come quietly.

    Open hub
  5. Feb 12, 2020 Companion
    Pokémon HOME
    Multi-platform

    Cloud storage across every modern game. The vault that finally connects Bank, GO, Sword/Shield, BDSP, Legends: Arceus, and Scarlet/Violet.

    Open hub
  6. Mar 6, 2020 Remake

    Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

    Nintendo Switch

    Spike Chunsoft remasters the original Rescue Team in watercolor. The first remake the team properly leaned into.

  7. Jun 17, 2020 DLC Gen 8
    Sword & Shield: Isle of Armor
    Nintendo Switch Galar

    First mainline DLC. Isle of Armor as a teaching expansion. Returning Pokémon at scale.

    Open hub
  8. Jun 17, 2020 Companion

    Pokémon Smile

    iOS / Android

    Brush-your-teeth-to-catch app for kids. Yes, this is real. Yes, it works.

  9. Jun 23, 2020 Mobile
    Pokémon Café ReMix
    Multi-platform

    Genius Sonority puzzle-cafe. Started as Café Mix in 2020, relaunched as ReMix in 2021. The franchise's comfiest mobile title.

    Open hub
  10. Oct 22, 2020 DLC Gen 8
    Sword & Shield: The Crown Tundra
    Nintendo Switch Galar

    Dynamax Adventures. Galarian Star Tournament. Every gen-1-through-8 legendary returns.

    Open hub
  11. Apr 30, 2021 Spinoff

    New Pokémon Snap

    Nintendo Switch

    Bandai Namco revives the wildlife camera 22 years later. Lental region. The behavior systems do quiet heavy lifting.

  12. Jul 21, 2021 Mobile
    Pokémon UNITE
    Multi-platform

    TiMi-built 5v5 MOBA. Switch + mobile + cross-progression. The franchise's first real esports push outside VGC.

    Open hub
  13. Nov 19, 2021 Remake Gen 4
    Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
    Nintendo Switch Sinnoh

    ILCA chibi remake. Underground Hideaways. Ramanas Park. Strictly faithful, which the fandom loved or didn't.

    Open hub
  14. Jan 28, 2022 Mainline Gen 8
    Pokémon Legends: Arceus
    Nintendo Switch Hisui (ancient Sinnoh)

    The catch-mechanic reinvention. Real-time throws, no static turns, Hisuian variants. Closest the series ever came to Monster Hunter.

    Open hub
  15. Nov 18, 2022 Mainline Gen 9
    Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
    Nintendo Switch Paldea

    First fully open-world mainline. Three independent storylines, Terastallization, the 1,025-species milestone dex. Performance was rough; the design was bold.

    Open hub
  16. Jun 8, 2023 Digital TCG
    Pokémon TCG Live
    Multi-platform

    The Pokémon Company's TCGO successor. Free-to-play digital TCG. Standard + Expanded ladders, weekly missions, daily quests.

    Open hub
  17. Jul 17, 2023 Mobile
    Pokémon Sleep
    iOS / Android

    Select Button's sleep-tracker. Six years from announcement to launch. Eight hours every night counts as gameplay now.

    Open hub
  18. Sep 13, 2023 DLC Gen 9
    Scarlet & Violet: The Teal Mask
    Nintendo Switch Kitakami

    First half of the SV expansion pass. Loyal Three folktale arc. Kitakami pokedex.

    Open hub
  19. Dec 14, 2023 DLC Gen 9
    Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk
    Nintendo Switch Blueberry Academy

    Second DLC half. Underwater Blueberry Academy. Every returning starter across every generation.

    Open hub
  20. Oct 30, 2024 Digital TCG
    Pokémon TCG Pocket
    iOS / Android

    Creatures Inc. + DeNA. Two-pack-a-day rhythm, immersive ex art, Wonder Pick. The franchise's second mobile gold rush after GO.

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2025 +

Switch 2 era

Nintendo Switch 2 · cross-platform

Pokopia, Champions, Gen 10. The first new-hardware launch with the franchise this big.

  1. Oct 16, 2025 Mainline Gen 9
    Pokémon Legends: Z-A
    Nintendo Switch Lumiose City

    Kalos through the Hisui template. Mega Evolution returns. Real-time night-time combat. The Switch swan song before the platform handoff.

    Open hub
  2. Mar 5, 2026 Spinoff
    Pokémon Pokopia
    Nintendo Switch 2

    Koei Tecmo cozy-life sim. You play a Ditto-as-human building a Pokémon island commune. The franchise's Animal Crossing answer.

    Open hub
  3. Sep 1, 2026 Mobile
    Pokémon Champions
    Multi-platform

    Cross-platform competitive battler. Switch + iOS + Android, HOME-integrated team transfers.

    Open hub
  4. 2027 Mainline Gen 10
    Pokémon Winds & Waves
    Nintendo Switch 2 Unannounced (archipelago / Polynesian-inspired)

    Gen 10. Switch 2 launch-window flagship. First mainline built ground-up for the new hardware. Out in 2027; the date has not been announced.

    Open hub

Common questions.

How many Pokémon games are there?

This timeline covers 57 major releases from 1996 to 2027; every mainline RPG, official remake, expansion DLC, console spinoff, handheld side game, mobile title, and digital TCG. Niche regional exclusives, arcade-only Tretta/Ga-Olé cabinets, and merchandise-tie-in apps are excluded.

What is considered a mainline Pokémon game?

Mainline is the canonical RPG branch: a numbered generation, a regional pokedex addition, and core mechanic evolution. Red/Blue, Gold/Silver, Ruby/Sapphire, Diamond/Pearl, Black/White, X/Y, Sun/Moon, Sword/Shield, Scarlet/Violet, Legends: Z-A, and the upcoming Winds & Waves (Gen 10) all qualify. Legends: Arceus is technically a mainline-tier release in the Gen 8 era. Remakes (FireRed, HGSS, ORAS, BDSP) are flagged separately.

When did Pokémon GO come out?

Pokémon GO launched July 6, 2016, in the United States and quickly worldwide. It remains the franchise's most commercially successful single product and is still actively updated by Niantic almost a decade later.

What is Pokémon Winds & Waves?

Pokémon Winds & Waves is the announced Gen 10 mainline title, set on a tropical archipelago region, releasing on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. It is the first mainline Pokémon game built ground-up for Switch 2 hardware.

What is the rarest / hardest-to-find Pokémon game?

Sealed copies of Pokémon Red & Blue cartridges in original packaging command hundreds to thousands on the secondhand market. Localized regional variants (e.g. Korean Crystal) trade for more. The 1999 Burger King Pokémon Snap promotional kiosk cartridge is a notable collectible curio.

Release dates are checked by hand against Nintendo's press archives. Pokémon, hardware names, and box art © Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc., The Pokémon Company, Niantic, DeNA, TiMi Studio Group, and respective partner developers. This is an unofficial fan reference.