It may surprise some that Pokémon games are not in the highest percentile of Metacritic scores. After all, the games are so famous and have influenced entire generations. However, Metacritic does not score games on account of their cultural influence on society. It is just a website that gives an average score depending on critic and user reviews.
With that in mind, what are the highest scoring Pokémon games? We have checked and must tell you that they are very closely scored. However, there is a Pokémon with the highest score and its identity may surprise you. Here is a count down of the ten best rated Pokémon games on Metacritic.
10 Pokémon Diamond (Score: 85)
As of now, this DS game is more than ten years old. It is back when the protagonist could only walk in four directions and you could not change their clothes or hair. Critics were pleased, some calling it the best DS game of its time. It still followed much of the old game formula and did not take much risk when it came to change besides introducing new Pokémon. Fans still cross their fingers to this day that it and its sister game, Pokémon Pearl, will one day get a remake/remaster.
9 Pokémon Pearl (Score: 85)
Diamond's sister game, Pearl, of course was rated the same. They came out at the same time with few differences such as the types of Pokémon in the game, most notably the mascot legendary ones. Both Pearl and Diamond received higher rating than previous games such as Sapphire, Ruby, FireRed, and LeafGreen. In terms of plot and storyline however, these games were very similar to their predecessors. It biggest improvements from the past games were the Wi-Fi capabilities. It helped trading, battling, and playing with friends really come alive.
8 Pokémon Sun (Score: 87)
Rated two points higher than Diamond and Pearl is one of the much newer games, Pokémon Sun. It revolutionized Pokémon in numerous ways. They changed HMs in a really good way by showing how people use Pokémon in an everyday setting. It changed Gyms to Trials. The new Pokémon like Mimikyu, the starters, and Alolan versions of Pokémon that already existed were very popular. A lot was introduced that jazzed old and new fans.
7 Pokémon Moon (Score: 87)
The sister game to Sun, Pokémon Moon, was similar received by gamers and critics. Another aspect that fans appreciated in these games was the characters. Fans loved Hau, Lillie, Professor Kukui, and all of Team Skull. In fact, Team Skull was very well received for being one of the more interesting villain organizations that Pokémon has created. Rather than having a desire to rule the world, they seem to just be teenagers and rebels who want to noticed.
It is also worth noting that both Sun and Moon were rated higher than their sequels, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
6 Pokémon X (Score: 87)
In terms of the generation that changed the games the most, it is probably Pokémon X and Y. This may we X ties with the more recent Sun and Moon on Metacritic. Most of the changes were thanks from the jumped from the regular DS to the 3DS. Due to the jump, the company decided to also take a leap in terms of visuals and mechanics. The game became bigger, with 3D battles, customizable characters, roller skates, and introducing Mega-evolution.
5 Pokémon Black (Score: 87)
This generation ties with Pokémon Sun, Moon, and X but scores higher than Diamond and Pearl which is interesting since it is more similar to that generation than the others it ties with. Due to its popularity, it even got a sequel.
It did introduce on of the most popular Pokémon characters: N. He was very well written as a child puppet for a villain organization. He cared a ton for Pokémon and could even communicate with them which was something unseen in the games. He was also your enemy, which made the story more complex than you would expect or a Pokémon title.
4 Pokémon White (Score: 87)
Black's sister game, White, was rated with the same score of 87. One reasons these games also scored pretty high is the amount of new Pokémon introduced, more than 150 of them! There were some complaints about certain designs (such as the Pokémon that is literal garbage) but that is what happens when you get a wide variety. The games came out in 2011, and added a lot to the now incredibly long list of fantasy creatures. Some players disliked that most old Pokémon were not available, but others liked the new and fresh generation.
3 Pokémon HeartGold (Score: 87)
This remake was a big deal for Johto fans. It still stands as one of the only Pokémon titles that explore two region in one game. The remake made it only better by adding possibly the best thing ever in a Pokémon game: the ability to have your Pokémon walk by your side. By Pokémon, we mean any Pokémon. It was sort of like Let's Go Eevee and Let's Go Pikachu, except there were hundreds upon hundreds of Pokémon instead of just the first generation.
2 Pokémon SoulSilver (Score: 87)
SoulSilver was rated the same as HeartGold. Another reason these games were so successful is the nostalgia. The original Silver and Gold had a lot packed into them. The reason why is that Silver and Gold were planned to be the last of the Pokémon games. The franchise certainly changed that tune later.
These games are also home to one of the most memorable battles for the 90s fans: fighting Red on Mt. Silver. You got to meet the protagonist of a previous game and fight them in a very difficult and high level battle. It was epic, because the trainers do not even exchange words. It was just silent, and then battle music.
1 Pokémon Y (Score: 88)
So Pokémon Y is the game with the highest rating on Metacritic. Surprised? We sure were.
It is only by one point above the others and honestly we have no answer as to why. It is no different from X except for some of the Pokémon you can find and catch. As mentioned before, X and Y is the generation that really jumped in terms of mechanics and visuals. So in that sense, we can see why one of those games have made it as the most highly rated Pokémon game. Why Y? Well, perhaps some critic just really liked that legendary destruction bird more than X's legendary deer. Who is to say?