The first Pokemon games were released for the original Game Boy back in 1996 and proved to be hugely successful both critically and commercially. This led to the rise of the largest media franchise on the planet, which now consists of anime series, movies, and a wide variety of merchandise, such as toys, trading cards, and manga.
The franchise has seen hundreds of releases over the years, the most recent of which were Pokemon Scarlet & Violet for the Nintendo Switch. Pokemon is now the second best-selling video game franchise behind Super Mario, with more than 400 million copies sold worldwide. Needless to say, the best-selling Pokemon games make up a significant chunk of these sales.
Nintendo.co.jp and VG Sales have been used as sources.
Updated August 10, 2023, by Tom Bowen: Pokemon is one of the biggest and most prominent gaming franchises around, as evidenced by its incredibly impressive sales figures. The franchise has been an ever-present feature in the lives of many gamers since making its debut back in 1996 and has grown to become one of the biggest and most recognizable IPs of all time. Each year brings with it more new installments, with 2022 ushering in the ninth generation of Pokemon games. Despite still being less than one year old at the time of writing, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are already among the best-selling Pokemon games and may well go on to take the number one spot at some point over the coming years.
20 Pokemon Emerald (7.06 Million)
Since the franchise's humble beginnings back in the mid-nineties, mainline Pokemon games have always been released in pairs. What a lot of younger fans may not realize, however, is that the first four generations of Pokemon games also received a third mainline installment which served as a sort of enhanced port of the original two games.
This began back in 1998 with the release of Pokemon Yellow, with Crystal, Emerald, and Platinum all following over the course of the next decade. Emerald was one of the more successful third installments, managing to sell considerably more than Pokemon Crystal despite the two main Gen 2 games comfortably outperforming their Gen 3 counterparts.
19 Pokemon Platinum (7.60 Million)
Pokemon Platinum ended up being the last-ever third installment despite being one of the most commercially successful. The DS classic shifted around 7.6 million units: a figure which would likely have been much higher had it been released for a system with better piracy protection.
To put its success into perspective, Pokemon Platinum sold almost as many copies as either Diamond or Pearl did individually. By comparison, Pokemon Gold & Silver sold almost four times as many copies as Crystal did, which goes to show just how desirable Pokemon Platinum really was.
18 Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 (8.52 Million)
Most people consider Pokemon Black & White to be some of the greatest games of all time. Consequently, it goes without saying that the announcement of sequels to these games was met with positive reception across the board, turning Black 2 & White 2 into the 15th highest-selling titles in the series.
Being the last 2D entries in the series — with the 3D era of Pokemon games being widely polarizing with many hardcore fans — these games are must-plays for any fan. They're also the first direct sequels to ever grace the Pokemon franchise, though they wouldn't end up being the last.
17 Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon (9.15 Million)
While Pokemon Sun & Moon have their fair share of detractors, the core gameplay loop was still quite sound and enjoyable. So, it only goes without saying that fans of these titles would be more than pleased with an updated version that improves on most facets of this title.
This is exactly what Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon aimed to accomplish, with the end result being quite satisfactory for many Pokemon fans. While the games might still seem too similar to Sun & Moon at times, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon are still great titles that feature notable improvements over its predecessor.
16 Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen (12.00 Million)
The original Pokemon titles are definitely legendary in their own right, but there's no denying the fact that the games have aged quite a bit and can be quite challenging to enjoy in modern times. Thankfully, like most classic games from the era, they've received their fair share of remakes and remasters over the years.
The first of these remakes came in the forms of Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen, ensuring that dated visuals and mechanics became a thing of the past. With their release, gamers could enjoy the magic of the original games with all the modern nuances they've come to expect from a Pokemon title.
15 Pokemon Legends: Arceus (14.83 Million)
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the most recent installment in the series at the time of writing and also one of the best-selling Pokemon games of all time. It successfully built upon many of the ideas that were first implemented in Sword & Shield and marks the long-running video game franchise's first tentative foray into the world of 3D.
To say that the game has been successful would be a bit of an understatement, with Legends: Arceus breaking several sales records on its way to 14.83 million sales. What's more impressive is that the game had already sold more than 12 million copies by the time Nintendo published its end-of-year fiscal report for 2021, which came just 102 days after the game's release.
14 Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver (12.72 Million)
Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver Versions are the remakes of the Gold & Silver Pokemon games which were originally published for the Game Boy Color in 1999. The starter Pokemon that players get to choose from are Chikorita, Cyndiquil, and Totodaille.
Like in the original versions, the story of HeartGold & SoulSilver takes place in the Kanto and Johto regions where the player catches Pokemon and fights the gym leaders with an occasional battle against the well-known Team Rocket. The ultimate battle is against Red, the games' final boss. The games received positive reviews and sold 12.72 million copies on the Nintendo DS.
13 Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (14.57 Million)
Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire are the remakes of the original Ruby & Sapphire Pokemon games. The setting and the story are pretty much the same as in the original games and follow a player on an adventure in the Hoenn region where he needs to catch various Pokemon and defeat eight Gym Leaders.
However, the games were published on Nintendo 3DS, which means 3D polygonal graphics are present, while the Mega Evolution and Super Training options from Pokemon X & Y are also present. The two versions of the game sold 14.57 million copies.
12 Pokemon Yellow (14.64 Million)
Pokemon Yellow is a 1998 enchanted Pokemon game of the original title loosely based on an animated series of the same name. In this game, the only available Pokemon at the start is Pikachu. Additionally, he is given a voice and personality and follows the player through the whole adventure.
The game also features slightly improved graphics and can print Pokedex entries. Pokemon Yellow received favorable reviews and sold 14.64 million copies, ultimately helping to further boost the sales of Game Boy. It also brings total Gen 1 sales past the 45-million mark, helping the trio to leapfrog Tetris to take first place on the list of the system's best-selling games.
11 Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (15.06 Million)
Given that they weren't released until late 2021, it seems likely that Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl will go on to sell far more than the 15.06 million units reported by Nintendo at the time of writing. The long-awaited Gen 4 remakes have certainly gotten off to a flying start though, outselling the hugely popular Pokemon Yellow in just their first six months on the market.
Although some fans bemoaned the lack of Pokemon Platinum content, most were extremely happy with how the remakes turned out. The introduction of new areas like Ramanas Park ensured that the games enjoyed their fair share of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon, while the Grand Underground made catching pre-Gen 4 Pokemon a breeze, though only after players had unlocked the National Dex.
10 Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu & Let's Go Eevee (15.07 Million)
While the Pokemon games on the Switch haven't exactly received the love and adoration that fans have given to other games in the series, these games still have something special about them. They allow millions of gamers to connect with the pocket monsters they obtain on their adventure.
This is precisely why Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee! were such massive successes. The remakes of Pokemon Yellow were widely purchased and played by more than 15 million fans from across the world, showing just how beloved the franchise and the Gen 1 games really are.
9 Pokemon Black & White (15.64 Million)
Published in 2010 for the Nintendo DS, Pokemon Black & White ushered in the fifth generation of Pokemon games. The games are set in the Unova region, which resembles the area of New York City. So, fittingly enough, the landscape features an urban environment with big bridges and skyscrapers.
Like the previous entries, the games have a linear storyline where a player in the role of a teenager must collect eight Gym Badges, challenge the Elite Four of the Pokemon League, and defeat the region's Champion. The games sold 15.64 million copies to date despite piracy running rampant on the Nintendo DS.
8 Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire (16.22 Million)
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire were published in 2002 and introduced the third generation of Pokemon, also known as an advanced generation. The games are set in Hoenn and unlike all other entries before them, Ruby & Sapphire do not feature all the Pokemon from the previous generations.
With the popularity of the Pokemon franchise waning at the time, the games sold less than the two previous entries in the series. Nevertheless, Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire still managed to become the best-selling games for the Game Boy Advance with 16.22 million units sold.
7 Pokemon Sun & Moon (16.30 Million)
Pokemon Sun & Moon were published in 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the franchise. The games take place on a group of islands known as Alola, a region heavily inspired by Hawaii. The developer's studio staff actually visited them to conduct research for the game.
These games introduced 81 new Pokemon to catch, as well as the new powerful moves known as Z-moves. Together, the games were able to sell 16.3 million copies, which was a little less than the Pokemon X & Y versions, which were also released on the Nintendo 3DS.
6 Pokemon X & Y (16.68 Million)
Pokemon X & Y were the first Pokemon games published on Nintendo 3DS, therefore featuring Pokemon in fully 3D polygonal graphics, which was, speaking of it, very well received. Aside from that, the two versions of the game feature 72 new Pokemon as well 30 Mega Evolutions for already fully evolved Pokemon such as Charizard and Blastoise.
The two games managed to sell 16.68 million copies between them, which is impressive considering X & Y were published on the Nintendo 3DS. The commercial success followed the critical and the game won the Golden Joystick Award for the Best Handheld Game of the Year.
5 Pokemon Diamond & Pearl (17.67 Million)
The Nintendo DS Pokemon game from 2006 came in two versions, Diamond & Pearl. With combined sales of 17.67 units, these entries are the fourth-bestselling Pokemon games. these games are set in a fictional region of Sinnoh and follow a new trainer who wants to become the Pokemon League Champion.
The gameplay is largely the same as with the previous entries but Pokemon Diamond & Pearl do add a multiplayer option where players can battle against other trainers. The games received favorable reviews and won an award for the Best Handheld Game at G-Phoria 2007.
4 Pokemon Scarlet & Violet (22.66 Million)
Despite some rather noticeable teething problems that led to inconsistent frame rates in built-up areas, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have proven to be incredibly popular with players. The titles shifted more than 20 million copies in their first six weeks on the market; catapulting them right toward the top of the list of best-selling Pokemon games.
These incredible sales figures are all the more impressive when one considers that Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are among the very worst mainline Pokemon titles when it comes to their 71/72 Metacritic. In fact, no mainline Pokemon game has a worse average score than Pokemon Scarlet & Violet on the popular review aggregator site.
3 Pokemon Gold & Silver (23.73 Million)
Considered by many to be some of the best games in the series, Pokemon Gold & Silver were released for the Game Boy Color and managed to sell 23.73 million copies. This was made all the more impressive by the fact that they debuted so soon after the original games in the West, with only a few years separating the releases of Red & Blue and Gold & Silver.
The games include 100 new Pokemon to collect and fresh additions like choosing the created character's gender and Pokemon breeding. Gold and Silver also added some new classes of Pokemon and a new item called Pokegear. Unlike the previous games, which were based in the Kanto region, Gold & Silver are based in Johto.
2 Pokemon Sword & Shield (25.92 Million)
The most recent games in the mainline Pokemon franchise didn't enjoy the greatest reception from series fans due to cuts to the Pokedex. However, Pokemon Sword & Shield proved to be incredibly popular with people who love the IP, as reflected by the games' impressive sales figures.
The advancements made in Pokemon Sword & Shield are a testament to the future of the series. It's clear to see the influence these games are already having on the franchise, with Pokemon Legends: Arceus going on to incorporate and build upon a host of major technical advancements that were present in Sword & Shield.
1 Pokemon Red, Green & Blue (31.38 Million)
When he was a child, Satoshi Tajiri enjoyed collecting insects. As he grew older, he began to dream of a world in which players could collect, train and battle with their miniature creatures and set about turning his dream into a reality. This resulted in him creating the first 151 Pokemon and Pokemon Red, Green & Blue.
The original Pokemon games were published in 1996 for the Nintendo Game Boy and would eventually go on to start a multibillion-dollar franchise. After their releases, the games became massive hits, both commercial and critical leading to countless sequels and spin-off games. Today, Pokemon Red, Green, & Blue are considered classics.