Top 50 Pokemon Games Of All Time

9 – Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver (Nintendo DS)

After Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen proved that remakes would sell, Pokemon took a stab at rehashes of their best titles thus far, to great success. At last, the library of titles on compatible handhelds was complete, and trainers could catch ’em all once again. It would have been hard for Pokemon HeartGold and Soul Silver to mess up their originals–trainers had fond memories of the dual regions, the day/night cycle, and the Johto Pokemon. The primary crime of these remakes was that they hardly did anything new, but that’s okay. Some of the writing was softened as well, making the rival Silver less of a bully and more redeemable. The Kimono Girls made multiple appearances, and many features and story added in Pokemon Crystal (such as Eusine) returned. Unfortunately Kris, the series’ first female protagonist, did not–she was replaced with a girl in a very silly hat.

Two features did stand out as being unique and lovable. The first was the Pokéathlon, a series of mini-games that let Pokemon compete in sports events using the DS touchscreen. The second and best-known was the ability to have the first Pokemon in your party follow you around no matter what it was. You could interact with it at any time, increasing friendship and occasionally receiving items. We haven’t seen follower Pokemon since these games, and that’s a shame. Being chased by a giant Snorlax was a blast.

Next: #8 - Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen